Client Reviews and Testimonials

Jesus, I mean Justin...I get them confused some times. Oh I remember, Jesus turns water in to wine and Justin turns dog owners into pack leaders and skittish dogs into calm and obedient followers. Close. First of all, we want to thank all the other people that wrote reviews because we would have never called Justin if it were not for the stories I read, which made us realize there were so many other dog owners out there going through similar experiences. Here is our story, we adopted Henry "Hank" Fitzgerald from Helen Woodward a year ago this month. They had no background on him since they received him from another shelter. They did however tell us he was roughly six months old and a terrier mix that would be no more than 25-30lbs. We are quite certain he is a coonhound with a beard and well he's 60lbs now. Initially we found Hank to be incredibly submissive, sweet and friendly, but a couple months after we had him he was sprayed in the face by a skunk in our backyard. Shortly after he became very territorial of us, the house and would patrol the backyard barking at night. Every sound he heard, his hair would stand up and he would bark aggressively at the fence. Another month or more, when anyone would approach the door he would charge the door and bark aggressively, which evolved into him growling at friends coming into the house and eventually nipping two of our friends. We could tell he was feeling very anxious and afraid, but we were uncertain what to do. Another thing Hank would do was bark at us constantly to play. We would let him out to the backyard and he would bark until we joined him and if he was in the house he would bark at us until we played with him, it was a nonstop bark fest. Next, he was kicked out of daycare. He had always been incredibly friendly with other dogs, but apparently had an issue with an old yellow labrador retriever that napped all day. It started with him barking at him on occasion, but later turned into him viciously snarling and lunging at him. We were called to pick him up and they recommended not bringing him back until he had some training. We recently had a couple other experiences of him lunging at friends and aggressively barking and lunging at an old sick dog while camping. Long story short...we felt like we needed help soon before something serious happened. After a quick google search Bark Busters came up on Yelp. I couldn't believe all the 5 out of 5 star reviews especially considering most people use the internet to complain. After reading the stories I hoped that Justin was the answer to our problems and he definitely was. Just like everyone else said, Justin came to our home, spent the first 30 minutes educating us on dog psychology and establishing dominance in the home. He taught us the tools we need to take ownership back over our home. We began practicing on Hank and literally within 20 minutes he was an entirely different dog. He was submissive, relaxed and happy. He was walking around the house seeking our approval and attention, which is not something Hank would do in the past. It was unreal how quickly he responded. No really...UNREAL! After one training session, Hank now sits at the door before he comes in and out of the house and he no longer barks at us for attention. We are still working on the front door and visitors, but he knows we are in charge and he doesn't approach the door or our guests anymore. After the second training, he is now leash trained. He used to pull us all over the neighborhood, but now he is a perfect gentleman and walks behind us. There is plenty of more to do and every day is a training day, but our lives and Hank's life have changed dramatically. We enjoy every second with him now. He knows we are in charge and he's living a much calmer and more fulfilling life because of it. He's a calm, cool and collected coonhound thanks to Justin. Seriously, do not hesitate calling Justin. He truly is amazing. He's a great teacher, listener and the best part is, we have his support for the rest of Hank's life. Thank you Justin. Our family is a happier and healthier family now because of you. Permalink

I needed help with jumping, walking on the lead, and running the fence line. Larry listened to my concerns and walked me thru the training program and each of the modules. In one week - I definitely see an improvement. My trainer Larry Rudginsky was very helpful, very knowledgeable and kind. Larry was incredibly good with demonstrating good leadership skills while being very kind to my dogs which is extremely important. Did a great job putting it in easy to understand modules that were repeatable. Permalink

The therapist explained everything from start to finish. Surprisingly, I saw results by the end of the training! I found the training experience interesting and enjoyable. I would recommend Bark Busters because they don't use treats or harsh methods. The trainer was very personable and full of information. Permalink

VERY EASY to follow directions and methods! Permalink

Pat did an amazing job helping our dog Enzo! Enzo went from crazy and uncontrollable to well behaved in 3 hours. I would recommend Bark Busters and Pat's team to anyone. Permalink

Very pleased, saw results before Joanne left the house and the remainder of the day. We are very excited with the program and the tools provided for assistance. Permalink

The Bark Busters harness completely changed Harley for the better on walks. (Group Class, April 2015) Permalink

We loved Jeri as a trainer as always. She was very helpful in our time of need. (Group Class, April 2015) Permalink

After Debra's first visit the change we have seen in our 8 month old lab/border collie mix, Skyler, is astounding. As a "teenager" Skyler began displaying some new behaviors that we were not having any success at managing. After one session with Debra Skyler's barking at the front door like a maniac at every person, animal, car or sound has completely stopped. Skyler did well with the Door Programming Exercise and it really is magic! We have all but eliminated the periodic rough mouthing that was creating bruises on my arms. Debra helped us understand how Skyler's behavior that we thought was sweet and cute (coming up to us and plopping over on her back for a belly rub) was her way of controlling us by demanding attention on her terms. Now that we understand this as attention-seeking and demanding behavior we appreciate Deb's guidance re: being in control of interactions to position ourselves as her leader.Our biggest challenge had been walking on a loose leash. With the techniques Debra showed us we have made great improvement and I don't feel as though my shoulder is going to be dislocated from the pulling and lunging that was previously happening. As I am sitting here watching my puppy stand quietly at the front door watching kids playing and just calmly observing the activity of the neighborhood I feel a sense of relief and peace. Thanks to Debra and the training techniques we were taught in just one session I have hope that we can conquer the frustrating and stressful puppy behavior that has become so difficult to manage. Can't wait for Debra's next visit! Permalink

We had our first puppy lesson with Sarah today. I really liked the gentle but firm manner in which she interacted with our dog. She helped me understand how important it is give our puppy "rules to live by." Gracie responded very well to Sarah. Permalink