If I could give more than 5 stars I would!!! I've never tried dog training before but I am beyond pleased with Tommy and all he has been able to offer us. Well worth the investment for greater peace in your own home!!
My training needs: My situation with my dogs is quite complex. I have not one, not two, but THREE beagles! They are all between 2 and 4 years old, so they were a little bit 'set in their ways'. Beagles are not the most obedient breed but with Tommy we were shocked at their ability to learn! My dogs were not having simple training issues like chewing on household items or peeing in the house -- their issues were more behavioral like: barking at movement, barking at strangers or guests in our home, barking for food or scratching cabinets for (demanding) food, being possessive of spaces in our home (couches, beds etc), some aggression between the two boy dogs, and always being under our feet (this can be quite dangerous with three dogs always one step away from tripping you up!).
Tommy's solutions: After one session with Tommy my dogs behaviors have totally changed, its like night and day! There were so many things that were just ideal about Tommy's training interventions. First, he comes to you. I think this is such a huge plus because for my dogs, anxiety and strangers is an issue. It wouldn't make sense to take them to a new environment where their training can't be retained because they are so distracted by fear, strangers, or other animals. Second, Tommy trains YOU not your dogs. Tommy doesn't do all these tricks with treats or clickers to get your dogs to behave and then just leaves. He observes your dogs and starts to tell you all the behaviors you can engage in to address every single situation you are facing with your pet. Throughout the session, you are doing the work and the commanding. Third, he didn't just come over and address one or a few of the things you might have mentioned to him -- he really takes the time to tackle all problems (big or small) that you are seeing with your dogs. Fourth, Tommy doesn't force you to make any changes to your lifestyle or your procedure with your animals. If your dog is allowed on furniture, kenneled vs. not kenneled etc, this doesn't matter to Tommy. He really works to teach you how to handle your dogs in the way you prefer, not in some prescriptive, rigid format. Moreover, he assigns you 'homework' to continue practicing with your dogs after he leaves, but it isn't something so strenuous that you have to change your lifestyle (take time off work, carve out an hour of your day for more training etc). Finally, he is just an overall friendly and patient guy. I know the idea of a stranger coming to your home may seem uncomfortable at first, but Tommy really put me and my mom at ease during this training.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend Tommy to anyone who has considered seeking a dog trainer. I went back and forth on whether or not this would work and I'm ultimately glad I took the chance on training. I read his reviews (I found Tommy through googling trainers in the area) and thought they all looked nice but that my situation was so much more complex. I really thought "this is going to be the case that Tommy can't fix" -- I mean, three beagles who normally bark endlessly at strangers (among all their other issues) is quite a challenge. I was certainly wrong, and Tommy was more than able to address all our needs. If Tommy can handle my situation and my three crazy dogs, I'm sure he could help you in yours.
I want to start by saying that this is only the second time that I’ve ever left an online review for a service, product, restaurant, etc. but Tommy deserves it.
We adopted our dog back in April of this year knowing that it would be more challenging to train her than usual. She was a 2 ½ year old stray German Shepard/lab/husky/every other breed imaginable who had just had puppies. We were having trouble getting her to stop pulling on a leash and to listen when we were outside, especially with other dogs present. Tommy came over and taught us how to get her in the mindset of “my people are in control of everything” and keep her calm before she gets fired up and desperately trying to get to the other dogs. We’ve since been able to get her to walk at our side with no pulling, and have made tremendous progress in only a few days with other dogs and getting better everyday.
I couldn't be happier that Tommy is our new dog trainer. We had an unfortunate experience of our dog getting over excited and protective of my kids, and then biting a child, and I was fearful that we would have to say goodbye to her. But I wanted to give the dog every chance I could to succeed. I read some reviews of Tommy online and after contacting him he came to my home the very next day.
Within our first session, I felt like I had a new dog. Since that first session, my dog respects me and her environment much more, she is calmer, more relaxed, and looks to me for direction rather than feeling like she has to protect me from every movement of a person, or a dog, or a leaf, or anything that should pass her way.
My friends have been amazed at the change in my dog and have kept asking, "What did the trainer do with her?" The surprising part is, he did just about nothing with her except watch her closely. And he did everything with me. My dog had no doubt that I was the one she should listen to. And even if I was confused about what to do, or got nervous myself (make no mistake, I LOVE my dog and this was a scary time in our lives), Tommy stayed completely calm and non-anxious, directed all of his conversation toward me, and helped me gain every understanding I needed in order to succeed.
He did pay attention to my dog, love on her, took pictures of her, and all that fun stuff -- when the time was right. But he was here to do his job and to give us his expertise, which was to lend tranquility and order to our little pack.
Even since our training session he has been completely responsive, he will come back to be sure we are continuing well in our relationship with the dog, and I am so very happy for this.
