"We love Melissa!! We’ve been taking Abby to her since she was a puppy, for basic training, one-on-one sessions, and agility training. Melissa is so good at being able to teach good behaviors in gentle ways, I’ve so appreciated her insight and expertise over the years. Melissa is patient and passionate and I can’t sing her praises enough, our girl Abby is 4 now and she’s well-behaved, confident, and eager to learn new things—we have Melissa to thank for all of that!"
— Sarah S. and Abby
"Melissa was a pleasure to work with! She is friendly, courteous of my time and home, and maintains a professional attitude for her work. Melissa was patient with the learning curve for both me and my puppy and she provided training techniques and commands to cater to our specific needs. Training with Melissa and using her methods helped develop a stronger bond between me and my dog!"
— Andrew P. and Levi
“I would highly recommend Melissa Nelson for service and therapy dog training services! She is knowledgeable in the skills and obedience requirements for you to have the bestest dog!
Nash and I took Melissa’s Therapy Dog class for 8 weeks. She sequenced the classes and skills to build upon the previous week so that Nash was able to master the mock therapy dog test.
Do yourself a favor and use Melissa Nelson for all your do training needs!”
— Kellie R. and Nash
“Our family used Melissa to train our Bernedoodle to be a service animal. Her patience and professional manner were amazing. Our dog Enzo learned all the commands and has become the most amazing service animal. We have moved since all of Enzo's training and live in a community where Enzo is the only animal that has ever been permitted in the club house and dining rooms of our club. His training has helped me in many ways, he accompanies me everywhere and is always well behaved. All of these things are because of the incredible training we received from Melissa. If you want your animal trained, I would highly recommend her.”
— Lisa G. and Enzo
“I had the pleasure of working with Melissa Nelson while training my service dog, Beau. As a first-time service dog handler, I was learning right alongside him—and Melissa made that journey incredibly smooth and rewarding. She not only trained Beau but also took the time to teach me the skills I needed to succeed. Every step of the way, she explained things clearly, answered my questions with patience, and made sure I felt confident before moving forward.
Melissa was diligent in ensuring Beau mastered his foundational skills before progressing to his task-specific service dog work. Thanks to her expertise, Beau is now highly responsive, well-mannered in public, and reliably performs the tasks I depend on daily.
What stood out most was Melissa’s patience, consistency, and the deep respect she showed Beau. She struck the perfect balance between kindness and structure, which helped build a strong, trusting bond between us. That bond has been truly life-changing.
Even after graduating from the program, Melissa continues to check in on Beau’s progress. Her ongoing support has played a big role in our continued success as a service dog team.
If you’re looking for a skilled, trustworthy, and dedicated service dog trainer, I wholeheartedly recommend Melissa. She truly goes above and beyond to help both you and your dog thrive.”
— DJ and Beau