Our Team

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.