Meet Melissa Lagos-Gomez | Dog Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Lagos-Gomez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Believing I myself! It has allowed me to feel confident in risk-taking and helped me form better habits (ex. Going to the gym,​waking up early, time management) in order to become successful. When you believe in yourself no obstacle is going to get in your way. I’m confident that I will get it done one way or the other and no one will convince me of that better than myself. At the end of the day it was my idea to begin with and I’m owning it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Oh My Dog is a canine training service tailored to you and your pup. All classes are done in home and one on one. From puppy obedience classes to behavior modification to service dog certification, I do it all. I think it’s easy to say was sets me apart from the others is my passion. I’ve been around animals since I’ve been in diapers and I wouldn’t be able to imagine my life without them. I love the connections that I build with my clients it makes it fun and exciting to go to work every day. When all the classes are done and my students graduate I can’t help but feel so proud! I used to work at a veterinarians office and that’s how I got offered my first job as a dog trainer. I worked under a phenomenal canine trainer named Dennis Urrutia. He took me under his wing and in less than a month I was off on my own. He saw the skills that I needed to become a dog trainer and felt like I was ready. In all honesty it came very natural to me and it would always hit me like “oh that makes sense”. I don’t feel like any of my challenges came until I decided to open up my own canine training company. This is just a very male dominant field so unless you see me in person you might not feel as confident. For example if you have a large German Shepherd that is having behavioral issues and you hear that a woman is going to come train him you might be a little hesitant because you want someone “big and strong”. Well I’m 5’9 and I can handle a lot more than that. Overcoming that was definitely a challenge but by showing confidence and talking about my previous clients and experiences I don’t feel it’s an issue anymore! Don’t judge a book by its cover, I’m stronger than you think.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My bestie and I are definitely outdoorsy girls so first place we would go is a little bit out of town but Oleta State Park is one of my favorite places to go kayaking. You get the most beautiful view of the city! You can also rent out jetskies and take them all the way out to Miami Beach. For a bite to eat I’m taking her to 1800-Lucky in Wynwood since there is the variety to eat there already but if she happens to be in the mood for something else when what is the place to be. From good food, to music, to the beautiful art all over the area. Brickell is a quick 5 to 10 minute drive if she wants to get any shopping in and it’s definitely the design capital of Miami. My mom has a house in Kendall and there’s a few jems you can’t miss. Millys Empanda, Fritanga Monimbo, Finka Table & Tap and can’t forget my FAVORITE açaí bowl EVER from Unbelievabowl. Cool dude named Laz owns the place. 305 themed and a must go! If she needs to get her hair and make up done Pam & Kait are my girls! I actually went to school with Pam and she’s been doing my hair for years. I love sending people her way, they leave so happy and so do I. She’s nailed every hairstyle and color I’ve asked her for. Lastly can’t forget my good friend Marvel. He’s a luxury concierge and personal security. So if we wanted to do anything nightlife I would call him.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Two people immediately came to mind. My mom and boyfriend. My mom was actually the one that came up with my company’s name! She has been my backbone through this entire process. From paying for my first set of collars and business cards to now attending large dog events with me. Which gets me talking about my boyfriend. He has been my biggest cheerleader. Always encouraging me to go bigger.  I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at without both of them.

Website: https://www.ohmydogsfl.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmydogsfl/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohmydogsouthflorida/

Image Credits
@lillymaydawes