Bark Busters La Jolla, Encinitas & Carlsbad Reviews
Reviews
33 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)
Shelley R.
17 days ago
— North County San Diego
James is an amazing trainer, and I can't recommend him enough!
I have a very challenging Border Collie named Bella, and taking her for a walk used to be incredibly stressful. Every time we encountered another dog, I had to stop and use all my strength to hold her back.
In just one session, James gave me the tools I needed to better understand Bella's body language and recognize when she needed a "reset." He taught me how to help Bella focus on me, engage her mentally, and build a stronger connection between us.
The difference has been incredible. Our walks are now enjoyable, and something as simple as stopping means Bella stops too. She's much more attentive and mentally fulfilled.
If you have a difficult dog, I highly recommend James as your trainer. His knowledge, patience, and practical techniques have made a world of difference for Bella and me. Thank you, James!
My husband had wanted me to get help for our male standard poodle for a long time. Mainly Rocket Man (Rocky) had incredible leash reactivity, among other issues. I have 2 Standard Poodles, mother and son. Haley is my service dog and will be retiring as soon as Rocky can take her place. But I was afraid I would have to "wash" him because of his reactivity. James returned my call and spent probably an hour on the phone with me. We arranged the initial meeting and it was love at first sight! by all of us.
Within the first meeting, he had already changed Rocky's behavior and we couldn't believe it...but it was wonderful. We are still working with James as our journey was delayed due to a serious health diagnosis for my husband (all well now) and me breaking my leg. During all of this, he was responsive, caring, patient and helped us stay on track. Recently he was on vacation out of the country, and still answered all of my questions.
I read the reviews here and agree with all the good things that were said.
In parting I will say that recently our dog walker was approached by a man with a wild
goldie-doodle who wanted to know how he had trained Rocky so well. What a turn- around in just a few months!
Don't postpone, don't hesitate....just call James and make your whole family, human and fur baby a lot happier.
Bark busters has been a life changing experience, we were skeptical since we’ve had little success with dog trainers. From the first lesson we saw drastic improvement in our dog’s behavior and it’s been night and day from before to now. I highly recommend James and his team he is responsive and very active in following up on our dog’s progress. If you’re serious about getting help for your dog James is the answer.
James really knows his stuff. My dog was a different dog after our first lesson. The methods he showed me made so much sense and my dog responded to them like I never seen. James is also very friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and great to work with. Very highly recommended.
We sought out a dog trainer once we got our 2 year old Rescue Lab. We were looking for someone who could come into the home and work directly with our family members. "Josie" has some anxiety/separation issues and pretty high energy we didn't really know how to channel. James from Bark Busters came straight in and got to work. Learning the basic methodology of training has been a game changer! He taught us how to correct with our voices as well as gave us actually tools to use in conjunction with the correction. As with most things, it is about consistency and we have been fortunate to have James available to us as needed for when Josie starts to exhibit other behaviors or we start to "forget" what we are supposed to do! Josie also has mellowed out knowing who is in charge and what behaviors are acceptable. We strongly recommend the Bark Busters Training and whole-heartedly recommend James! The Trudeau Family
If you're struggling with a dog with serious behavioral issues, I can't recommend James at Bark Busters Home Dog Training – North County San Diego highly enough.
Our female Standard Poodle, Chloe, had developed a strong protective fixation on me — and I mean strong. She would aggressively challenge anyone who came near me: my wife, my kids, my grandkids, and strangers we'd encounter on neighborhood walks. It had gotten to the point where it was genuinely stressful and potentially unsafe.
What I appreciated most about James is that he doesn't just train your dog — he trains you. He took the time to understand Chloe's behavior, explain the "why" behind it, and then coach me on exactly how to respond in the moment. He also outfitted Chloe with a different leash arrangement, and the effect was immediate and honestly a little stunning — within the first session, maybe an hour in, we were seeing dramatic changes. No more fish-on-a-line chaos. She stayed right by my side, needed very little correction, and her aggression was addressed quickly with a consistent, proactive approach.