A couple of times I've done puppy classes at local pet stores. The kind of training those places do does not even BEGIN to compare to what Tommy does with an owner, a family, a dog, a home, and a future for a group of folks living together. I'm forever grateful to Tommy for how he has helped this piece of our life so much, and for how he has helped me to find the amazing dog that was inside my pooch the whole time. I look forward to continued discovery with him.
Tommy came out today to meet with me and my two dogs. One of the dogs has barking/anxiety issues and the other likes to bark for, what seems to be, attention-getting purposes. Tommy trained me on how to deal with the dogs' behavior and they responded very well. I will continue to practice with them daily but so far, I am already seeing huge positive changes in their behavior.
Tommy is FANTASTIC. We are very grateful for his initial help and continued support. From the first session, he gave us so much hope which is huge to us. He is extremely professional and focused on his job, he did not once get distracted by other things in our apartment building, side conversation, etc. We are truly thankful.
Tommy worked wonders with our newly rescued dog, Muggsy. We'd only had him a week and saw the need for some training. Within about two hours he was no longer trying to bolt out the door to get outside and was walking on leash like a champ! With consistent practice and training using the techniques Tommy showed us, he has transformed.
I highly recommend working with Tommy! He's patient, funny, and he really loves dogs. I'm 100% satisfied and look forward to enjoying many years with our now well-behaved pup!
Simply amazing. My family and I have had dogs since I was a little girl. We had always adopted our dogs directly from the breeders and raised them from puppyhood on to adulthood. So, I felt I could say I was an experienced dog owner. Little did I know that adopting my own dog, a stray, was more difficult than I had realized. I adopted a one year old stray "megamutt" from Kuwait about 8 months ago. She was surprisingly house trained and for the most part well-behaved with other dogs. I had considered training classes at PetSmart and Petco to help with her socializing skills, but feared that her anxiety would cause issues. I found Tommy through a friend who referred Bark Busters. While I love the lifetime guarantee the company offers, the service that really got my attention and had me reach out to make an appointment was the home-based training.
Tommy came to my house and worked with Sooner and my mom's 2 year old husky in a place where they felt comfortable. Immediately, my mom and I noticed changes in our dogs behavior. I swear Tommy brought dogs who were identical to ours over and swapped them out. He was so patient with my mom and I. He not only helped our dogs, but he helped us become better owners and taught us how to really communicate with our furry ones. I also loved that he tailored the training specifically to our dogs and their personalities. I will definitely be scheduling future training sessions with Tommy. Anyone, regardless of if they are first time dog owners or not, can benefit!!
Tommy was a great trainer with my dog Harlem. Harlem picked up the training during the 1st session and we have continued to work on it by ourselves. Tommy was a great choice to fix Harlem’s behavioral issues!
If you are looking for a great dog trainer, this is your guy. Tommy of Bark Busters is the third trainer that I have worked with in this area, and he is absolutely the best. He is responsive, a great communicator, flexible, and very knowledgeable about dogs. Most importantly, he is great at giving information in a way that makes sense to me, so that I can use it to work with my dog. I doubt anyone would regret their decision to work with him.
My recently adopted young lab-mix was barking at strangers who came to my door, and he was reacting aggressively to other dogs outside. Within a few minutes of walking into the door, Tommy changed my dog's behavior from a jumping maniac to calm and listening. He had great drills for the dog and me, and shared a lot of information about how I can reinforce the good behaviors and start building on them in the future. Thankfully, he also followed up in writing after the session, which will be helpful.
After my experiences with a few other trainers, I was really grateful that Tommy gave me a good framework, but also was flexible and gave us options to create the best result for me and my dog, with our individual personalities and quirks. I've worked with trainers that were set in doing things only one way, and it was frustrating for me, which ended up being frustrating for the dog.
Getting started was easy. We spoke for a while first and he gathered information about the dog's behavior and provided some background about what we were going to work on. We then worked together with the dog for a couple of hours in my house.
It's hard to believe how much my dog's behavior changed after a relatively small amount of time, but after a few days since my first discussion with Tommy, this dog is acting so much different. I was worried before I contacted Tommy that I might never be able to get my dog's bad habits under control and it felt like we were always in chaos. Tommy helped me bring out my dog's best. I am so grateful for the sense of peace in this house.
Tommy Meyerhoeffer definitely speaks dog. After just one session we had a different dog. The pooch no longer rules the roost. We've been able to modify his behavior in a very easy way with no gimmicks or treats. I would highly recommend Tommy to anybody who needs help with modifying their dog's behavior.
Sydney P.
6 years ago
— Fairfax, VA
If I could give more than 5 stars I would!!! I've never tried dog training before but I am beyond pleased with Tommy and all he has been able to offer us. Well worth the investment for greater peace in your own home!!
