About Mélissa WACHS
I have always been an animal lover and a dog person. Dogs have been part of my family since I was born, and I have practiced several sports involving animals : horse riding, agility, dog dancing, … I began pulling dog sports about 15 years ago, mostly in bikejoring. Today, I am a competitor mostly in canicross and dog sledding in winter, with my Siberian Huskies Huulik, Ursus, Nuuk and Najjuk. Our complicity leads us to gather good results, several on important competitions such as, recently :
- 3rd place at the World Sleddog Championships WSA 2023 in 2 dogs sled category with Ursus et Nuuk
- French Canicross Nordic Champions 2022 with Nuuk
- World Canicross Champion WSA 2022 with Nuuk
- 4th place at the French Canitrail Championships 2022 with Ursus and Nijit
- World Canicross Championships ICF 2022 participation
- 7th place Canicross Federal Championship 2020 (en 2022) with Nuuk
- Regional 2022 champion FSLC with Nuuk
- 3rd place at the Federal Snowland Championship FSLC in skijoering with Najjuk
- National 2022 champions FFPTC in 2 dogs sledding with Ursus and Nuuk
- National 2021 champion FFPTC in canicross with Nuuk
- European ICF Championships participation in Canicross with Ursus
- 5th place at the 2018 Canicross Federal Championship FSLC with Ursus
- 3rd place in 2017 Trophée des Montagnes in France
- French Bikejoering Vice-champions Junior 2012 FSLC with Cheyenne
My living environment as a kid, surrounded by animals, and punctuated by frequent trips to the mountains, oriented me towards the study of biology and the environment. I got a degree in life sciences – cellular biology and physiology of organisms, and a Master’s degree in biodiversity, ecology, environment.
I am graduated from the International School for Canine Psychology and Behaviour (ISCP), where I gained a Diploma in Canine Behaviour with distinction.
Canine Behavior and Dog Training Studies
Canine Behaviorism
I am a graduate of the International School for Canine Psychology and Behaviour (ISCP), where I received a degree in canine behaviour with distinction. The International School for Canine Psychology and Behavior trains canine behaviorists using the latest scientific research in the field, positive methods and force free only. I am currently working on my ISCP Advanced Diploma in Canine Behavior.
- ISCP Advanced Diploma in Canine Behavior – en cours
- ISCP Diploma in Canine Behavior
University education
- Master’s degree for Forestry, Agronomy and Ecosystem Management
- Master Biodiversity Ecology Environment
- Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Cell Biology and Physiology of organisms
Continuing education
- Michael Shikashio Dog-Dog Aggression Cases – Grisha Stewart Academy
- Michael Shikashio Dog-Human Aggression Cases – Grisha Stewart Academy
- Holistic Approach to Dog Reactivity 1: Intro & Case Studies with Dante Camacho – Grisha Stewart Academy
- Separation Anxiety: Deciphering the Behavior with Terrie Hayward, CSAT – Grisha Stewart Academy
- Predation Substitute Training – A Holistic Training Program To Stop Dogs From Chasing! with Simone Mueller – The Pet Professional Guild
- Predatory Behavior in Dogs presented by Jean Donaldson – The Pet Professional Guild
Member of the National Institute for Canine Ethics
©Mélissa WACHS
Why Huulik Canine Behaviorism ?
Huulik stands for “Harmonising Unicities for Unique Living Interactions with Knines”. It is also the name of my first “own” dog, born in 2012. This is why it seemed evident to me that HUULIK Canine Behaviorism would suit greatly my activity.
This acronym represents my vision of my work as a behaviorist. Indeed, my goal is o help you and your dog recover or build a true relationship based on connection, respecting your personalities, and evolve happily together.
To know more about my work and the services I propose, please go the dedicated page.
Dogs & Mélissa WACHS (me)
Each dog I have lived with has brought me a lot, through its personality. Each one had or has its own way of existing or expressing itself, and this is what contributes to my vision of dog behaviorism, and enriches my experience as a dog lover.
Each dog that came into my life came with its own set of challenges, which had to be understood in order to improve their well-being and our relationship: counter-surfing, high curiosity, strong independence on walks, reactivity in certain contexts, fear, stress and anxiety, separation anxiety, hyper attachment, difficulty to settle down, difficulty eating, … Very varied problems on which we worked, allowing Huulik to be much closer and looking for eye contact, Ivy to be able to walk on a leash without reacting to people, Ursus to be much more at ease with humans and dogs, Nuuk to be able to stay alone without panicking, Najjuk to have a healthier relationship with food, …
Mélissa WACHS : Animal Art
As an animal lover, I have always loved to represent them, through different mediums. I have used photography as soon as I could hold a camera, drawing, painting, sculpting, modeling, etc. Today, I still like to take pictures, and I mostly use dry pastel chalks to immortalize animals.
If you are interested in my work, you can visit the dedicated page. You can also contact me or follow me via my Facebook page: Melissa WACHS – Animal Artist, or Instagram: melissa.wachs_artiste.