Boston Terrier: Training Insights & Behavior Traits

I am very impressed with what Marc has taught us today. My Boston Terrier was so changes after the first visit. I would highly recommend Bark Busters.

I didn’t have any confidence in myself as far as training Trooper goes. However, after the 2nd session I decided to buckle down and do our homework.
What a wonderful dog I have. It was money well spent not only for me but for Trooper! Nicholas Pagano was very patient and encouraging with us (mostly me)!
Trooper is my 5-year-old rescue Boston Terrier. My fourth! I love the breed. But since Trooper came to me from Texas I knew nothing about him, not even his birthday. Nicholas suggested that trooper may even been younger than 5.
Trooper’s issues were: PULLING, barking and rushing to the door, at people walking back & forth, squirrels, rabbits, birds, chipmunks, fear of the car, aggression towards the vacuum and grabbing tool.
Pulling was resolved with the proper harness (who knew?), now it is a pleasure to walk him. I have learned that terriers want to attack ALL little things so I just learn to be ready and offer a correction when I see a rodent presenting a problem. Of all my BTs, I never had one that actually treed squirrels!
Nicholas told me 'your dog is bored'!!! Who knew again! So puzzles were suggested. I love to watch him solve them. I really did learn a lot about having a dog! Even though I had 3 previous Bostons, this one is by far the most entertaining...he makes me laugh :)
We are still working on the fear of the car. I think the long ride from Texas to NJ may have traumatized him a bit. Also I have the tools to address the vacuum problem, so that’s a work in progress.
Trooper and I are buddies now…best friends and I am so grateful to Nicholas and Bark Busters for being there for us.

Mason arrived on time and ready to help, with our 2 Boston terrier brothers. He spent 2 hours helping and observing and giving us feed back in the moment to help with behavioral issue. We have started using the commands and day one seeing progress! Thanks Mason and Bark Busters for a great experience.

We had used Bark Busters over 10 years ago for our previous dogs and had great success then. We just adopted a new dog, a 5 yo Boston terrier named Rocky who is amazing, but has had a rough history. We needed to get him more comfortable with children and other dogs and my first thought was Bark Busters! To my surprise Michelle was still there! I was even more pleasantly surprised that the program had evolved over the years. Better handouts and a color coded guide to how your dog is reacting at a given moment. I loved that. Michelle spent a ton of time with us and she was patient and supportive and we got an email the next day checking in on us. Great value, since it is for the life of your pup. Rocky is already doing better and we've only been working with him for 3 days! Thank you Michelle! You're the best!

James has only been working with us a short time, yet the results are exceptional. We were looking for a trainer who was more balanced in their approach, not treats or heavy discipline. James fits - he’s given us the tools to help our dog Dory, not pull on the leash, bark unnecessarily, greet guest appropriately, just to name a few. I would highly recommend James Cresswell.

Cannot say enough amazing things about James and the Bark Buster family! I first used Bark Busters 7 years ago while we were living in Denver. The tools I learned and implemented changed my life and the relationship to my dogs, and the ease at which we were able to move throughout the house and in public.

Last week one of my two golden doodles passed on and his brother has had such heartbreaking separation anxiety. I have barely been able to leave his side on top of the heartbreak of dealing with the loss of my oldest. Needless to say things have been very difficult.

I reached out to Bark Busters here in North County and linked up with James who has shown up with the most amazingly understanding, loving, kind heart for our situation. Met with him today and in just 40 minutes had my baby boy relaxing and calm and for the first time since my eldest’s passing has me hopeful that we can find our way through this tough time and come out stronger than ever.

James has the tools and experience to overcome difficult training needs, but also the most amazing compassion for dogs and people and to say I’m grateful is an understatement.

Thank you James!

Our initial training session with Jeri was wonderful. She gave us so much information regarding dog behaviors and taught us how to speak to our Oreo in his language. I particularly liked how she had Bill and I use her training tecniques with Oreo while she stood back and functioned as our coach. This approach helped us to feel more confident and in charge when training our dog. The video's she showed us of the training tecniques was also helpful.

