Training Staff

For the last 12 years Michael has been traveling nationally and internationally coaching and training other dog trainers... many hundreds of trainers and thousands of coaching hours. This unique career path has put Michael in contact with the best and brightest training talent in the country, and allowed him to recruit the "cream of the crop" for our team here at the school. Lindsey Sommer and Forrest Micke are two such talents. Bright, dedicated, and supremely gifted...you will have a hard time finding a better training staff anywhere in the country. Please don't hesitate to contact us for private coaching and foundation training.

Lindsey Sommer

Talented, dedicated, creative, and thoughtful are all adjectives often used to describe Lindsey Sommer and her work with dogs. From a background of pet obedience, behavioral rehabilitation, shelter dog program development, and precision obedience, Lindsey has emerged as one of the top young training talents in dogs today. A natural intuition and clear, calm approach to training help her produce dogs which are confident, stable, and enthusiastic in their work. Her path crossed with Michael Ellis’ at one of his seminars three years ago; that path has not wandered since. Lindsey earned a B.S. in Zoology from UC Santa Barbara and is the first student to have completed Michael’s complete course load. She eventually became his apprentice, and now assists in teaching classes at the school. Along with her teaching duties and coaching at Michael’s school, Lindsey is heavily sought after for the strong and dynamic foundation work she does with young dogs. Lindsey believes strongly in the value of training dogs to be both outstanding performers on the trial field as well as functional family members. Students who have the opportunity to work with Lindsey will be amazed by her patience and ability. She truly is an indispensible member of our team.

Forrest Micke

Forrest left a career as a college counselor and tutor to pursue dog training on a more competitive and comprehensive level. He holds a B.A. in Communication and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Before joining Michael’s team he ran a successful training business in his home town of Appleton, Wisconsin. While behavior modification, puppy-rearing, group class instruction, basic and advanced obedience, and handler coaching were all a part of his work with the public, he trained his own dogs in nose work, protection sports, tracking, advanced obedience, and agility.

Forrest’s intuitive ability to read dogs, his exceptional timing and athletic ability, and his dedication to the learning process made for a seamless transition into decoy work, where he has excelled. Under Michael’s tutelage Forrest has focused on effectively building strong, confident bite-work foundations on young dogs. It is Michael’s clear-headed approach to training, and his dedication to both dog and handler, that drew Forrest to his system. Forrest’s obvious passion for training, learning, and teaching ultimately afforded him the opportunity to join Michael’s team and his school in California, where he has become an invaluable addition.