Ivan Balabanov is an icon in the dog world. His bold confidence & sheer resilience is palpable and it's what led him to be a 2 time World Champion in IGP and 14 time National Champion representing the US. Over the last 40 years, he has revolutionized dog training, competition dog sports, and  shifted the way we communicate with dogs in a profound way. 
In this live, Ivan opens up about fleeing communist Bulgaria, venturing to Belgium where he discovered his first Malinois and trained with the greats, and eventually landing in Florida where he teaches his world renowned dog training techniques.  Ivan has ‘that thing’, an inner fire to win and pave his own way.  
Chock it up to genetics — a big portion of this interview and a topic Ivan is passionate about. He started breeding Belgian Malinois back in 1989 and continues to do so with his kennel Ot Vitosha Malinois in Plant City, Florida. 
We also discuss: 
- The power of play 
- Dog’s emotional needs 
- Motivation 
- Genetic studies *Reference to: ‘Blueprint’ by Robert Plomin 
- Future of dog training  
Thank you so much, Ivan! You truly are an inspiration and a testament to the human spirit! 
For more information on Ivan & his world renowned training program: Visit 'Training Without Conflict'  
For more on YOLO PUP, visit: YOLOPUP.com
SHOP the YOLO PUP Collection
Instagram: @yolopup.la
Youtube: @yolopupla
Facebook: @yolopupla

---

This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/yolo-pup/support