Melissa grew up around animals from horses to hamsters so caring for pets is something she’s very accustomed to. She started her career by working 9 years at a corporate chain with 6 of them being a dog trainer where she fell in love helping people establish trusting relationships with their pets built on communication between dog and owner. Over time, she pursued her certifications one by one with a goal of adding an additional one each year just to ensure she brings the most up-to-date and science based training to each and every client. Melissa went to school and graduated with an Associate of Science in Veterinary Technology from Brown Mackie College in May 2015. She then signed up for Animal Behavior College’s Grooming program and graduated in August 2015. She passed her National Boards to become a Licensed Veterinary Technician in August 2019.
Melissa has presented her positive reinforcement based training methods at various conferences across the country including the All-American Grooming Show in Chicago, Illinois in August 2017 and Pet Quest in Wilmington, Ohio in June 2018. Her training program is widely recognized and recommended by many area groomers, veterinarians(5 of them have even put their own personal pets through classes!), boarding facilities, and trainers. She has 6 dogs of her own that have achieved over 30 AKC recognized titles in obedience, tricks, & therapy dog work. In her spare time, she spends time with her own dogs volunteering in the community as certified therapy dogs & blood donor dogs.
Training Philosophy
Melissa’s training philosophy is based on positive reinforcement and science-based methods. She believes in building trusting relationships between dogs and their owners through communication.
Services
Paw in Hand Training offers a wide range of services, including:
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Pet Training:
Obedience classes, puppy classes, CGC/TDI testing, therapy dog training, and behavior modification for aggression, food/item guarding, and separation anxiety.
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Service Dog Training:
Training for mobility assistance, seizure alert, PTSD/Depression, and scent detection (Diabetes Alert, Allergen Alert, etc.).
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Private Training:
In-home training and aggression rehabilitation.
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Group Classes:
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Obedience, Co-operative Care, The Pawsitively FUN-demental Package, The Pawsitively Great Canine Package, Therapy Dog Class, Nosework Class, Scent Detection Service Dog Class, Freestyle Class, Reactive Rover Class, Rally-O.
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Puppy Classes:
Basic obedience commands, socialization, and addressing common puppy issues.
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Workshops:
Pet Tech CPR, First Aid, & Emergency Care, Pet CPR & First Aid.
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AKC Testing:
Canine Good Citizen (CGC), STAR Puppy, Community Canine (CGCA), Urban Canine (CGCU).
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Therapy Dogs International (TDI):
Therapy Dog Testing and Evaluation.
Certifications
Melissa Siedenstrang holds the following certifications:
- Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
- Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (ACDBC)
- Certified Professional Dog Groomer (ABCPG)
- Associate Certified Dog Behavior Consultant – Level 2 (ABCDT-L2)
- Therapy Dogs International (TDI) Evaluator
- Pet Tech – CPR, First Aid, & Care Instructor
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVTg)
Specializations
Melissa specializes in handling aggression cases and reactivity, including dog-dog aggression, people aggression, leash aggression, and resource guarding. She also has extensive experience in puppy socialization, therapy dog training, and service dog training.
Training Methods
Melissa uses positive reinforcement training methods, which focus on rewarding desired behaviors and ignoring or redirecting unwanted behaviors. She believes in building a strong foundation of communication and trust between dogs and their owners.
Customer Reviews
- Jennifer: “Melissa is an awesome trainer. Our dog is changed completely for the better.”
- Former Student: “Melissa is a great trainer. She’s very knowledgeable and passionate about training and wants all students to succeed.”
- Anonymous survey from former student: “Melissa listens. Understands, and responds. She doesn’t take a pretentious stance like I’ve experienced with other trainers. She also cares deeply about success.”
- Anonymous survey from former student: “I’ve taken 2 dogs through the classes and they have retained all of their training because the classes teach the owners consistent fun ways to reinforce class lessons “
- Tracey & Dexter the Golden Retriever: “Melissa has the best training method we have ever used! Our pup was in class with her for almost a year. He loved going to “school”, had a great positive training experience, and is now the best behaved and at the same time playful dog we have had. I would highly recommend her and am a bit sad we have done all the classes :)”
- Ron: “Samantha (my Newfoundland) and I have been in Melissa’s classes since she was 3 months old. Now at 21 months she has passed her test/evaluation for TDI certification and can begin to go with me to visit sick children at Memorial Hospital. Outstanding job Melissa!”
- Therapy Dog Graduates: “We loved the classes & are excited about becoming a therapy dog! We appreciate all Melissa’s work to help us get there!”
Media Appearances
Melissa has presented her positive reinforcement based training methods at various conferences across the country including the All-American Grooming Show in Chicago, Illinois in August 2017 and Pet Quest in Wilmington, Ohio in June 2018.
