Service Dog Coach Melissa Laub, DDS, CPDT-KA combines her background in human healthcare with her passion for dog training in her work training service dogs. She is the co-founder of Teal Paws, a nonprofit service dog organization. Melissa also offers pet dog training, behavior consultations and service dog training through her business, KCK9 Coach in Kansas City, Kansas.
What made you decide you wanted to train service dogs?
I have always enjoyed making a difference in others’ lives, and training dogs makes a significant difference in two lives, my client’s and their dog’s. I enjoy providing a service that is so valuable and impactful.
Tell us about Teal Paws.
A friend and I co-founded Teal Paws, an organization that improves the quality of life for members of two populations, survivors of sexual assault and homeless dogs. We pair a survivor with a dog to create what we call an “ally dog team.” We define an ally dog as one who is helping and supporting their person in times of need. Our programming coaches these teams to work together to alleviate the symptoms caused by sexual assault–induced PTSD.
Connection is the backbone of the program. We guide our clients to develop a trusting relationship with their ally dog, empower them to be more self-aware through mindfulness, and create a community with other survivors and their ally dogs.
Do any of your service dog training experiences particularly stand out?
One of my most rewarding experiences was working with a woman who was assaulted 30 years ago. The weight of this trauma had finally reached a breaking point. Her PTSD overwhelmed her. She would not leave her house without her husband. Her world had become very small.
She entered our program determined to regain her life, and their work together has allowed her to do that. She has taught her dog to bring her a medicine bag in response to a phone alarm to ensure she doesn’t forget to take important medications. She has taught her ally dog to lie across her to give her deep pressure therapy when she is feeling overwhelmed and headed toward a panic attack. Her dog learned to turn lights on in a darkened room and come back to her so they can enter the space together. She has taught her dog to create a buffer of space by teaching him a solid stand/stay in different positions around her. She is working on having him guide her to the car, because dissociation can make it hard for her to remember the car’s location in a parking lot.
She has learned to trust herself and her dog, and they are taking on the world. The strides they have made are astonishing. I am so proud of their successes and thankful that I could be a guide on their incredible journey.
Tell us about your dog training business.
I have enjoyed teaching pet dog clients the beauty of using positive reinforcement for around 15 years. I still find it fun to demonstrate that dogs can learn amazing things when their handlers use kindness, not force.
What motivated you to enroll in the SDC course?
I wanted to demonstrate my commitment to humane, science-based dog training practices as it relates to service dogs, and the Cooperative Paws SDC program was the perfect path to do just that. I find it frustrating that the dog training field does not have more regulations. I sympathize with people struggling to find a qualified trainer. I wanted to show prospective clients that I meet high standards, in order to set myself apart from others who offer service dog training.
What did you like most about the SDC course?
I found the course user-friendly and well-organized. I enjoy learning about dog behavior and training methods, but nothing offers more insight into what clients are experiencing than actually doing the training. So, my favorite part of the SDC course was training my dog to perform specialized tasks. I appreciated the requirement to submit each learning phase of the chosen task.
What has surprised you about working with service dogs?
The most surprising thing to me is that dogs can deduce ways to help that have not been specifically taught. One team shared their experience with me: They had been working on the skills needed for an anxiety alert. They started with a touch, which progressed to a more forceful nudge. The handler had not yet paired this action with any cues relating to her anxiety symptoms. She was taking a shower one day, which is a triggering situation for her, and her dog came in from the other room, pushed aside the shower curtain and got himself drenched, but proceeded to nudge her as her anxiety started to escalate. Her dog noticed she was in need before she did and took action, performing a behavior that was still in the learning phases. He took a lesson from one context and used it in a different context. Dogs are amazing.
What advice would you give to trainers thinking about getting involved in service dog training?
Gain experience with a variety of dogs. Volunteering at your local animal shelter will challenge your training skills and help hone your technique. And read. Read everything you can get your hands on.