Howard, Marlene & Brandon Marks dog training reviews

My husband and I acquired Red, a Redbone Coon Hound, as a scared rescue. Almost immediately, things were not going well. Red was fearful of any noises and even after basic dog training left it almost impossible to get her to go for a daily walk. There were other issues that led my husband and I to believe that she needed help. We needed help in overcoming her timid (scared) behavior. We contacted Bark Busters, because our other alternative was to return Red to the rescue agency. My Zoom meetings with Marlene and Brandon provided great insight into Red's timid personality. One that cannot be changed, but methods are available to help both Red and us with a successful, loving relationship. Brandon came to our house and immediately worked with us and Red. The methods and equipment quickly had Red following instruction for both our daily walk (getting her to trust walking across the street) and positive responses to daily interaction. Red's strength is that she is a very compassionate dog, but needed appropriate direction around visitors, and trust that our affection was genuine. Bark Busters' help was the expertise we needed. Now Red doesn't run away from us. Rather, she comes to greet us and spend her time with us. Obedience, well that is so much better. Thank you Bark Busters Rosanne Permalink

I have nothing but GREAT praise for Bark Busters and I would highly recommend them. When we contacted Bark Busters, our 1 year-old Golden Retriever already had a good grasp of basic commands and was a pretty good leash walker, but we wanted a little more in-depth training and some specific training/behavioral issues to work on. We originally wanted in-home training but due to COVID, everything was done via the internet. I wasn't sure how this would work out but the training worked out quite well. Our Trainer Marlene, was fantastic!. Her understanding of breeds, how a dog naturally thinks, learns and communicates made training easy and successful. And the after session notes and follow-ups were most beneficial. We also liked their positive reinforcement and humane, non-physical approach to training. I would recommend Bark Busters without hesitation. Marlene and her team are FIRST CLASS! Permalink

I wanted to give you an update on Stella this week since your visit here on Monday. The water bottle has worked wonders!! She is a different dog outside amongst other dogs. All I have to do is say Bah when we see a dog and show her the water bottle and when we walk by dogs she does not do a thing. I have not had this experience with her in over a year. I no longer am avoiding dogs and crossing the street when they are coming towards us. It is life changing and we are so proud of her. We are continuing the training but I just wanted to let you know as it has been mind blowing the change in her. I am taking the elevator and walking into our building through the front door and that is just amazing. We have tried so many other trainers and nothing has worked until now. Thank you thank you thank you! Permalink

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Marlene's dog/puppy training! Marlene conveys simple yet life changing/mind opening dog/puppy training concepts so clearly and - our household is running so much more smoothly as a result. We have two daughters - and Marlene is able to figure out what each household member needs to do to get the best out of our puppy - rather than a cookie cutter approach that the dog will not respond to - as dogs interact with adults differently than children - and vice versa. We did not want to treat train our dog, scare/intimidate the dog into behaving, or have a shock collar - the Bark Busters approach was perfect for us and our dog. After I found Bark Busters I read Marlene and Howard's reviews and signed up. Now, people cannot believe how calm our dog is - and how we can get her attention and cooperation with a small Bark Busters training aid - it is amazing. By zeroing in on a dog's basic needs Marlene has guided us to be leaders for the dog in such a way that our dog is an enhancement for our family and home instead of an overwhelming and out of control anxious dog frequently getting into trouble. I can now see how well intentioned people contribute to creating an out of control or anxious dog. The Bark Busters concepts are straightforward, easy to understand, and directly presented. In the era of Covid, Marlene is able to watch us interact with our puppy over zoom and help us learn new things - it is better that way because she can see how our dog truly reacts to situations without Marlene's physical presence in the room. We cannot express how worth the time and financial commitment are to have Marlene's expertise available and customized to your dog/family/home situation and needs as opposed to a weekly 45 minute class for 6 sessions with 10 other dogs/people and your one household member there - who then has to translate what happened in class to the family. We have done those weekly training classes with previous dogs and there is no comparison - Marlene and Bark Busters is the only way to go. Thank you Marlene! Permalink

My husband and I have tried EVERYTHING. In person training to board and trains (which cost us a fortune) and nothing was working to train our miniature dachshund. We were struggling with him barking at every dog we saw while on walks and very bad separation anxiety as well as just some general behavioral issues like play biting and jumping. Within our first remote session with Marlene, we saw a change in Pepe. Everything they implement actually gets to the root of the issue rather than just creating a quick fix like other training programs we have tried. We were slaves to his treats to the point where he wouldn't do anything we asked unless the treat was in front of his nose. Now we don't use treats for training AT ALL! Within a few weeks, he was practically a different dog. Very obedient and easy to manage. We are still working through the separation anxiety but are already seeing improvement there. I was so skeptical as we had been burned with all our other training programs but could not recommend Marlene and her methods more if I tried! We are telling everyone we know who is struggling to train their dogs. If you are looking for methods that ACTUALLY work, this it it! Permalink

I called BarkBusters in desperate need of help with my one year old mini-mix. He had been pooping and peeing in the same spot in the house religiously at 5am and my two-year-old mixed breed loved to bully him around and tattle on him. Another big problem was both of them barking and or running for/out of the door and jumping on guests/getting way too excited. When Brandon came to my home it was apparent that was exceptional at his craft in the first few minutes observing my dogs’ behaviors. He showed my tips and tricks and the psychological reasons why my doggies acted the way they do. I was thoroughly impressed by the immediate response, from both my dogs, to his advice. With some practice, I finally got my little one to do the business outside and working on getting him to hold it ‘til later in the morning. My dogs are calmer and ultimately happier now. Best of all, it was obvious that Brandon cared very much about the outcomes because he would follow up every so often after the initial training to ask how the dogs were doing and if there was anything else I had questions about. I can’t stress enough how important it is for a trainer to treat your dogs as though they were individuals with real lives and feelings, not just clients. I’ve tried other group training programs and hands down would pick the individualized approach provided by BarkBusters. Would definitely recommend finding Brandon if you can get him. Highly recommended! Permalink

Marlene was a miracle worker with a previous dog in helping her getting over aggression issues. We believe so much in her that we are hiring her again with our new shelter dog that we are adopting in the near future. We don't anticipate any real issues with the new dog but having a great trainer on your side is the best investment we believe we can make in the long term happiness of both our new dog and our family for the next 10 or more years. Permalink

Marlene has been wonderful to work with. We are currently working with her to train both our 7 month old puppy and our 3 year old dog. We have a very stubborn breed, but Marlene always has new strategies to recommend to us when something doesn't work for our dogs. Since beginning our training program, we have seen an increase in the quality of our walks with the dogs as well as an increased understanding of how our dogs think and operate. Marlene is teaching us how to exercise our dogs not only physically, but also mentally and we have seen some good improvements. We love that the training we signed up for with our dogs lasts for the lifetime of our dogs so that we can keep coming back to Marlene for help as our dogs mature and change over the years. Permalink

After first session I noticed a difference and learning how to manage my confident puppy. I enjoyed her last evening until it was time to be crated for bed. She cried on and off for 45 minutes. The day after session one I see the need for consistent repetition as puppy recall is short lived. And I am working on my "tools". Permalink

Marlene is great! We love working with her. I love the service and attentiveness. I can call with questions and Marlene is always helpful and knowledgeable. The tools she's given us have really helped me train my dog in only a few sessions. Permalink