canine gems
dog training
Mission
The mission of Canine Gems Dog Training is to improve the lives of people and their dogs by revealing to dog parents the hidden "canine gem" that exists beneath their dog's bad behavior.
The human behind canine gems
About the owner
After a childhood spent in several different states throughout the U.S.--namely, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and California--Melissa (Missy) Mote, the founder of Canine Gems, continued to travel throughout college, studying abroad in three different countries (Spain, Lebanon, and Fiji). Her experiences having lived in so many subcultures of the U.S. as well as overseas have made her unusually skilled in the areas of foreign language and intercultural communication. She believes that the same cross-cultural understanding that makes people kinder to each other, even when they're from different backgrounds, applies between different species as well. The skills she learned in all of her travels have molded her into an empathetic dog-and-person educator whose passion is helping people step across the human-canine divide to communicate with their dog as clearly and ethically as possible.
Now a proud Greensboro local, when she is not training dogs, you will find Missy reading books (probably about dog training), playing chess, studying a foreign language, hiking with the four-legged love of her life, watching crime dramas with the two-legged love of her life, or teaching high school Spanish.
Vision
Canine Gems' dream is to give dog owners the gift of feeling connected to their dog through dog training that helps them see their dog for the gem that they are, despite their "bad" behavior.
The dog behind the mission:
Opal, the original canine gem
"There are so many emotions involved in owning a fearful, aggressive, reactive, or otherwise 'difficult' dog. If your dog has any behavior problem at all, you are likely feeling frustrated, helpless, overwhelmed, anxious, and maybe even completely alone. I am here to tell you, even if it feels that way right now, no matter what you are going through with the dog that you love, you are not alone.
When I got my dog, Opal (pictured above), as a young dog trainer, despite my knowledge and experience, I had no idea what I was getting into. Knowing that Opal's mom had some pretty scary genetics (aggression toward people, other dogs, and cats), I thought that if I put my dog training and socialization knowledge to good use, Opal could end up being the perfect dog. I had no idea what was in store for us...
As soon as Opal hit adolescence, she started showing the exact fear-aggressive traits that I spent her entire puppyhood trying to prevent--she even bit someone I love very much. Despite all of my best, well-researched efforts at early socialization and training, Opal did not turn out to be a friendly, easy-going dog. She is a goofy, resilient, fun, and brilliant dog, but she does not fit the mold that I hoped she would when I first brought her home.
And, while I would not change the journey of loving, living with, and training Opal, I remember what it was like to love a dog that wasn't fitting the picture of what I wanted from her. So, please know, if you are there right now, 1) you are not alone in what you're feeling and 2) I can help you--not just because I'm a dog trainer, but because I, too, love and live with a complicated dog.
If you love your dog and you're ready to start loving their behavior too, give me a call or book a consultation now. You both deserve it!"
-Melissa (Missy) Mote, KPA-CTP