Start as a Daycare & Boarding Specialist. Develop toward Senior Supervisor.

Starting Wage: $17.00/hour, with planned wage progression as skills, responsibilities and leadership competencies are achieved

Position: Permanent

Location: The Happy Hound Play Park in Edmonton

This isn't just an entry-level position, but it begins as one.

We are intentionally hiring for a growth position with a development track toward becoming a Senior Supervisor at The Happy Hound.

The successful candidate will begin as a Daycare & Boarding Specialist because we believe our strongest leaders should understand the work they will eventually lead. Leadership here is earned from the ground up...by mastering the work, supporting the people around you, earning the trust of the team you will eventually help lead, and discovering whether this is an industry in which you truly want to build your career

You will learn our operation from the ground up: dog care and handling, daycare and boarding operations, cleaning and facility standards, client service, enrichment, safety protocols, communication, teamwork and the hundreds of small details that go into providing exceptional care every day.

As you demonstrate competence, judgment, initiative and leadership capacity, we will progressively invest in you through coaching, education, increased responsibility and opportunities to lead.

With successful development and demonstrated competency, our goal is for this person to progress toward Senior Supervisor within approximately 12 months.

Progression is earned rather than automatic. We will provide the training, feedback and opportunities; you will need to demonstrate that you are ready for each next step.

We're hiring the person, not the résumé or a long history.

You do not need to come from the pet-care industry. You do not need to even have a background in any supervisory capacity. We are hiring YOU. Your goals, your optimism, your belief in yourself and desire to achieve something.

Experience in animal care, leadership, customer service, hospitality, recreation, retail, operations or other fast-paced environments can certainly be valuable, but we are much more interested in who you are and what you are capable of becoming.

We can teach dog behaviour, our systems and our operational standards.

What is much harder to teach is character, work ethic, curiosity, self-awareness, resilience and a genuine desire to become excellent at what you do.

We are looking for someone who sees this as an opportunity to build a career and long-term position, not simply find their next job.

The person we're looking for

You are someone who

- Likes working with people. This may be a career built around dogs, but leadership is ultimately about people. You genuinely enjoy helping others succeed, building relationships, communicating with clients and contributing to a team.
- Wants responsibility. You don't need to be chased to take ownership of something, and increasing responsibility excites rather than intimidates you.
- Is adaptable. You can shift gears when circumstances change without becoming frustrated or losing sight of the larger priorities.
- Is confident in your ability to learn. You don't expect to know everything on day one, but you believe you can master difficult skills through effort, practice, feedback and education.
- Is coachable. You can receive feedback without becoming defensive, apply it and come back better.
- Has an exceptional work ethic. You understand that leadership credibility begins with being willing and able to do the work yourself.
- Notices what needs to be done. You develop situational awareness and increasingly act without needing every next step assigned to you.
- Stays composed when things get busy. You can prioritize, think clearly and communicate effectively when several things need attention at once.
- Cares about standards. Details matter to you, and you don't lower your standards simply because nobody is watching.
- Has integrity. You are honest, accountable and willing to own mistakes.
- Wants to nurture a strong workplace.



You care about the people working beside you and want to help create an environment where people feel supported, respected, challenged and proud of their work.
- Can support and hold people accountable. You understand that good leadership requires both kindness and standards.
- Communicates well. You can listen, ask questions, explain yourself clearly and address difficult situations respectfully rather than avoiding them.
- Is curious. You want to understand not only what we do, but why we do it.
- Has good judgment. You can learn when to act independently, when to ask for guidance and when something needs to be escalated.
- Is dependable. Your team can count on you to show up, be prepared and follow through.
- Wants mastery, not just advancement. You aren't looking for a title as quickly as possible; you want to become genuinely capable of doing the job exceptionally well.
- Wants a career in this industry. You are excited by the possibility of developing expertise in canine care, behaviour, operations, people leadership and client experience.

Most importantly, you care. You care about the dogs entrusted to us. You care about their people. You care about your coworkers. You care about doing excellent work, and you want your work to matter.

You also understand the reality of this industry, that dogs need care 365 days a year.

Our busiest periods are often the same times other people are taking vacations: weekends, summer, school breaks and major holidays.

A leadership career in daycare and boarding therefore requires flexibility and availability that is different from many Monday-to-Friday industries.

This position will include weekends and evening shifts, and candidates pursuing leadership roles must be prepared to work during peak operating periods. Availability during major holidays and peak seasons is an important expectation of our leadership team, and extended time away during these periods will generally not be possible.

