Melissa is a certified professional dog trainer who has been training animals for nearly 20 years. After majoring in animal science at UC Davis, she started her career working with renowned veterinarian and behavior specialist Dr Sophia Yin. During 8 years with Dr Yin, she gained experience with complex behavior cases, advanced training skills, low stress handling in a veterinary setting, and professional client coaching skills. Melissa then joined the behavior team at an urban, high-volume animal shelter in Washington, DC, where she evaluated and trained dogs of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments, in addition to cats and small animals. She then wanted to expand her skills and experience and joined Medical Mutts in Indiana, where she trains service dogs for people with various disabilities. As Director of Training, she oversees the training of service dogs at the facility, develops training materials, travels to shelters and rescues to assess dogs for the program, and extensively coaches clients on how to train their own service dog. In her free time, Melissa has trained and competed in flyball, rally, and scent work with her 3 dogs; Niko, Roo and Dug. She has also fostered and found homes for over a hundred animals over the years, from ferrets and guinea pigs to dogs and cats. She regularly attends seminars and conferences to keep up to date on the latest training techniques and theories. Melissa is now hoping to use her vast knowledge and experience to help families improve their relationship with their pets through clear communication, understanding of species-specific needs, and fun and effective training methods. Melissa is also a CGC evaluator.