Certified Dog Trainer Vista, CA

Michelle is truly the best. We have two HIGH energy sibling Australian Cattle Dogs, need I say more??? We had other trainers and they did not do a fraction of what Michelle and Riley did for our two. You can read the other testimonies for details, I don’t need to cover that ground. Let me add that Michelle becomes a pack member when she works with you and your family. Unlike other trainers she won’t shame you for what you pawrents don’t know. She just teaches and reinforces and makes magic happen. When out on socialization walks she is calm, confident, and protective of your babies like a mama bear. I love her beyond these simple words.

Michelle was a great trainer that did a great job of training my dog and me.

I had a chocolate lab, less than a year old, that was really giving me a hard time at home and on walks. At home, she was constantly chewing, acting wild, and not listening. While walking she was constantly pulling, reacting to other dogs, bikes, and motorcycles. She was a real handful and had to be watched continuously.

Michelle started me off on square one with training and provided great exercises for me to work on in-between lessons. Hazel started listening and paying attention right away after using the "name game", that Michelle taught me. The pulling also resolved quickly after several training walks with Michelle. The reacting to things on walks improved dramatically and she is much calmer at home.

Training with Michelle was absolutely spectacular, she was knowledgeable and really effective at training Hazel and me. I still use many of the things she taught us. I still check in with Michelle whenever I have a training question or need some guidance.

I would highly recommend her for your training needs.

Michelle is amazing at what she does. Her passion and knowledge really shines through when she’s working with a pup. She’s helped us tremendously with our goldador, Birdie! And Birdie absolutely adores her! Birdie is very particular about which humans she interacts with and I love how happy she gets every time she sees Michelle. She starts wagging her tail a mile a minute and she gets the wiggle butts! Michelle is so patient with both pup and owner. She’s extremely accommodating and really takes the time to teach you how to be successful with your pup long term. We can’t recommend her enough and will be using her again when Birdie gets a little sister ❤️🐾🐕‍

Michelle is truly phenomenal--in so many ways. It is abundantly clear that she has so much knowledge about dogs and how to help with reactive behavior. She also boosted my and my fiance's confidence as dog owners! She gave us clear and concise strategies and techniques that worked wonders for our dog. She worked around our busy schedule and was even willing to help through email as well. I can't express how truly grateful we are to her. Our dog is a DIFFERENT dog and is making progress every day!

Ms. Michelle was awesome to work with. She was patient, kind, and informative about the training. Artemis (my pup), did some cues that I thought he would never do. He is a reactive dog, but Ms. Michelle was beyond patient working with him. I look forward to our next sessions.

Michelle is truly a miracle worker! My precious Coco, a Yorkie-Maltese mix, may be sweet to those she knows, but she is an absolute "diva" and highly territorial toward strangers, not to mention her aggression toward other dogs. I reached out to Michelle early this year to address these behavioral issues and prepare her for our mom's 70th birthday celebration in the Philippines.

Michelle exhibited remarkable patience not only with Coco but also with my often hectic schedule. Over the course of several months of dedicated training, the transformation in Coco's behavior was nothing short of astonishing.

When the end of August finally arrived, and it was time for our trip to the Philippines, Coco was a different dog altogether. She didn't exhibit any aggressive behavior during our long flight, and even when surrounded by numerous people at the party, she remained calm and well-behaved. I was super proud of her.

The trip would not have been nearly as successful and enjoyable without Michelle's expert training and guidance. Coco's progress under her training was invaluable, making every moment and effort completely worthwhile. Michelle's expertise, patience, and dedication to her craft have significantly transformed my Coco and enriched our lives. I am incredibly grateful for her outstanding work. Thank you, Michelle!

If you are in the market for high quality dog training specialized to your needs, look no further than Furkademy Dog Training. There are no words to describe how thankful we are for Michelle’s guidance and patience. We started with an overly-anxious, energetic boxer who could barely go on a walk because she was so frightened of sudden noises. After a few months of working with Michelle, we were able to successfully take our boxer on a 20 hour international flight with no issues. Even more than that (which is already something I never thought we would be able to do) we have learned so much about how to continue our dog’s training on our own. Michelle specialized the sessions to focus on our unique situation (international military move) and our dog’s particular behavior (extreme anxiety and general boxer craziness). We learned techniques to help us be better owners and more in tune to our dogs needs so she can live a happier life. The entire time we worked with Michelle, she gracefully answered our list of unending questions and pivoted training when something wasn’t working out. She is a joy to learn from and I can genuinely say we would not have been able to take our dog across the world without Michelle’s support. You will not regret choosing Furkademy for any dog training need you have!

I wanted to make sure my puppy had the training needed to face any fears and challenges that would continue in a positive way through her adulthood. Several trainers were suggested to me but I didn’t feel they were the right fit until I found Michelle at Furkademy. I was very impressed with Michelle‘s knowledge of dogs and their behavior along with her continued passion for learning and how much that has helped me and others understand their dogs better. She approaches her relationship with dogs and their people with kindness and understanding and helps you every bit along the way. If you were searching for a gentle and loving approach to your pets training, look no further than Michelle at Furkademy. You won’t be disappointed!

