Howard, Marlene & Brandon Marks dog training reviews

I have only had 2 sessions with Marlene and Howard so far, but I've found that they are very sweet to my dog despite her stubbornness/ spazziness and have a solid understanding of what makes her anxious, badly-behaved, and sometimes aggressive. The exercises they've given me to work with my dog to establish my "in-chargeness" have been very helpful and I can see that my pup is more at ease around the home these days, even with visitors. Permalink

Our dog was a rescue that we were asked to give a home to. Fortunately the previous owner hired Bark Busters to help us because when we took the dog it bit me the first day and was very nervous. After the first session with BB and me doing to the letter what they said to do the change has been amazing. The dog has almost completely adjusted to us. I was amazed that the two trainers, Marlene and Howard, were so marvelous at picking up the solution to the problems in such a short period of tim.e Plus they are both gracious helpful positive and bright. I recommend them WITHOUT any hesitation Permalink

I received the information about Bark Busters from my vet in Chicago. I had just moved to an apartment which allowed pets, but since Buddy was a rescue (I had adopted him 9 years ago), he reverted back to his seperation anxiety. Everytime I left him, he would bark and scratch at the door. The neighbors began to complain, and, although it made me heartsick, I realized for both of our sakes, I couldn't keep him. Due to my new life situation, I was unable to spend the necessary time to help him adjust and receive the attention he was used to. Through good friends, I found a perfect home for him in my old familiar neighborhood. The couple is retired and are dog owners, but may soon lose their 18 year old blind and deaf dog. The husband spends many hours at home reading but likes to take the dogs out for walks. His wife is very supportive and is a very warm, caring person. Again, because of Buddy's difficult rescue history he had to overcome his fear of men. He went back to survival mode and snapped at him. A bond with a man was foreign to him. He had been rescued by a female (me) when he was about 1 years old. It was so important for me to see this new family succeed, so I hired the Bark Busters. I obtained the new owner's permission, followed by a detailed discussion with Marlene about Buddy and our situation. She was very open, honest and clear about the cost and arrangements. Marlene contacted me after the session and gave me a detailed account. She felt that Buddy's new owners were receptive and desirous of learning how to help all of them adjust to each other. I have also felt comfortable calling Marlene with questions. It was indeed a very wonderful outcome. I recieved a photo from the new owners with Buddy laying on the sofa next to them, sound asleep. This picture gave me so much comfort and helped with my painful grieving process. Thank you, Bark Busters, for your amazingly positive and efficient methods. The new owners are thrilled with Buddy and I can now move forward with complete relief and less guilt and fears. I obviously highly recommend the Bark Busters! Permalink

We have a 5 year old Schnauzer/Poodle mix that had developed some serious barking and aggression problems. Howard and Marlene Marks used the Bark Busters training techniques to resolve the issues with our dog. We saw immediate behavior changes within a week. After several months, her behavior is much improved. The training has made an ENORMOUS difference! Permalink

In a panic with a new puppy, I reached out to Marlene and Howard at Bark Busters, who responded to me immediately and with much support and guidance. They provided initial training, followed up with check-in phone calls, and, when I unfortunately had to bring my puppy back to the breeder due to lifestyle challenges, they listened to my concerns, offered sympathy and understanding, and were nice enough to provide me a full refund despite having already worked with me for several hours. When I venture out to select a puppy again in the future, I will consult Marlene and Howard before I do anything else, and I will schedule our first meeting for my puppy's first week. They treated me with kindness, warmth, and respect, and I look forward to the day I get to work with them in training the puppy that is meant to be mine. Permalink

Howard and Marlene are amazing trainers. They have an innate ability to understand dogs and guide them to appropriate behavior. Thanks to their training, our puppy Millie is dramatically better at interacting with our children gently, and coming when called. They have also helped us get rid of annoying behaviors like begging during mealtimes, and jumping. Millie went from being a bit difficult to being a wonderful member of our family as we applied their techniques. They accomplished all this with a gentle approach, which was important to us. Howard and Marlene sincerely care about the dogs they train, and are very accessible and service oriented. I have already recommended them to friends, who have had similarly good experiences. Permalink

I’m so so grateful for Bark Busters. After our move to Chicago, my dog, Jojo was barking constantly and was very anxious most of the time. We had one session with Marlene and I was amazed at all the positive changes he was making. Marlene taught me how to communicate with my dog in his language. Permalink

Brandon worked with my 6 month old puppy for about 2 hours...I couldn't believe how quickly his techniques worked. Brandon explained the philosophy of Bark Busters and taught us how to do it...I am so glad that I decided to use them for training ....I look forward to more interaction and help with Buckshot...thanks Bark Busters.. Permalink

Marlene and Howard have been great! They have helped us to understand Franklin's behavior from his point of view, and to change the way that we communicate with him. They also gave us the tools to communicate effectively, to a better-quality leash. They have been responsive and accommodating, and have helped us work through the most challenging situations either over the phone, or in meetings at our home. We are so relieved that Franklin is listening better to our commands inside and outside of the house and that his stress/anxiety seems to be much lessened, but most of all we are grateful that we can finally feel more comfortable with him around our 11 month old daughter now that we are in control. My husband and I know that we are all a work in progress, but we are enjoying our pup much more now that we are on the same page with expectations and communication. Permalink

Howard and Marlene helped us so much with our pup. Within hours of our first meeting our barking machine became quiet and docile. We have since learned lots of ways to help him respond better to our commands, and we are a much happier family for it! Permalink