Keith Axsom dog training reviews

We got in touch with Keith within a few days of our arrival in the USA with our 3 year old English Cocker Spaniel. Being in a new country and a new environment, we entrusted Keith to help her adapt, settle in, and smooth over some bad habits/undesirable behaviors. Oh man. We got SO much more out of Keith’s training than we thought we needed! First, Keith provides a self-assessment, through which realized our little pup needed a lot more discipline than we realized! Second and most importantly, Keith provided an unbelievably simple, effective and adaptable approach that has not only improved her behavior, but also deepened our bond, connection and general communication with her. In hindsight, being that my husband and myself were first-time puppy parents, I can see we ventured down many avenues to finally achieve what Keith’s training fulfills. We’d enlisted several trainers, all sorts of programs, tactics, tools, etc. since she was a puppy in service of a goal to raise a good “doggy citizen.” With Keith, we’ve really achieved that. Most importantly, his technique is kind, compassionate, approachable and **adaptable** so that we can always apply it to both familiar as well as novel environments/situations. We did go for the lifetime membership and have reached out to Keith with tweaks, questions and in one instance a fearful emergency. His support has been consistent and stupendous since we met back in July. Thank you Keith!!! On a personal note, thank you for being so calm, clear, professional and so wonderfully earnest about this program and your love of dogs :) Permalink

My rescue pup had cataract surgery a few months ago and I am delighted to say that he can now see. With that came some changes to his personality. He would now bark at things he didn’t necessarily see before. I wanted to become a stronger leader as he ventured into a new world where he could see. Keith was amazing. In no time, he taught me how to be more effective pack leader and build my confidence teaching me to use a calm but firm voice, etc. He has many insightful thoughts that has helped guide me. I think this therapy was for me not my dog. My dog was very happy to interact with Keith as he had such a calming demeanor. It reminded me that is so important to stay calm and focused so I could be the best human my dog could have. Thank you Keith! Permalink

Update: Proof that time and diligence utilizing Keith's training techniques works!! Our dog is living happily and peacefully with our kitties! She has evolved into such a happy, confident pup, and she doesn't even mind being used as a cat bed! We are so grateful for Keith and recommend him to everyone we meet who have dogs in need of training. Keith is an amazing trainer! We had Keith help us with our new rescue that we adopted from a pretty rough shelter. Focus and acclimating her with our family cats were our main goals. Well, less than 24 hours after our first session, our girl is showing amazing progress. Keith has a calm, reassuring demeanor that really puts the dog at ease. He is also very good at communicating with us pet parents, giving us all the tools to make the training achievable and results stick. Our girl came out of her crate this morning and walked through the house focused on her dad, and not her kitty siblings. She is more relaxed on the leash and immediately responsive to commands. When we do need to use correction, she responds immediately and positively, showing that the training is helping to build her confidence within our family. We are beyond pleased with the results of our first session, and beyond grateful to Keith for his guidance. Can't wait to have him back to see her progress! Permalink

Keith of bark busters is awasome. He really knows dogs. I really like that they come to the house and teach you how to train the dog in the dogs regular environment. And the service is impeccable I've called Keith three or four times each two or three years in between always calls me right back highly recommend barkbusters. Permalink

We recently had our first baby and were very anxious how our lovable but stubborn bulldog, Bruce, would interact and handle all the new sights and sounds. We definitely needed some help on how to best keep our dog happy and calm while dealing with a new baby. After one visit things drastically improved. We used to say our bulldog was very neurotic and stubborn but it turns out it was just his way of showing anxiety over new and frightening things. Bruce was very anxious by anything new and after one visit with Keith he was like a different more calm and happier dog. When I read all the reviews I admit I was a bit skeptic, but boy let me tell you- they are NOT wrong. Keith has been an incredible resource through this whole process. Having a new baby is a lot to get used to itself and we were very worried we would not be able to have our dog and baby in the same room alone, now we like to say that Bruce babysits our daughter. He truly loves her as much as he loves me or my husband. He is incredible with her and is definitely a much happier dog. Noises her toys would make or bright flashing lights used to set him off in the past, now he doesn’t even bother looking up. The peace of mind and change we have seen in him makes us wish we called Keith earlier! Permalink

I’ve had my Maltese since he was a puppy and he is currently 9 years old. I’ve taken him to training before and it was a horrible experience he ended up worse than before, biting and barking. I couldn’t take him for walks because he was impossible when he saw people or other dogs. Keith was amazing! He gave me all of the right tools to become the leader. I was nervous that Jax was already too old and couldn’t be trained but boy was I wrong. Jax is a completely different dog and I’m so grateful to Keith for helping us. Now I can take him for walks and have people over without having him bark or bite. Permalink

