Our mission is to transform your life by training your dog to be a
well-mannered K9 citizen!
Be kind: train your dog!
Mid-Michigan K9 Academy is a dog training academy dedicated to providing your furry family member with the best training possible.
In just one week, we will establish the foundations for a well-mannered canine citizen, and teach you how to maintain progress.
My name is Jim Blau, and our mission is Redemption, which is why I call my trainers and everyone who puts their dog through our
training programs The Redemption Crew. I spent 30 years behind bars for shooting a very, very bad man–an act most said
understandable and some said commendable, but which was nevertheless unfair, arbitrary, and against the law. I accepted my fate
and did my time with Honor and Dignity. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Ohio University, taught myself guitar,
helped others survive the system and prepare themselves for freedom, and worked in dog rescue programs for approximately ten
years. I lived with trainers and dogs 24 hours a day for many years, learning from the best and working with dogs with severe
mental and behavioral issues. It was a steep learning curve, but in helping these dogs find redemption, I found my own.
I created a system involving a combination of balanced and positive reinforcement-based learning techniques. This makes training
exciting and fun for your dog and leads them into wanting to perform well for you. They learn faster this way, which is why we’ve
been able to accomplish in a week what other training companies take weeks or even months to teach. Leash manners, basic
commands, mouthing, jumping, puppy basics, recall (to come when called), pack structure, reactivity, aggression, and impulse
control are a few of the subjects we cover, with a special focus on the behaviors which are important to you.
What’s more–and so crucial to our system’s success–we show you the techniques to make these new behaviors stick at home and
prevent the negative behaviors from returning. If you follow our coaching session recommendations, it will be the best investment
you’ve spent on your furry friend.
I changed my life and have transformed the lives of over 1,000 families since earning my freedom. Let’s work together to help your
best friend maintain good behavior and adapt to your current lifestyle.
Join The Redemption Crew by getting your dog trained today!
Jarod Thorne joined the Redemption Crew as a kennel assistant. Through his hard work, dedication, and determination to learn our dog training methods, Jarod proved he would be a valuable asset to our training crew. Now as a full-time trainer, Jarod pushes his new skills further each day as he plays part of the exciting transformation of these dogs each week.
Brieauna Myers owns a well rounded pack of 7 dogs from a toy poodle mix to a Great Dane/English Mastiff mix. She has been working with dogs for the past 5 years and has successfully been training puppies for the last 2 years. Brieauna has excelled in our techniques and taken her training skills to the next level. Every week she coaches clients how to have a better life with their dogs. Brie loves to spend her time outdoors, with a dog by her side. She is very passionate about helping your transform your dog!
Allison Heath is a hard worker and an industrious student. She earned her bachelor’s in political science from Saginaw Valley State University and joined the workforce in the medical field. But something pulled at Allison, and she felt the need to earn her certificate as a dog training instructor from Penn Foster College. She then left the medical field and joined Mid-Michigan K9 Academy to pursue her passion and training dogs. She has been a wonderful and valuable asset to MMK9A, and every day she gives 100% to our board and train clients’ dogs, teaching them the best way to be pets. Don’t miss out on getting your dog trained by this amazing instructor.
ARCHIE BURBANK as a lead groomer to head our new grooming program. Archie had made a name for himself in Grand Rapids, and since joining us he has really impressed our new clients. Working this close to so much dog training, however, had its effect on Archie and soon he wanted to be a trainer, too. Seeing his natural and wonderful way with dogs, how could we say no? He put in the work, stayed long hours, and learned from our highly skilled Redemption Crew. A man of many talents, Archie is a valued asset to The Redemption Crew.
MICHELLE BRYANT loves working at MMK9A and exhibits a passion daily for the lives of these dogs and their owners. She enjoys getting new dogs each week and transforming them to help the dogs and their families! Michelle has worked at Saginaw Animal Control, where she gained much experience handling dogs of all temperaments, and then has expanded her skill set, including her leadership skills, so much that we made her Supervisor. Working hard everyday Michelle fulfils her personal purpose in life to give dogs guidance and a happy new way of life.
WES began volunteering with MMK9A out of his love for dogs. He quickly became part of the Redemption Crew family and honed his training skills every chance he got. Now, as a full-time trainer, Wes gets to lead the dogs through the transformation process and see the amazed, happy faces of their owners every weekend.
For seven days and nights,
your dog will undergo an
immersive program designed
to change the way he thinks.
From following his own
impulses to jump up, pull on
the leash, ignore your come
commands, and generally be
obnoxious, he will learn to
engage with you and seek
your approval. I use balanced
training methods with an
emphasis on positive
reinforcement and
engagement. $1250 All Breeds and Sizes.
