When Blake Rodriguez was growing up on the Lower East Side, his parents would take him out to Staten Island to visit extended family. His favorite part of those trips was hanging out with the Rottweilers.
“I was fascinated that a 200-pound dog would listen to a little kid,” says Rodriguez, who now makes his living teaching dogs to listen to their humans—and vice-versa—as the proprietor of Dream Come True K9, a behavioral training, walking and boarding service.
After growing up dog-less in the Hillman Houses, Rodriguez adopted a shepherd mix, Soco, during his college years at SUNY-Potsdam. Soco was his first dog-training project, and is often at Rodriguez’s side as he makes his rounds collecting and dropping off his furry clients.
Dream Come True K9 started with a love of dogs and a desire to help their humans understand them and enjoy their companionship as much as possible. Rodriguez began by sharing his skills with friends, and over the last couple of years, the business grew into a full-time job that now involves holding a leash the better part of every day.
“I always wanted to get paid to do what I love to do,” says Rodriguez, who still makes his home on Grand Street. “And it’s a bonus for my dog, because he gets to be out all the time with me.”
You can spot Rodriguez around the neighborhood most days, but if you want to find him in cyberspace, check out his website and Facebook page. He also has a lively YouTube channel showcasing “before and after” videos and offering tips and how-to’s.
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You rock Blake! It’s no wonder why all these pets and owners love you!! Keep doing what you love to do, congratulations on a job well done :-)
@DreamComeTrueK9 article http://t.co/cQPdILW9 check it out, Great job Blake, you are amazing!!!
Nice guy, be careful with the stickers so u don’t get fined!