I grew up in Kettering, Ohio around plenty of furry friends! I rode horses competitively in high school and college, deemed myself the neighborhood dog walker, and schooled my first dog love, a golden retriever named Max, in agility. ​
When I decided to get a dog as an adult, I set my sights on a very independent and intelligent breed of dog, the Beauceron.
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21 customer reviews
liberty first LPMC
Owner is rude and seems to hate all men. My wife called and she was polite but when I spoke to her she was rude and completely stand offish.
Reviewed on Google Maps
Melanie Wallace
If you’re considering training for your dog, I cannot recommend Melissa at Mutts ‘n’ Mongrels enough.A few months ago, I dropped my 2-year-old dog, Teddy, off with Melissa because we were desperate for help with potty training. Teddy struggled with pooping in the house and regularly soiled the diaper we had to keep him in. He was also extremely shy about using the bathroom on a leash. After we downsized and no longer had a backyard, getting him to go potty on walks became nearly impossible, which led to even more accidents inside.Teddy stayed with Melissa for about a month, and throughout his entire stay she was amazing. She constantly sent updates, photos, and videos, and she took the time to ask thoughtful questions about Teddy’s life at home, his routine, behavior, living situation, and our goals so she could make sure the training would transfer successfully once he came home. She gave him daily walks, plenty of one-on-one attention, and lots of supervised playtime with the other dogs.I intentionally waited a few months before writing this review because I wanted to see if the improvements would last. I’m thrilled to say they absolutely have. Teddy now goes to the bathroom every single time we take him out on a leash and hasn’t had any accidents in the house. Melissa also completely crate trained him and transitioned him to a structured feeding schedule, which he adapted to beautifully.I truly don’t believe we would have solved any of these issues without Melissa’s patience, knowledge, and dedication. The difference in Teddy is incredible, and our daily lives have become so much less stressful because of her hard work.Thank you, Melissa, for giving us our happy, confident little guy back. We are beyond grateful for everything you did for Teddy. If you’re looking for someone who genuinely cares about your dog and is committed to helping them succeed, I can’t recommend Mutts ‘n’ Mongrels enough. More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Joseph Adamo
Melissa did an exceptional job training our golden retriever and teaching us how to maintain the work she did with him. It was worth every penny seeing the results when he returned home after three weeks. He is still a puppy, but his behavior has improved and he listens and walks so much better.What I enjoyed is Melissa tailored a program for us specifically. She asked what our biggest concerns were and also what we wanted beyond those. The confidence and the way our puppy carries himself much improved. Melissa took him swimming for the first time, and he is a water puppy. What a joy it is to see him enjoy those kinds of activities that may have ever found out.Melissa is a gifted trainer, and I would recommend her to anyone that wants to train the dog(s) at any level. Thank you Melissa for taking the time with our puppy and us as it has set the stage for a happy and health dog.Sincerely,Joe Adamo More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Mark H
Can't recommend Melissa enough! She turned our crazy little psychopath into a well behaved puppy. She still has her personality, and she can still be mischievous, but Melissa gave her a firm foundation for us to continue her training. She has responded extremely well to her training, and we've been able to use the tools that Melissa gave us to not only cement the existing commands and behaviors but to add new ones with little difficulty,Melissa tailored her training to our Aussie's personality, so it's not a one size fits all approach! This helped us understand how to modify our own methods and have seen amazing results!We will be using Melissa for all future boarding because we know our Aussie will be safe and continue to learn. More...
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Shelby Chansler
Melissa is awesome! My dog came back completely different. She is so well behaved and more confident in her own self. We are so glad to have found Melissa!!
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Cara Kooser
Melissa was amazing! We adopted 2 dogs and we were having big issues! I reached out to Melissa and she got me in the next day! We had her come over once a week for five weeks and things are AMAZING now! The dogs got excited when she would come to the door because they loved doing the training so much! I cannot recommend her enough! More...
Reviewed on Google Maps
Mandy Barrett Gabbard
Melissa boarded and trained our 18 month old golden doodle and we are so happy with her results! We are really able to enjoy her sweetness now that she is calmer and more obedient. It’s especially wonderful for my anxious daughter who was often bothered by Sunny’s unpredictable behavior. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Monnie Cummings
Wow! I just want to say the biggest thanks to Melissa! if it wasn't for her training classes for Layla our Siberian Husky so hyper and wouldn't listen we didnt know what to do! She is now much more calm and pays attention to what we tell her. She is not yet a year old and has came along way and now is much more fun to play and walk with her. Layla's energy was soo crazy lol. But I did some research and Melissa came highly recommended and affordable. I am very grateful for Melissa coming in to help us. we still have more classes for Layla but there is such a major difference we are totally amazed and looking forward to seeing her again. If your looking for someone to help with your pet I definitely recommend Melissa. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Dee Hagen
Melissa is amazing!! We just had our first session with her and I already have hope that we can turn my dog’s behavior issues around. She easily diagnosed what triggers him and gave me “homework “ to do until our next meeting. I am so excited to work with Melissa and I highly recommend her service! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Eleni Prieto
Melissa is magic. I have had five dogs over time. She is by far the best trainer I've ever had!
Reviewed on Facebook
Bridgette Jones
Melissa is so patient and compassionate with dogs of all temperaments and sizes! She was so insightful about what was going on with my dog Rosco, and really helped us get his behavior turned around.
Reviewed on Facebook
Katalyn Eckman
Melissa has been coming to train my 2 puppies (age 10 months and 4 months). She is very knowledgeable. She had individualized lesson plans and goals for each of them to reflect their temperaments and personalities. She wants them to succeed in being a functional member of my family and society. She doesn't just teach tricks and leave. She is teaching me to train them in a way that I understand. Melissa is fairly priced and flexible with scheduling. More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Cristal Reed
This wonderful lady is so great at what she does! I'm a petsitter and met her when one of my clients used her to train their new cockerspaniel puppy. She's so in tune with her charges and my clients puppy adores her! She strikes just the right balance with her training methods!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Dana Cox-Bowling
Melissa was hands down fabulous with my dog Mollie. She took the time needed with her and gave me lots of verbal and written feedback after working on various commands I needed to get Mollie comfortable with. She is affordable, flexible, knowledgeable, and works very well with dogs and their owner. I am ready to set up some training time for my new dog Duke and I can't wait to see how he progresses after working with Melissa. I have recommended her to many friends of mine!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Edward Alan Greene
Reviewed on Facebook
Cristal Reed
This wonderful lady is so great at what she does! I'm a petsitter and met her when one of my clients used her to train their new cockerspaniel puppy. She's so in tune with her charges and my clients puppy adores her! She strikes just the right balance with her training methods!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Bridgette Jones
Reviewed on Facebook
Dana Cox-Bowling
Melissa was hands down fabulous with my dog Mollie. She took the time needed with her and gave me lots of verbal and written feedback after working on various commands I needed to get Mollie comfortable with. She is affordable, flexible, knowledgeable, and works very well with dogs and their owner. I am ready to set up some training time for my new dog Duke and I can't wait to see how he progresses after working with Melissa. I have recommended her to many friends of mine!! More...
Reviewed on Facebook
Andrew Kratzer
Reviewed on Facebook
Brad Wintersteen
Reviewed on Facebook
Jessica Jones
Reviewed on Facebook
In home dog training lessons
Roughly hour long sessions taken at your pace. $100 per session or $360 for four sessions covering obedience basics.
Board and train in my home
Roughly 21 days. I cover obedience basics, manners, and socializing. The cost is $1800. I include a transfer session and written evaluation to go home, as well as ongoing support.
