We had the pleasure of working with Nikki as our dog trainer, and I cannot recommend her enough. From the very first interaction, Nikki's genuine passion for dogs and their well-being was evident. Her commitment to providing top-notch training services truly sets her apart. Nikki's interactions with my dog were always warm and positive. She effortlessly created a bond with our furry friend, making the training sessions enjoyable for both dog and owner. Her patience and understanding were remarkable, ensuring that our dog felt comfortable throughout the process. One aspect that stood out about Nikki was her eagerness to share invaluable information and tips. She went above and beyond by providing us with a wealth of knowledge on various training techniques, behavioral cues, and practical tricks. Her expertise and guidance were instrumental in helping us understand our dog better and establish a strong foundation for ongoing training. Moreover, Nikki's professionalism and reliability were exceptional. She was consistently punctual and accommodating, always working around our schedule. Her clear and concise training methods made it easy for us to follow along and implement the techniques effectively. Nikki's ability to communicate complex concepts in an understandable manner was truly commendable. What truly made our experience with Nikki exceptional was her evident love and care for our puppy. It was apparent that she genuinely cared about the well-being and progress of every dog she worked with. This personal touch created a nurturing environment that fostered trust and accelerated our dog's development. If you're looking for a dog trainer who combines expertise, passion, and a personalized approach, look no further than Nikki. Her dedication, knowledge, and genuine love for dogs make her an outstanding professional. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Nikki for the remarkable impact she had on our dog's training journey. read more

We were fortunate enough to find Michal's Pack online. I reached out to Michael about my Bernese Mt Dog pulling me during our walks and I inquired about signing up for training. Michael called me that day and suggested I try a specific brand harness first. Michael said he'd had great results with this particular harness. It worked like a charm so I hadn't a need for training. However, I didn't forget that Michael offered free advice when he could have signed me up for a class or at home training. Fast forward to the arrival of our new Berner pup. Again Michael responded almost immediately when I reached out to him. He offered to take me on as a client but mentioned his schedule was very full. He suggested I work with one of his trainers, Phil Smith, and I took his suggestion. After all, why would he send anyone sub-par to carry the "Michael's Pack" name? Well, Phil far surpassed our expectations! Phil took the time to talk to us and listen to what our concerns were. He worked with our pup, Dublin on basic commands but also helped us "tweek" a couple of Otis' behaviors. He was always on time and worked with our schedule. He made himself available for questions and concerns in between our meetings. He was positive but firm in his training and our dogs both responded beautifully. Phil shared a wealth of knowledge and my husband and I really feel like we got a great education and were given the tools to continue training on our own. When we left Phil on our last meeting he assured us that he was only a phone call away should we have training questions in the future and I feel as though I'd be comfortable reaching out. My husband and I highly recommend Michael's Pack and Phil Smith! read more

Testimonial posted by Tracey LaBarbera 2010 - Michael Schaier is an extremely knowledgeable dog trainer. He has taught my husband and me an enormous amount about living with our two terriers. We learned how to communicate with them better and establish ourselves in the "pack". Michael has an obvious passion for his work and possesses expert knowledge of canines. He uses patience and positive reinforcement to train. Appointments were flexible and punctual. During our personalized sessions, Michael was able to balance both dogs and answer all of our questions. With Michael's help, we were able to improve on simple commands and learn some more advanced ones. We decreased barking and jumping while greeting visitors and the aggressiveness between Brandi and Luke has diminished. We have seen great results! Our home is more calm and controlled because the dogs are better behaved and live more agreeably. We highly recommend Michael's Pack. Thank you again!! Mike, Tracey, Brandi, and Luke. read more

I came to Michael as a recommendation from the place I purchased my Rottweiler puppy from and they did not disappoint. As a rottie owner I knew I wanted and needed to have a well-disciplined dog and wanted help from professionals. Michael introduced me to the positive-reinforcement method they use which I loved and set me up with Phil, my dedicated dog trainer. Phil was absolutely incredible. He not only trained Axel, my puppy, but more importantly had the expertise to understand K9 motivations broadly enough to recognize what unique approaches would work best after observing Axel. With those he then gave me specific instructions for how to motivate and train Axel in the most effective manner. AND he did so with a positive and patient approach that was most impressive. Today Axel is a well-behaved, almost adult Rottie thanks to this training center. I would definitely recommend them and, in fact, plan on going back for more advanced training soon. read more

