Dog Training of Tampa Bay, INC

It is one thing to be world class, it is altogether something different to be able to teach this ability to others.\r \r That is where Ivan is in a class by himself. more

I have been putting time in training a couple of my dogs for complete Schutzhund (IPO) and Schutzhund based tracking since 2007. When I began I was living in North Carolina and working with a friend of mine who had competed regionally. About a year after I began learning through my friend in NC I moved to Tampa Florida (back to my home state) and decided to attend a seminar of Ivan's after learning about him through another friend who also trained with me back in NC, and who had been to one of Ivan's seminars and wholeheartedly recommended him as a phenomenal trainer for protection sports. I must say that I have been hooked ever since and have tried to take advantage of the fact that there is a world champion (X2!) protection sport handler/trainer/teaching decoy right down the road from me every opportunity I get. I believe that you would be extremely hard pressed to find a person with Ivan's level of experience, success, and talent outside of the European continent. We do have some outstanding home grown American counterparts but I think if you dig deep into their backgrounds many of them have, at the very least, been positively influenced by Ivan's ideas and concepts in advanced dog training at some point along the way in their training careers. Ivan is also a very complete and well rounded dog behaviorist too and can help with pretty much any need a dog owner requires. He understands not only behavioral theory, motivation, and cognition but also knows how to apply them in very practical and novel ways that help both the owner and the their dog understand and communicate with each other better than they ever could imagine. I would, and do, recommend Ivan without hesitation to anyone I come across that needs help with their dog or is just interested in learning a new sport, or wants to get better at a sport, that they can do with their dog. more

If you want to reach new heights in dog training this is the place to be! I have worked several different breeds of dogs with Ivan and can't say enough about how far we have come. Ivan has true incite into the working mind of a dog. more

I own a 4-year old Doberman Pincher who is an amazing dog named Bailey. She has a great temperament with all people/dogs and is extremely smart. We trained her basic obedience (sit, stay, down, shake, come, etc), but I came to a point where I would play with her (she loves ball) and practice with her, but with no real direction beyond what I’d already done. I kept doing the basic commands and wasn’t sure how to train her to the next level. A couple years ago, I ran into one of Ivan’s clients at a Starbucks in Plant City with a Doberman as well that was incredibly well trained; way beyond where Bailey was – but where we wanted her to be. We would love to have a dog that would be able to down/stay/be very obedient if you take them with you on trails/beaches/outdoor malls/etc. He told me about Ivan and I did some research and met with him for the first time at a seminar he put on in Plant City about 9 months ago and it was an incredible experience. Watching him correct behavior/performance issues of dogs at the seminar was amazing and his concepts made complete sense. Ivan helped open the door for me to “move on” with training and really get into much more advanced training. My goal with Bailey wasn't to get into protection necessarily; but have an extremely obedient house dog and then try for Schutzhund Obedience titles (BH, etc). \r \r Since working with Ivan and Natalia, it has been an amazing learning experience for both Bailey and I. Bailey has recently passed her initial Schutzhund Obedience title (BH) and I'm using Ivan's system for training tracking/protection to see how far she can go. I look at dog training entirely differently than before and get it's GREAT to go out with Bailey and the family and get complements about how obedient she is at outdoor restaurants and walking on trails/downtown. \r \r If you are looking for a dog trainer that can help at ANY level, Ivan is definitely the guy to see! He trains seminars all over the world and his competition record speaks for itself - definitely one of the best trainers in the world! Lucky to have him so close to Tampa! more

Ivan has the best insight into a dog. Every training session is meaningful and builds towards a complete training experience. Just one session can transform the handler and the dog. more

Ivan is like no other trainer. He seems to know exactly what the dogs are thinking. It's really amazing to watch him in action. Our German Shepherd, Harley, has come a long way with his obedience and protection training. more

I have had the pleasure to work with Ivan with several different dogs over the years. With his guidance, I have become a better team member to each of my dogs. His methods have helped me achieve great precision without sacrificing happy working attitudes. I would recommend Ivan to anyone that wants positive results whether for a companion dog or top level sport dog. more

We love Ivan, he truly can understand how to communicate with dogs and gets the best out of each of my dogs. We drive almost an hour at least once a week to train with him. more

Ivan Balabanov is unigue is his methods otraining dogs at all levels with great success.\r Ken Simsic more

Ivan Balabanov's has done Great work with my German Shepherd Dux in his Protection and Obediance. Dux is High Drive and Ivan is reaching new levels of training every session... more

World-class dog training to the most discriminating dog owners!\r \r No two dogs are the same! Research shows that every dog possesses a unique personality. According to Ivan’s observation and experience, behavioral characteristics of dogs differ to the same degree as they do in humans. Indeed, much of what is known about human personality types is also applicable to the study of dog behavior. Every dog owner is well aware of the fact that Dogs are pack animals. They prefer a social lifestyle. However, these packs are structurally dynamic, different dogs also possess different drives. Breeds that are generally more responsive to human command, also usually manifest higher levels of socialized behavior in pack situations. This tendency leads many to conclude that dogs that are more socialized also possess a higher level of intelligence, than dogs that are more autonomous in their behavior.\r \r Ivan Balabanov points out, however,... more