Dog training reviews

Marlene and Howard have been terrific. We have two rescues, one of whom has a largely unknown history. We needed training with regard to aggression of the dogs and leadership by us. Our aggressive rescue is a changed dog. I no longer dread going for walks for fear of negative encounters with both people and dogs. I can now enjoy a leisurely walk and my rescues now enjoy allowing me to be the leader. Thank you! I am so very happy that my husband and I reached out to Marlene and Howard. Permalink

Michael Carr was very patient with me (as a new dog owner) and Sammy (my three-year-old rescue). Sammy is part beagle and can be tough to walk when on a leash. Most of our sessions focused on walking him outside, getting his attention when squirrels caused him to get out of control, and praising him for his outdoor successes. I also appreciated our visits to the dog park and the socialization we had with Michael's dogs; this really made me more comfortable and confident overall with Sammy interacting with the other dogs, especially when they were not on their leashes, Michael was very responsive via texts and email when I had questions and concerns. Overall, we had a very positive experience and I will continue to reach out when the need arises. Permalink

My 3-year-old miniature pinscher/terrier mix, Maizie, was becoming very territorial/ protective around bones, toys, our home and myself. For a year and a half I worked with her constantly, researching hundreds of techniques online, buying all kinds of equipment from different harnesses to a backpack, and even took her to a trainer, but nothing seemed to work. I was always worried. I was starting to feel she was a lost cause, and then a puppy came into our lives, and she was like a whole new dog with him, so I knew she could improve. My husband and I were encouraged and happy that the two dogs got along, but also knew we didn't want the puppy to adopt her bad habits. That's when I was referred to Jeri. With a reactive adult dog and a new puppy, we have a lot on our plate. But after our initial phone call, I knew Jeri could help us. The questions she asked were pointed and informed, and I could tell this was something she's seen before and she knew what needed to be done. Having her support has felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. We've had one session so far, and my dogs are already listening better. There is a ton of free information out there, but every dog is different, and not everything you read is right or right for your dog. You really do need a professional to come in and analyze the situation and guide you. I love that she's always there for us if we have concerns or need to alter something. Especially since now Jeri knows us, knows our dogs and what we've been through. No other trainer will ever know my dogs as well as Jeri. And I have to say I love the fact that it's one flat payment up front, and now I have the peace of mind that Jeri will always been there for us for the lives of our dogs. That alone is 100% worth the financial investment. I've spent so much money on toys, grooming and vet visits--in comparison, this was a fraction of the cost and just as important (if not more important) to keep my babies happy and healthy. Permalink

June and Colin are true professionals. They are very knowledgeable, courteous and experienced. It is truly a pleasure to work with them. Permalink

Lynne's help with our Italian Mastiff, Kona, was invaluable. At about 90 pounds, Kona pulled her way through our walks, which made it impossible for me to walk Kona and our lab, Legend, by myself. Lynne demonstrated how to practice walking with Kona using a harness around her chest rather than the choke-chain I had been using. All of that together transformed the experience of walking Kona and now I don't hesitate to take the two large dogs out on my own. Lynne also helped us with some of Kona's aggression and barking issues. The small "Bark Busters" attention getting pillow works wonders. When Kona begins to bark, all we need to do is pick that up and she immediately stops barking. Thank you, Lynne! Permalink

My husband and I recently adopted a rescue puppy. We needed help with basic household manners and commands. Cooper stays in the city during the week but goes with us to the country on weekends. The training we needed was everything from housebreaking, no jumping up, walking easily on a leash, getting in and out of a car, come when called - to teaching Cooper how to comfortably ride in a ranch mule. I called Donna and she has been great! There was an immediate improvement in Cooper's manners after just one session. We have met a couple of times and Donna has shown me how to work with Cooper on all of the issues that concern us. Her methods are gentle, not scary to Cooper, and they work!! I look forward to a continuing relationship with Donna - and through her methods having a well trained, wonderful family dog! Cooper and I both love and respond well to her system! So glad I called Donna! Permalink

Alison helped me become the leader with my year old GSD Lucy. Bark Busters uses great techniques that work very well as long as you are consistent. Lucy has shown great improvement in her overall behavior and listens to commands much better now that we have built a more understanding relationship. I'm the boss not Lucy. Alison has a very calming demeanor and is a great trainer. She explains everything very well and shows you what to do before handing it all to you. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who needs help. Permalink

Tommy Meyerhoeffer visited us to help integrate our new 9 month old, a shelter dog, into our home. We already had another female, 6 years old, and saw signs of dominance and some aggression from both that we needed to correct right away. The 9 month old was also destroying a lot of things in our home. Her behavior was expected but we were clueless about how to fix the problem. Tommy visited us right away on a Sunday (which we really appreciate) and was patient, polite, and made sure to explain and answer any questions we had (trust me, there were many). He also led by example and it was interesting to see the response he got from our dogs just by being calm and collected. The methods he taught us also helped a lot. Just a day has passed and we already see signs of improvement. Both dogs are actually listening to our commands and there is a much safer and confident atmosphere for all of us. I highly recommend Tommy! Permalink

My girlfriend and I rescued a little lab mix, Lola,through a friend on facebook last July. She was about a year old at that time and was very timid and a little scared for a while. A few months later she had established her back yard and started to be a huge pain when people came to visit. Barking and growling non stop, even if we put her in our back house or in another room. She started doing it to the postman, pizza guy and the gardeners, and wouldn't stop till after they had been gone for 15 minutes sometimes. The final straw was when our 2 year old grandson came and she freaked out at him. I looked around the net for a local trainer to help get her calmed down. I know i didn't want a group setting. I saw the website for Bark Busters and once I saw all the great reviews on Yelp, gave them a call. From that first phone call, I knew I would have success with Sue. She understood the problem we were having with Lola and was fully prepared to tackle it when she came to our house. The fact that Lola didn't do her normal freak out while Sue was there confirmed my initial feelings about Bark Busters methods. Sue was able to keep Lola calm and showed us in a comfortable and easy couple of hours how to teach Lola to calm down when guests or strangers come to our house. It's been about a month and Lola is much calmer overall and happily greeted the grandson when he came over recently !! I highly recommend Sue and the great work she does with the Bark Busters training. Worth every cent and then some. You will not find a better trainer any where. Permalink

Every walk with my 3 dogs gets better and better! I'm so proud of them! I can walk all 3 (current weigh in: Mojo the puppy at 39lbs, Buddy 58lbs and Sherman 96lbs) without a pull or a yank or anything - they stay right next to me. ! People I pass either compliment me, or think I'm crazy. So proud of these pups! I couldn't have done this without Mark's help! BEST TRAINER EVER! Permalink