Karen has been an absolute lifesaver. I meet with her weekly to learn how to address Nellie’s issues with pulling, jumping up and recall. I truly cannot thank her enough for her outstanding patience…with both of us. She’s the very best!!

Working with James has been an extremely rewarding experience. He is so knowledgeable and helpful. With his help my untrained, six year old, rescue has made tremendous improvements. All of his recommendations have been much easier than I expected. Coco and I have learned so much and we are able to practice the lessons James shares with us. I highly recommend Bark Busters and James to train your pet. I know you will be as pleased as I have been and you will not regret this worthwhile
investment for the life of your pet. Thank you, James. Coco and I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.

I reached out to Bark Busters to help with my dog's general behavior and his separation anxiety. Johnny was able to schedule with me really quickly, came to my house, and spent time listening to the challenges and giving us homework that he first demonstrated and had us practice in front of him. We started noticing improvements immediately, which meant we were able to start moving forward working on separation anxiety. We have made the most progress with the separation anxiety challenges since working with Johnny than all of our other attempts to fix this issue. Johnny is helping us build our confidence and our dog's confidence. He checks in if he has not heard from us in a bit to make sure everything is going smoothly - we are so grateful for all of his help!

Jared was great to work with. I was having trouble with my 1 year old Bernese mountain dog who was lunging and barking at people and dogs while on leash. Within three sessions my puppy became a model student, easy to walk and no longer a concern for me. I am very grateful for the advice and hands on support that Jared provided.

We have been thrilled with James and The Bark Busters Home Dog Training Program in North County San Diego. We had a senior dog that passed away recently (he had moderate behavioral issues throughout his life that we never addressed properly). We adopted a 4 month old puppy in May, we have a 3 year old daughter and are expecting another baby girl in October. We knew it was important with all these new changes and a very energetic & wild puppy in the mix to seek support for any behavioral issues that may arise.

There was plenty to work on from the moment we took our German Retriever mix home. He was so excited to meet anyone new, he would nip & jump to the point of drawing blood. We needed immediate support with upcoming travel plans, knowing that we needed to establish better boundaries in order to leave our dog with the dog sitter and my in-laws. Koa, our puppy, was also very difficult to walk, pulling intensely and zig zagging all over the road. The idea of walking with a stroller, a toddler, eventually a baby & a puppy seemed impossible. We also wanted to be proactive with the baby coming, developing healthy habits with the dog early so we could be better prepared for a tiny human in the house. Lastly, we wanted guidance on how to properly socialize Koa since our previous dog did not do well with other dogs.

I found James based on rave reviews stating his approach was immediately helpful and we needed fast results! I also knew based on our 14 year experience with our previous dog, that issues arise throughout their whole life and so making the investment with James would be well worth it.

My husband and I are beyond satisfied with the level of customer care, the consistent and clear communication, and the results. We were able to leave on a 10 day trip after 2 sessions with James and the in-laws & dog sitter had positive experiences with Koa. My daughter's toddler friends can come visit and the interactions have gone very well. Walking Koa has been pleasant, we have far more control now and I can easily handle a double stroller with him.

I know we will continue to utilize James has we navigate adding a new baby to the mix and as Koa grows. I love that we have a reliable support to lean on. James clearly can teach you how to shift your dog's behavior & above all he is truly a kind and caring person to welcome into your home. We highly recommend his services! We have been thrilled with James and The Bark Busters Home Dog Training Program in North County San Diego. We had a senior dog that passed away recently (he had moderate behavioral issues throughout his life that we never addressed properly). We adopted a 4 month old puppy in May, we have a 3 year old daughter and are expecting another baby girl in October. We knew it was important with all these new changes and a very energetic & wild puppy in the mix to seek support for any behavioral issues that may arise.

