Page Text: Miss Lola's Academy for Wayward Dogs
A Charm and Finishing School for Dogs
WHAT WE DO
Miss Lola's Academy was founded to provide the fundamentals necessary for young puppies to become polished dogs. We teach tools of grace, class and poise, to develop social skills that last a lifetime.
We teach a reward based non-aversive approach to training and believe this is the best way to have a happy, healthy relationship with your dog.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
Basic Obedience Skills: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, and Loose Leash Walking
Problem Solving: Digging, Barking, Jumping, Chewing and Nipping
Referrals for specialized issues and services
WHAT WE PROMISE
We will help you develop a happy, healthy, and poised pup who will be a charming lifetime companion.
About
Melissa Grant, ABCDT, owns and operates Miss Lola's Academy for Wayward Dogs. Melissa spent her adult working life in retail management before switching careers to dog training. As a child, she dreamed of having a career working with animals, but life took her in another direction. She decided to make her dream a reality, enrolled in a certification program from Animal Behavior College , and graduated with honors. Upon graduating, Melissa opened her own private training business and now has been working on the Eastside as a private dog trainer for 17 years. Melissa also runs Living Snoqualmie , is a volunteer with Western Wildlife Outreach , The Mountain Lion Foundation and a former volunteer for the Society of Seattle/King County .
Services
BASIC CANINE ETIQUETTE
Unlike traditional canine classes, our courses provide instruction far beyond etiquette and manners. We offer services for the youngest age of two to six months to adult dogs. Puppies are very adaptable to learning and old dogs can be taught new tricks. Miss Lola's starts with the fundamentals of good behavior addressing common challenges to dogs and their parents. These are important skills for a happy relationship. We provide the tools to help educate and reinforce lessons beyond the classroom and move them to natural modes of behavior. Our Basic Canine Etiquette includes: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Loose Leash Walking, Casual Heel and Wait.
ADVANCED CANINE ETIQUETTE
If your pooch has already mastered basic etiquette, try our "gifted" pooch program. In our advanced classes your pup will learn more complicated behaviors such as: Emergency Down, Off-leash heeling, Distraction Stay and Recall and many other useful real-world behaviors.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Miss Lola's Problem-Solving Sessions are customized to your needs. We work with you to design a specific training plan. Prices vary according to services. Please call for a consultation and let us create a program for you and your pup.
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Give the gift of a well-mannered pup! Gift certificates are available in any amount you wish and can be applied towards private sessions.
Testimonials
Copyright © Miss Lola's Academy for Wayward Dogs
The Peters Family and Rennie
Five years ago, we consulted with Miss Lola’s to help us train our baby Hungarian Kuvacz. And, thank goodness we did, as we weren’t completely aware of the specific needs of this breed, being used to our older Golden Retriever. Looking back on it, Melissa’s careful management of our dog’s care and her incredibly helpful suggestions fooled us for periods of time into thinking that our two breeds were equally simple to manage.
Of course, they are not. Over the years, our large male dog began to show a more macho side, began to bark... a lot, and to guard his food in a way that forced us to re-think our kids riding on his back and retrieving their abandoned food from his mouth. Melissa is always one step ahead of us- detecting his behavior changes as they happen, and providing simple human solutions.
Miss Lola’s Academy for Wayward dogs is a top-notch operation. Melissa is a true professional, and lover of animals. Her breath of knowledge astounds me.
Client: The Peters Family and Rennie
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Coco & Rico
Miss Lola's Academy for Wayward Dogs is fantastic. I have used their services for about five years. I have brought my two Chihuahua's Rico and Coco to basic obedience training classes and had Melissa work with my little dog Rico when he was pulling on the leash and not paying attention. Basically Melissa taught me how to distract Rico and bring him back to paying attention. Melissa is really gentle, yet firm and she is really great at educating dog owners. When we attended the class she structured the class so that all the dogs would be of compatible size and skill wise which is really important when you are bringing a Chihuahua to class. Also, she has been a dog-walker for me and my dogs always light up when I tell them Melissa and Lola are coming over. Over the years I have boarded my dogs with Melissa and I have been able to relax and enjoy my trips because I know that my dogs are happy and cared for properly. I should also mention that my littlest dog Coco has epilepsy and I am confident that Melissa is able to care for Coco in the event of a seizure. I highly recommend Miss Lola's Academy for Wayward Dogs and am happy to provide a reference to anyone who is considering using her dog services.
