Welcome to another episode of TWC podcast where we explore diverse perspectives and challenge the status quo. Today, I have a brave guest who steps outside the lines of her community's ideology to share her strong opinions on a topic she's passionate about. It's not easy to question deeply held beliefs, especially when they are influenced by powerful propaganda.

Our conversation highlights the difficulty many people face in changing their opinions once they're anchored in a position. As Patrice O'Neil wisely said, "You can hold your opinions, but don't let your opinions hold you." It's crucial not to be "married" to your ideas. They are just ideas, and clinging to a false belief out of fear of being wrong is far weaker than admitting the mistake. But is it at all possible?!

Join us as we delve into the importance of keeping an open mind, embracing change, and the courage it takes to break free from ideological constraints. Let's dive in!

Recently, I invited David Garcia Suarez from Spain to judge our club trial so we could get our dogs and training critiqued first hand by one the most respected IGP judges at the moment.

David has judged many National Championships, as well as World Championships including FMBB which he will once again judge this month in Italy.

The conversation gives a glimpse of how he evaluates IGP performance and what the rule book expects from the handler, how emotional state(s) are evaluated as well.

We also talk about the current pressure the sport is under in Europe, the demands of the force free advocates and much more.

Enjoy!

Ivan Balabanov is a 2-time World Champion dog trainer, Ot Vitosha Malinois breeder, trainer of Premier Protection Dogs and founder of the revolutionary Training Without Conflict® dog training system.

For more information about Ivan Balabanov and information on how to train your dog using the Training Without Conflict® system, check out:

https://trainingwithoutconflict.com

https://malinois.com

https://premierprotectiondogs.com

On my recent trip to Northern California, I had an opportunity sit down with Michael and answer some questions that trainers submitted on social media.

We had a great time and answered a ton of questions.

I hope you enjoy it!