SERVING ALL WEST MICHIGAN !
Phone: (616) 293-5653
info@k9academyinternational.com
Welcome to K-9 Academy International!
We have German Shepherd puppies in Grand Rapids, MI 49546 !
![]() | HenryDear Nino (K-9 Academy International): Hal and I want to thank you for seeing the potential ability in our Golden Doodle, Henry. We brought you a dog with little behavioral training and picked up a dog with inner discipline. As you may remember, Henry was very poor at walking on a leash, (pulling and tugging), greeting people and other dogs, jumping on the little grandchildren, and continuous barking. We had tried the traditional training methods with food awards and several training tools to control barking. We had a closet full of training collars and leashes that were useless. As he reached 50 pounds it was almost impossible for us to walk him anywhere with confidence and enjoyment. We called your K-9 Academy International as a last resort. We left Henry with you for several weeks. On one phone call, you stated that Henry was a very smart dog; he always had a plan A, B, and C for whatever it was that he wanted to do. Imagine our joy when we returned to pick him up and discovered a much more internally disciplined dog. He still was fun-loving, gentle, and dominant but controlled. Henry could now heel, walk free on the leash, respond to commands of direction: (right or left), down, stay, sit, up, and no and come (on or off leash). The barking was now used for warning and ceased when he was assured that it was “OK”. The little babies and young children can crawl around the floor free of the dog on top of them. He no longer jumps on the older children and knocks them down. Henry has truly become a member of our family and neighborhood. Everyone loves Henry and so do we. We have also used the Academy’s kennel program and were again very pleased. The prices are comparable to other kennels but additional exercise/playtime and included training updates make the choice simple. Henry is always very happy to arrive and remembers his training friend Nino. On occasions we, as owners, get lazy or start accepting less of Henry’s behavior than we should. We really appreciate your continuous willingness to teach us skills and techniques to bring Henry’s behavior back to “highly acceptable”, usually within 20 minutes. Thanks for staying involved and helping pet owners, like us, learn how to be leaders for our dogs. Sincerely: Hal and Karen Horlings |
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LoboI just want to take a moment to thank Nino and his staff at K9 Academy International. My wife Deb and I have a 1 ½ year old Siberian Husky/Shepherd mix male named Lobo. Previous to bringing Lobo in for the 6 week training course Lobo was experiencing extreme separation anxiety. So much so that he was causing physical damage to himself as well as our house. We were to the point that we actually considered giving Lobo away. But as a last resort we decided to give Nino and his staff a chance to help him. Nino came out to our house and visited with us and Lobo. Nino explained the various training options that he offered. Deb and I were a little hesitant but decided to go ahead and have Lobo go through the 6 weeks of training. Well needless to say that was the best decision we have made for Lobo and ourselves. Since getting Lobo back from the academy he has been nothing short of amazing. Before the training I could not even walk Lobo down the walking trail by our house because he was so uncontrollable whenever we came upon any other people or dogs. Now Lobo is so controllable it is actually relaxing to go for a walk! As for his separation anxiety… Lobo is much better behaved when we leave him now. He has much more control and confidence in himself. He is just a pleasure to have. So to Nino and your staff… Thank you for making our lives with Lobo so much more enjoyable. You and your staff do amazing work. I would not hesitate to recommend K9 Academy to anyone.
Thanks,
Tom, Deb and Lobo |
![]() | Oskar and Zeena We had been training Oskar with other trainers since he was a puppy, but still found ourselves frustrated (at 1½ years old) with his unacceptable behaviors. Although we were quite hesitant about leaving our dog for 6 weeks of training, we now realize the importance of that intensive, uninterrupted approach to training and behavior modification. One of the neatest things for us to witness after the training was the bond that Nino created with our dog. Oskar respected him not only as a trainer, but also a friend. Now we have an obedient dog that is a joy to be around. Thank you Nino - you are truly AMAZING!! |
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Minna Hi
Nino, Just
a word regarding the conversation we had last week. In regards to training
a dog, "you are the best"! I
am very satisfied with the methods
you use, the manner with which you handle a dog, and the helpful
hints you gave me to help me to learn to teach "Minna" how to Thank
you and continued success! Marg
Stearn= |
| We didn't know much about dogs when we got our
new pup and we made some common mistakes in beginning. We had trouble with
house breaking, potty training, digging, not coming when called, walking on
leash, chewing and manners. After our training with K9 Academy International we
came to understand 'dog language' 100% better and our communication and
training went really good. Our dog now is well behaved, has great manners and
is a great joy to us. Thanks Pat & Rob | |
![]() | Gittano Jr. von Harisburg Hey Nino,
We couldn’t be happier with our GSD pup Gittano Jr. The socialization and training early on has proven to be worth the time and investment. His temperament allows us to bring him just about anywhere we go. Looking forward to continuing protection training. We don’t have to worry about feeling unsafe in our home, he is a great guard dog already. Eric and Kim |
| 'Chase' the Mailman I had five different dogs before Chase, but he was my biggest challenge. After a while I figured that I needed some professional help. I came across this web site and decided to check it out. I received some great insights in 'dog world' and learned many things I didn't know about dogs even that I had five dogs in my life. Now my Chase is not a big mystery to me, we have a wonderful relationship and lots of fun. Throughout many years of being a dog owner I came across many trainers in different cities. I can say with great confidence that I haven't met better training and understanding of dogs than in K9 Academy International. Thank you very much Rebecca and Chase | |
![]() | Olive |
| Blu Simply put, our dog was a mess! His behavior and submissive urination were so bad we were at the point that we were going to have to get rid of him. We worked with him, took him to classes with different prominent trainer,etc. Nothing was working. We called Nino, took Blu to him, and the dog we picked up 4 weeks later brought tears to my eyes. There he was sitting proud, walking calmly on leash, using door manners, it was incredible! With the help of Nino and K9 Academy International, Blu now plays great with our other dog, he listens and he is a great dog! We can now enjoy our dog Blu as a part of our family! Stacy Sagle | |
| For a while we had some problems with our dog's
aggressive behavior toward other dogs, basic obedience and a few other things
like not coming when called,etc. We worked with trainers in our town and used the best ones to help us out with our problem. Even that we followed instructions 100% we had limited success in solving our problems. One day we heard about Nino and his training from a lady we know and decided to check this guy out. To cut the story short we were amazed with the results that Nino's personalized training produced. His unique approach to dog training in general is definitely different and better from what we have seen with other trainers. Our personalized training classes resulted in a totally controlled and happy dog. Thank you for everything Elizabeth & Tom | |
![]() | Boomer and Thor
I've had Boomer & Thor since they were pups. I thought I was doing the right thing with them. Training them to do the basics....walking loose leash, sit, stay, come, etc. They did those things very well. They did not do well when it came to other people and dogs. I read many articles on socializing. My biggest problem is that I didn't have confidence in myself with them around others. I needed to regroup and sought out Nino's help. He and his staff worked with Boomer & Thor by getting others instead of me being with them. Nino and I talked many times over the phone while he was training them. Nino taught me as well...to be the pack leader. I think I needed more training than the dogs. Because of Nino's training, I gained more confidence and Boomer and Thor could sense that as well. It's a pleasure now taking them on walks and to the park around other people and dogs. They seem happier as well. When people see me with the dogs and compliment with regarding their good behavior and how well they respond to me, I tell them Nino did a great job training me and the dogs. Thank you Nino and your staff. Tom Russo |