Melissa Hays

in 2014, I began a dog walking business, Reactive Rover Dog Walking, for inner city dogs who were behaviorally challenged. After 5 years of running my business and mentoring with a professional dog trainer, I obtained my certification through the Certification for Professional Dog Trainers and began working alongside a superb team of trainers with Philly Dog Training. 
 

After 2 years of being a team member on Philly Dog Training, my family and I moved to Virginia where I started my own dog training business 6 years ago. 

After moving to Philadelphia in 2003, I started pre-veterinary coursework in Veterinary Medicine at Temple University. After working at a local animal hospital, I realized working in a medical setting did not meet my emotional requirements for working with animals, so I took two years off to consider my options. 
 

I finished my degree at California University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's in Exercise Science, where I linked another life-long passion to professional learning. 
 

After getting married and getting my first Pit Bull Terrier Puppy in 2012, I found my niche in Positive Dog Training after enrolling in group puppy classes. It was this experience that allowed me to bridge my passion for animals with a new, learned understanding in Canine Behavior. 
 

I went on to mentor for two years alongside Philadelphia's Top Dog Trainer, Marisa Scully, of Philly Dog Training, and fulfilled self-study requirements to obtain my dog training certification as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer.