Writing a Cover Letter for Dog Handler With No Experience

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“I don’t usually bark at night. But when I do, it’s often for no reason,” says a Labrador Retriever to his French Bulldog buddy.

If you thought that was funny, then you must be so passionately immersed in the world of dogs that you wish to become a dog handler soon or someday!

The only roadblock you have is that you’ve never had any previous professional experience in this job and the like, and hence, writing a cover letter might be a bit of a challenge for you.

Well, worry no more, certified dog lover, because, today, we’ll help you craft a compelling cover letter that would increase your chances of landing a job as a dog handler.

 

 

What should we write in a dog handler cover letter if we have no experience?

To write a no-experience-dog handler resume, we have to concretely demonstrate to the prospective employer why we are a good fit for the job. We can do this by selling ourselves in the introductory paragraph, supporting our claim in the body, and assertively seeking an interview in the conclusion.

 

Creating a no-experience-dog handler cover letter in detail

Always remember that you can become a dog handler even if you can’t speak dog lingo, nor can you identify the dog breed every time you see one.

You only need to perfect the art of creating application documents, such as your cover letter and resume, as well as convincing your hiring personnel during the interview that you deserve this job.

Creating cover letters is quite a tricky task, which means before you can make one, you must be able to religiously understand the purpose of a cover letter first.

Basically, a cover letter is a document that showcases a job seeker’s strengths that would make them suitable for a particular job role.

If we put it into sales and marketing, this works like a product or service presentation that allows prospective buyers and clients to decide whether they should close or reject a deal.

In other words, a cover letter allows you to pitch yourself to your potential employer, and hence, this document is nothing less than crucial to landing a job that would then allow you to pay your utility bills.

Unless you got really strong internal links to decision-makers in a company, there would always be no absolutes in job seeking, especially if you haven’t had any relevant professional experiences at all.

Therefore, knowing what counts as work experience in a resume beforehand would also help you move your needle further.

In creating a no-experience-dog handler cover letter, all you have to do is sell yourself, support your claim, and seek an interview at the end of the letter to increase your chances of getting hired.

Here are the specific details of the guidelines stated above:

 

Sell yourself in the introductory paragraph

Like any other formal correspondence, you should summarize your letter’s intent in your introductory paragraph.

You can think of a single-paragraph response to the question “Why should you get hired?” or “What sets you apart from other applicants?” to create this part, which is applicable in any type of job.

To write the introductory paragraph for an entry-level dog handler cover letter, though, the all-encompassing formula is to start with a polite greeting to the hiring manager.

Then, you can explain the purpose of the letter, which apparently is to apply for the desired position, as well as mention where you’ve come across the job posting.

To help you structure the last suggestion, please feel free to read our other resource text titled “8 Alternatives for ‘I came across your job posting’,” which is also a critical element in your intro.

And finally, you can state your reason why you should be chosen for the job opening.

Here’s an example of how you can do that:

 

Example:

 

Introduction

 

I hope you are doing well today, ma’am/sir. Your job post on Linkedin for the part-time Junior Dog Handler position is something that I would really love to apply for. As an owner of five dogs myself, in which two of them have special needs, I believe I have the basic skills as well as the passion to care not only for these animals but also their owners.

 

Support your claim in the body

Apparently, your introductory paragraph only allows your prospective employer to take a peek at your potential worth or value to their organization.

Since you do not have direct professional experience in the field, you can highlight the relevant knowledge and skills that you have acquired in other areas.

If you’re still a student or a fresh grad, you can pick some relevant courses, academic research, or internships that provided you any some knowledge and skills to do the job role.

If you are working as an intern at the moment, gaining know-how on how to include a current internship in your resume would also do you a favor.

Listing an internship on a resume as work experience as well as an act of volunteerism should always be observed by entry-level job seekers because this is any student’s closest real-world exposure.

The other necessary skills that a dog handler needs to possess are physical strength and agility, communication, first-aid, as well as sanitation.

Although almost everything is already “researchable” these days, any prior knowledge of veterinary science, dog behavior, dog breeds, and dog equipment would highly likely help you fry your fish more quickly.

