Client Reviews and Testimonials

Michael is an excellent trainer. Within the first 10 minutes of his visit he had complete control of my dog. Now I know how to demonstrate authority with my dog and gain his respect. The concepts of training is to demonstrate to the dog "who is the leader" leaving no question what is expected, while also showing love and affection. I will definitely recommend Michael to anyone who has a dog. Permalink

We noticed an immediate response in our dog Gemma. I hope we can be better dog owners also, I think we were trained more than Gemma. Permalink

Greg was great - he taught our dog great behaviours in the very first session and they've stuck! Permalink

Miracle! This morning I had the opportunity to catch Winston aggressively barking at the dogs at the fence. He responded immediately and ignored the dogs after that. Then later we threw a toy for Casper and Winston just watched! He didn't go after it until we called him to play. Amazing. (This an email that I received the day after we did our lesson. Winston was attacking and biting Casper if they tried to pet or play with Casper) Permalink

Kendra was very easy to talk to. I could tell a difference in Charlie right away! Permalink

It was amazing to see Max listen and behave. Absolutely love the written summary of lesson to refer to. Permalink

We needed some assistance with our 12 months old pit bull, Kevin. Kevin is a very sweet but stubborn pit bull. We were having problems with pulling on the leash, chewing, jumping up on our visitors and furniture and chasing the cat. We desperately wanted a well-trained pup, especially because pit bulls get such a bad rap, so we tried several techniques. First we used what we learned in an obedience class we had taken years ago, but that just wasn't working. Kevin would do his "tricks"(sit, stay, down) perfectly inside for a treat, but outside all bets were off. We purchased a DVD online that claimed to be a comprehensive program. We felt, again, that we were just teaching Kevin to do "tricks" and not how to be the well-behaved, obedient, family companion we wanted. I did some research and came across the Bark Busters website. We thought the price was a bit steep at first, but since the fee is good for life and we planned to have Kevin for his whole life, we thought it was worth the investment. I'm so glad we called Bark Busters! Bob came to our house and explained the program, demonstrated some skills and taught us how to communicate with our puppy. The fee wasn't even discussed until he knew we were confident in the program (on his second visit). The Bark Busters program is completely different from what you will get in a book, pet-store obedience class or from a DVD. Bark Busters teaches you HOW to communicate and how to be the pack leader. Just in that first night, Kevin was walking so much better on his leash. In fact, he has not pulled or dragged me once since Bob's first visit. In the last two weeks we have been able to completely break him of jumping on the furniture, he no longer obsesses over the cat (although he is still interested in poor kitty, so we're still working on that)! He walks like a pro on the leash, has improved door manners, and chews much, MUCH less. He's still very puppy-ish so we know we'll have to continue to work with him, but now we know HOW to train him (and who to turn to if we can't figure something out!) I'm so glad we called Bark Busters. Bob was so knowledgeable and personable. Now Kevin is definitely one of the best pups in the neighborhood. I love it when people comment on his behavior then ask his breed. It feels so good to challenge the stereotype and proudly brag on my awesome pit bull! Permalink

We have now completed 3 sessions with David Wiley and the change in Scout is incredible! We are more consistent in our approach with her, and the result is that Scout is a happier and more secure dog. David has been very patient and encouraging. He has helped us to implement the techniques successfully so that we saw immediate results. But he also understand that we are looking for a deeper long-term change in our relationship with Scout as well, and that this takes time. David is definitely a gifted teacher and we are so glad that he is a part of Scout's life! The commitment to working with a dog for its entire life if necessary is invaluable to us. Thank you! Permalink

I have a 6 year old, 110 pound German Shepherd who is very sweet and fairly well-trained, but who is anxious and a little unpredictable around children. He's a very loud barker, with no real off-switch. He's recently started mouthing and nipping again, which was very concerning to me. Within the first session, Ruth was able to identify a number of behaviors Oliver was exhibiting and how I could correct. The truth of the matter is the person at the end of the leash is really the one who needs the coaching, and Ruth has been exceptional at leading me through what I need to do to make sure Oliver is relaxed so that my guests aren't afraid or in any danger. By the second session, Oliver became relaxed and was amazing....he stopped barking the moment I communicated with him; he retreated to his bed and watched me conduct business with a stranger in my home and seemed perfectly happy to "watch" and not try to protect me. He is beginning to trust that I have things under control. Even his 12-year old "big brother", a happy-go-lucky lab is beginning to get with the program and listen to what I have to say. If you are on the fence about Bark Busters -- for whatever reason -- I've asked Ruth to give you my number so I can tell you personally to NOT wait. Your will see improvements immediately. Under Ruth's guidance YOU will become the leader your canine friend needs and deserves. That's my goal, anyway. Permalink

Joanne is very knowledgeable and was great! Schatzi has come along way with the techniques she shared. Permalink