Client Reviews and Testimonials

I think she's excellent Permalink

Our story is a bit of a rocky one. Don't worry though, there's a happy ending, all thanks to Justin :D Seriously, call him ASAP if you need help overcoming any dog issues - no matter how major the issue seems, there is hope! He's a wonderful, gentle dog behaviorist and an AMAZING human trainer (which is what a lot of dog training is really about). I recommend Bark Busters to everyone; my dog's total 180 speaks for itself. __ Here's my full (long!) story, with the hope that it might help people feeling trapped or hopeless about their dog's behavior/potential: I adopted a 2-year-old chug (chihuahua/pug mix) from a rescue group. I'm not sure what the story was with his first owner or if he was ever abused, but he definitely wasn't properly socialized. He ended up dumped at a high-kill shelter (72-hours til euthanasia). A rescue group pulled him from death row with hours to spare, and he went to live with a foster family until I met him. I saw so much potential in him, past the moments of fearfulness (could you blame him for not knowing who to trust?). I could tell that he was smart, motivated to please people, totally wanted to love but was just insecure about his place in the world. He came home with me, because I thought he deserved a real shot at becoming a confident, happy guy. I named him Prince, because I saw the prince charming behind the sometimes growly beast (plus all his stuff was purple). In the first week, while Prince quickly got comfortable with me, he got worse around just about everything/everyone else. Separation anxiety issues (wanted to be glued to me, cried if left alone) and MAJOR issues with socialization and trusting people: bearing teeth/growling/snarling at strangers (sometimes other dogs but always people), wasn't a fan of anyone but me, definitely didn't want to be petted by anyone else, and would snarl at even me if I got too close to him when he had a chew bone. I couldn't sit with him at a coffee shop patio or he would turn into an unmanageable gremlin. I've had dogs before so I started crate training for the separation. I have never dealt with fear-aggression though, so I thought it would be worth the money to work with a professional behaviorist. The first time I met with Justin I got a GREAT feeling. I saw that he was fantastic: friendly, easy to work with, gentle but firm, and really knew dogs and loved to help people. Prince snarled at him from under the coffee table, but I'd come to expect that and Justin obviously wasn't fazed. We were on track. But then another week went by, and I was at my breaking point with Prince. I work from home (which can feel isolating on it's own) but now I had this creature forcing me into total solitary confinement! I had been trying to gently socialize him (asking everyone to ignore him, "don't pet him, he's in training", etc.) but had stopped bringing him most places because it was too stressful. Then I stopped having anyone over to my apartment, after he lunged up and actually bit a friend of mine when she got up to head home. She said she was okay but I was horrified and I had a spike of anxiety. It was late at night, I didn't have anyone to call/anywhere to go, no family, no boyfriend, the best friend I'd usually turn to was the one he had bitten! All I had was this monster; I thought "I should've named him Beast." :( We had been working on longer and longer separations (but with me still in the house), so I felt trapped: I couldn't leave him by himself at home yet, I couldn't have anyone over, I couldn't bring him places, and now I have a dog that bites. I was totally in over my head; major buyers remorse. I actually contacted the rescue saying I was afraid I'd have to give Prince back and called Justin asking what sort of refund he gives. I felt like an awful person that wasn't giving Prince the "forever home" I had promised. I already deal with anxiety and this was making it much worse. I was afraid that Prince was also feeling my anxiety, that I was making HIM worse, and that it was just going to keep snowballing like that. I was concerned about what this all meant for my future...In the next 10 years of our lives together, I want to be able to have friends over, bring my dog places, have a boyfriend over, have kids someday, and have my friends able to bring their kids over. I met with Justin to talk about it, and he was seriously better than a therapist. With newly boosted confidence, I decided to keep at it. After a month with Bark Busters, Prince almost seems like a different dog. These days, he PLAYS with Justin when he sees him, all goofy smiles and waggy tail. I've had friends over with no issues and fewer and fewer issues in public. He respects and looks to me. He RUNS to his crate, and I've caught him voluntarily napping in there. I can leave the house again! Of course there are still things to work on, but I have all the confidence in the world (and I know Prince can sense that). I can't thank Justin enough. Permalink

I rescued bodi when he was 6 mos old from Sonora. I had no idea what to do with a puppy and I was lucky enough to meet Karen at bark busters. She made me understand that consistency and leadership was what was needed. He responded to me almost instantly. I think he really likes the training methods, The tips Karen gave me are easy to follow and whenever I need help, Karen has made herself available to answer all my questions and concerns. Bodi is now almost 2 yrs old and everyone thinks he is such a well behaved dog. He is and I am so happy. There is no jumping on people or barking at passing strangers. And most of all no pulling or should I say attacking on the leash. I highly recommend BarkBusters for training and if you can, try and get Karen. Luke Permalink

Luna is doing great! Just after one training session, the change for the better has been amazing. The barking at my tenant has stopped. Sometimes she growls a little and I correct her. I can't wait to see what we can accomplish on our second lesson. Permalink

We contacted Bark Busters dog training because we were lost on what to do with our dog. We were surprised at how quickly she took to the training and gave us positive responses. Our dog had issues with getting overly excited and jump when anyone would come over to the house. She no longer jumps and waits to be greeted by visitors. Another huge issue that we had with her was leash walking. She basically was walking us and it was not enjoyable at all. With all of Debra's help we now can take Izzy for walks where she is walking beside us instead of pulling us. We are very pleased with the training that we have received and the significant improvements our dog has made. We both highly recommend Bark Busters! Permalink

Couldn't be happier with Dale and Vikki! We had a great dog that needed some behavior corrections for bad habits, and the changes were immediate and long-lasting! It's so nice to have company over and not have Jake jump all over them because he is over-excited. What a difference! Highly recommended!!! Permalink

Excellent experience. Permalink

Jeff and Cathy did an excellent job and I like the results. Permalink

I was very skeptical about Barkbusters but was totally surprised on how well it works!! Tom was excellent and would recommend him to anyone. We tried of weeks to get Carl to walk on a leash with no luck. Tom had him walking on leash in minutes. Carl had separation anxiety and with Tom's help we now have that under control and don't feel guilty leaving him at home alone. This program works 100% and recommend it to all dog owners Permalink

Brad helped us reclaim our front door! Our dog Petey thought he 'owned' it and would jump up on the door and bark whenever someone was there. But no more! It's my door now. Brad also explained that Petey thought he was in charge, probably because the leadership position was made availalbe to him. But Brad trained me to be the leader and our lives are so much better for it. Permalink