We are a multiple dog family, and after moving to our new home we were experiencing various issues including fighting, going potty on floors and kennels and crying. We were stressed and our dogs were stressed. We had looked at Bark Busters in the past, but were hesitant due to cost; however after taking our silky terrier to the emergency vet for the second time due to our dogs fighting, we decided it would be a safer and a better decision to invest in this service rather than continual vet bills. We had an initial phone consultation and Lynne asked about each of our dogs (personality, training issues, age etc...). I was impressed by the genuine interest she had in learning about each of our dogs. After the phone consultation, we set up a time for Lynne to come meet our family. My husband and I knew almost immediately that Lynne was going to be a good fit. She was patient, understanding, and the dogs responded well and were much calmer when she came to the house. She spent time with each of the dogs and got a good understanding of their personality quirks and the issues we were experiencing. Lynne has been to our home multiple times to work with us and our dogs and one of the main things that we have been able to improve is how we are communicating with our dogs. We have been able to modify our behaviors to better align with the way dogs naturally communicate (ie- instead of yelling, changing posture to show dominance.) We have seen great improvements in the past 6 months and our home is much more calm and relaxed. Every issue we have had, Lynne has offered great suggestions for, and she helped us build routines that our dogs thrive much better on. They still are not perfect, but a lot of this is what the owner puts into it. After Lynne leaves, we spend a lot of time working with them and try to provide as much consistency as possible, but when we fall behind on the training, so do our dogs. If someone feels the program isn't working it is probably because they are not continuing to do the work once she is gone. Lynne is a true professional and we would highly recommend her.
Daria and Marc,
You have done a wonderful job working with your four dogs. I enjoy working with such dedicated owners!
Sarah M.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne explained the techniques and went through them with us until we fully understood them. Results--it was like I had a whole new dog! I loved the techniques that were taught-I am all about positive reinforcement and doing things naturally. I have learned so much and look forward to every session I have with Lynne. I would recommend Bark Busters 100% because my dog is doing much better than I ever could have imagined. I can't thank Lynne enough. Niko has made a complete turn for the better. His behaviors are now under control and we can explore more public places without any worry!
Sarah-you and Niko have been consistent and worked diligently at building his focus and response. Good on ya!!! And congrats on achieving the Canine Good Citizen Title!
Stephanie B.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne was thoughtful and was able to explain the reasons to why she choose certain techniques over others. Lynne explained that we still needed to work hard, but Eleanor was responding very well. The techniques were very effective. We learned a lot! I would recommend Bark Busters- I think with every dog, Bark Buster's different techniques are helpful to all. Thank you! We have seen great improvement in Eleanors listening and obeying our verbal commands.
Nice work with your lovely Dobermans! It's been fun to work with you, Eleanor and Surly.
Patricia P.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne is straight-forward, patient, caring for both dog and owner. She quickly assessed my adolescent puppy's personality and knew how to work with her to acheive results. Happy puppy-Happy owner! If it had not been for Lynne with Bark Busters, I would have had to return my puppy to the shelter. Thank you, Lynne!
Good work Patricia! Princess is a young dog-full of life! Keep working with her and have fun while you build her focus and respect.
Anonymous
11 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne helped us with a different approach to training our 1½ year old Havanese. Miley is much more understanding that my husband and I are in charge. We need help with potty training, barking and developing respect between the three of us and I have already seen improvements after two weeks. I am excited to see how much Miley improves over the next year!
Lynne is a nice, honest, genuine trainer. Simple techniques. Very honest and open with lots of experience to share. We have very loving and soft hearted dogs. It's difficult when you see your dogs suffering on the inside (anxiety) and don't know what to do. This has been a great experience being able to be shown several ways to help your dog instead of feeling hopeless. It brings life back to them as well. You can see hope in their puppy dog eyes.
