Justin Scher dog training reviews

My wife and I have an 11 month old Boxer puppy. He is the sweetest, cutest dog you can find. We got our puppy when he was very young, and as sweet as he was/is, man did he have crazy energy! And I wish it was the high-energy that was the problem...Dexter (our dog) began jumping on guests, getting too rowdy, not listening, showing zero respect, etc, etc. We got to a point where we really felt that we could not do all of the things that we dreamed we would be able to do with a dog. Due to the fact that we could not get his attention, and he did not respect us, we could no longer: take him on walks, take him to dog parks, invite guests over who did not appreciate a dog jumping all over them the whole time, take him on trips, and pretty much everything else fun! His lack of respect and attention resulted in us being frustrated and stressed out, but more importantly it resulted in him getting himself in positions where he could be harmed. So, we decided to get serious and find help for Dexter. And after a long and careful research process, we landed on enlisting the services of Justin and Bark Busters. We did not know what to expect, but we knew that we did not want to take Dexter to a class with a bunch of other dogs, we wanted personal attention. We wanted a professional to come to our house, meet our dog, learn about all of his behavior issues, and create a training curriculum that is specific only to my dog! And I will tell you we have not regretted it one bit! Justin has not only helped our pup, but he has helped us be able to implement the training on our own. We can now enjoy our dog for the sweetheart that he his, and we can take him fun places that he too can enjoy! If you are anything like me, and you need more than just a great review in order to make a decision, let me tell you a bit more about our experience: Justin will be the first to tell you that he is not a miracle-maker dog whisperer. If there are issues between us and our dogs, it is mainly because we do not understand how to communicate with them, and they do not understand anything we are saying/doing. Justin taught us how to talk to our dog, how to establish control, and how to understand Dexter's personality so that we are correctly teaching him what is right and what is wrong. We used to get so frustrated with Dexter, he wouldn't listen, he did not have any respect for us, and he had no boundaries. I remember the most rewarding moment was after Justin's first visit; right after he left the house, we saw immediate improvement in Dexter's behavior. That moment where my wife and I looked at each other and said "Look at this! Dexter is totally minding us, and he is respecting our boundaries!" Each time Justin came over we worked on something new. He always came prepared with his next exercises, but he also made sure that we worked on anything else that we felt like working on as well. He always answered his phone, and he was picked right up where he left off the time before. Best money we ever spent! We started using Bark Busters in late August, here we are 2 months later, and our puppy has improved by leaps and bounds! Justin has mad us happy, and he has made our Dexter very happy! Permalink

Our story is a bit of a rocky one. Don't worry though, there's a happy ending, all thanks to Justin :D Seriously, call him ASAP if you need help overcoming any dog issues - no matter how major the issue seems, there is hope! He's a wonderful, gentle dog behaviorist and an AMAZING human trainer (which is what a lot of dog training is really about). I recommend Bark Busters to everyone; my dog's total 180 speaks for itself. __ Here's my full (long!) story, with the hope that it might help people feeling trapped or hopeless about their dog's behavior/potential: I adopted a 2-year-old chug (chihuahua/pug mix) from a rescue group. I'm not sure what the story was with his first owner or if he was ever abused, but he definitely wasn't properly socialized. He ended up dumped at a high-kill shelter (72-hours til euthanasia). A rescue group pulled him from death row with hours to spare, and he went to live with a foster family until I met him. I saw so much potential in him, past the moments of fearfulness (could you blame him for not knowing who to trust?). I could tell that he was smart, motivated to please people, totally wanted to love but was just insecure about his place in the world. He came home with me, because I thought he deserved a real shot at becoming a confident, happy guy. I named him Prince, because I saw the prince charming behind the sometimes growly beast (plus all his stuff was purple). In the first week, while Prince quickly got comfortable with me, he got worse around just about everything/everyone else. Separation anxiety issues (wanted to be glued to me, cried if left alone) and MAJOR issues with socialization and trusting people: bearing teeth/growling/snarling at strangers (sometimes other dogs but always people), wasn't a fan of anyone but me, definitely didn't want to be petted by anyone else, and would snarl at even me if I got too close to him when he had a chew bone. I couldn't sit with him at a coffee shop patio or he would turn into an unmanageable gremlin. I've had dogs before so I started crate training for the separation. I have never dealt with fear-aggression though, so I thought it would be worth the money to work with a professional behaviorist. The first time I met with Justin I got a GREAT feeling. I saw that he was fantastic: friendly, easy to work with, gentle but firm, and really knew dogs and loved to help people. Prince snarled at him from under the coffee table, but I'd come to expect that and Justin obviously wasn't fazed. We were on track. But then another week went by, and I was at my breaking point with Prince. I work from home (which can feel isolating on it's own) but now I had this creature forcing me into total solitary confinement! I had been trying to gently socialize him (asking everyone to ignore him, "don't pet him, he's in training", etc.) but had stopped bringing him most places because it was too stressful. Then I stopped having anyone over to my apartment, after he lunged up and actually bit a friend of mine when she got up to head home. She said she was okay but I was horrified and I had a spike of anxiety. It was late at night, I didn't have anyone to call/anywhere to go, no family, no boyfriend, the best friend I'd usually turn to was the one he had bitten! All I had was this monster; I thought "I should've named him Beast." :( We had been working on longer and longer separations (but with me still in the house), so I felt trapped: I couldn't leave him by himself at home yet, I couldn't have anyone over, I couldn't bring him places, and now I have a dog that bites. I was totally in over my head; major buyers remorse. I actually contacted the rescue saying I was afraid I'd have to give Prince back and called Justin asking what sort of refund he gives. I felt like an awful person that wasn't giving Prince the "forever home" I had promised. I already deal with anxiety and this was making it much worse. I was afraid that Prince was also feeling my anxiety, that I was making HIM worse, and that it was just going to keep snowballing like that. I was concerned about what this all meant for my future...In the next 10 years of our lives together, I want to be able to have friends over, bring my dog places, have a boyfriend over, have kids someday, and have my friends able to bring their kids over. I met with Justin to talk about it, and he was seriously better than a therapist. With newly boosted confidence, I decided to keep at it. After a month with Bark Busters, Prince almost seems like a different dog. These days, he PLAYS with Justin when he sees him, all goofy smiles and waggy tail. I've had friends over with no issues and fewer and fewer issues in public. He respects and looks to me. He RUNS to his crate, and I've caught him voluntarily napping in there. I can leave the house again! Of course there are still things to work on, but I have all the confidence in the world (and I know Prince can sense that). I can't thank Justin enough. Permalink

