We had Michelle McCarthy from Bark Busters out to assist us with our little guy, Barney. He had been living in constant fear and stress because we, as dog owners, simply didn't know what we were doing - we didn't know how to communicate with him. I am embarrassed to say, but also happy to understand, that it wasn't our dog who needed training - it was us. After four hours with Michelle, I really can't fully articulate all the "aha" moments or the wave of guilt that washed over me when I realized that my lack of awareness was stressing my dog out keeping in a state of high alert where his only mission was to lead the pack and keep it safe. The straight forward - but profoundly impactful - TTPs (Tools, Tactics, and Procedures) that Michelle imparted had an immediate impact on Barney.
Michelle's meeting structure is very deliberate; she focused on on us (the owners) for the majority of the time, trained us up to "speak dog" and leverage straightforward, effective tools for getting Barney's attention and cooperation. By the time Michelle was done with training us and the moment arrived to practice lessons with Barney, I was pretty sure she already knew what the outcome would be: immediate impact. Immediate responsiveness. Yes, your best friend will go through an adjustment period as the Pack Hierarchy changes, but if you take in the lessons and apply them as instructed, you will likely see immediate results, as we did. I can tell already, that if applied calmly and consistently, the lessons we've learned will change our dog forever.
Today I walked my dog without him barking at neighbors or other dogs for the first time in two years. We did so with very few corrections. In fact we past within feet of another dog and Barney just looked at me and continued trotting at my side. The experience was shocking, encouraging, and categorically justified every penny we spent with Bark Busters. We've decided to live these lessons, because that is the only guaranteed way to ensure continued success - and we are very much looking forward to doing so with full confidence that the Bark Busters' method works. Michele McCarthy is a well-traveled, confident Dog Trainer. A true professional we are thankful to have met. If you are on the fence, don't be. She's got you.
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Bark Busters dealt with Aggression, Barking, Pulling
Trainer note from Michelle :
Hi John, wow! Thank you so much for your Google review and kind words! I am so happy to hear of your "aha moments". Helping people understand their pups is my passion. There is never any reason to feel embarrassment or guilt because we all do what we know and it's only when we understand things from our dog's perspective that we can see the bigger picture :). Barney is an awesome dog and will be happier and calmer as he looks to you to make decisions and keep him safe. Well done!! You guys did great and I can't wait to see your progress. I'm always here to help! ~Michelle