How it all started...
Melinda began her career as a civil engineer, but her lifelong passion for dogs led her to pursue professional training in 2010. By 2013, she turned that passion into a full-time career and opened Lucky Dog Training, a positive reinforcement-based center that emphasizes building strong communication between people and their dogs. In January 2017, Melinda and her team moved to a new facility and rebranded as Lucky Dog Training Center to reflect their growing community and expanded programs. She believes that dedication and optimism turn dreams into reality...and her journey is proof of that.
Want to grow with us? We’re always looking for positive, dedicated people to join the Lucky Dog team! Send your resume to me*@********************er.com.
Meet the Team
Melinda Meche
Owner/Lead Trainer
Melinda has trained dogs-and their people-since 2010, helping thousands of clients build happier, more balanced relationships with their pets. As the owner of Lucky Dog Training Center, she shares her passion for teaching through classes and other specialty programs. Melinda finds her greatest joy in guiding owners to communicate clearly with their dogs and watching both grow in confidence together.
Ciara Schreiner
General Manager
Ciara graduated from Texas A&M University in 2019 with a B.S. in Animal Science. She and her dog, Belle, love training in Agility and exploring the Nosework world too. Ciara strongly believes in positive training as a way to build lifelong bonds between dogs and their owners. At Lucky Dog Training, she has played a key role in shaping the center into the thriving place it is today, managing marketing, scheduling, and retail operations. While you may not see her in the store every day, she remains fully engaged, working from home to support the training team so they can focus on that they do best...train dogs!
Lea Pfeiffer
UNT Grad ABA/Animal Science
Trainer - Puppy, Manners, Advanced and more!
Lea graduated with a bachelor's degree in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) with a field of study in Animal Science and Behavior Training from the University of North Texas. While attending college, she was the chairman of O.R.C.A. (Organization of Reinforcement Contingencies for Animals) and taught animal training to underclassmen. She has been a part of many animal training projects since graduating, such as teaching husbandry behaviors for exotic, farm and domesticated animals. Most recently she worked at the Fort Worth Zoo as a zookeeper where she trained armadillos and goats. Lea recently received her AKC Canine Good Citizen and Tricks Evaluator certification in May of 2023 and is currently working on her CPDT-KA to pass before the year is up!
Lea has started teaching behavioral modification in private sessions to improve the lives of reactive dogs and their owners through positive reinforcement. She currently owns 2 dogs, Scarlett and Mac, and a 16 year old cat, Pumpkin. Lea has had Pumpkin since her childhood, and that’s how her animal training journey all started. Scarlett, a 4 year old Heeler-Chihuahua mix, has earned her AKC Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Tricks title as well as her Canine Good Citizen certification. She is currently training in Rally and working on her Elite Performers Tricks Title, all while being one of Lea’s two demo dogs. Mac, a 6 year old American Bully, is registered through 4 Kennel Clubs including AKC and UKC. He is currently training in Nosework and working on preparing for his first Nosework trial in October 2023, all while being introduced to Agility and working as Lea’s second demo dog.
Beth Martin
Lead Agility Trainer
Beth Martin started agility in 1996 with her rescue cattle dog mix Rysa, and very quickly became hooked on the sport. She has been competing and teaching all levels and venues since 1997 in the Atlanta area until moving to DFW in 2019. She has had many successes at a high level with multiple dogs over the years. Most notable are being a 3 time USA world team member with her now retired Sport Mix Keen (twice with USDAA and once with UKI), and has also made semi-finals and finals several times at USDAA's Cynosports and at the UKI US Open with multiple dogs. Keen also was the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge Southeast champion in the 30 Weavepole challenge event. Beth is now bringing her 4 year old Jack Russell terrier Yeti up through the ranks, and has already had some good success locally and regionally with him. She has hopes of trying out for the UKI team soon, and competing with him this year at USDAA Cynosports. Beth competes in all organizations , but she really enjoys the training and handling challenges offered by UKI and USDAA.
Teaching others to enjoy agility as passionately as she does has always been important to Beth. She enjoys the challenge of helping people get the most out of their relationship with their own dog, and to be successful at whatever level each team is interested in, whether it's just a recreational activity to do with their dog and compete at local trials, all the way up to being able to being competitive nationally or internationally with their own dog.
Beth also has trained and competed in Nosework, flyball, barn hunt, disc dog, and dock diving, and enjoys the diversity as well as similarities of the training in each sport."
Rachel "Rach" Simmons
Trainer - Puppy and Basic Manners
Rachel “Rach” Simmons fell in love with training dogs while raising her first puppy in 2019. That puppy, Bean, has grown into an excellent role model for her new puppy brother, Behemoth. While working at a local doggy daycare, Rach became fascinated with canine behavior and body language, socialization and play styles. After being certified as a dog trainer at that job, Rach became a canine scholar, learning from every new dog (and human) she trained and every book she could get her hands on. She also organized a foster program to help local shelter pets find homes. Her favorite parts of being a trainer are preparing enrichment activities and getting to play tug after a great training session. In the future, Rach hopes to learn more about dog sports and even step into the competitive ring. Her goal as a trainer is to help people better understand their dog, and to continue the pursuit of knowledge. She hopes to test for the CPDT-KA next year, and will then pursue a Fear Free certification.
Carrie Chaffin
Trainer - Puppy & Basic Manners
Carrie Chaffin holds a Master of Science in Animal Science from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Carrie has a lifelong passion for animals.
Carrie is strongly committed to positive training methods, including treating behavior problems. Evidence supports using reward-based methods for all canine training, and Carrie promotes interactions with dogs based on compassion, respect, and peer-reviewed empirical research.
Carrie’s teaching experience includes certification in the Fear Free Program, Delta Therapy Dogs therapy dog team certification, active involvement in dog rescue, and diverse titles in dog sports like agility, rally, tricks, and Canine Good Citizen programs.
Susan Ramsbottom
Trainer - Rally and Conformation
Susan Ramsbottom came by her love of animals and training from her family, with her father growing up on a farm raising, training and showing livestock. She and her sisters began in 4-H with the dog project in the late 1960’s and have maintained their interests ever since.
Beginning with obedience and Junior Showmanship, her interests grew to include agility, Nosework, conformation, Rally, and lure coursing. She has had Dobermans, Pointers, English Springer Spaniels, a Wire Fox Terrier, Saluki, and has had Manchester Terriers (Standards and a Toy) for the past 17 years.
With a special interest in Behavior and Training she earned a degree in Psychology, is a member of APDT, earned the CPDT-KA, is a licensed Vet Tech, and likes to stay current with continuing education seminars. She has worked for an Assistance Dog organization for the past 30 years. She especially enjoys problem solving training challenges, teaching owners how to understand and train their pets to be much loved family members. She finds much satisfaction in “being the wind beneath other people’s wings”.