Dog training reviews

We contacted Bark Busters because our 6 year old beagle, Copper, was very aggressive when he took objects that he was not suppose to have. My wife and I would then yell at him. He would only allow us to get the item back when we presented a treat. Mary Johnson, on her first visit, showed us how to re structure our pack so Copper understood we were the pack leaders. That alone made a huge difference in his behavior. Also, no more yelling matches with him. After that first visit life with Copper became much more relaxed. Mary continued to teach us how to walk better, how to keep both dogs from rushing to the door when visitors arrived, and how to control the barking overall. With a new baby on the way these were all issues we had to correct. Mary educated us on how to train our dogs, which is exactly what we needed. Mary saved our family!! Without her we would have had to make a tough decision once the baby arrived. Permalink

Our puppy, Buck, is an Australian Shepherd. Aussies are quite smart, have TONS of energy, and can be prone to barking and destructive behaviors when bored/unexercised. Around 6 months old, Buck was becoming very difficult to manage and my husband and I knew that we needed to try some in-home professional help. We were immediately impressed by Alison's emphasis on positive behavioral reinforcement and the use of communication techniques that Buck will understand (e.g., redirection with verbal sounds). Buck did struggle for dominance during the first lesson, but by the second lesson we were already seeing an improvement! After working with Alison, Buck's barking and hyperactive behaviors have significantly decreased. Alison has also worked with us on leash walking, provided us with various effective commands to use, and has given us tips for activities that will help us exercise Buck physically and mentally. We are grateful for Alison's help with Buck, and as a result our family is much happier (including Buck!). We highly recommend Alison and Bark Busters! Permalink

We called James and Michelle because our new rescue (a 3 year old, pit bull terrier named Blue) was aggressive towards other animals. We didn't call them first though. The other company we called rejected us. Stating that it would take many months of one on one behavior training, thousands of dollars and worried we would end up having to put her down due to a possible rocky past. We were devastated but we didn’t want to give up on our new family member and decided to invest in her no matter how long it took. Michelle put me at ease right away. She gave me some information I could use while we waited to meet James at our first appointment. James sat with us for close to 2 hours answering questions and teaching us to understand Blue. We were so excited to get started. James gave us lots to work on and Blue took right to it. The more we stepped up as leaders the better she responded. We are continuing to work with her everyday and she is no longer reacting to other dogs as we pass. We are so grateful to not be pulled across the road every time another animal is spotted. These are not the only things James taught us but these were the biggies. Overall Experience: We enjoyed learning more about our dog and how she thinks. James is a great teacher, very encouraging and helpful. He is a fantastic support system. Anytime we felt we had a set back or a question we could count on James to lend us support over the phone. Price: I wish we would have known Blue would have responded so well to training. We would have gone with the smallest package. So we over paid but it is wonderful to know Blue better and to be more confident in our own skills as Blue’s new family pack. Permalink

My family and I are new dog owners. David was very patient and clear in answering our questions. David provided exercises that we could do with Diesel to improve our handling of the dog. It made things more understandable to be informed about how the dog was perceiving situations. We got very lucky with a well mannered dog, but the help definitely improved our relationship with the dog. Permalink

Kathy came to my house and taught me how to teach my dog what to do in a way he would understand. Very interesting and effective!! This training makes so much sense! I saw a difference in Charlie on the 1st lesson! I am so happy to know I will have a well behaved dog! Everyone needs Kathy to come over to help them with their dog! Permalink

I am so lucky to have met Deb Boswell. She came into a home with 4 dogs and by the time she left I could already tell that the dogs better understood my "rank" in the pack. I have been working with them for 3 days now and barking is down to a minimum. We still have not come to an understanding on the doorbell ringing thing, but I am certain with training and reinforcement we will one day achieve the barkless doorbell. I can't wait to see Deb again and show her our progress. Permalink

Very good results within a short period of time. Good strategies - easy to understand. The results were evident - Myron was considerably calmer. Very pleased. Permalink

I enjoyed working with Becky and the Bark Busters program. I was impressed with our initial meeting and presentation and then, of course, with the hands-on training. Because of the program, Hoku became a much more confident dog who will now come when he is called instead of looking the other way! I recommend Becky and the Bark Busters program to other dog owners. Permalink

Rob Machi is a life saver...not only did he teach our puppy many things, but he transformed my wife and I into responsible pet owners. His endless patience and helpful training tips helped us very much. From useful dog walking tips, to teaching Max how to conquer his fear and walk up and down the stairs, he gives very simple tips on how to train your dog when he is with you on a training session or when he leaves so that you may practice on your own. He also came back 2+ years after he first met Max to follow up and reaffirm some training tips that we as the owners had stopped doing and it worked just as well as it had when we first met him. Rob is very helpful in understanding why dogs act the way they do (good or bad), which is very useful as well. I would continue to, and have recommended Rob to friends and family as he is a consummate professional and will always help in any way he can. Thanks again Rob, keep up the great work!!! Permalink

Just by the next day Godric was much calmer and more attentive. We have recommended Bark Busters to other friends with new dogs of their own. It has really helped our relationship with Godric. Thank you for helping us and Godric! Permalink