Deb was wonderful! We called her because our German Shepard mix, Elsie, was starting to show aggressive behavior towards strangers that we had never had issues with before. We learned that Elsie felt she had to be the 'leader of the pack' and we needed to change her mindset. Deb gave us different methods to use to help to change the mindset and behavior and after the 3 1/2 hour lesson, we have already seen changes! We will continue working with Elsie but feel confident we now have the tools to be able to change Elsie's behaviors.
Within the first lesson Deb was able to give me the tools to be the leader my dog needs. Mac is a fearful dog and has never done well with group training but with Debs help, he was focused and quickly picked up on the new expectations. He is more responsive and attentive during our daily routine and I am excited to see what we are able to accomplish.
Wonderful experience! Shiloh was displaying behaviors consistent with wanting to protect her humans and dog aggression. She also has a very strong prey drive that could strongly hold her focus without giving up. She would bark at anything and everything that would walk by our front window. She could not get within 50 yards of another dog without barking and charging towards the other dog. She would also pull/charge small mammals and could easily pull me over if I wasn't ready for it. The session with Deb was a huge eye opener. She explained all of Shiloh's behavior in a way that showed me Shiloh's reasoning for acting the way she does. We sat down and discussed what I was experiencing and then how to correct it. It has been about 10 days of work with Shiloh and I have seen a lot of progress! She doesn't pull on the leash anymore (the harness they offer is a life saver!) and refocusing her will keep her from running after other animals. We are still working with her when it comes to barking at things that go by the window but she has gotten significantly better at it. Lastly, she has become able to walk within 10 yards of another dog without going nuts. It is always a work in progress but I am very very happy with how things are turning out. She will be able to find the perfect forever home because Bark Busters has given her another chance! Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words. However, your fostering her and your rescue organization deserve the majority of credit in giving dogs like Shiloh a solid chance at being adopted to a loving home. Good job!
Julie B.
7 years ago
— Clive, IA
We were desperate to help our cute little "Teddy Bear", Charlie. We adopted him from another family just a few months ago but he has become increasingly more protective, even biting family members who he thinks are becoming a threat. He was out of control and we did not realize how to communicate with him to help him calm down. The first visit from Deb I was very skeptical and not sure if the money spent would be of value. Deb introduced us to "tough love" for Charlie and began training us to work with him effectively. Amazingly, within the course of the first lesson, Charlie was changing. Before Deb even left he was exhibiting calm and appropriate behaviors. Now just 2 days later we are still noticing changes in Charlie and have utilized Deb's techniques with ease to produce a completely different pet in our home. He no longer barks incessantly outside, rushes screeching to the door, jumps up on us, or exhibits aggressive behavior. He really seems appreciative that we took control and leadership so that he can relax and we finally understand now how to let him know what we expect of him. LOVE the lessons learned from Deb and Barkbusters and we are anxiously awaiting our next and subsequent lessons. Deb, thanks for saving Charlie and our family! We were so worried he would bite someone badly... your training was worth every penny!
Deb was awesome. Ginger is our foster pup. Ginger was growling and barking at all visitors, including children who came to our home. After one training session, she is no longer acting aggressive to guests. I can now feel at ease when people come to our home. Thank you Deb and Bark Busters!
As first-time dog owners, we had a lot to learn about what was appropriate behavior for our dog. Before Bark Busters, Scout attended puppy obedience classes at a local pet store where he learned to sit, stay, lay down, and roll over. He's a quick learner but we couldn't figure out how to teach him basic obedience and appropriate social behaviors like no jumping, no counter surfing, and no running into the backs of our legs as we went down the stairs.
We researched several options for obedience training and ultimately chose Bark Busters because Deb would visit us in our home where all the problem behaviors occur. We wouldn't have to try to explain and replicate our issues, Deb could witness the problems where they take place. We also liked the fact that all members of the family (mom, dad, 8th grader, and 5th grader) could participate in the lessons and all be on the same page about what we were trying to accomplish with Scout's behaviors.
We saw immediate results as Scout sat next to me on the couch instead of sitting on my head and waited in his kennel to be released. Deb left us with detailed instructions on what to practice and within two weeks he was consistently waiting for his signal before going outside or coming back in, walking next to us instead of pulling on his leash, and waiting his turn on the stairs instead of bowling us over.
