Bark Busters La Jolla, Encinitas & Carlsbad Reviews
Reviews
24 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)
Nancy S.
28 days ago
— North County San Diego
James is absolutely amazing!! We reached out to Bark Busters because our rescue German Shepherd/Husky mix had experienced a difficult reactive regression after having surgery on both of her hind legs. My husband and I had also recently had our own surgeries - so Jazzee had grown fearful and anxious.
Lots of jumping and somewhat aggressive, hyper behavior - especially in the presence of other dogs. I had grown anxious just walking her.
From the VERY beginning, James was extremely kind, calm and knowledgeable. After just a few minutes of observation, he recommended a leash change and some behavior modifications - all while encouraging us to reward her with lots of love when she was successful! I love how he clearly cared for her.
Within just a few weeks we have a totally different dog!! She is far more calm, can sit quietly as other dogs walk by - and is even fairly calm now when there are many dogs around. We are soo grateful and look forward to working more with James in the future. He is wonderful!! We would recommend him to anyone!
We could not be happier with our results from James. He's absolutely amazing. We saw such a huge difference after just the very first session, it honestly shocked us. Honestly, this has been some of the best money we've ever spent.
We have a 7-month-old Golden Retriever puppy and an 8-year-old pitbull mix, Molly, and both of them have improved so much already.
Our puppy picked up corrections and commands incredibly fast, and after that first day we knew we were in the right hands.
We've been working on manners, leash training, barking, overexcitement with guests, counter surfing, and more.
With Molly, we honestly thought she was too set in her ways and that the barking would never improve, but James completely proved us wrong. Her behavior has gotten significantly better. It's been such a relief because we were really starting to think the chaos was just our normal.
James has been patient, knowledgeable, and so easy to work with. Highly recommend him to anyone struggling with their dogs.
Absolute magic.
Here's the biggest takeaway from our experience: while our dogs benefit from training, it's really us who need to learn how to better understand them.
After just the first visit, we saw a dramatic change in our 5-year-old Maltipoo, Louie. He had always been highly reactive--pulling on the leash with surprising strength for a 14-pound dog, barking at every dog we passed, reacting to every outside noise, and going into a frenzy whenever someone came to the front door.
Having guests over was stressful and uncomfortable because he would bark nonstop at anyone unfamiliar. It honestly caused me a lot of anxiety.
Then in March, we brought home Norman, our 5-month-old puppy, and I quickly realized I didn't want him picking up Louie's bad habits. The thought of managing two reactive dogs--and double the stress--was overwhelming.
I found Bark Busters through a stranger | struck up a conversation with about my new puppy. She had dealt with similar challenges and shared how much it helped--not just her dog, but her own anxiety as well.
I reached out to James right away, and his response time was incredibly fast. We've now had three sessions with him. The first is a thorough three-hour session, packed with eye-opening and incredibly useful information. Follow-up sessions are about an hour.
What stands out most is how much this process focuses on retraining us. It's about changing our instincts and reactions, and learning how to communicate more effectively with our dogs.
James is patient, supportive, and excellent at explaining not just what to do, but why it matters.
This isn't a quick fix. It takes time, consistency, and commitment.
If you don't practice daily, progress can stall--l've seen that firsthand when we've gotten a bit inconsistent. But when you stay committed, the results are absolutely worth it.
We're already seeing such positive changes. Walking Louie is now enjoyable--something I never thought I'd say. Neighbors who used to see his reactivity can't believe how calm he is now.
We can actually stop and chat during walks.
If you're willing to put in the work and want a calmer, happier dog--and a more peaceful home--l highly recommend James.
He's kind, knowledgeable, and truly supportive throughout the process. Stick with it, and you won't regret it.
Our super reactive lab has been through 4 different trainers and he has gotten a little better each time but has been VERY challenging with guests at our home and walks in our neighborhood - until we met James with Bark Busters! Having James come to our house and train in our neighborhood has been a game changer. We had SIGNIFICANT progress after just one visit - more than several lessons with all our other trainers.
James is great at explaining how to read Carl, he gives us different tools to use for Carl's different issues and always follows up with a thorough summary of what we went over in lessons and what to continue to work on.
It is incredible the change we have seen in our boy Carl and we are so grateful to James! And he is a super nice guy to boot!
We had a fantastic experience working with James and can't recommend him highly enough.