I can not give enough positive praise to Bark Busters and the changes they have instilled in our dog Milo. Milo is a one year-old Coon hound that we adopted from the pound 6 weeks ago. We fell in love with him & although he did not meet some of our important criteria, our hearts were won over and we brought him home. Milo came in sweet, shy, and like a perfect dog, for about 24 hours. After the quick honeymoon his true colors began to show. He was destroying the house, having consistent accidents & showing aggressive behaviors towards our kids (5 and 2 years old). My initial criteria was that we had to know how the dog was with children, I appreciate any of the other behaviors can come with a dog and could be worked through. Aggression towards our kids was a deal breaker. I was in tears and fearful we would not be able to keep Milo, this adorable hound that we promised a home. I called Bark Busters in hopes that they could help us, but was not sure what to expect. Lynne Willeke from Bark Busters came to our house within a few days of the call. I was shocked by how quickly she was able to get Milo calm and to respond. In our first visit she covered the philosophy of Bark Busters and the pack mentality, potty training, separation anxiety, leash walking, aggressive behaviors, barking, & kenneling. It was a lot of information to go through but of immense help. I can honestly say I witnessed a huge turn around in just one visit. Lynne helped to restore my hope and allowed me to feel more in control and like a better parent to Milo. It was the lack of knowing what to do that left me feeling so helpless. We purchased a life time guarantee package, where Lynne will be available to us for Milo's entire life. I feel confident that we can over come any challenges with Lynne's assistance. She is also going to help us to prepare Milo to get ready for the good canine citizen test which could allow Milo to go through training to become a therapy dog. Lynne has helped the entire family learn and grow more in creating the best home for all of us. I could not recommend Bark Busters more highly and will be forever grateful for Lynne's help to our family and Milo.
Our only regret is that we did not call Lynne from Bark Busters the minute we brought home our new dog from the Humane Society. Buddy was an abandoned, neglected dog that started out very friendly and loving, but once he became comfortable in our environment, he became aggressive and overly protective to the point that we couldn't have anyone over to our house without fear of them being bitten by our dog. I knew that the usual training programs from Petsmart or the Humane Society wouldn't work on the specific problem we were having, as Buddy responded to heel, sit, stay, etc. rather well. This was something deeper that we assumed was related to his past experiences with his former owner. We were very frustrated and felt we might have to surrender the dog since we couldn't deal with his behavior. Based on their website and other reviews, it seemed that Bark Busters could be the ones to help. Lynne came out and sat down with us, discussed how the program would work, and observed Buddy's behavior. She was able to discern that Buddy, who is a Alaskan Malamute/ Lab mix, had a very strong need for a "pack" environment, and needed a strong owner to lead his behavior. He was not getting enough leadership from us, so he felt he had to take over and be the boss. Thus the assertive, often dangerous reactions to strangers to protect his pack. Lynne required that we learn to be commanding and confident in our interactions with him, as he was constantly protecting his home and neighborhood from other people and other dogs, which was natural to him. Lynne worked with us many weeks (at several weeks more than the typical client, I am sure) and was determined to help us, as she saw that Buddy could be a great pet and companion. She worked with us in our home environment, at local parks and public places, to further evaluate Buddy's reactions. Our program was definitely tailored to us and our dog. Lynne also showed us how some of our ignorance about dog behavior (first time dog owners!) led us do things that confused and frustrated Buddy, and eroded our leadership role in his eyes. We now have a dog that is loving to us, and accepting of our extended family in our home. He looks to us for direction, and we know how to give it to him. Whenever we have a question, Lynne is available and responds within hours to our questions. She even helped us find the right leash for him, since he is a immense puller (sled dog!) on walks and needs something to help curb his overpulling tendencies. One of the most important things we learned is that training your dog; is an ongoing process - you can't expect a quick fix for deep-seated issues like our Buddy had. But Lynne worked VERY patiently with us to help us see that Buddy could be helped.
Lynne was very easy to talk to and very helpful. She made sure we understood and felt comfortable. We saw results by the end of the visit, and definitely after these first few weeks. I would recommend Bark Busters, I already have! It has been a great experience so far.
I thought the training was fun and super educational! I am pleased with the techniques used, I'm now more observant of my dog's behavior. It's a fun way to train your dog and bond with your dog more too! It's kind of wild how practicing this training that Lynne has taught us has given me more confidence and my dog seems more confident too. Thanks!