Michelle is inspirational. She made me eager to work with my pup, Maya. She gave me tips on how to incorporate her training into every day situations; it did not have to be 'sessions' of me having to take a segment out of my day to work with my pup; just repetition (and patience) throughout the day. Maya absolutely loved her and welcomed her into our home without hesitation. I, also, liked how Micelle was very 'common sense' on how to interact with Maya. Michelle would even verbally reward Maya with 'Thank you'! She uses positive reinforcement and this worked with Maya. Michelle Hartley is very knowledgeable about dogs. I am highly recommending her to my friends who have dogs. I felt confident I had the right dog trainer for my puppy.

Michelle Hartley is the most effective dog trainer I have experienced. I have tried 2 others with no difference in my dogs behavior. My Silky Terrier who is a rescue is very reactive. He was not well behaved around other dogs, people or children. Taking him for walks was not only embarrassing but difficult with his constant barking and pulling on the leash. Michelle taught me different ways to help Jake relax and to be less reactive to everyday distractions. Jake is happier and more confident which makes me happier and we are enjoying outings with him so much more now.

We just rescued our 'little black dog' and he was understandably very shy and skiddish. Michelle was amazing at listening to what we wanted to work on and gave us great leadership, direction and tools to help us achieve better confidence and basic commands which led to a much happier and confident puppy dog. He even likes to do the training! I would highly recommend Michelle to anyone wanting to have a happier and healthier relationship with their pet. She's awesome and our LBD loves her to death.

BEST dog trainer EVER!! I recently rescued 2 sisters that were badly abused & were never inside or loved 😢 when researching many trainers, Michelle was the obvious & ONLY choice 🐾 she worked wonders with my new babies & her love and knowledge is worth every penny. I just cant say enough about her...except that she is a Dog Whisperer ♥️ anyone who seeks out her service will NOT be disappointed.. I am planning another 5 sessions soon. Thank you Michelle for everything you have done for us 💕🐾🐾🤗🤗

Michelle really helped me with my new rescue that was kind of a mess. She provided so many great resources that worked miracles!

Michelle is the best! We have a very reactive rescue dog and she’s been a huge help! We’re now able to enjoy walks instead of getting frustrated. Michelle is so kind and our dog loved the training time while learning so much.

We had a great time with Michelle. She's very knowledgeable and patient. The key behaviors we worked on have turned out great for our puppy (and for us!). Would highly recommend.

Jordy progressed very well after just a few sessions with Michelle. Michelle is great at answering all my questions when I text or call needing more advice or guidance. She is great at coaching 'me' to be a better dog mom and provides encouragement to stick with it.
In April, we decided to get Jordy a sibling. We again adopted a rescue who is now 3 1/2 mos old. "Sadie" is a little spitfire. And, while I can take what I learned about training Jordy, I've needed additional coaching and encouragement from Michelle on handling TWO puppies.
I would, without a doubt, highly recommend Michelle for any animal training. She is calm, encouraging, skilled in all aspects of training and any issues that may arise. And most of all, very reassuring to us dog parents that it will all be ok - we just need to follow through (often!).
Best of all, the pups LOVE HER!

It is not often that you have the opportunity to work with a trainer who is willing to work with special needs animals. I have a deaf Blue Heeler and was in desperate need of direction. It is very important to me that my dog to have a quality life and Michelle at Furkademy gave me confidence and the tools to take on this challenge. She has surpassed all my expectations because she is not only knowledgeable and professional, but she has also been available for all my questions (and I have a lot). I was extremely impressed with how she was able to get my puppy and I prepped for a last minute plane trip in one day!!!! It’s so amazing how dogs respond to her. I call her the dog whisperer...seriously...A MUST SEE!!"

Since we started training Paco, my Chihuahua, he has been 100% successful with "Paco, come!  Yesterday was his day to go shopping for his food and he saw I was getting his carrier purse. I saw him disappear and thought he was going to hide like he always has before.  I said, "Paco, come!"  And he came RACING around the recliner, right to me, twirling & wagging his tail."  He's very smart and has aced this step. He has become more confident when we are out on our trios too. Thanks for showing him the light. His not coming was a great concern. I think he just needed someone to show him the way. Thanks a million!!

Michelle equipped us with amazingly effective methods to train our golden retriever puppy. Her positive reinforcement mindset was refreshing and well received by our dog. We enjoyed all of the fun games she taught us and each one left our good boy with useful skills that come in handy every day. I highly recommend Michelle’s Furkademy. You will not be disappointed!

When our Rottweiler puppy grew to be a 85 pounds, I was struggling with her jumping up on people, running through door ways and pulling during our evening walks. Michelle starting working with us and after a few training sessions Princess Leia improved dramatically. She no longer jumps up on people or runs through door ways. She walks like a dream come true. I use to dread walking her because of her pulling but now she walks with slack in the leash. I highly recommend Michelle for your training needs. Her professionalism and her training techniques have been of such benefit to us and our girl, Princess Leia. We can’t thank Michelle and Furkademy enough for helping us! It feels like a night and day turn around in only a few sessions.