Our dog Yaki used to be a serious puller on walks and would get overly excited whenever he saw other dogs.
It got to the point where we'd actively avoid other dogs altogether--which isn't exactly practical in a townhome community full of them.
James didn't just "train the dog"-he trained us. He helped us understand how to recognize when Yaki was entering that "yellow zone" before things escalated to red, and gave us the tools to redirect him early. His approach focused on energy, body language, and even using our own "bark" to communicate clearly and confidently.
The biggest shift was helping Yaki understand that he doesn't need to protect us--we've got that covered.
That change alone made a world of difference.
Now, walks are actually enjoyable. We can move through our neighborhood calmly and confidently without the constant stress we used to feel.
If you're dealing with similar challenges, James is absolutely worth it.
James has worked wonders with my 6 year old lab mix, Artie. Overall, she is a very good girl but has hao reactivity problems on walks. After being attacked several times by off leash dogs, she would constantly lunge and throw herself at other dogs, uncontrollably scratching and snarling at other dogs behind fences and others we'd pass the street.
After just a few sessions with James and rigorous adherence to the home program, it was like walking a different dog. Our walks are a lot calmer and she can relax and enjoy the adventure.
We adopted a ~3yo male bull terrier mix from a shelter and needed help getting him settled in. He is nervous around men, especially tall men, and was starting to get very overly protective of our home. "Boot camp" options seemed extreme, so I called Bark Busters (BB), seeking in-home private lessons. Justin responded the same day I left a message, and we talked about my concerns with our new rescue. I decided to try the BB program, which ended up being the BEST DECISION for my pup and for me! Justin set up our first session with trainer/coach James. James spent much of the 1st session going through the goals, objectives and concepts of training, including a timeline based on reasonable expectations of my dog. James spent a lot of time explaining how to "read" my dog's behavior, and how to properly respond. He explained the concepts behind each step, which helped me to understand not just what to do, but why (thus enabling me to understand how to deploy the training to different situations). James also set up scenarios to practice, going through each step so I could gain confidence in what my role is while helping my dog settle. It really is about training the owner how to work with the dog. James provided summaries of each session, plus videos demonstrating how I can use different responses/techniques to reshape how my dog reacts to stressful situations. I saw significant progress very early in the training, and was surprised at how quickly we were able to help my dog understand his role (and to feel safe) in our home. The best part is that if I need more help, I just have to reach out to James/BB and schedule more sessions - this is included in the initial program. Given that it takes a rescue dog a while to COMPLETELY settle in, new issues could arise as time passes, and if so, all I have to do is call to set it up. In summary, Bark Busters is a GREAT dog training program, and James is a FANTASTIC BB trainer/coach! Definitely recommend BB to owners that want help with their dogs!
I thought I would never be able to walk my two energetic dogs without them pulling and barking at other dogs. I started going early or taking different routes because it was so stressful. When I finally couldn't take it any longer, I hired Bark Busters. James was incredible and I couldn't believe the results. Within the first session, it was a huge improvement. After several months now, they are much more well behaved and walking them is fun again! I wish I had done this sooner. Best investment ever!
We love Bark Busters! We were very close to re-homing our puppy because of his biting and aggressive behaviors. As a last effort we reached out to bark busters. We met with James who helped us train Winston. Now 2 months later, he is a completely different puppy. He is sweet and obedient and no longer shows aggression. We thank James and Bark Busters for helping us. We now love the newest member of our family.
After a year and a half struggling with separation anxiety, counter surfacing and reactivity in our lovable but crazy rescue (a Lab-Golden Retriever) we found James at Bark Busters. What a miracle! In just the first session, followed by some practice, she has been transformed. Visitors at Thanksgiving said, "Who is this dog and what have you done with Luna!?" She has learned to pause and greet guests politely. She is learning to step back from always hovering over us. And (finally!) she doesn't act like a sled dog when I walk her, but behaves beautifully on the leash. Above all, we love that she is so much calmer now; it's like we've learned to speak her language. (An interesting aside...if you believe in emotion-body connection...even her chronic skin issues have subsided) We couldn't be more thrilled with Bark Busters and James, who is an pleasure to work with...for both our dog and her humans!
Nancy S.
28 days ago
— North County San Diego
James is absolutely amazing!! We reached out to Bark Busters because our rescue German Shepherd/Husky mix had experienced a difficult reactive regression after having surgery on both of her hind legs. My husband and I had also recently had our own surgeries - so Jazzee had grown fearful and anxious.
