Client Reviews and Testimonials

I like the positive nature of the training without being too soft. I also like the explanation of how dogs think. The education of dog owners is important-I very much liked that. Permalink

Somethings were a little confusing at first because it was a lot to remember but after the second visit we had it down better. It is amazing how quickly our dog responded- almost instantly. Practicing with our dog was a great way for us to develop a relationship with her. We have already recommended Bark Busters to a family member. Permalink

Two years ago we adopted a 1.5-year-old German shepherd dog named Talia from a rescue group. Her behavior was wonderful around our family, but when people outside the family tried enter her territory, Talia would turn into the "guard dog from hell." It was a nightmare to have visitors to our house because of Talia's barking and jumping. I took her to obedience classes and had success teaching her commands, but nothing I did changed her protective behaviors in the home. When I contacted Amy Clear, I was looking for a humane trainer, not one that would 'break' the dog of her negative behaviors with violence or force. Talia's bad behavior was motivated by fear, and she probably was not treated well early in life, so I did not want to make her more fearful. She was already a great dog with just our family and I wanted her to be that same great dog for others when they came to our home. Amy taught me how to be the leader that Talia needed in order to calm her fears and improve her behavior. Thanks to Amy, Bark Busters training, and lots of practice, I now can have people over to our house!!! A few weeks ago we had a family of four visit and stay with us for several days. I was a bit worried about how Talia would react-these people are friends of my husband's and I had never met them before. After an initial sniff-down, Talia accepted our guests. The second day they were here, Talia even jumped into bed with the teenagers. We are so proud of Talia; when these guests were in our home she acted like the dog she is for our family when no outsiders are present. Sweet, loveable, mushy doggy-not the Cujo-dog she had been in the past. This summer we have also had more children over for playdates and sleepovers without having to worry about "scary barking dog." When people come over, we tell Talia to go wait, and she does so without the barking and craziness that she used to do. Most importantly, she listens to me; I know that we have a connection. I've watched her behavior change slowly as we continue to practice the techniques that Amy gave us. The changes in Talia have happened gradually and she gets better and better every day. I am so thankful to Amy for helping us turn this guard dog into a family pet. Permalink

Great system that really works! Permalink

Excellent techniques were introduced to Myles and me. With a lot of practice we have really improved our behavior and our partnership..Love the system! Permalink

Lisa explained the program very well. You could tell she knows dogs and was interested in Violet's training. Violet responded well to the "bah" growl immediately. I was very pleased with the natural training techniques and found that it's as much about owner-training as dog-training. I was very impressed with both the Holzer's response and the overall training. Permalink

The information John gave us is priceless! [It was] very easy to understand, and he explained why it was done that way in "canine" so it made it easier for us. We were thinking human, not canine! I'm very happy we decided on Bark Busters, and Storm (Siberian husky/pit bull) is as well! We have suggested to a number of people already! Permalink

I was very tense about the training, wondering if it would work with my aggressive dog. I was much calmer at the end of the training session. After the first session, I felt much more confident that other people will be safe around our dog. It is going to be more work for me than my husband, because Rudy (German shorthaired pointer) and I have many more bad habits to break. I am up for the challenge and just have to be patient and consistent. I would recommend Bark Busters to friends and family. Permalink

We appreciated that John took the leashes and demonstrated the techniques with the dogs before asking us to do it. We saw that Rana needed to know we are in charge. That, however, cannot be completely remedied in three hours. While these techniques are great and do work, practice makes perfect, and it is a lot of consistent practice and application that makes it successful. After four days, the dog is far from perfect, but we have seen noticeable positive changes. Overall, we are very pleased with Bark Busters' natural/humane training techniques. Either my dog is obstinate or our old method, the "snap," is a silly and ineffective motivator. If she was in the wrong mood, our old methods wouldn't even break her focus. John was very willing to talk about our dogs' issues and explaining why they do what they do. He was not concerned about his time, but rather our understanding. Permalink

Patrick was very helpful. I found the training went well instantly with my Yorkie, Buttons. Permalink