DOGGY DAYCARE APPRENTICE - ASSISTANT

CHARLIE'S DOGGY DAYCARE & GROOMING LTD

Bamber Bridge (PR5 8AR)

Closes in 18 days (Friday 6 November 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 19 October 2026

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Summary

The role will involve caring for and supervising dogs in daycare, assisting with daily tasks in our grooming room, and helping on reception with customer service, bookings and greeting clients. This is a varied, hands-on role that offers the opportunity to gain experience in dog care, grooming and the day-to-day running of a dog business.

• Wage:

  £12,480 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  We will provide 27 paid hours per week at the doggy daycare, alongside 3 hours of paid off-the-job training and coursework to be completed from home. The apprentice will need access to a laptop or tablet to complete their online learning and coursework. This will total 30 paid hours per week. Rate of pay - £8.00 per hour. Paid on the 5th of every month.

• Training course: Animal care and welfare assistant (level 2)
• Hours: The apprentice will work 3 days per week between 8:00am and 6:00pm, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break each day. Working days will be flexible between Monday and Friday to suit the needs of the business and 3 hours of paid off-the-job training.

  30 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 16 November 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 6 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

We are looking for a enthusiastic and caring apprentice to join our doggy daycare team! We’re looking for someone who is reliable, hardworking, passionate about animals and eager to learn.

You will be working in the daycare to help supervise and care for the dogs, and help out in the groom room. You will also help with reception duties.

Where you'll work

462 Ranglet Road
Walton Summit
Bamber Bridge
PR5 8AR

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE

Training course

Animal care and welfare assistant (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• comply with UK and EU Animal related legislation
• work effectively in a safe and healthy working environment following current / relevant health and safety legislation and work place policies
• identify and report potential hazards and breaches of security within animal accommodation/enclosures
• clean and maintain animal accommodation/enclosures/environment and equipment and provide appropriate resources including species specific enrichment (e.g. hiding, perches and areas to dig)
• maintain hygiene, bio security procedures and infection controls when working with animals including quarantine and isolation
• dispose of waste in a safe and appropriate manner in line with legislative and workplace requirements
• store, use and administer medication in line with legislative and veterinary instructions as appropriate
• monitor, record and report the health and welfare of animals in line with animal welfare legislation and workplace policies
• observe and be aware of the behaviour of animals and take appropriate actions
• approach/handle/restrain/move/recapture animals as part of routine husbandry appropriate for the species and individual
• exercise/socialise animals and provide appropriate enrichment relevant to their specific needs
• provide appropriate care, for example coat, skin, scales, plumage and feet to ensure good health and appearance
• provide food and water to animals and monitor the intake
• store and care for foodstuffs
• identify and describe animals using appropriate methods to the species involved (e.g. scanning for microchips)
• maintain, update and reference correct records in accordance with current legislation
• deliver customer experience (internal and external), where applicable, in line with workplace policies and procedures
• respond to animal first aid, urgent, ongoing and preventive care requirements as appropriate
• Beyond routine animal husbandry as listed in the core i.e. for animals with specific needs, unknown or unpredictable behaviour: i.e. animals recovering from routine operations such as neutering, or who may be obese, pregnant or fearful. Behaviour such as barking or pulling on the lead or who react unpredictably when meeting other animals.
• follow a prepared interaction/handling plan to prepare the animal and resources required i.e. muzzle, collar leads, harnesses, head collars, crush cage, grasper, snake hook, hoods
• undertake interaction/handling activities and use methods such as desensitisation and socialisation in accordance with the interaction/handling plan
• handle the animal throughout the interaction/handling to promote the animal’s health, normal behaviour and physical and emotional welfare
• monitor, report and record the response and welfare of the animal throughout interaction/handling activities
• apply techniques which take into account the animal’s welfare and emotional wellbeing, such as positive reinforcement to interact/handle the animal
• contribute to the assessment of an animal’s readiness for rehoming
• provide advice to customers/clients on the suitability of animals according to their circumstances and experience in line with the workplace policies and procedures
• support customers/clients during the rehoming/intake process and provide direction to further sources of information and guidance following rehoming of an animal
• contribute to the assessment of the animal during the intake process
• contribute to the matching process
• prepare means of transport appropriate for animals, ensuring serviceability and cleanliness
• prepare animals for movement and/or transportation taking into consideration their welfare potentially dealing with sick or injured animals
• use of appropriate equipment and methods to move and transport animals ensuring their safety and security
• monitor the physical and emotional health and welfare of animals during and after movement and transportation
• identify route and contingency plans
• identify if an animal required veterinary care and take appropriate action
• present a safe, friendly and welcoming reception for internal and external customers/clients/animals as appropriate
• provide information, advice, support and guidance on a range of topics such as animal care and welfare to customers/clients and seek advice when necessary
• use appropriate methods of technology for internal and external communication such as telephone, walkie talkies, email and scanning documents
• prepare, receive and store deliveries of goods including animal related products such as food stuffs and sundry items
• prepare and display stock for sale, including stock rotation
• take payment for goods, services and charitable donations
• process customer and animal registrations and bookings
• keep records for individual animals and people in line with the organisation’s procedures
• prepare animals and environment for mating
• monitor animals during parturition, recognising signs of difficulty
• carry out general care of animals through gestation
• prepare and manage pregnant animals pre and post parturition
• provide appropriate care and monitoring of neonates
• carry out procedures for caring for the young (once weaned) and introducing them to new environments
• socialise young animals appropriately
• fit and maintain appropriate equipment, ensuring the dog can operate safely
• conduct refresher/maintenance training with the support of a helper and dog trainer at an appropriate frequency to maintain the minimum standard of operational performance.
• interpret the dog’s behaviour and indications and react accordingly to the operational situation
• ensure that the dog team (handler and dog) maintains the minimum standard of operational performance as determined by national standards or the employers’ policies and procedures
• operate the dog team within the legal and ethical framework associated with their employment
• transport working dogs
• respond to collection requests
• identify wild animals that are suitable for rehabilitation and release
• plan and undertake rehabilitation for release into the wild
• capture and handle healthy and casualty wild animals
• move and transport wild animals appropriately
• release and monitor wild animals as appropriate
• carry out the hand rearing of wildlife species
• identify a range of different species (wildlife) or breeds (domestic) in order to understand the behavioural and ecological needs of the animal as well as be aware of the potential risks it may pose
• support, as directed, a veterinary surgeon / veterinary nurse in a clinical environment with: dealing with potential and actual emergency situations pre and post-operative care patient monitoring for example anaesthetic monitoring in-patient care diagnostic care/tests/X-rays – positioning and exposing the dispensing and administration of medication end of life care for pets and providing support for the owner