PermalinkLots of jumping and somewhat aggressive, hyper behavior - especially in the presence of other dogs. I had grown anxious just walking her.
From the VERY beginning, James was extremely kind, calm and knowledgeable. After just a few minutes of observation, he recommended a leash change and some behavior modifications - all while encouraging us to reward her with lots of love when she was successful! I love how he clearly cared for her.
Within just a few weeks we have a totally different dog!! She is far more calm, can sit quietly as other dogs walk by - and is even fairly calm now when there are many dogs around. We are soo grateful and look forward to working more with James in the future. He is wonderful!! We would recommend him to anyone!
Joy G.
28 days ago
— North County San Diego
We could not be happier with our results from James. He's absolutely amazing. We saw such a huge difference after just the very first session, it honestly shocked us. Honestly, this has been some of the best money we've ever spent.
PermalinkWe have a 7-month-old Golden Retriever puppy and an 8-year-old pitbull mix, Molly, and both of them have improved so much already.
Our puppy picked up corrections and commands incredibly fast, and after that first day we knew we were in the right hands.
We've been working on manners, leash training, barking, overexcitement with guests, counter surfing, and more.
With Molly, we honestly thought she was too set in her ways and that the barking would never improve, but James completely proved us wrong. Her behavior has gotten significantly better. It's been such a relief because we were really starting to think the chaos was just our normal.
James has been patient, knowledgeable, and so easy to work with. Highly recommend him to anyone struggling with their dogs.
Marlo S.
29 days ago
— North County San Diego
Absolute magic.
PermalinkHere's the biggest takeaway from our experience: while our dogs benefit from training, it's really us who need to learn how to better understand them.
After just the first visit, we saw a dramatic change in our 5-year-old Maltipoo, Louie. He had always been highly reactive--pulling on the leash with surprising strength for a 14-pound dog, barking at every dog we passed, reacting to every outside noise, and going into a frenzy whenever someone came to the front door.
Having guests over was stressful and uncomfortable because he would bark nonstop at anyone unfamiliar. It honestly caused me a lot of anxiety.
Then in March, we brought home Norman, our 5-month-old puppy, and I quickly realized I didn't want him picking up Louie's bad habits. The thought of managing two reactive dogs--and double the stress--was overwhelming.
I found Bark Busters through a stranger | struck up a conversation with about my new puppy. She had dealt with similar challenges and shared how much it helped--not just her dog, but her own anxiety as well.
I reached out to James right away, and his response time was incredibly fast. We've now had three sessions with him. The first is a thorough three-hour session, packed with eye-opening and incredibly useful information. Follow-up sessions are about an hour.
What stands out most is how much this process focuses on retraining us. It's about changing our instincts and reactions, and learning how to communicate more effectively with our dogs.
James is patient, supportive, and excellent at explaining not just what to do, but why it matters.
This isn't a quick fix. It takes time, consistency, and commitment.
If you don't practice daily, progress can stall--l've seen that firsthand when we've gotten a bit inconsistent. But when you stay committed, the results are absolutely worth it.
We're already seeing such positive changes. Walking Louie is now enjoyable--something I never thought I'd say. Neighbors who used to see his reactivity can't believe how calm he is now.
We can actually stop and chat during walks.
If you're willing to put in the work and want a calmer, happier dog--and a more peaceful home--l highly recommend James.
He's kind, knowledgeable, and truly supportive throughout the process. Stick with it, and you won't regret it.
Jennifer S.
30 days ago
— North County San Diego
Our super reactive lab has been through 4 different trainers and he has gotten a little better each time but has been VERY challenging with guests at our home and walks in our neighborhood - until we met James with Bark Busters! Having James come to our house and train in our neighborhood has been a game changer. We had SIGNIFICANT progress after just one visit - more than several lessons with all our other trainers.
PermalinkJames is great at explaining how to read Carl, he gives us different tools to use for Carl's different issues and always follows up with a thorough summary of what we went over in lessons and what to continue to work on.
It is incredible the change we have seen in our boy Carl and we are so grateful to James! And he is a super nice guy to boot!
Carl C.
31 days ago
— North County San Diego
We had a fantastic experience working with James and can't recommend him highly enough.
PermalinkOur dog Yaki used to be a serious puller on walks and would get overly excited whenever he saw other dogs.