The transformation has been remarkable. Chloe is still her wonderful, loyal self — but now she's calm and confident rather than reactive and tense. Instead of lunging first and asking questions never, she looks to me for signals before reacting. Our walks are enjoyable again, and our whole family can be around her without any worry.
One session. One hour. James is patient, knowledgeable, and clearly knows exactly what he's doing. Worth every penny.
My husband and I reached out because we have a reactive doggy, Zeus, and we had been postponing some much needed training.
Upon contacting James, he was very professional and transparent about the pricing and different packages.
We are very pleased with our decision in proceeding with this business as there was immediate improvement after just one session! James has done a wonderful job identifying the behavioral issues and triggers and explaining the processes of correcting Zeus's behavior. James also doesn't rush the process and is very attentive and intentional with the time spent during the sessions as well as with the communication updates sent via text. We are very happy and pleased with the progress made so far with Zeus, and we are excited to see continued improvements!
When my neighbor called to tell me that my dog was walking on the second floor roof of our condo complex, I knew that I needed help. I had rescued my beautiful black lab only a week earlier when she played Houdini, escaped through the screen door and was jumping from balcony to balcony on the second floor of my complex. I needed help. Thankfully James came to the rescue. I had never dealt with pet separation anxiety before and had no idea what to do. When James came for our first session, he spent plenty of time making Bailey and me feel calm and comfortable. James taught me how to work with Bailey in a very patient and positive manner. I learned how to create train her, something that was new to both of us, I was consistent working with Bailey and in keeping James up to date on our training. He provided me with daily feedback and suggestions between visits. All of our work paid off. Bailey was an attentive learner. Now I can leave for errands and know that she is safe and ok. I can watch her on the camera that James suggested (very reasonable and worth every penny). I took Bailey to doggie day care on the one day per week that I worked because it was too long for her otherwise. Now I have a happy dog who walks into her crate, tail wagging and settles down until I return. Thank you James for all your help and support. This was definitely the right decision for Bailey and me! 🐾
It was a pleasure to work with James! He helped me with my 75 pound labradoodle (Romeo) who was barking alot and pulling on walks. James was very thorough in explaining how and why certain techniques would work for us. Romeo responded positively on the first visit, and with practice his barking and leash pulling are under control. My life is much less stressful! I highly recommend James for your dog training needs!
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!
Shelley R.
17 days ago
— North County San Diego
James is an amazing trainer, and I can't recommend him enough!
PermalinkI have a very challenging Border Collie named Bella, and taking her for a walk used to be incredibly stressful. Every time we encountered another dog, I had to stop and use all my strength to hold her back.
In just one session, James gave me the tools I needed to better understand Bella's body language and recognize when she needed a "reset." He taught me how to help Bella focus on me, engage her mentally, and build a stronger connection between us.
The difference has been incredible. Our walks are now enjoyable, and something as simple as stopping means Bella stops too. She's much more attentive and mentally fulfilled.
If you have a difficult dog, I highly recommend James as your trainer. His knowledge, patience, and practical techniques have made a world of difference for Bella and me. Thank you, James!
Pamela S.
18 days ago
— San Diego, CA
My husband had wanted me to get help for our male standard poodle for a long time. Mainly Rocket Man (Rocky) had incredible leash reactivity, among other issues. I have 2 Standard Poodles, mother and son. Haley is my service dog and will be retiring as soon as Rocky can take her place. But I was afraid I would have to "wash" him because of his reactivity. James returned my call and spent probably an hour on the phone with me. We arranged the initial meeting and it was love at first sight! by all of us.
PermalinkWithin the first meeting, he had already changed Rocky's behavior and we couldn't believe it...but it was wonderful. We are still working with James as our journey was delayed due to a serious health diagnosis for my husband (all well now) and me breaking my leg. During all of this, he was responsive, caring, patient and helped us stay on track. Recently he was on vacation out of the country, and still answered all of my questions.
