Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Filler
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Duke’s K9 Dash N’ Splash was born from the boundless energy of a Belgian Malinois puppy named Duke. After adopting him in late 2015, we quickly realized we were in over our heads. If we didn’t find a way to burn off his excess energy, things could get out of hand fast! My son, Zak, who was 14 at the time, stumbled upon the sport of dock diving online. So, we packed up and drove 3.5 hours to our first event in Dayton, Ohio. Both boys had the time of their lives, and by the end of the weekend, Duke had transformed from a wild, uncontrollable puppy into a happy, tired, and fulfilled dog.
However, there were no nearby places to continue training in this exciting sport, so we spent the rest of the summer traveling all over the country, finding dock diving events where we could compete as “The Dynamic Duke” team. The joy and excitement shared by my son and Duke were undeniable. That’s when we realized other dog owners in Northeast Ohio could benefit from experiencing the same thrill. Not long after, my family leased a small piece of land, built a dock and pool, and began offering lessons to local dogs and their humans.
Since then, we’ve expanded—purchasing 25 acres of land, relocating our facility, and turning it into a unique dog sports complex. In 2023, we added a 100′ x 60′ building, allowing us to operate year-round. Now, we have three dock diving pools and docks, a fenced lure course track, a competitive frisbee field, a search-and-rescue themed obstacle course, and a new barn hunt ring where dogs can learn to alert to hidden rats! This growth wouldn’t have been possible without support of the incredible community of fellow dog lovers that we call “Duke’s Pack!”
We’re proud to have been featured on local news channels, including Channel 3, 5, and Fox 8, as well as in various publications. People love watching our amazing canine athletes, and we host monthly dock diving competitions that attract visitors from all over the country. If you’ve never seen a dog leap 30 feet through the air into the water while catching a toy, you’re missing out! It’s a thrill for all ages, and the smiles are contagious. Most importantly, the dogs can’t get enough of it. We hear time and time again how they can’t wait to get to Duke’s, barking with excitement all the way here and racing straight to the dock and pool. It’s pure, unbridled fun for the whole family! Every dog should get to visit what our clients nicknamed “Doggie Disneyland.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Unfortunately, the road has been anything but smooth. Honestly, you probably wouldn’t believe the hurdles, roadblocks, and mountains we’ve had to climb to get to where we are today. From being kicked out of our original location when new owners took over the campground, forcing us to start completely over and rebuild from scratch at a new site in under five months—right in the middle of a Covid winter—to dealing with a neighbor and a particular township trustee filing false complaints with the health department, building department, and EPA in an effort to shut us down. At one point, a seven-car caravan of police and government agencies raided our dog park to execute a search warrant. You seriously can’t make this stuff up! 🙂 If you Google “Duke’s K9” and “Freedom Township,” you’ll find countless articles detailing the tough situation we’ve faced. We’re still embroiled in litigation four years and tens of thousands of dollars later.
Things have never been easy—but honestly, anything worth doing rarely is. It hasn’t all been bad, though. 99% of the local community has shown unwavering support and loves that we bring this wholesome, family-friendly business to the area. A local resident even started a petition on our behalf, which gathered over 6,000 signatures. The Ohio Department of Development and the Small Business Association of Akron have been essential in helping me navigate the obstacles and providing fantastic Woman Entrepreneur loan programs to help me continue growing. I’m incredibly grateful to them, and to so many others who have helped along the way. If it weren’t for the joy I see in every dog who steps onto our property, and the incredibly supportive, caring humans who’ve had our backs through it all, I honestly don’t know how we would have made it through the past nine years!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Duke’s was established in 2017. We started in Mantua, Ohio where we leased a plot of land. In 2020, we purchased 25 acres in Windham, Ohio where we rebuilt the facility, from the ground up.
Duke’s is a dog sport training and competition complex. Duke’s offers over 10 acres dedicated to several different dog sport activities such as dock diving, competitive frisbee, barn hunt and more.
Duke’s primary market is Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. However, we have clients that travel from all across the Country and Canada, throughout the summer, to compete in the sport of dock diving and lure chasing.
Duke’s offers 3 above ground dock diving pools (1, 60’x20’x4′, 2, 45’x20’x4′ and an indoor 40’x20’x4’) that are individually fenced in, attached to 2, 40’x8′ docks. A 150’x100′ dedicated competition frisbee field. A 500’x25′ fenced lure coursing track. A 100’x100′ agility field complete with over 40 obstacles. In addition to offering training and practice via individual private sessions, we host multiple national competitions and trials throughout the season where competitors compete to earn IDS titles for their dogs, invitations to the National Championship as well as prizes and awards.
The addition of our new 100’x60’x22’ building has allowed us to operate year-round, nearly doubling our annual sales and allowing us to expand our offerings to include more group classes, additional dog sports, day camp, boarding and more.
What I’m most proud of through it all is our customer ratings. We’ve earned over 240 five-star reviews on Facebook and 130 five-star reviews on Google. Our primary goal has always been to create a FUN, clean, and safe environment for the community to enjoy with their dogs—and I truly believe we’ve achieved that!
How do you think about luck?
See previous response about if we have faced any challenges. LOL!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DiveAtDukes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dukesk9dashnsplash
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dukesk9dashnsplashover
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dukesk9dashnsplash
- Other: Our Google Business Lisiting – https://goo.gl/maps/A3mEvZ92y5Jc9ApY8
