Client Reviews and Testimonials

My three dogs would bark and run down the flight of steps leading to my front door whenever a visitor arrived OR left. When Deb left from the first lesson, all three dogs stayed at the top of the stairs and didn't bark! The techniques used are excellent-now my dogs only expect praise for doing what I ask. Bark Busters has made my life so much easier, and I'm enjoying my dogs so much more. Permalink

Vicky explained the techniques in a way that was easy to understand. I observed noticeable results by the end of the training. I would recommend Bark Busters to friends and neighbors. Good, effective training. Permalink

Anne was so helpful in training our dog. Her follow-up was outstanding, and it allowed us to work on areas that were more difficult. Our dog was more attentive and followed the commands of my husband and viewed me as subordinate, so with her guidance, we were able work on him viewing me as a leader as well. She was very patient and really taught us how to read the signs and body language of our dog. This training is well worth the money! Permalink

We had a dog who was very protective and scared of everything. He would nip at men and was very fearful of people he did not know. Anne came to our house and taught us some techniques which helped us address these issues and be his leader rather than him leading us. Her follow-up was extremely helpful to make sure we were effective in training our dog, and he responded very quickly. Anne's training is very valuable and worth the cost, which is very reasonable! Permalink

Another amazing review for Justin, but he really is this great! Justin helped me out over a year ago with my Jack Russell, "Sproles." We adopted him from the humane society, and I don't think he had ever walked on a leash before. He would get extremely frantic whenever we passed another dog. He would just completely lose it, barking and crying, because he wanted to go towards the other dog and usually this freaked out the other dog and owner as well. Justin showed me how to correct Sproles on the leash before he got into this excited, out-of-control state, and now he is a dream to walk. I even get compliments from people on how well-behaved he is for a Jack Russell. Justin just dropped by for a short refresher course after Sproles had an incident with my dog walker, and it was just as effective as his previous training sessions. Justin is truly a behaviorist and will teach you how to watch, listen, and feel for your dog's state of mind so that it's easy to stop the bad behavior before it starts, and he is also great about reminding you how important it is to reward and reinforce the good behavior that you are teaching. Definitely worth it to seek out a true professional like Justin if you are having behavioral issues with your four-legged friend. It will make life for the both of you so much more enjoyable, and enjoying your dog is what it's all about. Permalink

Whoo-hoo! I am learning to speak dog! Just had my first session with Justin yesterday to address issues I have been having with my headstrong, 11-lb. Pom. He's 10 months, and I had been looking at training options for months. None seemed to be what I needed. I wanted to figure out how to deal with certain issues...excessive barking in a variety of situations, jumping on people, leash pulling, chewing, and other general behaviors I wanted to correct. Obviously, what I was doing was not working. Justin came in and immediately was greeted with a bark-a-thon and within seconds, Bear stopped barking-Hey, how did you do that?-I have been trying for months without progress, and within seconds my dog was quiet. WOW! You have got my attention! Over the next two hours, Justin showed me how to properly correct and train with INSTANT results. Turns out I was the one that needed to be trained-LOL! Bear is doing amazing with the training Justin has taught me and only barked one time in 24 hours and stopped immediately when correcting him the right way-whoo-hoo! The walk this morning was a breeze-no pulling. I wish I would have found Justin earlier and can't wait for Justin's next visit! What is so great about Justin and Bark Busters is that they come to your home and see the "real" situation. They can observe things you may not even realize that are issues and teach you to properly train your dog. I have so much more confidence with training Bear, and if I am unsure of something, Justin is just a phone call away to give me advice on how to handle it. Thanks Justin! Permalink

I found Justin while doing a Google search for dog trainers in San Diego. I didn't think anything of him or his work and decided to go with another company, which shall remain nameless. The previous trainer didn't seem to teach me anything, and I felt it was an hour lost, in addition to the money I coughed up. I called Justin and voiced my concerns regarding my dog Aldo, and he told me to rest assured; he'll be able to show me changes in one session. I was skeptical and thought he may be too confident of himself. BUT, let me tell you...he did just that. I have a 7-month-old mini Australian Shepherd, and he has energy galore. He would jump all over people and think it's playtime whenever someone walks in the door. From the first session, Justin was able to have the dog sit, listen to what I say, and be more attentive. For anyone who is looking for a trainer out there, trainers are plenty and so are their companies, yet not many trainers will tell you what the problem is and solve it from the ground up. Justin did that for me! As long as you follow his instructions and actually put in the effort, your dog will turn out great. Too many people try to humanize their dog and treat them like one of their own and forget that these "kids" are dogs, and at the end of the day, work on instincts. It's an art how we can communicate with them, and Justin is like Picasso in that field. I have been getting compliments from my friends and family on Aldo's attentiveness, in addition to his calm demeanor. I recommend Justin to anyone willing to put an investment into his or her dog's life. Permalink

Justin is fantastic. Our 2-year-old rescue, Biscuit, suffered from separation anxiety and would bark constantly after we left the house. He also had anxiety around other dogs when being walked (and new dogs in general). He lunged, barked and growled at dogs we passed. During our first lesson, we saw a huge improvement. We learned how to walk him correctly, and he took to it right away. He was just looking to be led. Once we did, he followed. On the first day, we walked him past another dog and he didn't even turn his head to look. The anxiety took a little bit longer to deal with, but Justin came over for weekly lessons and that soon too was no problem. We no longer hear a peep from Biscuit when we leave, which I'm sure our neighbors greatly appreciate. After working with Justin for just a few sessions, we were even able to take Biscuit to the dog park: something we never dreamed would be possible. It's now one of his favorite things to do. Bark Busters isn't a magical fix. You will have to put in the work between lessons, but once you do, you won't for a second regret hiring Justin. Permalink

I searched online for dog trainers for my 6-month-old miniature pinscher for what seemed like months. When I came across Bark Busters, I was glad to find that the trainer would come to my house for training. I sent an inquiry, and Justin called me within a day; we briefly discussed my dog issues and made an appointment. As soon as I met Justin, I knew he knew his stuff. He immediately had my overly-hyper Focsi-Brown in check! I learned so much from Justin about how to get Focsi's attention and to become a better leader. What I appreciate about Justin is his ability to communicate so well with both humans and dogs. He showed that he was invested in our success, and he really wanted to help. That made me feel assured that I had the right trainer, and I highly recommend him. Thanks Justin! Permalink

Found Justin online... man has he helped us with our newly adopted 11-month-old St. Bernard Jethro. We called multiple trainers; all were scared away from training a 130-lb. puppy. Justin has been great to work with!!! We have seen a huge difference in Jethro's behavior. The best thing is that Justin makes the process so simple and easy. Our main intent was to find a trainer that worked similarly to Cesar Millan's techniques, and Justin is spot-on. Jethro has had issues with basic commands sit, stay, heel, and was overly excited when seeing other dogs (not a good thing when you have 130 lbs. on the other end of the leash). Jethro is now a Saint on the leash (no pun intended) and now ignores other dogs on walks! Most importantly, Justin has helped us learn how to communicate with Jethro and how to train our pack to be balanced. Thanks Justin! Permalink