Lydia is a Certified Behavior Consultant and Trainer, Licensed Family Dog Mediator, Accredited Mantrailing Instructor, AKC Approved Evaluator, and AKC Fetch Judge. With over 20 years of experience in animal training—and the last eight devoted exclusively to dogs—Lydia brings deep knowledge, insight, and empathy to every client she works with. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University.

Lydia is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)—a leading independent organization that upholds high standards for humane, science-based training. She holds both the CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed) and CBCC-KA (Certified Behavior Consultant Canine – Knowledge Assessed) credentials. These certifications require rigorous testing, verified experience, and ongoing education. 

Lydia is also a Licensed Family Dog Mediator®, a designation that reflects her commitment to understanding the whole dog—not just their behavior, but also their genetics, environment, and learning history. Family Dog Mediation is a modern approach that looks beyond obedience training to uncover why a dog behaves the way they do.

This framework, developed by Kim Brophey, helps bridge the communication gap between dogs and their humans by addressing each dog’s unique needs and natural tendencies. Through this lens, Lydia helps families build realistic expectations, resolve behavior challenges, and create deeper, more respectful relationships with their dogs.

As an Accredited Instructor with Mantrailing Global, Lydia helps dogs and their handlers unlock the amazing world of scentwork and tracking. Mantrailing builds confidence, communication, and teamwork through the dog’s most natural ability—their nose.

Before founding Next Step K9 Center, Lydia led the Training Department at The Dog Ranch of Liberty Hill in Liberty Hill, Texas. There, she was named Best Trainer of Liberty Hill in 2023, and the program  earned Best Training Program in Liberty Hill in both 2022 and 2023.

Lydia shares her life with three amazing dogs: Rey the Labrador, MaliBug the German Shepherd, and Ember the Doberman. Together, they have earned a variety of titles, including Novice to Advanced Trick Dog Titles from Do More With Your Dog, AKC Novice Trick Dog Titles, and a UKC Junior Dock Diving title. They continue to train in Mantrailing and other sports while enjoying life on the family property in Purcell.

Recent Continuing Education

• • Aggression In Dogs Master Class (aggressivedogs.com)

• • L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course (familydogmediation.com)

• • Introduction to Mantrailing Seminar

• • Certified Mantrailing Instructor