However, you have to make sure, though, that you are not merely repeating the pieces of information listed in your resume so as not to bore your prospective employer.

In a nutshell, you should be able to eloquently bridge the gap between being yourself and being a dog handler by putting common denominators in the spotlight.

Here’s how you can do that:

 

Example:

 

Body

 

Apart from the fact that I am a dog owner, I am confident that I can do this job because I also hold relevant experiences as a volunteer for HumaneUS, a non-profit animal rescue center, where I worked in a team to reunite lost pets to their owners through the software tool Shadow.

On top of that, I have been taking some of my neighbors’ dogs for a walk together with mine at least three to five (3-5) times per week (please see resume for their contact details). This means that I usually need to handle five to seven (5-7) dogs every time I go out, which has greatly improved my physical strength, as well as my understanding of dog behavior. Should you choose to hire me, I believe all these reasons would make me a good fit for the job opening, especially with the help of your training program.

 

To help you decide further, here are my other skill and character sets that would benefit your company:

 

• With my team, we have rescued a total of 89 stray animals in a year-long volunteer experience at HumaneUS.

• We have also succeeded in reuniting 22 of these animals with their owners, and we have given 41 a new home.

• Apart from dog walking, I go running or biking three to four times per week to maintain my physical health.

• I am an early bird who has never missed scheduled appointments in my lifetime.

 

Seek an interview in your conclusion

Just as importantly, the conclusion part should be written in such a way that it convinces the addressee to go through your other attachments.

Guiding your reader to open your attachments like your resume entails the need for knowing alternatives for “Please find my resume enclosed.”

Whereas, your other attachments can be easily checked by your reader if you make use of the “Please find attached” in email writing or its alternatives.

More so, your conclusion should contain a call-to-action prompt that would demonstrate your willingness to be interviewed at a flexible time by your potential employer.

Do not state anything that relates to your schedule unavailability in your cover letter because this should be discussed after you have convinced the employer to hire you.

You can write your conclusion along the lines of the following paragraph:

 

Example:

 

Conclusion

 

My resume and some images are attached to this email for your reference. I look forward to being interviewed at your earliest convenience either in person or on any communication platform of your choice, ma’am/sir. Please find my contact details below my signature.

 

Dog handler with no experience cover letter sample: The bigger picture

Now, let’s look at the cover letter from a bird’s eye view to see how all the parts link to each other. Remember to start with the application date, hiring manager’s name and position, as well as the organizations’ name and complete address.

Then, use a formal salutation and end it with a colon, as per close punctuation style.

If you feel uncreative using the same salutation all the time, learning some great “Dear Sir or Madam” alternatives should come in handy.

Here’s the bigger picture for your reference:

 

Dog Handler Cover Letter with No Experience: Full Sample

 

If you noticed, the sample letter ends with a tactful phrase that says “kindest regards,” a complimentary close with a professional yet heartwarming connotation.

Should you want to use another phrase having the same tonality, “warmest regards” could also be another great choice.

 

Frequently Asked Questions on How to write a dog handler cover letter with no experience

 

How can I write a cover letter for a dog walker if I have no experience?

You can include testimonials by referencing anyone who has entrusted their dog to you before, such as a neighbor or a friend. You can also list down your other relevant characteristics such as physical strength, punctuality, and passion for animals.

 

How do I write a cover letter for a dog daycare provider if I have no experience?

You can highlight your passion for dogs, as well as other animals in general. As it is not enough to be a dog owner to land a dog daycare provider job, you have to include supporting details and pieces of evidence that you can really do the tasks and responsibilities entailed by the job.

 

How can I explain that I am an animal lover in my cover letter?

You can support this subjective claim by including affiliations to animal non-profit organizations, training programs, or any other activities that would concretely demonstrate your love for animals.

 

Conclusion

Writing a dog handler cover letter is actually the easiest part. Meanwhile, committing to the underlying responsibilities of the job for a long time is the most challenging one.

A piece of advice, though, please do not apply as a dog handler if you’re not ready to do the “dirty work,” literally speaking.

And, on top of that, it is better to avoid applying for this role if you’re only planning to do it for a short time because you need to build trust and relationships with the dogs and their owners.