Deb came back after six weeks of practice and gave us pointers on how to be more consistent in handling the jumping and counter surfing problems. I wish we had contacted Deb earlier instead of waiting until our pup was 18 months old to start seriously training for better behavior.
I had been having some possession/aggression issues with my 75 lb Mastiff/Pitbull, Frankie. He was unsure when I needed protection and was subsequently becoming more aggressive with strangers and anyone who came to the door. When I called Bark Busters, I was a little bit reluctant because of the pricing; however, once I met with Deb- my opinion completely changed. Frankie was completely receptive to the training on the very FIRST visit! He was so eager to please me! Within the first hour, I was able to control my dog so that he remained in a 'safe' spot until I gave him permission to come to the door and greet our visitor. Additionally, he responded to the leash, crate and stair training almost immediately as well. Deb did an incredible job teaching ME how to train my dog. She also proved to me that my dog is not aggressive, he just needed guidance! I am so thrilled that I chose Bark Busters to help me enjoy my Frank for many more years to come!
We asked Debbie to come back for a quick revision on a couple of issues we were having with Kya, our two year old German Shepherd. Once again, like our first visit with Debbie back in January, she gave us a few `light bulb' moments and has pointed us in the right direction in which we can help Kya to become the best dog she can be. What we learnt has made a huge difference over the past few days. Thanks again Debbie for all your wonderful help.
Deb was very helpful with getting us started on training our dog Sully. She was thorough and had useful suggestions for every question and situation we had. We've had one full week of using our initial training and it's gone very well. We have been very surprised and thankful for the difference it's made so far. We are looking forward to our additional training.
Dani E.
7 years ago
— Clive, IA
Deb was wonderful! We called her because our German Shepard mix, Elsie, was starting to show aggressive behavior towards strangers that we had never had issues with before. We learned that Elsie felt she had to be the 'leader of the pack' and we needed to change her mindset. Deb gave us different methods to use to help to change the mindset and behavior and after the 3 1/2 hour lesson, we have already seen changes! We will continue working with Elsie but feel confident we now have the tools to be able to change Elsie's behaviors.
PermalinkAbigail K.
7 years ago
— Urbandale, IA
Within the first lesson Deb was able to give me the tools to be the leader my dog needs. Mac is a fearful dog and has never done well with group training but with Debs help, he was focused and quickly picked up on the new expectations. He is more responsive and attentive during our daily routine and I am excited to see what we are able to accomplish.
PermalinkDana H.
7 years ago
— Ames, IA
Wonderful experience! Shiloh was displaying behaviors consistent with wanting to protect her humans and dog aggression. She also has a very strong prey drive that could strongly hold her focus without giving up. She would bark at anything and everything that would walk by our front window. She could not get within 50 yards of another dog without barking and charging towards the other dog. She would also pull/charge small mammals and could easily pull me over if I wasn't ready for it. The session with Deb was a huge eye opener. She explained all of Shiloh's behavior in a way that showed me Shiloh's reasoning for acting the way she does. We sat down and discussed what I was experiencing and then how to correct it. It has been about 10 days of work with Shiloh and I have seen a lot of progress! She doesn't pull on the leash anymore (the harness they offer is a life saver!) and refocusing her will keep her from running after other animals. We are still working with her when it comes to barking at things that go by the window but she has gotten significantly better at it. Lastly, she has become able to walk within 10 yards of another dog without going nuts. It is always a work in progress but I am very very happy with how things are turning out. She will be able to find the perfect forever home because Bark Busters has given her another chance! Thank you!
PermalinkJulie B.
