About Melissa Peterson

Like you, I have had dogs with behavioral issues. I’ve had a dog with severe anxiety, including separation anxiety.  I’ve had two dogs with dog aggression.  And I’ve had dogs that pulled on the leash, didn’t always listen to me and jumped up on people.

Before my career in dog training, I didn’t know how to stop all those behaviors.  I took my dogs to dog obedience classes and even private dog training, but it didn’t resolve the issues.  I was stressed and afraid, with my aggressive dogs, that my dogs would attack another dog when we were out for walks.

It was during my search to help my dogs that I attended Cesar Millan’s “Training Cesar’s Way” course.  This training focused on Dog Psychology. We were taught about the dog’s instinctual needs and how we, ourselves, contribute to the dog’s problematic behaviors.  I now understood why the other dog training didn’t work.  These topics were never addressed, therefore, leaving the underlying psychological problem and my part in the problem unresolved.

In addition to my business, I help work with dogs in many other ways.  I volunteered as an Animal Therapy team with my dog Mattie in 2017.  I also donate my time to several animal rescue groups: Leon County Human Society, Cauzican Care Animal Rescue, and Crawfordville Animal Shelter.  I work with foster dogs in their programs that are displaying behavioral issues that are hindering their chances of being adopted.

Some of my most rewarding work is when I get to save a dog’s life.  I have volunteered my time to work with dogs displaying severe behavioral problems in shelters and other locations.  These dogs were going to be euthanized because of their behavior.  They are now well behaved and living happy lives in their forever homes.

I was privileged to foster and rehabilitate, Emily, a dog rescued from a S. Korean Dog Meat Market farm by Humane Society International.