For those wanting to polish
their dog’ behavior a little
more, they can extend their
pup’s training for another
seven days. The first seven
days are great for eliminating
some unwanted behaviors
, such as leash pulling, and
putting the dog on the path to
engagement. The second
week can really lock in the
newly learned positive
behaviors and
reinforce hard-to-master commands such as
recall. $2250 All Breeds and Sizes.
Finish the training with our
most complete course! In
addition to all the benefits of
the 7 & 14 Day Bootcamps,
your pup will refine its good
behavior with multiple
store/public park runs; off
leash training; increased off
leash control; “place” in public
areas; the end of crate rushing,
mouthing, and jumping; and
additional commands. $3000
All Breeds and Sizes.
Is your dog aggressive to other dogs or people? This program is an intensive deconstruction of the dog’s unwanted aggressive behavior, using remote collars and advanced heeling and recall work.
All programs include video progress reports, tools—like leashes, training collars, treats, food—and an end of session coaching session where I show you how to keep these good behaviors flowing and the unwanted behaviors in the past. $2250 All Breeds and Sizes.
One-on-one personal instruction for you and your dog from a skilled trainer. Lessons designed to meet your specific needs, and cover topics such as recall, manners, impulse control, reactivity, and basic obedience. Five weekly one hour sessions for $500.
In the Saginaw area we will come to you for at home training sessions. These at home lessons cover your household specific needs as well as gives you the owner the opportunity to see first-hand the results in the comfort of your own space. $200 for first session, $150 every lesson after
Comfortable, safe, and professional dog boarding right down to the bedtime snacks! Every dog enjoys a comforable private suite, a temperature controlled environment, 24-hour care, 2x daily health checks, 3 play periods per day, peanut butter Kongs each night, and personalized feeding/med schedules if needed. Must be at least 16 weeks old and up to date with vaccinations. $50 per night. $40 per additional dog if they share the suite.
Get your Doodle dappered and your Spitz spruced with our highly skilled groomers. I scoured Michigan looking for the best groomers, so that our clients would all received first class baths and cuts. Check out our services!
Dogs are social by nature. No matter how much time we spend with them, they still need to play with their four-legged friends. Doggy Day Camp is a supervised playground where our furry friends can burn off their excess energy while playing off leash. The perfect place for busy dog owners to allow their dogs to play, exercise, and socialize.
CONSULTATIONS REQUIRED. We will need to pre-qualify your dog for our Doggy Day Camp. We want to ensure that all dogs will be safe and non-aggressive toward each other or staff. If your dog does have some issues, our board and train programs are a great way to get them ready and qualified for day camp. All Day Camps must be booked in advance.
RATES: $30 full day. $15 half day up to four hours. $280 for 10 day pkg. $405 for fifteen days. $500 for twenty full days. Contact us for multiple dog and half day rates.
When Roscoe first came to me, he would run
around and nip and bite out of fear or
frustration. But after our one-week training
session, he became more confident, learned how to
channel his energy, and impressed his owners with
lots of new tricks.
Weylen was one of my favorite rescue dogs
and was a delight to work with. When we
first started training, he was highly willful,
constantly pulled at his leash, and was
distracted by just about everything! But by
the end of our training, he learned to
respect boundaries and heel-ed like a champ.
He was eventually adopted by a great family
who loves to spoil him.
“Jim did a board/train for our puppy Jack while we were on vacation. He was a good puppy before we left but we came back to a different animal; in a wonderful way! The positive improvement in Jack’s behavior and consistency was amazing!
While we were on our vacation, we got regular written written and video updates which were comforting to us and fun to show the kids that Jack was also having a great time.
Jim clearly loves dogs and has a calm, collected presence that commands their respect enabling him to make quick and substantial improvements in obedience.
We highly recommend Jim and MidMichigan K9 Academy!”
John Kruse
“We took our 80lb pitbull to Jim for the 7 day stay and we got a completely different dog back. Before we took her to Jim she ran the show, she walked us and was out of control. We would put her leash on and she would go wild so we had to stop walking her during the day because if she seen another dog she went ballistic. Jim had her for 7 days and she walks like a charm and she does not pay any attention to other dogs. I recommend this place very highly. Please feel free to reach out for reference!!”
Kim Welsh
“Jim was amazingly skilled in helping us with a rescue dog with extreme fear issues. After just 1 week at Mid-Michigan K-9 Academy, our boy was much more engaged, less fearful and more obedient. In addition to the dog’s training, Jim spent time with us showing us some techniques to use in sketchy situations. We were beyond impressed with the communication…we got daily reports and done videos keeping us up to date on daily progress. Very professional. I would most highly recommend Mud-Michigan K9 Academy.”
Gayle Newton
Let’s talk about your dog’s needs and how we can achieve the best
results.
