About Us

Trainer Biography:

My name is Javier Mendoza-Diek, and I am a professional dog trainer, zoologist, and former veterinary technician. I was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and from a very young age I was fascinated by animals and, more specifically, their behavior. Growing up, I had all kinds of pets—turtles, wild birds, a crab, chickens, cats, horses, and, of course, dogs. Looking back, it's no surprise that my life eventually revolved around working with animals.

My first dog was a little Pekingese named Peluche, whom I got when I was about nine years old. I loved him dearly, but I made nearly every mistake a dog owner could make. I believed that love alone was enough. I was overly permissive, had no boundaries, and didn't understand the importance of guidance and accountability. Peluche escaped the house regularly, barked excessively, and was reactive toward certain people and dogs. He frequently got into fights despite his small size. My mother tried to provide structure and discipline, but I was convinced that affection and "talking" to him would solve everything.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

Eventually, my mother had to give him away. At the time, I was heartbroken, but looking back, I realize she made the right decision. His behavior was putting him in danger, and that experience taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life: love without leadership isn't enough.

Years later, while living with my father and grandmother, I was given a Labrador mix puppy named Preciosa. She was energetic, sweet, and more than a little mischievous. My grandmother would often correct her behavior, but I felt that many of those corrections lacked timing and clarity. Corrections would come long after the unwanted behavior had occurred, and while my grandmother insisted that Preciosa knew what she had done wrong, I wasn't convinced.

I was determined not to repeat my mistakes with Peluche. Even with the limited knowledge I had at the time, I worked with Preciosa every day. It was mostly trial and error, but I began learning how dogs think and how important communication and consistency are. Over time, she became an incredible dog. I loved showing off her tricks to my friends, and she was even a fantastic soccer player. She wasn't perfect—no dog is—but she became a well-behaved, enjoyable companion despite her naturally high energy.

Because I walked her constantly, I got to know nearly every dog and dog owner within several miles of my home. It's funny to think that many of the relationships I've built throughout my life started because of dogs. In many ways, that hasn't changed at all.

Eventually, I moved to the United States and pursued what I thought was my dream: becoming a veterinarian. I earned my degree in Zoology from North Carolina State University as a stepping stone toward veterinary school. During those years, I worked as a veterinary technician for six years while also training dogs on the side.

After graduating, I wasn't completely sure veterinary school was the right path for me. Before making such a big commitment, I decided to give dog training a real chance. I gave myself two years to figure out if this was truly my calling.

I worked for a wonderful company for about ten months, but the commute was long and I didn't feel like I was learning and growing at the pace I wanted. I knew I could do more. My plan was to return to veterinary medicine while continuing to study behavior and train dogs more seriously.

Life had other plans.

I found myself at a crossroads and had to make a decision: find another job, continue pursuing veterinary school, or take a leap of faith and start my own business. I realized that what brought me the most fulfillment wasn't medicine—it was helping people by helping them better understand and communicate with their dogs.

So, I took the leap.

That leap became Proactive Dog Training.

Starting this business was one of the best decisions of my life. Through dog training, I've had the opportunity to help thousands of dogs and their owners build stronger relationships and create better lives together. Every day, I get to do something I genuinely love while making a positive difference in the lives of people and their pets.

I no longer question who I am or what I want to do. I have found my purpose in helping people through their dogs.

My Pack:

At Proactive Dog Training, my pack extends far beyond my personal dogs. It is made up of an incredible team of trainers, kennel technicians, and reception staff who work tirelessly every day to provide exceptional care and training to the dogs entrusted to us.

Every person on our team plays an important role in helping dogs and their owners succeed. From our trainers working hands-on to improve behavior and communication, to our kennel staff ensuring every dog is safe, comfortable, and cared for, to our reception team creating a welcoming and organized experience for our clients, each member contributes to our mission of improving the lives of dogs and the people who love them.

At home, my personal pack includes my Belgian Malinois, Jinx, who is not only my companion but also my training partner and a constant reminder that learning with dogs never truly ends.

A special part of our team is Cindy, who serves as the Operations Manager of Proactive Dog Training. Cindy brings over ten years of experience as a veterinary technician and has been an integral part of our company's growth and success. She oversees many of the day-to-day operations of the business, helps coordinate scheduling and client communication, supports our board-and-train and daycare programs, assists with staff management, and helps ensure that every dog and owner receives the highest level of care and service possible.

Proactive Dog Training has grown into much more than a business—it has become a community of passionate people united by one goal: helping dogs and their owners build better relationships and live happier lives together.

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Training Without Conflict (TWC) Certified Professional Dog Trainer:

Ivan Balabanov’s Training Without Conflict™ training system is superior to all other dog training methodologies because it is a truly scientific approach with emphasis on Cooperation and Play. This method doesn’t subscribe to the current norms of dog training that is boxed in by distinctions of whether a trainer is “positive only” or “balanced”.

Ivan Balabanov has an unrivaled perspective on dog training with over 40 years of experience. In that time, Ivan has trained guide dogs, been the head of dog training at the San Francisco SPCA, and taught hundreds of workshops and seminars worldwide all while maintaining his passion on training his personal dogs. Since 1989 Ivan has been the owner of Ot Vitosha Malinois which allowed him to raise hundreds of puppies and also train several of his dogs to incredible success including 14 National Championships and 2 World Championships in IGP dog sport competitions. This experience gives Ivan a breadth of knowledge that allows him to teach dogs and their owners in a unique way that creates incredible results.

At present, there are many different schools of thought regarding dog training. Trainers have divided themselves into camps that dictate how they train, and thanks to social media, everyone is a dog training expert selling you their “new” training system. The internet is flooded with free training that is leading dog trainers and dog owners down paths that not only do not solve problems, but usually lead to more. By putting “Ideology and Tribe” before what works and what doesn’t work. These approaches are incomplete and inferior ways of training dogs.

The Training Without Conflict™ concept is radically different, as it cannot be defined as “positive only” or “balanced”, nor is it confined by the quadrants of operant conditioning. It is a revolutionary new approach that does not rely on the widely accepted treat training, where the dog perceives its trainer as a food dispenser. It is a radically different concept, that encourages Dog and Trainer to interact as fellow creatures. Such interaction places a strong emphasis on cooperation, willingness, and compliance with much higher level of motivation. The result is obvious, even to the untrained eye – confident and eager dogs that perform commands because they want to and not because they must.

Our certified Training Without Conflict™ trainers respect and harness your dog’s intelligence. They have been trained to appreciate and understand that dogs are born genetically pre-programmed by nature with certain behaviors (desirable or not), which are impossible to eliminate. TWC trainers have learned how develop training plans and lessons to Guide and Control the dog’s instincts without unnecessary stress and conflict, while maintaining the dog’s confidence and true desire to interact with the trainer and its environment.

Training Without Conflict™ trainers are held to a high standard, both in how they train and in how they operate their business. Each has agreed to the TWC Code of Ethics, which outlines best practices as an independent dog training professional.