Guide Dog Trainer – Guide Dogs WA

Contact at organisation: Miriam B Munitz, VisAbility / EverAbility

Phone: 0435 773 460

Email: miriam.munitz@everabilitygroup.org.au

EverAbility Group is an ever-evolving group of services committed to providing the support, services and spaces our community needs to live a rewarding and independent life.  We have a long and proud history of providing services for people with disabilities across Western Australia and Tasmania, offering quality of life outcomes that enable people of all ages and abilities to do the things they love and live the life they want.  Our organisation is driven by a diverse group of committed, passionate and experienced people.  Together, our team of over 200 staff and 300 volunteers bring the very best of their skills and knowledge, lived experience of disability and compassion and energy to our growing group of diverse services.  This diversity opens up a world of possibilities for our clients – and also opens up a host of career opportunities for you!

Our growing family of services at EverAbility Group include:

• VisAbility – our specialised service supporting people with blindness or vision impairment to live the life they want with confidence.
• Guide Dogs WA and Guide Dogs Tasmania – our iconic service raising and training life changing assistance dogs to help people living with vision impairment and disability to enjoy independent lives they want to lead.
• Kites Children’s Therapy – our early intervention support, advice and solutions service transforming the lives of children and their families living with disability or developmental challenges.
• Perron Place – our innovative and collaborative community centre that combines events, conferences and community activities for Western Australians of all ages and abilities.

Guide Dogs WA is the only Western Australian based provider of Guide Dog training services in the community. We exist to enhance the quality of life for those who are living with disability, by assisting in their achievement of independence. It is the independence and pure joy offered by these dogs to our clients that keeps us going.

The beautiful dogs in our program do so much more than help people who are vision impaired to navigate the world around them. They do more than settle and calm a child living with autism, or someone struggling with trauma or illness. They give the gift of independence and confidence to their handlers. They bring joy and companionship, hope and opportunity, not only to the people whose lives they are changing, but also to their families. Check out Tegan and Louis’s story in the video below, our youngest ever Guide Dog user!

This position is responsible for accessing and training high quality Guide Dogs to meet the requirements and standards set by Guide Dogs WA. This role is physically demanding with frequent walking, bending, and dealing with the needs of a young dog. The ability to interact with people, especially our volunteers with a high level of empathy, compassion and care is integral to this role. Key duties include:

• Assess dogs for suitability to continue with Guide Dog training;
• Train dogs to perform required obedience exercises and guiding skills;
• Test dogs’ responses to environmental stimuli and monitor social behaviour which includes personal home assessment;
• Review individual characteristics of dogs to determine appropriate training methodology and design an efficient and measurable training plan;
• Highlight all health issues and promptly refer them to be reviewed, assisting with the management and implementation of veterinary treatment plans;
• Identify temperamental and behavioural issues and ensure the application of appropriate solutions;
• Liaise and work with various internal teams as required for the specific requirements for individual dogs;
• Apply training standards for Guide Dog training as per IGDF and organisational standards;
• Maintain accurate and current documentation including CAS for dogs under responsibility;
• Act as an ambassador for Guide dogs, promoting good public image and supporting VisAbility’s strategic direction.