PermalinkMy training needs: My situation with my dogs is quite complex. I have not one, not two, but THREE beagles! They are all between 2 and 4 years old, so they were a little bit 'set in their ways'. Beagles are not the most obedient breed but with Tommy we were shocked at their ability to learn! My dogs were not having simple training issues like chewing on household items or peeing in the house -- their issues were more behavioral like: barking at movement, barking at strangers or guests in our home, barking for food or scratching cabinets for (demanding) food, being possessive of spaces in our home (couches, beds etc), some aggression between the two boy dogs, and always being under our feet (this can be quite dangerous with three dogs always one step away from tripping you up!).
Tommy's solutions: After one session with Tommy my dogs behaviors have totally changed, its like night and day! There were so many things that were just ideal about Tommy's training interventions. First, he comes to you. I think this is such a huge plus because for my dogs, anxiety and strangers is an issue. It wouldn't make sense to take them to a new environment where their training can't be retained because they are so distracted by fear, strangers, or other animals. Second, Tommy trains YOU not your dogs. Tommy doesn't do all these tricks with treats or clickers to get your dogs to behave and then just leaves. He observes your dogs and starts to tell you all the behaviors you can engage in to address every single situation you are facing with your pet. Throughout the session, you are doing the work and the commanding. Third, he didn't just come over and address one or a few of the things you might have mentioned to him -- he really takes the time to tackle all problems (big or small) that you are seeing with your dogs. Fourth, Tommy doesn't force you to make any changes to your lifestyle or your procedure with your animals. If your dog is allowed on furniture, kenneled vs. not kenneled etc, this doesn't matter to Tommy. He really works to teach you how to handle your dogs in the way you prefer, not in some prescriptive, rigid format. Moreover, he assigns you 'homework' to continue practicing with your dogs after he leaves, but it isn't something so strenuous that you have to change your lifestyle (take time off work, carve out an hour of your day for more training etc). Finally, he is just an overall friendly and patient guy. I know the idea of a stranger coming to your home may seem uncomfortable at first, but Tommy really put me and my mom at ease during this training.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend Tommy to anyone who has considered seeking a dog trainer. I went back and forth on whether or not this would work and I'm ultimately glad I took the chance on training. I read his reviews (I found Tommy through googling trainers in the area) and thought they all looked nice but that my situation was so much more complex. I really thought "this is going to be the case that Tommy can't fix" -- I mean, three beagles who normally bark endlessly at strangers (among all their other issues) is quite a challenge. I was certainly wrong, and Tommy was more than able to address all our needs. If Tommy can handle my situation and my three crazy dogs, I'm sure he could help you in yours.
Kyle K.
7 years ago
— Fairfax, VA
I want to start by saying that this is only the second time that I’ve ever left an online review for a service, product, restaurant, etc. but Tommy deserves it.
PermalinkWe adopted our dog back in April of this year knowing that it would be more challenging to train her than usual. She was a 2 ½ year old stray German Shepard/lab/husky/every other breed imaginable who had just had puppies. We were having trouble getting her to stop pulling on a leash and to listen when we were outside, especially with other dogs present. Tommy came over and taught us how to get her in the mindset of “my people are in control of everything” and keep her calm before she gets fired up and desperately trying to get to the other dogs. We’ve since been able to get her to walk at our side with no pulling, and have made tremendous progress in only a few days with other dogs and getting better everyday.
Connie T.
7 years ago
— Manassas, VA
I couldn't be happier that Tommy is our new dog trainer. We had an unfortunate experience of our dog getting over excited and protective of my kids, and then biting a child, and I was fearful that we would have to say goodbye to her. But I wanted to give the dog every chance I could to succeed. I read some reviews of Tommy online and after contacting him he came to my home the very next day.
PermalinkWithin our first session, I felt like I had a new dog. Since that first session, my dog respects me and her environment much more, she is calmer, more relaxed, and looks to me for direction rather than feeling like she has to protect me from every movement of a person, or a dog, or a leaf, or anything that should pass her way.
My friends have been amazed at the change in my dog and have kept asking, "What did the trainer do with her?" The surprising part is, he did just about nothing with her except watch her closely. And he did everything with me. My dog had no doubt that I was the one she should listen to. And even if I was confused about what to do, or got nervous myself (make no mistake, I LOVE my dog and this was a scary time in our lives), Tommy stayed completely calm and non-anxious, directed all of his conversation toward me, and helped me gain every understanding I needed in order to succeed.
He did pay attention to my dog, love on her, took pictures of her, and all that fun stuff -- when the time was right. But he was here to do his job and to give us his expertise, which was to lend tranquility and order to our little pack.
Even since our training session he has been completely responsive, he will come back to be sure we are continuing well in our relationship with the dog, and I am so very happy for this.