Marc and Daria T.
10 years ago
— Saint Paul, MN
We are a multiple dog family, and after moving to our new home we were experiencing various issues including fighting, going potty on floors and kennels and crying. We were stressed and our dogs were stressed. We had looked at Bark Busters in the past, but were hesitant due to cost; however after taking our silky terrier to the emergency vet for the second time due to our dogs fighting, we decided it would be a safer and a better decision to invest in this service rather than continual vet bills. We had an initial phone consultation and Lynne asked about each of our dogs (personality, training issues, age etc...). I was impressed by the genuine interest she had in learning about each of our dogs. After the phone consultation, we set up a time for Lynne to come meet our family. My husband and I knew almost immediately that Lynne was going to be a good fit. She was patient, understanding, and the dogs responded well and were much calmer when she came to the house. She spent time with each of the dogs and got a good understanding of their personality quirks and the issues we were experiencing. Lynne has been to our home multiple times to work with us and our dogs and one of the main things that we have been able to improve is how we are communicating with our dogs. We have been able to modify our behaviors to better align with the way dogs naturally communicate (ie- instead of yelling, changing posture to show dominance.) We have seen great improvements in the past 6 months and our home is much more calm and relaxed. Every issue we have had, Lynne has offered great suggestions for, and she helped us build routines that our dogs thrive much better on. They still are not perfect, but a lot of this is what the owner puts into it. After Lynne leaves, we spend a lot of time working with them and try to provide as much consistency as possible, but when we fall behind on the training, so do our dogs. If someone feels the program isn't working it is probably because they are not continuing to do the work once she is gone. Lynne is a true professional and we would highly recommend her.
PermalinkYou have done a wonderful job working with your four dogs. I enjoy working with such dedicated owners!
Sarah M.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne explained the techniques and went through them with us until we fully understood them. Results--it was like I had a whole new dog! I loved the techniques that were taught-I am all about positive reinforcement and doing things naturally. I have learned so much and look forward to every session I have with Lynne. I would recommend Bark Busters 100% because my dog is doing much better than I ever could have imagined. I can't thank Lynne enough. Niko has made a complete turn for the better. His behaviors are now under control and we can explore more public places without any worry!
PermalinkStephanie B.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne was thoughtful and was able to explain the reasons to why she choose certain techniques over others. Lynne explained that we still needed to work hard, but Eleanor was responding very well. The techniques were very effective. We learned a lot! I would recommend Bark Busters- I think with every dog, Bark Buster's different techniques are helpful to all. Thank you! We have seen great improvement in Eleanors listening and obeying our verbal commands.
PermalinkPatricia P.
10 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne is straight-forward, patient, caring for both dog and owner. She quickly assessed my adolescent puppy's personality and knew how to work with her to acheive results. Happy puppy-Happy owner! If it had not been for Lynne with Bark Busters, I would have had to return my puppy to the shelter. Thank you, Lynne!
PermalinkAnonymous
11 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne helped us with a different approach to training our 1½ year old Havanese. Miley is much more understanding that my husband and I are in charge. We need help with potty training, barking and developing respect between the three of us and I have already seen improvements after two weeks. I am excited to see how much Miley improves over the next year!
PermalinkAnonymous
11 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne is a nice, honest, genuine trainer. Simple techniques. Very honest and open with lots of experience to share. We have very loving and soft hearted dogs. It's difficult when you see your dogs suffering on the inside (anxiety) and don't know what to do. This has been a great experience being able to be shown several ways to help your dog instead of feeling hopeless. It brings life back to them as well. You can see hope in their puppy dog eyes.