We strongly recommend Michael. He worked with us and our HIGHLY energetic two year old GSP who had gotten into the habit of jumping and barking like a maniac every time someone entered or left the house. In six weeks working with Michael, our mornings have gone from a stressful (and loud) rush to a more relaxed family time when we can focus on the day ahead. Michael worked patiently with our dog, teaching us methods that we were able to apply to other behavior issues. His training was practical, humane, and always within our comfort zone, though he wasn't afraid to make suggestions outside the box. He always followed through the next week to see which methods worked and which didn't, and then he thoughtfully improved on the positives. Quality of life has improved for us and our pup, as the proper training has taken loads of stress off him as well. Worth every penny! read more

I strongly recommend Michael as a trainer. He did a great job with our 5 year old Cavalier King Charles when he started exhibiting some angry/aggressive behavior. It was odd since we had him since he was 12 weeks old and had always been an extremely friendly and cuddly puppy. Out of the blue he started getting very possessive of his toys/chews. From the initial meeting our dog really took to Michael. After the first meeting, Michael was able to quickly assess the situation and gave us some great tips on how to work with our dog to decrease and then eliminate these possessive behaviors. Within a week the behavior was completely gone. It's been almost 4 months since we met with Michael and the behavior has not returned and we have our happy and cuddly pup back. We could not have done it without Michael's help - Thank you Michael!! read more

After 8 sessions with Phil I am happy to say my pup and I are in a much better place. Using positive reinforcement, we were able to get her to learn and respond to simple commands that has made my life and raising her easier. When we first showed up I was afraid it was too late she was 6 months and already out of hand. I was wrong. She just had her last session last night and Phil brought his own pup out for a play date. I have to say I must have been beaming with pride at how they interacted. My only regret is that our sessions are over and Violet will miss her "Uncle Phil". Great trainer, professional, firm but fair and always dropping knowledge on our visits. It was a pleasure to work with Phil and worth the price for a full package. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a good positive trainer for their pup. read more

I can't say enough about Phil Smith from Michaels Pack. I called him leaving a message that I needed guidance with my " three ring circus". He promptly called me back and set up a consultation appointment. I added a 5 week old pit bull puppy to my home which included a 6 yr old rescue boxer/pit and a very old cranky chihuahua. I felt I had made a mistake adding the puppy to the pack. Phil guided me my husband and daughters through the stages of biting, fighting, potty training and basic commands. His knowledge, soft spoken tone and expertise not only trained Mia but the other two dogs also (most importantly calmed and reassured me and my family). You can tell he loves animals and what he does. He is an asset to Michaels Pack. Hoping that socialization classes become available in Suffolk county soon! read more

Two and half years ago I brought home a beautiful new male pup. I was totally in love. He was lovable, cute as could be and insane!!! After 4 months of doing all I knew to train him and failing I was thinking perhaps I would have to return him . We were a wrong fit. Then a friend suggested I try Michaels Pack training. Michael saved the day!!!!! Mikes calm and strong approach made me comfortable and confident that we were in good hands. Within four weeks time, my wild and crazy pup was everything I hoped he could be. We continued to work with Mike. He was always available to answer questions, address new concerns and make our day to day challenges easy to handle. Without a doubt, I highly recommend Michaels Pack for every new dog owner as well as those with any concern raising their dog. read more

Simba is my first puppy, a Golden Doodle who came to me at roughly 3 months of age. I met with several trainers and i use that word loosely, as many should never work with dogs and found not just a trainer for Simba but one for myself as well. Phil should be on the Mount Rushmore of canine trainers. His empathetic manners and patience with the two of us provided us with a foundation for all future successes. We have worked together for some time now and has helped provide me with a happy, well-adjusted best friend (Simba). Phil truly is a "dog whisper". There are times that i simply give him a ring to ask a question or to say how great our progress is and he just so happy for us. I can go on and on, but all i can say is that anyone less then Phil is a mistake!!!!!!! read more

