Training without

Ivan Balabanov is, in my opinion, the most gifted competitive sport trainer in this country. I have learned more from my time training with, and from watching Ivan, than from any other single trainer in my career. He is thoughtful, innovative, and insightful. If you are interested in dog training, you should expose yourself to Ivan Balabanov.

I met Ivan in 2000 in Australia where he held a seminar. I recognized immediately that I watched an exceptionally talented handler and helper, who isn’t only intuitive but also understands his craft intellectually. I am very interested in his philosophies that have been developed to maximize the possibilities with the dog.

I've been fortunate to train with Ivan for many years and consider him a mentor and true friend. Without question, he has been a huge influence and inspiration as he has forever changed the way I think and train. I guess the ultimate compliment is that I work with him whenever I get the chance. Ivan is the best at what he does.

I can only recommend a seminar with Ivan Balabanov. It was really amazing. He never loses concentration, gets tired, or becomes impatient. I've never seen somebody hold a seminar and work with each individual for so long one-on-one.

I started training with Ivan in 2004 with my Malinois Eli vom Teufelhund, who was one year old at the time. With Ivan’s program we built an excellent foundation on Eli’s protection phase. Ivan was instrumental in mine and Eli’s performances. Training with Ivan has influenced my way of thinking on how dogs learn in the sport of schutzhund.