Justin was awesome. I called Justin because Jenna, 2 years old, is a little crazy. She is a mini pin / pallilion mix and a rescue. She is overly protective and pushes my 2 cats and other dog away from me. She was attacking other white small dogs at the dog park and lunging when I walked with her at other people and dogs. Within 30 minutes of the first visit with Justin, Jenna was under control. She was very submissive around Justin. He showed me how to control her barking, control her aggressiveness and walk her with my other dog without lunging at people. I called him today for a refresher course and I totally get it! Before Justin, I had called Petco and the guy kept missing appointments and so i cancelled training with Petco. I then called a dog obedience person and she taught Jenna how to sit but thats it. She didn't help correct the behavior. I realize that working with Justin the problem was Jenna, it was me. He didn't teach Jenna how to behave but taught me how to behave and take back the alpha male role from Jenna. I'm the boss now and not Jenna. She is a much calmer and happier dog (and Murphy and the 2 kitties are also very heppy). Thank you Justin. I would highly recommend you to anyone! Permalink

Harry was acting like Cujo until we met Justin! Our Chinese crested is fear aggressive and insecure, but in two hours Justin transformed him into a calm and relaxed pooch. Perhaps more importantly, he taught us how to keep him that way! Justin was our last hope as we were agonizing over whether Harry needed to be put down as he had already bitten someone. We shuddered to think of what would happen if he ever escaped! With a 5 year old child who loves to have friends over, we also knew the chance of Harry biting a child was a huge liability.We got Harry when he was 7 months old from a private party. He has always been male aggressive but he gradually started disliking everyone outside our family. We started to feel as though we were being held captive by our vicious little dog. Having friends over would mean non stop barking from the crate. We have spent thousands of dollars on vets, dog psychologists and trainers in the past 3 years but nothing has ever worked. Trainers would tell us that he was too old to change or that he was just born aggressive. In desperation, we went to a dog boot camp in North County and met the owner who professed to be an expert with large hostile dogs. One look at my barking and snarling little guy and he told us he would take $2000 and shock him into submission, but he wasn't sure he could make him a "nice" dog. He told us to put him down when we refused to pay him to hurt our dog. After one lesson, Justin was able to knock on our door, ring the doorbell AND sit on our couch with Harry out of his crate! Not only that, Harry let Justin pet him!! I cried...literally!! This was our first lesson and the next one is leash walking (he's a leash puller). I will update my post after lesson 2. Thank you Justin!!!!!!! I didn't know what to expect because your reviews seemed "too good to be true" but they were spot on!!!! You rock! Permalink

Our Olde English Bulldog, Olive (1 1/2 old) suddenly started developing some anxious and aggressive behavior. She had become overly protective of our house (or any house she was visiting), we were no longer comfortable having guests over as she had displayed some not so friendly behavior with a few of our friends and neighbors. Justin was great, he came over on time and sat down with myself, my fiance', and Olive to get a grasp of the unwanted behavior. After we talked about some of the causes of the behavior Justin then worked with Olive and us(10% Olive 90% us). Almost immediately, Olive was a different dog. It has been 2 weeks since, all unwanted behaviors are gone, and she is back to being the perfect dog she was before. We have had several house guests over since, Olive was as friendly as could be, wagging her tail and giving kisses. When the doorbell rang before, she would "rush" the door growling, barking and snarling. Now, when the doorbell rings she just lays down in place where ever she is at in the house, not a peep. Thanks Justin! Permalink