PermalinkAnonymous
12 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
I can not give enough positive praise to Bark Busters and the changes they have instilled in our dog Milo. Milo is a one year-old Coon hound that we adopted from the pound 6 weeks ago. We fell in love with him & although he did not meet some of our important criteria, our hearts were won over and we brought him home. Milo came in sweet, shy, and like a perfect dog, for about 24 hours. After the quick honeymoon his true colors began to show. He was destroying the house, having consistent accidents & showing aggressive behaviors towards our kids (5 and 2 years old). My initial criteria was that we had to know how the dog was with children, I appreciate any of the other behaviors can come with a dog and could be worked through. Aggression towards our kids was a deal breaker. I was in tears and fearful we would not be able to keep Milo, this adorable hound that we promised a home. I called Bark Busters in hopes that they could help us, but was not sure what to expect. Lynne Willeke from Bark Busters came to our house within a few days of the call. I was shocked by how quickly she was able to get Milo calm and to respond. In our first visit she covered the philosophy of Bark Busters and the pack mentality, potty training, separation anxiety, leash walking, aggressive behaviors, barking, & kenneling. It was a lot of information to go through but of immense help. I can honestly say I witnessed a huge turn around in just one visit. Lynne helped to restore my hope and allowed me to feel more in control and like a better parent to Milo. It was the lack of knowing what to do that left me feeling so helpless. We purchased a life time guarantee package, where Lynne will be available to us for Milo's entire life. I feel confident that we can over come any challenges with Lynne's assistance. She is also going to help us to prepare Milo to get ready for the good canine citizen test which could allow Milo to go through training to become a therapy dog. Lynne has helped the entire family learn and grow more in creating the best home for all of us. I could not recommend Bark Busters more highly and will be forever grateful for Lynne's help to our family and Milo.
PermalinkAnonymous
12 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Our only regret is that we did not call Lynne from Bark Busters the minute we brought home our new dog from the Humane Society. Buddy was an abandoned, neglected dog that started out very friendly and loving, but once he became comfortable in our environment, he became aggressive and overly protective to the point that we couldn't have anyone over to our house without fear of them being bitten by our dog. I knew that the usual training programs from Petsmart or the Humane Society wouldn't work on the specific problem we were having, as Buddy responded to heel, sit, stay, etc. rather well. This was something deeper that we assumed was related to his past experiences with his former owner. We were very frustrated and felt we might have to surrender the dog since we couldn't deal with his behavior. Based on their website and other reviews, it seemed that Bark Busters could be the ones to help. Lynne came out and sat down with us, discussed how the program would work, and observed Buddy's behavior. She was able to discern that Buddy, who is a Alaskan Malamute/ Lab mix, had a very strong need for a "pack" environment, and needed a strong owner to lead his behavior. He was not getting enough leadership from us, so he felt he had to take over and be the boss. Thus the assertive, often dangerous reactions to strangers to protect his pack. Lynne required that we learn to be commanding and confident in our interactions with him, as he was constantly protecting his home and neighborhood from other people and other dogs, which was natural to him. Lynne worked with us many weeks (at several weeks more than the typical client, I am sure) and was determined to help us, as she saw that Buddy could be a great pet and companion. She worked with us in our home environment, at local parks and public places, to further evaluate Buddy's reactions. Our program was definitely tailored to us and our dog. Lynne also showed us how some of our ignorance about dog behavior (first time dog owners!) led us do things that confused and frustrated Buddy, and eroded our leadership role in his eyes. We now have a dog that is loving to us, and accepting of our extended family in our home. He looks to us for direction, and we know how to give it to him. Whenever we have a question, Lynne is available and responds within hours to our questions. She even helped us find the right leash for him, since he is a immense puller (sled dog!) on walks and needs something to help curb his overpulling tendencies. One of the most important things we learned is that training your dog; is an ongoing process - you can't expect a quick fix for deep-seated issues like our Buddy had. But Lynne worked VERY patiently with us to help us see that Buddy could be helped.
PermalinkAnonymous
12 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Lynne was very easy to talk to and very helpful. She made sure we understood and felt comfortable. We saw results by the end of the visit, and definitely after these first few weeks. I would recommend Bark Busters, I already have! It has been a great experience so far.
PermalinkAnonymous
12 years ago
— Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
I thought the training was fun and super educational! I am pleased with the techniques used, I'm now more observant of my dog's behavior. It's a fun way to train your dog and bond with your dog more too! It's kind of wild how practicing this training that Lynne has taught us has given me more confidence and my dog seems more confident too. Thanks!
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