James & Michelle Rodriguez dog training reviews

We adopted one puppy intentionally and then fell into a stray puppy a few months later. We were in over our head and were beyond frustrated that our dogs wouldn't listen, chewed everything, barked at neighbors, dug holes, you name it, one or both dogs did it. One was so aggressive when meeting new dogs I thought we would never be able to take them anywhere or have dog friends over. This sounds dramatic, but James from Bark Busters was a life changer. I knew we were the problem, not so much the dogs, but he showed us how to communicate with them in a manner they understand and everything is different now. They are delightful. Perfect? No. But they listen better, we can leave them unsupervised for longer, and their whole demeanor is so much calmer. They are changed dogs because we are better at communicating with them. Permalink

James from Bark Busters has been our trainer and has taught us how by learning to lead our 95lb. Boxer mixed dog - Charley, we can modify his behavior tremendously in a positive way. We had been dealing with behavioral territorial, protective, and fear based issues that lead him to bite in 3 different situations. We tried other training methods in the past and nothing seemed to work. Charley is a sweet good behaved dog when around the people he has always known, but we would always refrained from bringing other people home because of fear of his reaction. James taught us how establishing leadership and following through with consistency can change Charley’s behavior from a fearful reactive dog, to a more calm and secure dog. Side note: While his fears of thunderstorms were not addressed in the training, by establishing leadership, his fear and anxiety of thunderstorms changed dramatically. Last night we had terrible and really loud storms in Summerville and in the past he would have jumped on the bed between my husband and I and would have been alert and shivering, but last night, I dragged his bed close to ours and instructed him to stay in his bed. Although he was alert to the noises, there were no signs of anxiety, panting, or whining and he eventually fell asleep through the storm. I truly believe that learning to lead Charley through the methods taught by Bark Busters added life quality for my family and our dog. We truly recommend them! Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value - We adopted our lab mix, Penny, about a year ago and she is a year and 3 months old now. When we got her, people hadn’t been over much because it was still during covid times, but we noticed after a couple of months, if anyone did come over, she would bark at them the entire time. She also was terrible on the leash. She would pull all over the place and would be constantly trying to sniff and eat everything we walked by. In the summer of 2021, we had sold our house and moved into an apartment temporarily for a few months. Penny barked at every single person that we walked by in the hallway, outside, in the elevator, even if someone walked by the apartment while we were inside. Since she was a little older, her bark sounded scary and aggressive. We know she is a sweetheart, but it was scaring people. She also would lunge at them while she was barking, which did not help. We could not deal with it anymore. We had so much anxiety every time we had to take her out. That is when we decided to call Bark Busters. We worked with James, who was super nice and knowledgeable. Penny barked her head off at him when he walked in and he stopped it right away without any contact with her (no shock/beep collars, etc.), which is what we wanted. The first session was so informative and life-changing. It basically was a dog psychology lesson and was more about training you to be a leader for the dog. Penny was barking at everyone because we did not do a good job of showing her that we were the leaders of the pack, so she thought she had to protect us. Once we knew how to do that properly, she backed off and let us lead, meaning no more barking and pulling on the leash. Her behavior changed drastically in just one session. It takes, work, though! It’s really up to the owner(s) to get results, but it made a world of difference for us. We are so thankful for the help we got from Bark Busters! It honestly improved our quality of life! Permalink

Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value If only I had a time machine… I would’ve consulted Michelle and James much sooner. If you are looking for honest, straight forward, and knowledgeable help with your dog’s behavior, this would be my recommendation. I look forward to working with Michelle again in the future. Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value ; After raising 3 sons and 5 dogs, all from babies, my husband and I brought home Sigi, an 8 week old large boned German Shepherd. With his expected size to be 125 pounds, I knew that even as experienced dog owners, we needed help! Our vet recommended Bark Busters and James Rodriquez became our friend and Trainer! James has given us a better understanding of how our dog sees us and the world and how to relate to him in ways that he enjoys and help us to be good dog parents. Training with James is simple, goal oriented, and practical. He focuses on helping your dog become a good citizen. Sigi is now 9 months and 100 pounds, I can walk and hike anywhere with Sigi and be confident that he is under control. I have never been able to do this with my other dogs. I cannot say enough good things about James and his methods. He teaches control without cruelty! Very positive and supportive, working with James is the best investment for you and your dog! Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value : I can't speak highly enough of our experiences thus far with James (& Michelle). I'm not inexperienced with dogs, but felt at the end of my rope with a few behaviors our 3 year old dog couldn't shake. Within hours of implementing the changes James suggested, we saw drastic changes for the better and continue to feel so encouraged. If the price tag feels intimidating, divide it by the years your dog will likely be in your life. In our case, if our dog lived to be 12 years old, we would end up paying around $150/year to have a dog that was a delight to live with. That feels MORE than worth it. Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value James is amazing! He really understands both the dog and their human handlers to be able to correct behaviors. Scheduling a visit could not have been easier and I always received a quick response from the team. I would highly recommend Bark Busters - even old dogs can learn new tricks. Thanks again for being so awesome with my fur baby! Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value - - Michelle came to our house and we immediately felt at ease. She knew exactly what to tell us and how to get our new rescue, Teddy, listening to us. All her advice and the homework has helped to make my husband and I leaders of the pack. In less than 3 weeks we are now in charge in the home. Walks are more challenging but improving every day. Can't say enough good things about Michelle and Bark Busters!!! Permalink

Professionalism, Quality, Reliability, Responsiveness, Value - - Michelle, our Bark Busters trainer, has assisted us in training our Golden Retriever puppy since 9/2020. The training methods that she utilizes and has taught us over the past year has greatly improved our dog , Gracie’s behavior. Michelle is a professional that has years of experience in training dogs. She is attentive, friendly and very responsive to our needs. We are extremely satisfied with Bark Busters and highly recommend them for your dog training needs! Permalink

Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness My dog is a different dog! He used to be the boss of the house and would bite, scratch, and basically run all over me. Now I am learning how to be the boss and he has totally changed. I recommend James to anyone who is having trouble enjoying their dog. Your relationship with your dog will change so much for the better! Permalink