Michael Burkey, a former K9 police officer, federal officer, social worker and canine expert, has opened a dog training center in downtown Plymouth. Burkey, who also is an expert witness in court cases involving dogs, has hired five trainers and a customer service rep into a 7,000 square-foot space at 1031 Cherry St. to staff Michigan Dog Trainer. Inside MDT's building are two large training rooms and "Michigan's only 20 1/2-inch long Nose Work wall," says Burkey. He is also a competitive handler and volunteer behaviorist for the Humane Society of Huron Valley, the location of his first training center. The Nose Work wall is fitted with 13 scent detection tubes for training police dogs and and such to sniff for narcotics, explosives and other illegal substances. Birch oil is also one of the scents and is used to train dogs in the sport of nose work, a sport that will soon be sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, Burkey says. The space, a former photography studio, also has a professional white photo wall for dog pictures and videos and four offices. MDT opened July 20 and held a grand opening celebration with dogs and people on Aug. 1. It might be the only business able to claim a blind Dachshund, which performed a Nose Work demo, as part of the festivities. Burkey says he'll use Kellogg Park and nearby "dog friendly" stores as well as Maybury Park and Proud Lake Recreational Area as an extension of the training center. While the dogs are the focus, “many times," he says, "it is also the people that need help in understanding the dog and its behavior. Families are often split on how best to train the dog and that’s where my social work background becomes very helpful. I am very effective at helping families work together for the best interest of their dog, as well as adjusting my teaching style for the individual client for optimum learning.” Michigan Dog Trainer will offer two or four-week K9 camps, training day camps, private and group classes that include Puppy Socialization, Basic Manners, Remote Manners, Circus Class, Canine Good Citizen and Feisty Fido. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Dog Behaviorist and President Michigan Dog Training LLC
