Loved being a dog trainer, hated working for Petsmart - Dog Trainer PetSmart Employee Review

3.0
Aug 24, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I started out as a part-time dog trainer, but went to full time in a few months. I learned so much about people, selling and most of all, how to handle dogs. Petsmart supplied all the things I needed and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to learn. For the most part, I loved all my co-workers and I felt like part of my local community, everyone knew me and my dogs. I will always look back fondly at my Petsmart years.

Cons

Even though I loved being a dog trainer, working for Petsmart, the low pay, the constant changing of the dog training curriculum, the unrealistic sales goals set for low-income areas and the mind-numbing middle management interference made me bail out after almost nine years at Petsmart.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing space to work. Benefits great.

Cons

Sometimes communication falls apart. Not to mention.

1.0
Jul 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The staff care a lot and try their hardest but it leads to burn out and being taken advantage of by a company the does not care about YOU.

Cons

Poor management. No work life balance. Bad scheduling. Bad pay. No communication. Leads expected to work more than 10 hours a day during high volume periods, Be responsible for too many things. You run around like a chicken with it's head chopped off the whole time you're at work. Staff are snippy, and rude. A few are okay. Company has you working bare bones, and does not care. Pet parent's are weird, and I don't think have realistic expectations that the boarding facility is more like dropping your dog off at a dog shelter for a week while you go on vacation than a "fun time" for your dog. Dogs get fed, watered, pottied. If that is all you care about, then use the PetHotel. If you want your dog to have fun, and be out of a stressful environment (few dogs do well with constant barking and noise all day, plus being stuck in a cement run, thrown in with a bunch of other dogs who have never been properly socialized) just do in home boarding. I would never board my dog at a place like this.

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