We want candidates to understand that expectation before choosing this career path.

If having most weekends, major holidays and peak travel periods consistently available for personal time is important to you, this is probably not the right career track.

Your first stage: mastering the operation

You will begin by learning the Daycare & Boarding Specialist position.

Your work will include

- Supervising and managing dog activity groups and maintaining safe, positive interactions
- Learning canine body language, behaviour and positive-reinforcement handling
- Providing individualized care to daycare and boarding guests
- Feeding, medication administration and wellbeing monitoring
- Recognizing and communicating behavioural or health concerns
- Delivering exceptional client service during check-in, check-out and other client interactions
- Maintaining our high standards for cleaning and sanitation throughout the facility
- Supporting enrichment, educational and training activities
- Completing documentation, administrative work and guest preparation
- Learning and consistently following company policies, procedures and safety protocols
- Supporting your teammates and contributing wherever necessary to successful daily operations

This is physical, hands-on work. You should be comfortable being on your feet for most of an eight-hour shift, working indoors and outdoors, cleaning, safely handling dogs of different sizes and temperaments, lifting up to 50 lbs and responding quickly when circumstances require it.

Where we're going

As you master the foundations, your development will increasingly shift from doing the work --> owning outcomes --> helping others succeed --> leading the operation as part of the supervisory team.

Depending on demonstrated competency and readiness, development may include:

Operational mastery





Deepening your skills in dog behaviour, group management, boarding care, client experience, facility operations and safety.

Increased ownership

Taking responsibility for specific operational tasks, standards, routines and outcomes.

Leadership development

Learning delegation, coaching, communication, conflict resolution, prioritization, decision-making and team leadership.

Shift leadership

Beginning to coordinate workflow, support team members, identify problems, make appropriate decisions and help ensure successful execution of the day.

Supervisory responsibility

Developing the ability to oversee people, dogs, client experience and operational priorities simultaneously while maintaining The Happy Hound's standards.

Senior Supervisor readiness

Demonstrating the judgment, competence, reliability, communication and leadership necessary to be entrusted with significant responsibility for the operation and the people within it.

Our target is to develop the right candidate toward Senior Supervisor within approximately one year, but advancement will be based on demonstrated competency rather than time alone.

With each meaningful increase in competency and responsibility, there will also be opportunities for increased compensation, paid benefits, earned days off, perks, education and professional development.

About The Happy Hound The Happy Hound is a positive-reinforcement daycare, boarding and training facility.

We believe excellent dog care is much more than supervising dogs in a room. Our approach considers behaviour, enrichment, activity, rest, regulation, individual needs, health and the relationship between dogs and their people.

We are committed to continually improving what excellent care looks like.

That philosophy applies to our employees too.

We want to develop knowledgeable professionals, create meaningful careers and give exceptional people opportunities to take on increasingly important roles within our organization.

What you don't need

- You don't need to already know how to supervise an off-leash dog group.
- You don't need to know everything about canine body language.
- You don't need previous management experience.
- You don't need to come from the pet industry.

You do need the humility to start at the beginning, the confidence to know you can learn, the work ethic to become excellent, and the ambition to eventually lead.

Minimum requirements

- 18 years of age or older
- Authorized to work in Canada
- Reliable transportation and dependable attendance
- Ability to work a combination of days, evenings and weekends
- Availability during peak operating periods and major holidays
- Ability to remain active and on your feet for extended shifts
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs
- Comfortable working around dogs of varying breeds, sizes, temperaments and energy levels
- Comfortable performing substantial cleaning and sanitation duties
- Solid verbal and written communication
- Willingness to complete required education and training
- Commitment to positive-reinforcement handling and The Happy Hound's standards of care

Training & development We will provide the training required for the position and invest progressively in your professional development.

Training will include required workplace and safety education as well as extensive on-the-job development in canine behaviour, dog handling, group management, client care and our operational systems.

As you progress, additional education and leadership development opportunities will be provided based on your development plan and career track.

Applying

Please send us your résumé along with an introduction telling us about you.

- Why does this opportunity interest you?
- Tell us about something you became exceptionally good at. How did you get there?

And finally: Why do you think you would be exceptional at this—even if you've never worked professionally with dogs before? We aren't looking for the person with the perfect resume. We're looking for someone worth investing in.

Pay: From $17.00 per hour

Expected hours: 18.0 – 40.0 per week

Work Location: In person

📌 Leadership Development Program - Dog Daycare & Boarding (Edmonton)
🏢 The Happy Hound Spray u0026 Play
📍 Edmonton