Kurt Burk is the founder of Canine Conservatory in Ojai, where he’s built a practice rooted in trust, precision, and a deep understanding of the human–dog relationship. His path was shaped under the mentorship of renowned trainer Dina Zaphiris in Los Angeles, who recognized his instinct early on and brought him into her world—inviting him to assist in both private training and high-level competitions.

Under her guidance, Kurt developed his craft through hundreds of hours of hands-on experience, working directly with clients and their dogs. At her encouragement, he pursued certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, ultimately earning the highly respected CPDT-KSA designation—passing both rigorous written and live, real-time skills assessments.

Today, Kurt brings that same level of discipline, intuition, and care to every dog and owner he works with.

*Credentials are searchable at www.ccpdt.org by typing in zip code 93023. This certification requires CEU credits from online and in person seminars to keep current every three years. He has been certified since 2010.