LOWELL TOWNSHIP -- Even in a tough economy, dog trainer and kennel owner Nino Islamcevic dreams big.
Since immigrating from the war-torn Balkans a dozen years ago, the Croatian canine expert rose from kennel-cleaner to trainer to business owner with five employees.
His next plan: establish a non-profit corporation to raise and train dogs for owners in wheelchairs.
"I love to help people by doing what I like to do," Islamcevic said, as he watched six lively dogs in a big indoor play yard at his doggy day care center, part of the 4,000-square-foot K9 Academy International, 9920 36th St. SE.
"I've always had dogs," he said. "I just wanted to spend time with them."
Before he decided to make canines his life work, Islamcevic served a mandatory stint in the Croatian military in his late teens, then took a job in a coat-hanger factory for a few months. That's when he realized he needed to find a way to work with dogs.
"I thought, what would I like to do in life?" he said. But young dog trainers make little money.
Islamcevic said he was motivated by advice from a mentor, who told him anything was possible if he would accumulate knowledge and develop his expertise. He was expanding his reputation in European dog-training circles when rumblings of war swept through his homeland
In 1992, the Balkans erupted in violence.
His home in Zagreb escaped destruction, but he and his wife Sabina decided to leave. After a year-long quest, in 1997 they resettled in Grand Rapids with help from Catholic charities, following in the footsteps of his sister- and brother-in-law.
Soon after arriving, Islamcevic saw a want-ad for kennel help, and for the next three years, he worked at Paws With a Cause. a nonprofit that trains guide dogs.
Then, five years ago, he sought advice from the Small Business Development Corp. "They helped me set up a plan, and research the areas where it was good to do business," he said.
He started his own kennel, first in Kentwood, then in Lowell, and finally, a 4,000-square-foot kennel and training center on an acreage in Lowell Township. His doggy day care serves owners mostly from Ada, Ionia, and Cascade Township.
Obedience training is offered at the kennel or in owners' home.
"I've been doing pet training the last 20 years. There's almost no breed I haven't worked with," Islamcevic said. "A lot of people call me the 'West Michigan Dog Whisperer.' "
He's also been breeding German shepherds, but for the non-profit service, he plans to focus more on retrievers.
"German shepherds are sometimes over-protective over a person," he said. He has trained dogs for Allegan County Sheriff's Department and the State Police, and founded the Grand Rapids Area Schutzhund Club, for owners of German shepherds.
| BIO BOX | ||
| Nino Islamcevic Age:40 Homeland:Zagreb, Croatia Business:K9 Academy International Location:9920 36th St. SE, Lowell Township Immigrated:1997 He said: "I was lucky to find a job with Paws With a Cause for three years." | ||
He uses "operant conditioning" as a training method, with a clicker and a quick nibble of hot dog to reward good behavior. Withholding attention or treats is the response to misbehavior. The cause-and-effect method works with all kinds of animals, he said.
He's not threatened by popular dog-trainers on TV, including Cesar Millan. "I like it," he said, "because people get interested in training."
And at 40, he is still intrigued by all kinds of canines. "The way they learn, behave. It's more like an art," he said. "It's never boring."
E-mail Julia Bauer: jbauer@grpress.com