Part of Corey Silva's remarks at the MasterPeace Service Dog Graduation on Saturday, June 14
"Mike Masters, affectionately known as “The DogFather,” co-founded MasterPeace Dog Training in Franklin with his wife Fran in 2001. What they envisioned as a fun ten-year retirement project became so much more. Mike was a passionate dog owner, trainer, and competitor—most notably with his service dog Paxton, a Spinone Italiano. His passing was a tremendous loss to both the service and agility dog communities.
Dogs adored Mike, and the feeling was mutual. He began teaching agility in the 1990s, when the sport was just beginning in the U.S. Many top competitors holding multiple MACH titles began their journey with Mike’s guidance.
Even more remarkably, Mike was training his own service dogs as far back as the early 1980s—long before service dogs were widely understood or accepted. In one memorable story, he removed himself from his wheelchair and crawled up a flight of stairs to show a skeptical landlord why his service dog, Mariah, was essential for operating the elevator.
After Mariah, Mike went on to self-train two more Golden Retrievers and Paxton, his “heart dog.” He also helped many others with disabilities train their own service dogs here at MasterPeace. His legacy lives on today through the MasterPeace Service Dog Program.
So while I never got to meet Mike, I became a part of his community here. I built my own service dog curriculum from everything I could find—books, mentors, experience. I leaned on the knowledgeable trainers around me, especially Kelly Taylor, who teaches many popular classes on Saturday mornings. That work led to a conversation with Fran and Patty about creating a formal program for owner-trainers here at MasterPeace.
Mike has been the spiritual mentor and inspiration that guided this program into existence.
Today we celebrate the achievements of two service dog teams.
Grisel and Luna
You’ve worked with me diligently over the last two years—even before this program officially launched. Luna’s service dog tasks include deep pressure therapy, interrupting repetitive behaviors, retrieving medication with water, and bringing her leash. Together, you’ve earned the AKC Canine Good Citizen, the MasterPeace Home Helpmate title, and passed the MasterPeace Public Access Test. My favorite of Luna’s accomplishments, however, was watching her overcome her fear of automatic doors and loud noises through countless training sessions at Stop & Shop and Forge Park Station.
Isabel and Nalah
You’ve worked so hard over these last two years and were among the first to attend our inaugural Service Dog 101 Workshop. Nalah’s service dog tasks include deep pressure therapy, retrieving medication with water, and her leash, and locating a seat for you. Together, you’ve also earned the AKC Canine Good Citizen, the MasterPeace Home Helpmate title, and passed the MasterPeace Public Access Test. Nalah is our first nosework dog turned service dog—a transition made possible by the beautiful bond you two share. I hope she inspires more teams to follow that path.
To conclude, I want to say how special it has been for me to witness owner trainers train their own service dogs. I’ve learned firsthand that the act of training your own service dog is therapeutic in itself. The bond that forms through that process is like nothing else.
I often liken dog training to a passage from one of my favorite books, The Little Prince. In it, the prince tames a wild fox, and the fox says:
“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…”
The bonds you’ve built with your dogs here at MasterPeace are just that—unique in all the world."
Video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWy8wl0hvsY
Additional photos of the event at MasterPeace -> https://photos.app.goo.gl/e8bkJJxau2s2YH527