There was plenty to work on from the moment we took our German Retriever mix home. He was so excited to meet anyone new, he would nip & jump to the point of drawing blood. We needed immediate support with upcoming travel plans, knowing that we needed to establish better boundaries in order to leave our dog with the dog sitter and my in-laws. Koa, our puppy, was also very difficult to walk, pulling intensely and zig zagging all over the road. The idea of walking with a stroller, a toddler, eventually a baby & a puppy seemed impossible. We also wanted to be proactive with the baby coming, developing healthy habits with the dog early so we could be better prepared for a tiny human in the house. Lastly, we wanted guidance on how to properly socialize Koa since our previous dog did not do well with other dogs.

I found James based on rave reviews stating his approach was immediately helpful and we needed fast results! I also knew based on our 14 year experience with our previous dog, that issues arise throughout their whole life and so making the investment with James would be well worth it.

My husband and I are beyond satisfied with the level of customer care, the consistent and clear communication, and the results. We were able to leave on a 10 day trip after 2 sessions with James and the in-laws & dog sitter had positive experiences with Koa. My daughter's toddler friends can come visit and the interactions have gone very well. Walking Koa has been pleasant, we have far more control now and I can easily handle a double stroller with him.

I know we will continue to utilize James has we navigate adding a new baby to the mix and as Koa grows. I love that we have a reliable support to lean on. James clearly can teach you how to shift your dog's behavior & above all he is truly a kind and caring person to welcome into your home. We highly recommend his services!

James is an amazing trainer for both of our high energy breeds. He is very responsive and always willing to meet with us or for a call as needed. Highly recommend him for anyone in the market for a new trainer!

We’ve had a great experience working with Johnny Jumper and have seen huge improvements in our dog’s behavior after only four sessions. Our dog is a shelter dog, and we came to Johnny with a few challenges, including lunging and barking at other dogs and people on walks, crate training, and going to the bathroom in the house. The progress has been pretty incredible. After just one session, the lunging and barking on walks improved dramatically. Crate training has been a huge improvement as well, and we’ve also been able to resolve the issues with peeing and pooping in the house. Johnny is kind and patient, but also confident and extremely knowledgeable. He’s great at explaining what he’s doing and giving us the tools to continue the training on our own. We’re only four sessions in and already feel like we have a completely different dog. Highly recommend Johnny!

We had a great morning getting trained by Scot! He was so engaging, easy to learn from, and knowledgeable! Scot provided us with manageable strategies that we can use to build a positive relationship between us and our pup. We learned so much in such a short amount of time! Thank you for giving us the jumpstart we needed to train our dog and develop good habits and behaviors!

Today was our fifth (I think) lesson from Miguel. We have been in awe of his performance since day one. Poppy is a 5-1/2 month old mini Bernedoodle. Miguel like to say she is full of “puppiness.” That’s a bit of an understatement. Yet after every lesson ( usually two weeks apart) we have seen remarkable, repeatable progress. Miguel is thoughtful, observant, very insightful and extremely effective; all of his with good humor and natural warmth.
Ron and Linda Kaplan

Five stars isn’t enough! Not only is Justin a proven expert trainer, the amount of compassion and commitment he has shown is unreal and truly heartwarming. He says his passion is helping people and their dogs, and I have no doubt about that.

A month after separating from my partner and moving out to my own place, my leash aggressive, two year-old cane corso, Zeke, lunged at another dog in my apartment complex and took me with him. Fortunately, aside from a few cuts and bruises I sustained, everyone was OK. But the anxiety and emotional trauma that was left behind made me avoid taking Zeke out for walks all together and when I did my hands would start shaking. Thinking that I would be able to do it in my own, I watched hours and hours of dog training videos and even tried using an E collar, none of it helped. Not only were things stressful outside of the house, but inside of it too. My 14 year-old cocker spaniel and poodle mix, Lexi, is very reactive towards Zeke. Because her senses are not what they used to be. She has even mistaken me for Zeke and has snapped at me. The thought of me potentially losing my apartment, having to give up Zeke, and the fear that Lexi may accidentally bite one of my children caused even more stress on top of what I was already going through from the separation, so I knew I needed to get professional help.