Client: Connie, Rico & Coco
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The Raney Family and Boomer
Our English bulldog Boomer is an important member of our family and we are so fortunate to have Melissa’s support and help! We are busy household with two active kids and full-time working parents, and Melissa does an amazing job of visiting Boomer every day while we are away and provides him the love, exercise and occasional “treats” he so deserves. Melissa is incredibly reliable and very loving with Boomer. She has provided training and great tips for helping us raise a happy and healthy bulldog. Her professionalism, expertise and love for pets is apparent in all she does. We (and Boomer) are so lucky to have her and highly recommend her to anyone looking for pet care and training!
Client: The Raney Family and Boomer
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Adam G and Tribble
Melissa has been a life saver, walking my problematic little ankle biter daily while I'm at work. She has always been flexible, willing to work around my varying schedule without any fuss. Although my dog doesn't like people, she persisted and eventually found a way to get him outside regularly for his potty breaks. I can recommend her to anyone who's looking for an understanding, knowledgeable and patient dog walker to take care of their furry babies.
Client: Adam G and Tribble
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Rex
It’s hard to squeeze gratitude into a paragraph, but we highly recommend Melissa Grant’s skills as a dog trainer/coach. We originally sought her help with our golden retriever, Rex’s leash reactivity towards other dogs, but in the time we’ve worked together Melissa has gone far beyond that single request, and has given us many more skills and a deeper understanding of the way Rex sees the world. The science-based methods of positive-reward training she uses are proven and sound, and her generous doses of common sense and humor make learning fun and approachable. She has an ability to meet anyone at their individual place of knowledge in a non-judgmental, encouraging way. She is creative in her approach, with a clear appreciation for the uniqueness of every dog and their humans. In this day when almost anyone can hang out their shingle and call themselves a “dog trainer”, it is refreshing to find a professional like Melissa who constantly builds on her original learning, gained in an accredited program, through seminars, reading, and consulting with her peers. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to any training situation, and her fondness for dogs and people alike are a perfect combination for success. Our work with Melissa has enabled us to do things with Rex that were previously impossible, improved the quality of our lives, and deepened the bond we have with him. We highly recommend Melissa, whether in beginning training with a brand new puppy, or an adult dog who needs to polish their social skills. A happier, smarter and more confident Rex gives Melissa four paws up. We couldn’t agree more!
Client: Bob, Jeanne & Rex Spreen
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Carly
Miss Lola’s Academy for Wayward Dogs was a lifesaver for our family. We adopted our Chihuahua/ Dachshund mix Carly almost 5 years ago, and used Melissa Grant’s services from day one. Melissa came to our house and tailored a training program our entire family (including 2 young kids) how to crate train, and teach our Carly basic commands. When it was clear Carly, had some “social issues” we were able to enroll in one of Melissa’s group classes to provide Carly the social interaction she needed. Carly was familiar with Melissa and her techniques, so this allowed us to jump right in to the group and have productive sessions. Carly enjoys Melissa and we have the utmost confidence and trust in her. Carly is always excited to see Melissa and her dog Lola when we utilize her dog-walking services or her boarding services. It makes going on vacation less worrisome when we know Carly is having a “vacation” herself in the capable hands of Melissa. I would highly recommend all of the services Melissa has to offer. Her passion for dogs and their proper education shines through every training session and interaction. She has a vast amount of knowledge to share, and is always open to, and responds quickly to any dog questions or concerns I have as our dog Carly grows and matures. Melissa and her dog Lola are like part of our family!
Client: Gwynne, Rick, Emily, Ben & Carly
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