Training Without Conflict® | Dog Training Podcast

Training Without Conflict®
  • 4.7 (93)
  • Science
  • Updated Semimonthly

Training Without Conflict® is a dog training podcast hosted by Ivan Balabanov. With 40+ years of experience training and breeding working dogs, Ivan shares practical insights on dog behavior, obedience, aggression, reactivity, fear, motivation, drive, and real-world training results. Episodes include deep conversations with respected guests and clear explanations for dog owners and professional trainers who want serious learning without ideology.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 75: Aivo Oblikas

    If you're serious about tracking, this podcast is for you. Today I'm joined by Aivo Oblikas, a long-time student of tracking, respected judge, and someone who has spent decades analyzing what makes dogs successful on the track. Aivo has judged at the highest levels of the sport, including the FH World Championship and the FMBB IGP World Championship, giving him a unique perspective on both training and evaluation. Over the next two and a half hours, we dive deep into the world of tracking. We discuss everything from getting started with young dogs to advanced FH and IGP concepts. We talk about motivation, corners, article indications, contamination, aging tracks, weather conditions, surface changes, reading the dog, common training mistakes, and many of the details that often determine success or failure in competition. One of the things I appreciate about Aivo is that he doesn't simply repeat what everyone else is doing. Over the years, he has developed his own approach to tracking and in this conversation he shares many of the principles that guide his training and the way he thinks about the work. Whether you're brand new to tracking, actively competing in IGP, preparing for FH-level tracks, or simply looking to improve your understanding of one of the most fascinating disciplines in dog training, there's something here for you. This is a conversation for the tracking nerds, the people who enjoy the details, the people who want to understand not just what happens on the track, but why it happens. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aivo Oblikas.

    2h 47m

  2. May 27

    Episode 74: FMBB World Champion Natalia Balabanov

    Behind every World Champion title there is a story people never see. The sleepless nights. The pressure. The doubts. The sacrifices. The moments where you wonder if all of it is worth it. Today Natalia joins me after becoming FMBB IGP World Champion to talk about the journey behind the title. We discuss what it really took to get there, the highs and lows of competing at the highest level, the mental battles, the "what ifs" every competitor has, and the reality behind chasing a dream for years. We also talk about Glinda, the road that led us here, and why winning is rarely about one perfect moment, it is about thousands of moments nobody sees. Everyone starts with 100 points. Everyone has their "what ifs." This is the story behind becoming World Champion.

    1h 39m

  3. May 4

    Reinforcement Works... Until It Doesn't...

    This video breaks down what an e-collar actually is and more importantly, how learning works when it matters most.You’ll see a live self-demo so you understand exactly what the stimulation feels like, and why control, timing, and contingency matter more than the tool itself.Some dogs do very well with positive reinforcement alone.But if you’ve been training for months or years and your dog is still not reliable when it counts… especially with behaviors like poor recall, chasing, or high drive in real environments, then this video is for you.This is not about replacing reinforcement!It’s about understanding what happens when reinforcement no longer competes with reality.What you’ll see:What the e-collar really does (and what it doesn’t). Why “aversive” does not mean harm. How clear, immediate, avoidable consequences create understanding. Why avoidance is not the same as living in fear. Where redirection works and where it doesn’t. At some point, every training system is tested the same way:What happens when the dog is already committed?That’s what this talk is about.

    15 min

  4. Mar 6

    Conditioned “NO” Beats Reward-Only Every Time

    Some dogs lock onto squirrels with full predatory intent, the kind that ignores treats, toys, and every force-free trick in the book.Desensitization, Counterconditioning or Predationsubstitutes? Yes, they work for play chasing... but fail hard when the drive isto kill. Once the dog is locked in, adrenaline wins, yourhigh-value rewards get out-bid.A simple "NO" paired with consequencebecomes a powerful verbal interrupt. No more endless management, just reliableoff-leash control in high stakes moments (traffic, wildlife, livestock).See the real demo: setup, chase, and instantstop with nothing but my voice. True freedom for high drive dogs starts here.If pure positive methods aren't cutting it withyour dog, this changes everything.

    14 min

  5. Feb 18

    Episode 73: Pierre Wahlstrom

    In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Wahlstrom, a lifelong officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, elite working-dog specialist, world-level judge, and World Champion. Pierre has spent over three decades developing, testing, breeding, judging, and training working dogs at the highest level. He currently serves as CEO for testing and procurement of dogs for the Swedish Armed Forces and as technical adviser for military dog breeding. He is a long time IPO/IGP and SV judge, has judged multiple World Championships (FCI, WUSV, ISPU, FMBB), and was World Champion with a German Shepherd in 2007, while also coaching numerous national and world-level teams. We talk selection, nerves, genetics, judging, and what actually separates great dogs from average ones from someone who has seen it all, on the field and behind the scenes. If you care about real working dogs and real performance, this episode is a must listen.

    2h 38m

  6. Feb 10

    Episode 72: Jay Jack

    This time I sat down with Jay Jack. Jay is the mind behind GRC (Gameness, Relationship, Control) Dog Sport. If you mix bull breeds with martial arts culture, Jay is the guy who shows up. This episode is really a catch up, no script, no agenda. Just me and Jay talking dogs, and you’re the fly on the wall.

    2h 32m

  7. Feb 5

    Episode 71: Daisy Peel

    This episode is with Daisy Peel. Daisy is an agility trainer and competitor and has been part of the U.S. World Team nine times. In this podcast, we go deeper into the sport of agility and compare it with other dog sports. We talk about what it really means to select and train dogs for the world stage versus training a pet dog simply to provide an outlet and maintain a healthy, balanced mind. We also touch on the cultural differences between sports. Unlike protection sports, agility is a community that is predominantly force-free and yes, we talk openly about that too. Enjoy.

    1h 58m

  8. Jan 16

    Should Dog Training Be Regulated?

    Should the dog training industry in the USA be regulated?I’ve been asked this over and over again, and the answer is not as simple as people think.In this episode, I break down what regulation could improve, what it could destroy, and the one line that matters most if this industry ever gets “controlled” by outside forces.Curious to hear everyone's thoughts.

    15 min
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4.7
out of 5
93 Ratings

About

Training Without Conflict® is a dog training podcast hosted by Ivan Balabanov. With 40+ years of experience training and breeding working dogs, Ivan shares practical insights on dog behavior, obedience, aggression, reactivity, fear, motivation, drive, and real-world training results. Episodes include deep conversations with respected guests and clear explanations for dog owners and professional trainers who want serious learning without ideology.

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