Michael Schaier
Owner & Head Dog Trainer
- Michael Schaier, owner/head trainer of Michael’s Pack, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Animal Behavior College (ABC-D.T.) and Certified Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-K.A.). He is an evaluator for the AKC’s Canine Good Citizens (CGC) test. Michael is also the author of Wag That Tail: A Trainer’s Guide to a Happy Dog and What Can You Expect When You Are Expecting A Puppy. He has appeared on News 12 Long Island, Animal Planet, and more, and has had featured articles in Long Island Business News, as well as Newsday.
Philip Smith
Head Dog Trainer
- Meet Philip Smith, our premier Suffolk County dog trainer. Phil embraces the Michael's Pack philosophy of behavior modification which focuses on positive reinforcement and consistency. Philip has been adopting rescue and shelter dogs since childhood. His passion to train dogs came to be when he started preparing his Border Collie Mix, Pepper, for a drive across the country. Being able to safely travel 3,000 miles with his canine buddy by his side is what inspired him to learn everything he could about the Art of Dog Training.
David Russell
Dog Trainer
- David Russell a graduate of Animal Behavior College, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. He volunteered his time at Ruff House Animal Shelter and his experience there prompted him to follow his passion full time. David mentored under Michael's Pack founder and owner Michael Schaier and Head Trainer Phil Smith. He proved to be a dedicated and skilled trainer and joined the Pack last October. David is currently our Trainer/Supervisor at Sunday Play Time and is assisting in the Beginner Group Class.
Adam Lutchman
Dog Trainer
- Adam Lutchman is a graduate of Animal Behavior College (ABC-CDT) and an AKC CGC Certified Professional Dog Trainer. He also graduated from Rider University with a BA in Psychology. Adam's passion for dogs pulled him away from a career in counseling. He is committed to applying his communication skills to dogs and people! Adam recently left his position as a Lead Dog Trainer at Petco to mentor under Michael at our fast-growing New Jersey location.
Rachel Silverstein
Dog Trainer
- Rachel Silverstein is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who is a graduate of Animal Behavior College. Rachel has always been an animal lover and her family would tell you that she’s been training animals of all shapes and sizes for her entire life. Even her childhood cat learned to do tricks! For the last eleven years Rachel has been working as an animal trainer and handler for animals in entertainment, working on everything from commercials to movies with animals ranging from rats and rabbits to dogs and horses and even the occasional farm animal.
Jennifer Greig
Dog Trainer
- Jennifer Greig is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA). She has a special passion for working with all animals and brings to Michael's Pack over 20 years of experience working with a variety of species fostered at the Wildlife Conservation Society. It is at the WCS that Jenn began to embrace her philosophy of positive reinforcement training methods.
Samantha Pechillo
Dog Trainer
- Samantha Pechillo is a graduate of Animal Behavior College (ABC-CDT). Samantha has five years private training experience, and her earliest involvement with dogs was working as a vet tech. She is committed to teaching humans how to understand their dogs through positive training. She firmly believes that every dog deserves a chance.
Ally Calgut
Dog Trainer
- Ally Calgut is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer who attended Animal Behavior College. Ally has always felt a strong connection with dogs especially after growing up with four of them in her household. She has a background in providing foster care for rescue dogs in need of training in order to improve their prospects for successful adoption.