Client Reviews and Testimonials

Originally, I contacted BarkBusters when I was living in Westchester County. Nate (chihuahua mix) had been bit by my landlord's dog and my vet recommended contacting BarkBusters to help with his separation anxiety, dog aggression, and general sense of not being safe. Laura was wonderful. She helped me to understand Nate's behavior and how to address without re-traumatizing him. Years later, I met my now husband and Nate and I moved to Brooklyn. I wanted to help Nate get acclimated to our new living situation and address some issues that were left over from the incident in Westchester, so I called BarkBusters. They set us up with Rob and it was the best call we ever made. Rob has educated us on dog behavior and helped us to understand what Nate is thinking in every circumstance. Nate was still exhibiting dog aggression, some separation anxiety, and had a propensity for barking at everything in our hallway (no thanks to a terrible neighbor). Rob came in with loads of ideas on how to correct each behavior. He's even helped us to get Nate eating out of a bowl (ridiculous I know, but he refused to eat out of one) and back into his old harness which he had become afraid of after I accidentally pinched him with it. Rob has come by as many times as we have needed and has even done a Skype session. Every time he watches us and Nate and helps us to see what we are missing in the most gentle way possible. He is obviously great with dogs but he is awesome with people, too. It can be hard to hear you're doing something wrong or not in the best manner possible, and Rob makes it easier to hear. He has a great way of encouraging you to see things differently and take a new approach. Nate went from trying to eat the face of any dog in his line of sight to now reacting that way intermittently on walks (which we can now correct effectively), has made friends with two little dogs in our building, is more comfortable around new people, and even tried to play with two dogs he had never met before at a friend's house the other day. Nate is now the dog he was meant to be - healthy, happy, secure. And we cannot thank BarkBusters and Rob enough for helping us to make that possible. Permalink

We want to express our full gratitude to Connie for her great experience as dog trainer. We can't think of a better one! She did such a great job: the stray dog we found was incontrolable and only after two lessons, hell became paradise! Connie is a mix of kindness and competence, that is rare in our world! Thank you to you, Connie! Permalink

We adopted two bonded dogs from the Dumb Friends League in June. Mable 5 years old and Stella 6 years old, both female Lab mixes. They were both traumatized and very fearful and although very lovely dogs, it was apparent that they had never been taught any manners. I called them my two SAVAGES! I wanted them to become good doggy citizens but did not know where to start. I asked my vet for advice and they recommended Bark Busters. Scott Schwab was are local trainer and contacted me immediately. Our initial phone call was both informative and reassuring and I was excited about are first appointment. When he arrived I was impressed with his expertise and calm approach which was transferred to me when handling my dogs. I signed up for the year plan on the first visit and I am very happy with this decision. I practiced the simple techniques I learned on that first lesson and my dogs were immediately better. Each visit I learn something new to practice with the dogs and they continue to improve and learn. I can't Thank Scott enough! I now look forward to my daily walks with my girls and feel now they can learn anything. I would recommend Scott to anyone, but especially to owners of a fearful and aggressive dog who do not know where to start. His calm demeanor and professional technique will benefit both you and your dog. My relationship with my dogs is now a joy! There would be less shelter dogs in this world if owners embraced Scott's philosophy of understanding how your dog thinks. I now understand that dogs are not people in furry coats. Thanks Scott! Permalink

Absolutely amazed at the immediate changes in Both my dogs. Cathy and Jeff were the best; calm, clear, friendly and knowledgeable. No physical corrections to the dogs, by that I mean no pushing, pinching, nudging etc. and Yes, it was fun! Permalink

At first I thought it was a joke but now I'm a Bark believer. Great job! Permalink

Robin is a miracle worker! When I adopted Boba, she had an abusive past and it came off as aggression to others. But Robin and the Bark Buster's methods helped bring my sweet Boba back to me. All my friends couldn't believe she was the same canine! Robin helped me to become the pack leader. Permalink

When we brought Pre, our 1 year old Boxer, home from the city shelter we had no idea how much "baggage" he was coming with. We experienced a range of behavior issues from barking to becoming aggressive with us on the leash to challenging our leadership. Things got so bad that we didn't know what to do. We loved Pre so much but couldn't seem to get him under control. Rob is a miracle worker. After 5 sessions we went from only being able to walk him in front of our house to walking more than 2 miles a day in the park. Rob also helped us to work through all of the leadership behavior we were experiencing too. Every time Rob worked with us he was calm, clear and compassionate. We find it amazing how excited Pre gets whenever he sees him. Thanks to Rob Pre is becoming the well behaved dog we knew he could be. Permalink

Richard and Vicki always explain things in the most professional way but in a way that is easy to understand. Our dogs behave better when the trainers are here. Richard and Vicki are extremely concerned about the well-being of our dogs. We use a prong collar for walking and they said right from the start they don't believe in that technique. We have found the training experience to be very interesting and makes a lot of sense on how to train us and our dogs. Richard and Vicki are wonderful and really know what they are talking about. Permalink

I NOTICED IMMEDIATE CHANGE AND GREAT PROGRESS, even at homes OTHER than my own! Permalink

All the training material was helpful as well to serve as a reference. Jeri was very clear and helpful in explaining the commands and techniques. From the first day I noticed a big change in my dog. We are now about 3 weeks into the training and she has made tremendous progress. The natural training techniques are a major reason why I decided to choose Bark Busters. It was very interesting to think about the training and my interactions with Greg from her perspective. And once I was able to see how she interprets the world the training became easier and more natural for me. Based on the immediate results, continued support system and natural training techniques, I would recommend Bark Busters. Permalink