A couple of times I've done puppy classes at local pet stores. The kind of training those places do does not even BEGIN to compare to what Tommy does with an owner, a family, a dog, a home, and a future for a group of folks living together. I'm forever grateful to Tommy for how he has helped this piece of our life so much, and for how he has helped me to find the amazing dog that was inside my pooch the whole time. I look forward to continued discovery with him.
Dana S.
7 years ago
— Centreville, VA
Tommy came out today to meet with me and my two dogs. One of the dogs has barking/anxiety issues and the other likes to bark for, what seems to be, attention-getting purposes. Tommy trained me on how to deal with the dogs' behavior and they responded very well. I will continue to practice with them daily but so far, I am already seeing huge positive changes in their behavior.
PermalinkAmanda E.
7 years ago
— Fairfax, VA
Tommy is FANTASTIC. We are very grateful for his initial help and continued support. From the first session, he gave us so much hope which is huge to us. He is extremely professional and focused on his job, he did not once get distracted by other things in our apartment building, side conversation, etc. We are truly thankful.
PermalinkTina A.
7 years ago
— Manassas, VA
Tommy worked wonders with our newly rescued dog, Muggsy. We'd only had him a week and saw the need for some training. Within about two hours he was no longer trying to bolt out the door to get outside and was walking on leash like a champ! With consistent practice and training using the techniques Tommy showed us, he has transformed.
PermalinkI highly recommend working with Tommy! He's patient, funny, and he really loves dogs. I'm 100% satisfied and look forward to enjoying many years with our now well-behaved pup!
Candace P.
7 years ago
— Springfield, VA
Simply amazing. My family and I have had dogs since I was a little girl. We had always adopted our dogs directly from the breeders and raised them from puppyhood on to adulthood. So, I felt I could say I was an experienced dog owner. Little did I know that adopting my own dog, a stray, was more difficult than I had realized. I adopted a one year old stray "megamutt" from Kuwait about 8 months ago. She was surprisingly house trained and for the most part well-behaved with other dogs. I had considered training classes at PetSmart and Petco to help with her socializing skills, but feared that her anxiety would cause issues. I found Tommy through a friend who referred Bark Busters. While I love the lifetime guarantee the company offers, the service that really got my attention and had me reach out to make an appointment was the home-based training.
PermalinkTommy came to my house and worked with Sooner and my mom's 2 year old husky in a place where they felt comfortable. Immediately, my mom and I noticed changes in our dogs behavior. I swear Tommy brought dogs who were identical to ours over and swapped them out. He was so patient with my mom and I. He not only helped our dogs, but he helped us become better owners and taught us how to really communicate with our furry ones. I also loved that he tailored the training specifically to our dogs and their personalities. I will definitely be scheduling future training sessions with Tommy. Anyone, regardless of if they are first time dog owners or not, can benefit!!
Katlyn H.
7 years ago
— Manassas, VA
Tommy was a great trainer with my dog Harlem. Harlem picked up the training during the 1st session and we have continued to work on it by ourselves. Tommy was a great choice to fix Harlem’s behavioral issues!
PermalinkGabby P.
7 years ago
— Fairfax, VA
If you are looking for a great dog trainer, this is your guy. Tommy of Bark Busters is the third trainer that I have worked with in this area, and he is absolutely the best. He is responsive, a great communicator, flexible, and very knowledgeable about dogs. Most importantly, he is great at giving information in a way that makes sense to me, so that I can use it to work with my dog. I doubt anyone would regret their decision to work with him.
PermalinkMy recently adopted young lab-mix was barking at strangers who came to my door, and he was reacting aggressively to other dogs outside. Within a few minutes of walking into the door, Tommy changed my dog's behavior from a jumping maniac to calm and listening. He had great drills for the dog and me, and shared a lot of information about how I can reinforce the good behaviors and start building on them in the future. Thankfully, he also followed up in writing after the session, which will be helpful.
After my experiences with a few other trainers, I was really grateful that Tommy gave me a good framework, but also was flexible and gave us options to create the best result for me and my dog, with our individual personalities and quirks. I've worked with trainers that were set in doing things only one way, and it was frustrating for me, which ended up being frustrating for the dog.
Getting started was easy. We spoke for a while first and he gathered information about the dog's behavior and provided some background about what we were going to work on. We then worked together with the dog for a couple of hours in my house.
It's hard to believe how much my dog's behavior changed after a relatively small amount of time, but after a few days since my first discussion with Tommy, this dog is acting so much different. I was worried before I contacted Tommy that I might never be able to get my dog's bad habits under control and it felt like we were always in chaos. Tommy helped me bring out my dog's best. I am so grateful for the sense of peace in this house.
Walt T.
7 years ago
— Burke, VA
Tommy Meyerhoeffer definitely speaks dog. After just one session we had a different dog. The pooch no longer rules the roost. We've been able to modify his behavior in a very easy way with no gimmicks or treats. I would highly recommend Tommy to anybody who needs help with modifying their dog's behavior.
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