WHY DOGS? Being with dogs and helping them become more fully alive through Natural Dog Training make up one of my life's deepest joys:) Kindly see below for rates.
EXPERIENCE
I'm a full-time dog trainer/behaviourist in the lineage of Kevin Behan, the founder of Natural Dog Training and author of 'Your Dog Is Your Mirror: The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs and Ourselves'. Since 2015, I've regularly gone to train with Kevin in Vermont, USA.
Being passionate about animals, wildlife and caring for creation is a big part of my life, so much so that I've worked in an international nature conservation NGO for 14 years. I'm comfortable handling and training dogs with fear or aggression issues, as well as caring for large breeds. I can equip you and help your dog overcome issues including these: reactivity, fear of people, fear of thunder, being super hyper, nervousness, zoomies around the house, separation anxiety, etc. I have a soft spot for Singapore Specials!
I understand the concerns involved in putting one's dog in a kennel or taking it out of its home environment for boarding. I've looked for dog sitters in the past but found it hard to entrust someone else with my high-drive dog. So I'm here to help! Do you have any questions? I'd love to chat with you regarding any doggy issues you'd like to explore.
SERVICES
All dogs are welcome, including reactive dogs with fear/aggression issues!
Engagement Walks ($65-75/30-45min):
I incorporate NDT core exercises, outdoor play/tug and a relaxing massage to finish.
Drop-ins without walks, eg clearing cat litter and feeding ($65/45 min) 1-2 pets
Overnight Pet-sitting ($130/day), 1 pet.
Private In-Home Training: puppies, pulling on leash and over-excitement, aggression, reactivity, nervousness, phobias, separation anxiety, etc.
ADDITIONAL PET SERVICES
Vet visits for reactive and anxious dogs
Puppy coach
Coaching first-time dog /cat owners
Temperament evaluation of puppies and dogs before adopting or buying them
Wellness and raw feeding advice
Pet portraits in pencil or acrylic
Full refund if canceled before 12:00 p.m. one day before the booking, 50% refund afterward.
No refund is payable if the booking is canceled on or after the start date.
Note: All times are based on the sitter’s time zone
It’s our first time boarding Kopi and we are really glad to entrust Kopi with Melissa.
We have to board Kopi as our house is undergoing HIP and we tried out boarding for a day. Melissa sends us updates regularly throughout the day (photos + videos). She also make sure to board only 1 dog at a time :)
It is also our first time learning about the natural training methods and Melissa went through the trouble explaining to us what it is and send us materials about it. Even though it was only a day, we could feel that Kopi has made progress.
Thank you so much for taking such good care of Kopi. Will definitely engage Melissa again :)
A big thank you to Melissa for taking such good care of Peggy!
It's our 1st time boarding Peggy and we had our worries. Melissa allayed this fear by first doing a meet and greet session to find out more about Peggy and her temperament. When Peggy was with Melissa, we got lots of updates and really nicely taken photos, more than what I ever took when Peggy is with me! Peggy was so happy when she was with Melissa, that we had joked that she probably didn't want to come home after 2 weeks!
She also engaged Peggy a lot using her Natural Dog Training methods and Peggy opened up a lot! She came back home more vocal and doesn’t hesitate telling us what she wants! :P
Someone who went over and above what she needed to do for the dogs under her care! Will definitely use her services again next time!
Natural Dog Training (NDT) apprentice of Kevin Behan