We recently adopted a puppy and forgot how much work they are. I contacted Michael's Pack to give us a hand. We were paired up with a wonderful trainer named Eric who came to our home to evaluate our pup and give us some direction on how to train her. We were getting frustrated and Eric's training techniques were so helpful! He had a method to help with all of the areas we were having difficulty with. Eric was professional, and pleasant. He also emailed us training aides after each of our sessions to help reinforce what he covered during each training session. My husband and I are so thankful that we reached out to MiChanel's Pack to help us with our puppy's training journey! We highly recommend Eric! read more

Let me start by saying, Michael is amazing!!! Our 3 year old Shorkie was spoiled to no end (our faults of course) and Michael was able to effectively teach us how to train her with positive reinforcement - not only did our little pup excel - she enjoys learning new tricks and is even happier and healthier because of it! The training center is a dog's playhouse - so clean and so much room to play in. Michael is so patient and really loves what he does. He's amazing! I highly recommend him and his staff to anyone looking for a dog trainer! Don't forget about the Sunday play times - your dog can meet new friends :) thank you again Michael! read more

Where to begin?! Our dog, Duke was a real terror - peeing in the house and chewing everything! Thank god for Michael - I saw his add on Facebook and after some investigation decided to give him a call. Michael worked with Duke at our home, which was a real treat because he was very flexible to our busy schedule. Duke really responded to Michael and his behavior turned around almost immediately. Duke has stopped peeing in the house and has become a master at walking on a leash. I would recommend Michael's Pack to any dog lovers out there who need a great trainer. THANK YOU MICHAEL! read more

I went with Raquel from Michaels pack and was VERY happy with her training. We had just bought our 2nd dog and he was a nightmare to say the least. We were at the point of returning him and Raquel was our last resort. She came in and explained that not only does the dog need training but we do too!! She gave us a lot of good information and the tools we needed to succeed. We did 8 sessions and plan on doing another 4 just because Jersey loves the training!!! Its perfect because she comes to you! She is a must for your training needs!! read more

We started working with Michael due to our 1-year-old rescue's severe separation anxiety. Junior's initial threshold for being alone was 5 minutes and after just 4 weeks of training he is up to an hour and 15 minutes. Michael was very helpful in giving us additional tips and tools outside of separation anxiety to guide us in training and socializing our pup. Michael's reassurance helped calm my own anxiety about Junior's progress and gave me hope as well. I could not be thankful enough for Michael's Pack! read more

We contacted Michaels pack dog training to help us train our Mini golden doodle Hunter. We have been working with Nicolette these past couple months and I must say she's great. Our dog Hunter isn't good with strangers, but Nicolette was able to gain his trust and help him become the best version of himself. We can see a huge improvement with Hunter. He is less anxious and now listens to demands. Her training techniques and tips are great. We are thankful for all her help and patience in this process. read more

I have a 6 month old Tibetan Terrier. When I brought her home at 2 months old I realized she had major separation anxiety. At the time, she was howling and screaming when left alone and crated. I went to see Micheal and he assigned Phil to help me. Phil is terrific and at 6 months Dahlia Lama is much better behaved, is crate trained and Phil comes 5 days per week for "drop ins" and reinforces the training. It is a fantastic service and for this working dog mama, a lifesaver. read more

Can't thank Michael enough for his work with us and our dog. Working with him built a relationship with our dog. The training came naturally from there. I was a skeptic who fell in love with our dog and learned a lot about human (and dog) behaviors along the way - not surprisingly they are very similar. Michael's great relationships skills work well with both species. We now have a well trained family dog and well trained family. Can't recommend him highly enough. read more

Michael's Pack is definitely the pack to belong to. If you need individual guidance or group guidance or puppy playtime - all areas are covered. Michael has a great understanding and compassion for the dogs (and their owners!) - With Michael's help we now have a relationship with our puppy that is based on respect and understanding of each other. I would totally recommend giving Michael's Pack a try to help you with any dog training needs. Thank you Michael :) read more