7 years ago
— Clive, IA
We were desperate to help our cute little "Teddy Bear", Charlie. We adopted him from another family just a few months ago but he has become increasingly more protective, even biting family members who he thinks are becoming a threat. He was out of control and we did not realize how to communicate with him to help him calm down. The first visit from Deb I was very skeptical and not sure if the money spent would be of value. Deb introduced us to "tough love" for Charlie and began training us to work with him effectively. Amazingly, within the course of the first lesson, Charlie was changing. Before Deb even left he was exhibiting calm and appropriate behaviors. Now just 2 days later we are still noticing changes in Charlie and have utilized Deb's techniques with ease to produce a completely different pet in our home. He no longer barks incessantly outside, rushes screeching to the door, jumps up on us, or exhibits aggressive behavior. He really seems appreciative that we took control and leadership so that he can relax and we finally understand now how to let him know what we expect of him. LOVE the lessons learned from Deb and Barkbusters and we are anxiously awaiting our next and subsequent lessons. Deb, thanks for saving Charlie and our family! We were so worried he would bite someone badly... your training was worth every penny!
PermalinkTina C.
7 years ago
— Ankeny, IA
Deb was awesome. Ginger is our foster pup. Ginger was growling and barking at all visitors, including children who came to our home. After one training session, she is no longer acting aggressive to guests. I can now feel at ease when people come to our home. Thank you Deb and Bark Busters!
PermalinkMelissa K.
7 years ago
— West Des Moines, IA
As first-time dog owners, we had a lot to learn about what was appropriate behavior for our dog. Before Bark Busters, Scout attended puppy obedience classes at a local pet store where he learned to sit, stay, lay down, and roll over. He's a quick learner but we couldn't figure out how to teach him basic obedience and appropriate social behaviors like no jumping, no counter surfing, and no running into the backs of our legs as we went down the stairs.
PermalinkWe researched several options for obedience training and ultimately chose Bark Busters because Deb would visit us in our home where all the problem behaviors occur. We wouldn't have to try to explain and replicate our issues, Deb could witness the problems where they take place. We also liked the fact that all members of the family (mom, dad, 8th grader, and 5th grader) could participate in the lessons and all be on the same page about what we were trying to accomplish with Scout's behaviors.
We saw immediate results as Scout sat next to me on the couch instead of sitting on my head and waited in his kennel to be released. Deb left us with detailed instructions on what to practice and within two weeks he was consistently waiting for his signal before going outside or coming back in, walking next to us instead of pulling on his leash, and waiting his turn on the stairs instead of bowling us over.
Deb came back after six weeks of practice and gave us pointers on how to be more consistent in handling the jumping and counter surfing problems. I wish we had contacted Deb earlier instead of waiting until our pup was 18 months old to start seriously training for better behavior.
Victoria P.
7 years ago
— Des Moines, IA
I had been having some possession/aggression issues with my 75 lb Mastiff/Pitbull, Frankie. He was unsure when I needed protection and was subsequently becoming more aggressive with strangers and anyone who came to the door. When I called Bark Busters, I was a little bit reluctant because of the pricing; however, once I met with Deb- my opinion completely changed. Frankie was completely receptive to the training on the very FIRST visit! He was so eager to please me! Within the first hour, I was able to control my dog so that he remained in a 'safe' spot until I gave him permission to come to the door and greet our visitor. Additionally, he responded to the leash, crate and stair training almost immediately as well. Deb did an incredible job teaching ME how to train my dog. She also proved to me that my dog is not aggressive, he just needed guidance! I am so thrilled that I chose Bark Busters to help me enjoy my Frank for many more years to come!
PermalinkLynne S.
7 years ago
— Johnston, IA
We asked Debbie to come back for a quick revision on a couple of issues we were having with Kya, our two year old German Shepherd. Once again, like our first visit with Debbie back in January, she gave us a few `light bulb' moments and has pointed us in the right direction in which we can help Kya to become the best dog she can be. What we learnt has made a huge difference over the past few days. Thanks again Debbie for all your wonderful help.
PermalinkCarolyn G.
7 years ago
— Ankeny, IA
Having Deb help us out was a lifesaver. The easy & simple training techneques she suggested have been easily adopted by our Daisy. Thank you Deb!
PermalinkJodi H.
7 years ago
— West Des Moines, IA
Deb was very helpful with getting us started on training our dog Sully. She was thorough and had useful suggestions for every question and situation we had. We've had one full week of using our initial training and it's gone very well. We have been very surprised and thankful for the difference it's made so far. We are looking forward to our additional training.
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