Meet Luis Velasco | Dog Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Luis Velasco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Luis, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My parents have owned their own business my whole life. With my dad being a professional pianist and my mom being a professional violinist, they made their living teaching music lessons and performing in private events. I loved how they made their passions their careers, and I knew I wanted to do the same thing myself. From the time I was six years old, I developed a deep interest in working dogs. When I was eleven, I got my first German Shepherd, Rambo, and that was the first time I was exposed to dog training. I saved up and paid to take Rambo to dog training, and I loved practicing the things I learned at home with him. Flash forward ten years later, I bought Kilo, who is a Czechoslovakian Shepherd (a working line of the German Shepherd). To this day she is still the most intense dog I have ever met. When I realized just how powerful she was, I knew it was either sink or swim. So I decided to learn everything I could about dog training so I could set Kilo up for success. Now she is a fully trained personal protection dog, a psychiatric service dog, a competition sport dog, and she is learning narcotics detection and tracking. In the process of training her, I realized I had a knack for dog training and my passion grew by tenfold. There was no question that this was what I wanted to do for a living.

What should our readers know about your business?
Kilo K-9 LLC specializes in working dogs. We train personal protection dogs, police k-9s, psychiatric service dogs, and pets. What sets me apart from others is that this isn’t just my 9 to 5. Dog training is my life. When I’m not working with clients, I am working with my own dogs, watching dog training videos, listening to dog training podcasts, and reading books about dog training. Not only am I obsessed with dogs, but I also love working with people. Teaching people how to connect with their dogs is something I’ll never get tired of doing. I am proud of myself for taking the risk to start my own business this early in my life, and I am excited to start working with more police departments to help their K-9 units to be as successful as possible. I got to where I am today business-wise by trusting in myself and my skills. If I had let my doubts overcome me, I wouldn’t have started my own business. It was the people who recognized my talents, cared about me, and pushed me to have courage that helped me to overcome my self-doubt and any other obstacles in my way. Along the way, I have learned that it is okay to make mistakes and that mistakes are essential to the learning process. It’s important to give love to yourself when you mess up so that you can learn from it. Otherwise, you’ll just get stuck in a rut. I want the world to know that love for the craft is in every single aspect of my business. You will not find a dog trainer who cares as much as I do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend were to visit Flagstaff, we would start at my favorite coffee shop, Lund Canyon Coffee, to get some of the best coffee I have ever had in my life. Afterwards, I would take them to the Snowbowl area for a hike with the dogs. I love to be outdoors, and I feel like this area has some of the most stunning nature in Flagstaff. We would finish off the night with dinner from Karma Sushi and stargazing. Flagstaff is a Dark Sky City, so our view of the stars is absolutely unreal.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to my wife, Allie. She is my best friend and my other half. Without her love and support, I wouldn’t have been able to start my own business.

Website: www.kilok9.com

Instagram: @kilok_9

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086167815554

Other: Tik Tok: @kilok_9 Email: luis.kilok9@gmail.com

Image Credits
Nick Parker