MEET MICHELLE

I started training in 2007 where I was blessed to be able to apprentice under several Trainers while in Atlanta, as I studied at Penn Foster for a degree in Dog Obedience Training Instruction. My goal was to be a Service Dog Trainer one day.

 

Having personally been touched by the harsh reality of how hard it is for someone to get a service dog.  Once certified I continued to apprentice under well-known trainers in the areas of aggression and rehabilitation.  

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In 2009 I was involved with The Humane Society of the United States' End Dog Fighting Campaign.  Teaching CGC and Agility Skills as a way of bonding with dogs instead of fighting them.  

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I moved to Rochester, NY in 2010 and started an apprenticeship with a Holistic Trainer and learned more about how to train the dog as a whole, for body, mind, and spirit.  Working with the dog to help keep them in balance not just focusing on obedience skills. I fell in love with Rally Obedience as a fun way of learning to work on leash and communication skills.

 

From 2012 -2017 I trained in Retail settings, being Certified by both PetSmart, and Petco. With Petco, I was a Mentor who trained other trainers for the company.  

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In 2017 I left retail and opened Michelle Hill Dog Training Academy to focus on training Service and Therapy Dogs.

 

I also work with The Beck Center for Veterans to help Owner Train Service Dogs for local Veterans as well as being a Certified Service Dog Trainer and Owner Training Coach. I am a Canine Behavior Consultant with IAABC.  A  Certified Trick Dog Instructor with Do More With Your Dog and AKC, as well as a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with AKC.

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I am also a  member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Force-Free Professional Guild.

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In 2018 I started writing for a UK magazine called Dogs Monthly as a Behavioral and Training Expert. 

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In 2021 I joined the Arkansas Paws in Prison Foundation as the trainer for the McPherson Women's Unit.