My boyfriend and I had adopted a pitbull mix and have constantly worked with her for almost a year, but was really having problems with her fear with males and listening to us. After struggling for some time we decided to call Justin for some help. Thank god we did because Justin helped so much!!! Justin has such an amazing natural way with dogs, which was really important to us because we don't believe in shock collars, prong collars, etc. Justin didn't need any of that!! We saw a difference in our dog Marley's behavior after the first week!!! So happy we called Justin it was seriously the best decision we have made for our pup who is not living in fear anymore. Thanks Justin for the help!! :o) Permalink

I can't thank Justin enough for training my dog & I. Milo developed separation anxiety a few months ago due to a pack member moving away & us moving to a new apartment. It was just too many changes at once for him to cope with. He would immediately start freaking out when I left & would bark for hours. When it didn't stop on its own & neighbors started complaining... I knew I needed help. Thank goodness I found out about Justin & Bark Busters. The training definitely takes time & patience but the repetition pays off! Only 3 weeks after beginning & I have a much more obedient dog who can sit, stay, knows to walk beside me on a leash AND... no longer barks when I leave. He now accepts me as leader of the pack. I highly recommend Justin & his training - it works! Permalink

When i first got my dog Todd from the shelter i saw that her needed some work, as most dogs from shelters do. I emailed a LOT of dog training companies and I found Bark Busters! My dog Todd was very scared of men and I was worried that Justin (as a man) wouldn't be able to get close to Todd as would needed for training. But, right when Justin walked into my house Todd went straight up to him and sat in his lap! I was thrilled with this experience. Ever since the first training lesson Todd has been a changed dog, well on walks, respectful, and knows who's boss! Thanks Justin for all your help! I'm sure you'll be needed more as he gets older. Permalink

When I first got my puppy I knew that I wanted training for him (or actually me) so that i would have a well behaved dog and in turn both of our lives would be less stressful. I hire a trainer to work on your basic dog stuff like walking on a leash, getting accustomed to the crate and he was having separation anxiety. Basically, when I would leave the house he would freak out, barking, howling etcetera, to the point where I received notes from neighbors complaining. The trainer I originally hired simply did not to the trick. Hundreds of dollars spent and although he got a little bit better, but it was not enough. That's when I got a note from my neighbor. At this point, I had become a prisoner of my own home. I literally could not leave my place and leave him there. I was really frustrated... So, I decided I needed to try something different... SOMEONE different... Someone with a different approach. That's when Justin was referred to me.... And my life was forever changed. Justin came to my home at a convenient time for me (which was ASAP) and immediately gave my something new to try. One week later of implementing his exercises... I was FREE!!! My dog no longer has separation anxiety! How do I know this? Easy, I had set up a camera so that I could view him when I was gone, in case he freaked out... NOPE... Nothing. He goes right to sleep for the most part. HUGE lifesaver. Another thing, before Justin, I had a huge playpen overtaking my entire place, not to mention the wee wee pad holder. I told him I wanted to get rid of this stuff and just keep the crate and get him used to going outside (because I live downtown)... That day, the playpen was gone and it has been two weeks since and he is potty trained! Not only that but on our walks, I am leading him instead of him leading me all over the place. Justin really helped me get my life back, my place in order and most important, relieve the anxiety my puppy used to have... I would recommend Justin to anyone for any obedience issues. Permalink

The love of my life has four legs, weighs about 40 lbs, and is made up of a bit of boxer and pit bull. Her pouty face and doe eyes made everyone smile... until she started attacking anyone and any dog at any time. I've grown up with dogs, and have had so many dogs in my life ALWAYS. I didn't know what I was doing, or how to turn this around. I've read some books on behavior, walked her 3 hours a day, and socialized her at every opportunity. Still, she attacked, and a couple of times drew a bit of blood! (fortunately, I knew this person... so I didn't lose my baby!) Something HAD to be done! As a worker in the pet industry I have the pleasure of meeting a variety of pets and their many personalities, some of them needing more attention than others. Then, I noticed some of my regular clients that were normally "difficult" dogs were wearing red Bark Buster collars, and they were actually behaving! So I decided to give it a try. I was a bit hesitant at first, because of the initial price. I spoke with the people that used Justin, and they SWORE I wouldn't be disappointed. Boy, were they right!! It was worth every dollar! You have a lifetime guarantee, and Justin trains YOU and your DOG! So we are talking about a LIFETIME of training skills!!! When Justin first came to the house, I thought for SURE, my little love would be trying to rip his leg off, and that it would take weeks to calm the beast. I was ready for the shock collars and tasers , but all he brought were a few noise pouches and a squirt bottle. I was skeptical, but within a few minutes, he had her under control! Whoa! So I thought that there's no way this is long term! So then it was ME. As it turns out , it's not the dog that needed training, it was ME!!! One month and 3 sessions later, my dog that would normally chase the neighbors into their house, COMPLETELY IGNORES THEM!!! She no longer freaks out at every person who walks by, and she doesn't try to kill every dog that walks by! I feel confident, and in control, and now I know how to behave around MY dog to have the relationship that makes us both happy! AMAZING! Thanks Justin, You're a life-saver! Permalink