In short: If there is any textbook case of a literal crazy dog being educated to understand my behavioral expectations of him, Keith from Bark Busters helped me achieve that. My dog is a very anxious and wired 2.5 yr old GSD. I have never met another dog as aggressive towards strangers as my dog. He is truly the neighborhood-terrorizer. Here are a few things that Keith helped us with: 1. Having people inside the house - my dog will never be happy about it and won’t seek attention/pets, but he will now tolerate strangers in the house. We keep him on leash or in muzzle if he is on edge but it is a HUGE improvement, as I can now have family over. 2. Barking at strangers during walks - my dog used to be on alert if there is movement 5 blocks away. Now he is relatively relaxed unless they get within 50ft, for which his hackles will be up. However, if he starts barking, I use Keith’s correction strategy so that my dog stops almost right away and redirects attention. 3. Pulling on leash - my dog has knocked me to the floor before, while on a fitted HS prong collar. He is now off the prong collar and pulls minimally, only when he sees a particular tree he wants to pee on. Still training this but IMMENSE improvement. 4. Listening to my commands - my dog is pretty good at this because he wants to please me, but the “leave it” and “drop” command were always harder, especially during walks. Now with only a verbal correction, he listens on the 1st time. My dog is not perfect but now we have a structured approach to work through tough situations. I am VERY happy with the training that me, my boyfriend and my dog received. Permalink

We made the decision to seek out professional help when our otherwise gentle 20-month old Janey started to show signs of aggression towards dogs and people with whom she was not familiar. We noticed that her anxiety, when either of us wasn’t in sight, was also intensifying. Prior to contacting Keith at Bark Busters, we were told by a trainer that Janey wasn’t aggressive, but rather very “defensive.” He believed she needed more intensive behavioral training than he had time to provide and suggested that we enroll her in a 2-week “bootcamp”. We were concerned that a two-week separation could be detrimental and began searching the internet for a local dog behavioral therapist who could also work with us, as we are first time dog owners. That’s when we found Keith at Bark Busters. Keith’s initial visit to the house lasted several hours. He assessed us as dog owners, reviewed the questionnaire we completed and then met Janey, whose issues with strangers were apparent. Keith was very soft-spoken and positive, which happened to be a perfect approach for her. The next time Keith came to the house, Janey approached him like an old friend. So far, Keith has made a few house visits and within several weeks of following the agreed upon plan we have seen considerable progress. He has also made himself available to our inquiries via text message or email and always replies promptly. Just recently he agreed to meet us at a neutral location with other family members to assist with introductions prior to an upcoming vacation. Janey has learned to respect the boundaries set regarding visitors and other dogs with whom she’s come in contact. The excessive pulling during walks is almost nonexistent. By no means is her behavior perfect, but since Day 1, we’ve seen an improvement. We’re confident that we’ll continue to make meaningful strides. We highly recommend Keith and Bark Busters. Rob and Patty Rush Permalink

We had trained my dog Wendell as a 1 year old rescued puppy through Pet Smart, but that was not enough. I contacted Keith when Wendel was 3.5 and showed aggression towards certain people. We went for the lifetime plan because we knew we wanted to continue training when we eventually had a baby. Bark Busters methods are all about obedience training and don't rely on treats, which was very different compared to the methods we previously tried. We saw instant progress on day 1 in some areas, and other areas took time and continued practice. I bought the collar Keith recommended and it was a game changer for walks. After two years of working with Keith, we just brought home our baby girl, and we are pleasantly surprised by how calm Wendell is around her. Keith answers questions through phone or email if needed, and also comes back for sessions as needed. I highly recommended Keith! Permalink

We recently had our first baby and were very anxious how our lovable but stubborn bulldog, Bruce, would interact and handle all the new sights and sounds. We definitely needed some help on how to best keep our dog happy and calm while dealing with a new baby. After one visit things drastically improved. We used to say our bulldog was very neurotic and stubborn but it turns out it was just his way of showing anxiety over new and frightening things. Bruce was very anxious by anything new and after one visit with Keith he was like a different more calm and happier dog. When I read all the reviews I admit I was a bit skeptic, but boy let me tell you- they are NOT wrong. Keith has been an incredible resource through this whole process. Having a new baby is a lot to get used to itself and we were very worried we would not be able to have our dog and baby in the same room alone, now we like to say that Bruce babysits our daughter. He truly loves her as much as he loves me or my husband. He is incredible with her and is definitely a much happier dog. Noises her toys would make or bright flashing lights used to set him off in the past, now he doesn’t even bother looking up. The peace of mind and change we have seen in him makes us wish we called Keith earlier! Permalink