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Aug 7, 2026

Dog Trainers

Lydia Rakov

Dog trainer in Colorado Springs

#67 in United States, #2 in Colorado, #1 in Colorado Springs

United States

Colorado Springs

https://www.GoodDogDyno.com

Service areas:

Denver Metro Area, Boulder, and surrounding CO areas

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Lydia Rakov:Certified Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant CPDT-KALydia Rakov started her animal journey working in the Animal Welfare field. Over eleven years, she worked with dogs in shelters around the US, including New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, in an array of situations, such as emergency evacuations, hoarding conditions, and cases of neglect and dog fighting rings. She has also been fortunate to work with dogs from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and South Korea. For the past three years, Lydia has been working in Colorado teaching humans and dogs how to have better relationships with one another and learn how to communicate. She specializes in puppies and serious behavior cases.Lydia loves teaching both dogs and humans and believes that learning should be enjoyable and informative for both parties. She is a firm believer in dog individuality and force-free/ fear-free training.She is a CPDT-KA certified trainer as of 2020, and is currently working towards her CBCC.

Certifications:

CPDT-KA

Dog training services include

  • Aggressive dog training
  • Deaf dog training
  • Reactive dog training
  • Board and train
  • In home training
  • Puppy training

More info about Lydia Rakov's dog training:

I provide all types of training for dogs, but specialize in puppies and aggressive dogs. I teach obedience classes from basic through advanced CGC, and teach puppy socialization classes as well. I also teach reactive classes for dogs who struggle with their environment, and work privately with dogs involved in court cases. Two days a week I do day training for dogs that are sensitive to the daycare environment, to help work on proper social skills and learning in a group setting.

Behavioral issue focus:

I work with a lot of shy/fearful dogs, and dogs that struggle with intense reactivity to people or other animals including Stranger Danger dogs, and inter-household aggression. I also work with a lot of puppies and teaching household management strategies, and good manners.

Dog training methods:

I like to start with an Evaluation, to meet the dog in their environment and speak with the owners directly about the behavior issues that they are seeing. Then, we together come up with an individualized plan that meets the owners goals and sets realistic expectations for the dog to achieve. I believe in positive, force-free, fear-free methods for teaching dogs, and showing them how to make good choices to get the rewards they are seeking. Each dog is an individual, and I believe in making training plans that are unique to every dog and their situation to help them be successful.

Why I became a dog trainer:

I started working with dogs in a time in my life where everything seemed very dark, and dogs were the only thing that brought in the light and seemed to make sense. I started off volunteering in my local animal shelters and was there so often that I was offered a job. I started off as a dog walker, but quickly grew to love learning about dog behavior and training. After a few years, and working with several different shelters, I became a member of the Behavior Team, and started working with the difficult dog cases that came through. Behavior consulting and training quickly followed, and I moved into the private training sector to work with households and individuals. I have been teaching training classes for four years, and I find great joy in watching dogs and humans find more effective ways to communicate with one another!

My favorite part of being a dog trainer:

I love watching a dog's confidence build, and seeing that moment of understanding between a dog and person. Watching a dog transform into their best possible self is a truly magical moment that cannot be described, but is the best feeling in the world!

My #1 dog training tip:

Dog training should be fun! If you are not having fun, neither is your dog! It should be enjoyable for both parties.

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