Anton Yablonksy has lived all over the world, but thanks to his recent dog rescue and training efforts, Phoenix is starting to feel like home.
“I was born in New York,” recalls Anton. “Then I moved to Barcelona, Norway, and Paris. Then we moved back to New York, then to Seattle, back to New York, and finally to Phoenix in 2008.”
After moving to Phoenix, Anton unknowingly began the process of becoming a dog trainer.
“My girlfriend and I became foster people for Mayday Pitbull Rescue,” said Anton. “We did some work for them, and that's how I met Lorenzo. I always knew I had a passion for dogs, but Lorenzo showed me people can make careers out of that passion.”
The interest Anton had from meeting with Lorenzo led to a trip to Ohio for his initial training. It didn't take long for Anton to use his new knowledge to help familiar faces.
“After I came back from Ohio with my foster dogs, I began training for Mayday,” said Anton. “They have so many foster dogs and dogs up for adoption. They need help all the time. Mayday's mission is to help pitbulls that have no other chance of living. Last year, the Maricopa East Shelter alone euthanized 12,000 pitbulls. And that's just one shelter in a very big city.”
With such a high number of pitbulls being put down, training them becomes a matter of life and death.
“With pitbulls there is obviously a reputation that can make people uneasy about adopting them,” said Anton. “No one wants to adopt a pitbull that doesn't behave. We know that if we can't change those dogs they have no chance to live. When we train dogs that get adopted and lead happy lives as pets, we feel honored to know that we were a part of saving that dog. And more importantly, a family gained a new member.”
While working with foster dogs is a large part of Anton's success, Lorenzo's Dog Training System has allowed him to expand well beyond pitbulls.
“I like finding new clients and training new dogs,” said Anton. “I'm learning a lot and enjoying myself more and more. You learn a lot in this business. I'm learning that training dogs can be easy. Once you teach them something, they know it forever. The key to success is to train the owners as well. Showing them how to interact with their dogs ensures that our training lasts well beyond our sessions.”
The changes in dogs, as well as their owners, is the most rewarding aspect for Anton.
“Watching the transition of the dogs is huge,” said Anton. “Some animals have severe behavioral issues. Others were in the pound or in quarantine. But the transition of owners is just as important. Sometimes they were attacked by animals. Sometimes they just need to learn how to lead their pet. It's about finding the balance of the right things to do, and the search for that balance is what's interesting.”
But Anton doesn't have to rely on his clients to see the value of training or the Mayday Rescue Program.
“I work with a Pitbull named Pippy that came from Mayday,” said Anton. “She had aggression problems and was about to be put down. They asked me to do an evaluation. Now she's my co-pilot and helps me train other dogs.”
Anton continues to build Lorenzo's Dog Training Team in Phoenix by participating in the community and saving dogs that have no other chance. As Anton's private client base grows, he always remembers for some dogs, training is a matter of life or death.
