Steven & Paula Hinz dog training reviews

I got Gable when he was 18 months old. First time dog owner starting off with a Doberman Pinscher. I did my research for years, read books, watched dog training videos and we were doing pretty good I thought. Gable however was acting very aggressively around other dogs and I made little to no progress on my own, as a matter of fact things were getting worse. I started searching online for trainers and I stumbled upon Bark Busters. Middle of Covid, our first training was over zoom, and even so it was a game changer! I earned my dog's respect in 3 days and in return he did everything I asked of him. Our relationship got to a new level super fast. Soon he earned my unconditional trust and become a real family member. I got to a point with him that I can trust him off leash most of the time, too! We are still working on some dog reactivity, but the before and after can't even be compared. I started off with him pulling on the leash, and whenever he saw another dog I had to hold him back, and he would bark and be up his hind legs. Soon it toned down to staring (which we are still working on), and he never pulls on the leash, and he does everything I ask from him. I'm truly grateful for Ms. Paula for helping me understand Gable's language, and giving me the best dog ever! Permalink

Paula has been an excellent, and very knowledgeable dog trainer. We started off with some Zoom meetings and have now moved to meetings at a dog park. I'm a first time dog owner and it hasn't been easy get all of my family on board with accepting our puppy, Taco. Paula has been wonderful in reinforcing and enhancing the Bark Buster training material. Specifically, the 1 on 1 training for programming/conditioning exercises have worked very well. Additionally, she is very understanding, patient, and a good listener in helping me overcome my challenges in being a dog owner. Our training lessons are not rushed and are most beneficial. For me and my dog Taco, we always look forward to our training sessions. Permalink

Paula is wonderful! It only took one session for her to show me how to work with my energetic 11 month old hound/ collie pup, Murphy! She went above and beyond because she is someone who cares deeply about helping to create a bond between owner and dog, and understanding how the relationship can benefit both. She reassured me, was attentive to my dog and his needs, and I already feel so much support from her! It takes a village, and Paula is the village! Permalink

Paula Hinz and Bark Busters have been a life saver for me and my little buddy DJ. Paula has a vast and comprehensive understanding of the dog and human relationship, possessing great effective training tools to improve the bond between the dog and owner. Paula's training approach goes beyond conventional "sit" and "shake" methods as she really understands the psychology behind a dog's actions and how it impacts and/or affects the dog's behavior. Through Paula's training, I have developed a strong leadership role with DJ, allowing him and I to navigate through this crazy human world of ours with confidence and success. Baaaah!!! Permalink

Paula has been an amazing asset to our household. We have 2 young Australian Cattle dogs (1 is deaf and the other was practically uncontrollable) and she has done an amazing job training us how to gain the role of leaders in our pack. Her extensive background in studying animal behavior gives her a true understanding of how we should be interacting with our dogs to gain their trust and respect. It’s not a program of treat rewards, but rather teaching us how animals react and perceive our behavior and giving us the tools to gain command of the household. In gaining the role of leaders, our dogs learned to trust us and respond to our commands. It’s no longer a constant battle with them, but now they look to us for leadership and guidance. We were beyond frustrated and having conversations about whether we would be able to live with these dogs. We had studied and read and searched for answers on how to train our dogs and get things under control. We had also worked with another trainer who was clearly not equipped to deal with the challenge of our dogs. Walter, our male is very dog aggressive and can also be this way with humans, as well. We could not even take him for walks as he would lunge and bark uncontrollably at every passing person and dog. He was even getting aggressive with us from time to time and it was coming to the point where we had no idea how he would react at any given time. We started working with Paula after the COVID shutdown and she suggested we get started right away using Zoom and Facetime. We had meetings to discuss our concerns and struggles and that would be followed by her doing virtual training sessions with us in our home and yard and eventually that lead to her going on walks with us with the dogs while she observed and guided us through facetime. I was skeptical of the thought of doing virtual training, but she has been amazing. With the ability to observe us with our dogs, she could immediately identify the problems because of her expert background in animal behavior. Paula give us the tools of how to adjust how we were interacting with them. We have now had the chance to work with her in person while social distancing at a local park where she continues guide us down path of understanding what our dogs need. Walter is now responding to our input and looking to us for guidance. He is a work in progress, but we are now taking him to the beach and on walks around our neighborhood and understand now how to get him in control when he has a moment. Our household is now peaceful, and our dogs are trusting us more and more every day! She is amazingly patient with all of our questions and concerns. Our sessions always start with a summary of how things are going since our last visit, and she uses that information to shape the session based on our input. What I am trying to say is, she does not have a program that based on a schedule and structure of a rigid path. She is always adjusting and tweaking to our needs and pace of our training. I would not hesitate to recommend Paula to family, friends and complete strangers. She is one of a kind and WILL help you to live a more peaceful life with your pets. Do not hesitate to reach out and meet with her. You will not regret the decision. Permalink

Recently rescued a pug puppy with leash aggression issues. Paula was great. By the end of the 2nd session we were able to walk by other dogs without lunging and barking. Completely exceeded our expectations. We are able to use several commands to take back control of the house and completely satisfied. Sam is much more at ease and is more relaxed. Permalink

We were hesitant about getting another dog in the first place, especially a puppy, but from the first time we saw Ammos pictures on the rescue website, he pulled at our heartstrings and our adventure began. Ok, if we are going to have another dog, it is going to be well trained. Found Barkbusters through internet search and thus began our real adventure of hands on training with our Barkbuster training professional, Paula Hinz. Training a dog without treats?? You got to be kidding, right? Wrong. Paula started us off with the very basics and would always answer our texts or e-mails when we had an issue. We find Paula to be very knowledgeable not only on these new techniques, but more importantly on the application of them. Progress seemed slow at first and then we began getting frustrated, but on our third training session something clicked and our dog went from sassy and disrespectful to submissive and sweet within 2 hours with Paula. We see hope for having a fully trained dog and are so thankful we found Barkbusters and especially Paula. She is a no holds barred trainer who dares to tell it like it is! Thanks Paula. Highly recommend Barkbusters to anyone who wants a dog that is nice to have around!! Permalink

We hired Paula to address any aggression our dog might express toward our new kittens. Paula not only took care of that, but she also helped the kitties feel more comfortable around him and not feel inclined to run from him. If I could, I would include a photo of one of the many times Rocco has rubbed up against Shinto, or has been licked in the ear by him. They're adorable together. Thanks so much Paula! Julie and Fred (And Freya, Rocco and Shinto) Permalink

Paula Hines is a excellent trainer. I have recommended her to other people many times. She helped me when I thought there was no help. I always say my Bubba (Boxer/Lab) was a wild child when I got him at 10 months old. She brought him around to be a sweet loving soul. No more going after my cat or fence fighting with the dogs next-door. Good manners are a must for a happy dog and mom. Since Paula trained Bubba I have added two more dogs to our family and she will be helping with them also. Permalink