It got to the point where we'd actively avoid other dogs altogether--which isn't exactly practical in a townhome community full of them.
James didn't just "train the dog"-he trained us. He helped us understand how to recognize when Yaki was entering that "yellow zone" before things escalated to red, and gave us the tools to redirect him early. His approach focused on energy, body language, and even using our own "bark" to communicate clearly and confidently.
The biggest shift was helping Yaki understand that he doesn't need to protect us--we've got that covered.
That change alone made a world of difference.
Now, walks are actually enjoyable. We can move through our neighborhood calmly and confidently without the constant stress we used to feel.
If you're dealing with similar challenges, James is absolutely worth it.
Simone S.
31 days ago
— North County San Diego
James has worked wonders with my 6 year old lab mix, Artie. Overall, she is a very good girl but has hao reactivity problems on walks. After being attacked several times by off leash dogs, she would constantly lunge and throw herself at other dogs, uncontrollably scratching and snarling at other dogs behind fences and others we'd pass the street.
PermalinkAfter just a few sessions with James and rigorous adherence to the home program, it was like walking a different dog. Our walks are a lot calmer and she can relax and enjoy the adventure.
Stephanie S .
3 months ago
— North County San Diego
We adopted a ~3yo male bull terrier mix from a shelter and needed help getting him settled in. He is nervous around men, especially tall men, and was starting to get very overly protective of our home. "Boot camp" options seemed extreme, so I called Bark Busters (BB), seeking in-home private lessons. Justin responded the same day I left a message, and we talked about my concerns with our new rescue. I decided to try the BB program, which ended up being the BEST DECISION for my pup and for me! Justin set up our first session with trainer/coach James. James spent much of the 1st session going through the goals, objectives and concepts of training, including a timeline based on reasonable expectations of my dog. James spent a lot of time explaining how to "read" my dog's behavior, and how to properly respond. He explained the concepts behind each step, which helped me to understand not just what to do, but why (thus enabling me to understand how to deploy the training to different situations). James also set up scenarios to practice, going through each step so I could gain confidence in what my role is while helping my dog settle. It really is about training the owner how to work with the dog. James provided summaries of each session, plus videos demonstrating how I can use different responses/techniques to reshape how my dog reacts to stressful situations. I saw significant progress very early in the training, and was surprised at how quickly we were able to help my dog understand his role (and to feel safe) in our home. The best part is that if I need more help, I just have to reach out to James/BB and schedule more sessions - this is included in the initial program. Given that it takes a rescue dog a while to COMPLETELY settle in, new issues could arise as time passes, and if so, all I have to do is call to set it up. In summary, Bark Busters is a GREAT dog training program, and James is a FANTASTIC BB trainer/coach! Definitely recommend BB to owners that want help with their dogs!
PermalinkSarah H.
3 months ago
— North County San Diego
I thought I would never be able to walk my two energetic dogs without them pulling and barking at other dogs. I started going early or taking different routes because it was so stressful. When I finally couldn't take it any longer, I hired Bark Busters. James was incredible and I couldn't believe the results. Within the first session, it was a huge improvement. After several months now, they are much more well behaved and walking them is fun again! I wish I had done this sooner. Best investment ever!
PermalinkVanessa H.
4 months ago
— North County San Diego
We love Bark Busters! We were very close to re-homing our puppy because of his biting and aggressive behaviors. As a last effort we reached out to bark busters. We met with James who helped us train Winston. Now 2 months later, he is a completely different puppy. He is sweet and obedient and no longer shows aggression. We thank James and Bark Busters for helping us. We now love the newest member of our family.
PermalinkJoy N.
6 months ago
— North County San Diego
After a year and a half struggling with separation anxiety, counter surfacing and reactivity in our lovable but crazy rescue (a Lab-Golden Retriever) we found James at Bark Busters. What a miracle! In just the first session, followed by some practice, she has been transformed. Visitors at Thanksgiving said, "Who is this dog and what have you done with Luna!?" She has learned to pause and greet guests politely. She is learning to step back from always hovering over us. And (finally!) she doesn't act like a sled dog when I walk her, but behaves beautifully on the leash. Above all, we love that she is so much calmer now; it's like we've learned to speak her language. (An interesting aside...if you believe in emotion-body connection...even her chronic skin issues have subsided) We couldn't be more thrilled with Bark Busters and James, who is an pleasure to work with...for both our dog and her humans!
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