Client Reviews and Testimonials

The Bark Busters team of Marlene and Howard is truly special. On a purely human level, they are kind, compassionate, intelligent, gentle, and very loving people. From a service perspective they have always been timely, considerate, focused, and goal-driven for what Doug (and we) need to accomplish. We have a somewhat unique scenario with an abused rescue dog and Marlene/Howard have been incredibly adept at navigating this course. In my opinion, the most valuable aspect that the team brings is their ability to articulate the dog-owner relationship - understanding the dog's psyche and how training interventions are nothing if not considerate of this complex interplay between human psyche and dog psyche. I love working with Bark Busters and would recommend it to anybody and everybody. Permalink

I have been very pleased with the instruction that I am receiving from John and Maxine of BarkBusters. John has been to our home on several occasions and his methods are easy to follow and work! Our two little dogs barked at almost everything, from people coming to the door to noises outside. With John's help, the barking is almost non-existent. He does not use shocking devices or negative words. All of the training is of a positive nature and mostly controlled by the tone of my voice. I would recommend John and Maxine very highly. If they can help our dogs, they can help any dogs. Permalink

We were more than satisfied. Joanne was extremely thorough explaining the dos and don'ts of training our puppy. Permalink

It was important to understand how dogs think and communicate and Kendra was excellent at explaining it. I loved Kendra's personality and knowledge and look forward to continuing or work together! She [Kendra] impressed upon me the the importance of constant reinforcement [of the methods/educations]. I would refer Kendra in a heartbeat! Kendra was amazing and made me feel like I could take back control of my dogs and house. Permalink

I am very happy with the results and Sarah is terrific. Gets back to me quickly when you email her with problems. Permalink

I just rescued a 5 month old Kelpie. It turned out that Akira was not socialized and she was showing really aggressive behavior towards friends and family members. After just the first session, we were able to calm the puppy down and modify her behavior. Not only that, but at first Akira wouldn't listen at all, and after just the first session we had her sitting, staying, and using the techniques Vicky taught us, we were able to teach her come as well. When there was an issue with Akira's barking, she called back the same day and helped me work out a strategy that helped. Things are improving on a daily basis, thanks to Vicky. Permalink

We had Kathy out to help us with our puppies many years ago. We have called her back off and on over the years. She always comes right over and helps us.We love her! It has been so nice to have a trainer that comes back to help us for the rest of our dog's lives! Permalink

I normally do not write reviews unless it is truly something I believe in that works. I have always had little dogs but this year I got a black lab which is a very large breed. After a month of having him, I realized I was over my head as I have never trained a large dog. That's when I found Vicky at Bark Busters. Today, Toby is a very happy puppy and while he is still in his training program, the difference before Vicky and after Vicky are like night and day! Not only are we getting Toby trained, I am learning how to work with him and I believe it has created such a wonderful relationship between Toby and I. Thank you Bark Busters and Vicky for helping me understand more about Toby, his breed and how to work with him! There are not enough stars to check on this recommendation! I strongly recommend Bark Busters and Vicky. I really feel that training Toby in his home environment is an added benefit. Toby and I will gladly meet with anyone who has doubts about Bark Busters and/or Vicky to explain just how wonderful the program has been! Permalink

Marko had been through a lot of changes for a young dog. His owner died unexpectedly and he came to live with us in the middle of us moving. He was rambunctious, overly needy and generally acting like a very young pup. He is now 18 months old and weighs 90 lbs. Both my husband and I were unable to handle him due to his strength. We needed guidance in how to get him to listen and behave without any abuse. Larry listened to Markos history and addressed his issues logically and with great compassion. He has taught us how to be the "leaders". He has been very positive, very encouraging and has shown us how to be firm and in charge with Marko. He has stayed in touch and has assured us that we will be able to have him behave as needed. Marko has shown great improvement in behavior and in listening. He is maturing into his age and his intelligence is extraordinary. This is the first German Shepard I have ever worked with or owned. I have owned a number of dogs for both search and rescue and show. Larry has taught us an entirely new way of addressing dog behavior and it is working wonderfully. He has been patient and very instructive in working with us. I would definitely recommend Bark Busters to anyone with a pet. The rates are very reasonable and the availability of the trainer is fantastic. Permalink

We rescued a staffordshire/boxer mix a year ago named Apollo. Apollo barked uncontrollably, jumped on people as they entered the house, was beyond bad on leash, and started showing some aggression. I chose Bark Busters based on the reviews about Frank. During our first meeting, Frank spent two hours teaching us how to gently show Apollo that we, the humans, are in charge. The jumping and barking issues when someone came to the front door improved greatly, much repetition with the exercises has almost completely resolved this issue. During our second appointment Frank worked with us on walking Apollo. This was a piece of cake, Frank had tricks up his sleeve that almost immediately turned our dog into one that could cruise the neighborhood without embarrassment on our behalf. Frank is very patient with his clients and their dogs and I look forward to more training for all of us. Permalink