After just one phone call with Justin I already felt a weight lifted from my shoulders. We have only been working together for two weeks and have already seen improvement, not only with Zeke‘s responsiveness to corrections while on walks but with my confidence in leading my pups to a calm and happy life.

Justin really set me up for success by giving me tools, demo videos, and tips - making me confident in my ability to correct Zeke’s leash reactivity. Walks with Zeke are so much more calm for us both!

So grateful for what Justin does and how he does it. He is so responsive and genuine, really making us a team with the same goals! Can’t recommend him enough! THANK YOU, Justin!

Omar originally came to our house to help us teach our dog how to greet people appropriately at the door and how to handle the excessive barking at everything that passes by the front of the house.

The technique that Omar uses makes so much sense and works! We have tried multiple trainers and much to our frustration, nothing has worked like the technique that we have learned from Bark Busters!

We continue to learn new things that we can work on with our dog. We are excited to keep learning and keep teaching.

Thank you, Omar. We are so happy with the progress!

Mike and Betsy

Brisket is a 2–3-year-old rescue who was ready for some training after a month of acclimation and recovery in her new home. My research of local trainers brought up lots of qualified folks but Sharon at Bark Busters kept coming up again and again. Several doggie-day-care facilities even handed me her card; turns out Sharon trains a lot of folks (pups too)!
Our 3-hour session was completely different than expected and just what I needed. No treats, just quiet visuals; we didn't even utter the first verbal command until the beginning of hour 3 for that rare situation it might be necessary.
I worked with Brisket for the last two days to see how she was doing with my new training (yes, I got trained) and I just can't believe how well it has gone.

Brisket played with other dogs for the first time off leash and was such a good girl and even recalled perfectly in spite of all the beautiful chaos happening around her. She also has less separation anxiety now that I know what to do.

Johnny did a fantastic job with our two dogs. Our dogs had some behavioral issues that needed to be corrected. This included leash pulling, resource guarding, and for one of dogs an anxiety separation problem. Johnny helped and guide us through how to address these problems and since then our dogs have gotten much better. The key for dog owners is to stay consistent with the training or else your dogs will regress into their old bad habits. We learned that the hard way early on but the consistency since then has made an everlasting difference. Thank you Johnny and Bark Busters!

It was so helpful and our puppies were able to respond appropriately after a few times.

John was very pleasant and knowledgeable. A lot of information to absorb. Hopefully Remy will become more manageable with John's guidance.

It went so very well.

Today went better than I could have imagined. John was not only kind but trained our dog out of his bad habits in just 3 hours. Very patient and very happy with the results!

After just one session with Sharon, our 3 dogs are behaving so much better. They are getting along better with less competition, which is a huge relief! They're no longer attacking the vacuum or biting the kids in the bottom when they play basketball in the game room. Her techniques are easy to implement and the dogs have responded so well. I highly recommend Sharon and Bark Busters Dog Training Pinellas County!

Working with Sharon from Bark Busters was such a great experience! She texted before arriving at our home so we could start strategically by learning how to de-escalate the mayhem that happens when a new person comes into our house. She explained many tactics to my husband and me while demonstrating with the dog. We did not use any treats and Sharon never used any harsh methods. She used dog behavioral strategies. I have always had dogs, but never heard of tuning into the dog's perspective, but once I did, it made so much sense! From day 1, my dog now looks at my face when I go to enter or leave the house, waiting for me to signal before I proceed. We now know how to tell him, effectively, without ever raising our voices, not to jump up on us, and he responds appropriately! Sharon was very professional and friendly and it is obvious that she loves what she does. She followed up with us 2 days after her visit and was extremely helpful in answering some questions that came up since our meeting. We are completely satisfied! We are foster dog parents and will be able to put these lessons into practice with every dog that comes through our home in the future. Many thanks to Sharon and Bark Busters Dog Training Pinellas County.

We learned multiple ways to communicate with our dog on his terms, allowing us to properly communicate when he shouldn't do certain things. We learned many exercises to help use communication to implement long term positive change.

We enjoyed a very informative session. George, our standard poodle, is already exhibiting truly improved behavior!