David Hill is a certified trainer (KPA-CTP) and 37x ultramarathon finisher who has run over 50,000 miles with canine clients since the beginning of 2007. David is also certified in Pet First Aid & CPR and creator of the Canine Ice Vest. He developed a strong bond with dogs at an early age growing up around his father’s veterinary practice. The idea for a dog business came in 2006 after a year of running his high energy Border Collie mix named Flynn.

Found at the PAWS no-kill shelter in Chicago, Flynn had twice been rejected by potential adopters due to his fear aggression and serious reactivity issues. Flynn had been abandoned at a young age and most probably abused. Not long after bringing his new friend out on marathon training runs, David noticed Flynn’s neurotic tendencies changing for the better. Over time, seeing how much calmer and relaxed the dog was after running, he knew other canines could benefit. Thus Chicago Dog Runner was born in 2007 and grew to over 100 dog runs per week. David then moved to Denver in 2012 and started Canine Pacer. Chicago Dog Runner was eventually sold to one of his long time staff runners at the end of 2014. (Flynn passed in Nov 2020 at age 17)

After working and running with hundreds of dogs, David became more interested in canine behavior and wanted to help his clients beyond exercise. He chose to enroll in the Karen Pryor Academy for his training education. David graduated with distinction and earned the KPA Certified Training Partner designation. His main goal is to help dogs and their owners have a more harmonious and enjoyable relationship that is void of problem behaviors. David believes in positive reinforcement training and understands that dogs do their best when their cognitive skills improve and they learn to make good choices.

David has been seen in the Chicago Tribune, 190 North TV show, Wall St. Journal, Time Out Chicago, Comcast Sportsnet TV, Runner’s World and NBC Chicago’s morning news show. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and his ultra race finishes including the San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Mountain Run (4x), Lean Horse 100 and Leadville Trail 100.bus