Training schedule

Training will be delivered by Myerscough College where you will work towards the Level 2 Animal Care & Welfare Assistant Apprenticeship qualification. 
 
Delivery is work-based using blended learning technologies on the employer’s premises. Off-the-job training will follow the time allocations outlined in the Occupational Standard.

More training information

The end point assessment will contain 2 components: 

• Practical assessment and questions. 
• Professional discussion supported with a portfolio.
• There will be 2 levels of achievement: Pass and Distinction.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 2-9/E-A*)
• Maths (grade 2-9/E-A*)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Team working
• Patience
• ⁠Passionate about dogs
• ⁠Passionate about dog welfare
• Providing excellent dog care
• ⁠A genuine love for animals
• Caring
• ⁠Friendly and approachable
• Good people skills
• Good timekeeping
• ⁠ ⁠A strong work ethic
• ⁠ ⁠Responsible / trustworthy
• Committed to the role
• Takes pride in their work
• ⁠Willing to learn
• Takes feedback on board
• Develops new skills

Other requirements

You will spend a lot of time cleaning up after dogs and you will be expected to maintain high hygiene standards. This is not a job where you sit around and cuddle dogs all day, the dogs must be treated with respect and in a professional manner. You will be in contact with dog fur and dander which can irritate asthma suffers.  
 
To ensure your application has the best chance of being considered for the vacancy you must provide information on all qualifications undertaken stating highest grades achieved in every subject, paying particular attention to Maths and English.  Along with this you need to state any previous work experience. 

About this employer

We are passionate about dogs and their welfare and ensuring they receive the hightest standard of care is extremely important to us. We believe in having the right team in place is essential to providing a safe, happy and positive environment for every dog in our care. 

After this apprenticeship

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

• To gain a recognised qualification and develop practical skills and knowledge in dog care. 
• To build confidence and experience working with dogs. 
• To develop the skills needed to pursue future employment opportunities within the animal care industry. 
• To have a basic understanding of dog grooming. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE

Employer Services Team

employerenquiries@myerscough.ac.uk

01995 642222

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000059745.

Apply now

Closes in 18 days (Friday 6 November 2026 at 11:59pm)