Rising Stars: Meet Lydia Rakov

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Rakov

Hi Lydia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I began my career in the Animal Welfare field in 2008; I worked in my local animal shelter walking dogs, cleaning kennels and socializing cats. Over the next few years I traveled to different states and worked in several shelters, starting as a kennel attendant and working my way up as a dog walker, adoption counselor, and ultimately to the Animal Behavior team. I was lucky enough to work with dogs from all over the world, from all different situations, which has helped me immensely in my later career. In 2019, I moved to Colorado to work with dogs in private training. Due to my extensive background in behavior issues, I have been able to work with and help hundreds of dogs stay in their homes. In 2023, my business partners and I opened our own training facility, Good Dog, DYNO in Lakewood, CO to help bring positive reinforcement training to as many people as possible.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like all paths, there have been challenges and bumps along the way. I have been very lucky to be supported by family and excellent business partners, who have helped make the path easier. Starting a new business is no simple feat, and I am extremely grateful and humbled by our clients who have helped us through our first year.

One challenge we faced last year was the Canine Respiratory Illness, which worried a lot of pet parents. People were unsure whether they should continue socializing their puppies, and were concerned for their health and safety. To help alleviate pet parents, we partnered up with a local emergency vet to offer a vaccine clinic for the Canine Influenza Vaccine, created a helpful online Q&A forum about the illness, and amped up all of our cleaning procedures to ensure the highest level of safety! As a result, none of our dogs in any of our classes became ill, and we were able to give accurate information to people with concerns. We have continued with all of the increased cleaning procedures, even though the illness has ended, and our partnership with the vet’s office continues as well!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Co-Owner, Chief Training Officer & Behavior Consultant for Good Dog, DYNO- a positive reinforcement dog training company. While I work with all kinds of dogs, I specialize in puppy socialization and dogs with serious behavior issues. I also teach basic through advanced obedience, work with reactive and fearful dogs, and teach R+ Rattlesnake Avoidance Training.
There are a few things that I am most proud of. I do work with many court case clients, whose dogs have serious behavior issues that have come to the attention of the court. Through training and rehabilitation with me, many of these dogs are able to live long and happy lives in their homes safely.
Our R+ Rattlesnake Avoidance Training class is something that very few other companies offer. This course uses positive training techniques and scent detection work to train your dog to avoid and alert you to snakes in the area. I am extremely proud of the course and I think it is an important skill for dogs who are avid hikers.
My patience, problem-solving skills, and creative solutions for all types of dogs are some of my strongest assets, and I use them every day to help each and every dog that crosses my path. I focus on the individual dog at hand, and come up with ways to customize each training plan to ensure that all needs and goals are being met.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was always interested in animals, but I did not start working with them officially until I was 18. My first career was as a professional ballerina, but I always worked with dogs in my free time. As a ballerina, I used to teach dance to children and adults, and this teaching skill has helped me later in my dog career, as I teach families to have better communication with their dogs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.GoodDogDyno.com
• Instagram: @GoodDogDynoDogTraining
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068374020931