I read the reviews here and agree with all the good things that were said.
In parting I will say that recently our dog walker was approached by a man with a wild
goldie-doodle who wanted to know how he had trained Rocky so well. What a turn- around in just a few months!
Don't postpone, don't hesitate....just call James and make your whole family, human and fur baby a lot happier.
Danny E.
21 days ago
— North County San Diego
Bark busters has been a life changing experience, we were skeptical since we’ve had little success with dog trainers. From the first lesson we saw drastic improvement in our dog’s behavior and it’s been night and day from before to now. I highly recommend James and his team he is responsive and very active in following up on our dog’s progress. If you’re serious about getting help for your dog James is the answer.
PermalinkTodd W.
22 days ago
— North County San Diego
James really knows his stuff. My dog was a different dog after our first lesson. The methods he showed me made so much sense and my dog responded to them like I never seen. James is also very friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and great to work with. Very highly recommended.
PermalinkCeleste T.
27 days ago
— North County San Diego
We sought out a dog trainer once we got our 2 year old Rescue Lab. We were looking for someone who could come into the home and work directly with our family members. "Josie" has some anxiety/separation issues and pretty high energy we didn't really know how to channel. James from Bark Busters came straight in and got to work. Learning the basic methodology of training has been a game changer! He taught us how to correct with our voices as well as gave us actually tools to use in conjunction with the correction. As with most things, it is about consistency and we have been fortunate to have James available to us as needed for when Josie starts to exhibit other behaviors or we start to "forget" what we are supposed to do! Josie also has mellowed out knowing who is in charge and what behaviors are acceptable. We strongly recommend the Bark Busters Training and whole-heartedly recommend James! The Trudeau Family
PermalinkGreg G.
39 days ago
— North County San Diego
If you're struggling with a dog with serious behavioral issues, I can't recommend James at Bark Busters Home Dog Training – North County San Diego highly enough.
PermalinkOur female Standard Poodle, Chloe, had developed a strong protective fixation on me — and I mean strong. She would aggressively challenge anyone who came near me: my wife, my kids, my grandkids, and strangers we'd encounter on neighborhood walks. It had gotten to the point where it was genuinely stressful and potentially unsafe.
What I appreciated most about James is that he doesn't just train your dog — he trains you. He took the time to understand Chloe's behavior, explain the "why" behind it, and then coach me on exactly how to respond in the moment. He also outfitted Chloe with a different leash arrangement, and the effect was immediate and honestly a little stunning — within the first session, maybe an hour in, we were seeing dramatic changes. No more fish-on-a-line chaos. She stayed right by my side, needed very little correction, and her aggression was addressed quickly with a consistent, proactive approach.
The transformation has been remarkable. Chloe is still her wonderful, loyal self — but now she's calm and confident rather than reactive and tense. Instead of lunging first and asking questions never, she looks to me for signals before reacting. Our walks are enjoyable again, and our whole family can be around her without any worry.
One session. One hour. James is patient, knowledgeable, and clearly knows exactly what he's doing. Worth every penny.
Elodie H.
40 days ago
— North County San Diego
Highly Recommend this business!
PermalinkMy husband and I reached out because we have a reactive doggy, Zeus, and we had been postponing some much needed training.
Upon contacting James, he was very professional and transparent about the pricing and different packages.
We are very pleased with our decision in proceeding with this business as there was immediate improvement after just one session! James has done a wonderful job identifying the behavioral issues and triggers and explaining the processes of correcting Zeus's behavior. James also doesn't rush the process and is very attentive and intentional with the time spent during the sessions as well as with the communication updates sent via text. We are very happy and pleased with the progress made so far with Zeus, and we are excited to see continued improvements!
Thank you James!
Jan Hamilton .
56 days ago
— Carlsbad, CA
When my neighbor called to tell me that my dog was walking on the second floor roof of our condo complex, I knew that I needed help. I had rescued my beautiful black lab only a week earlier when she played Houdini, escaped through the screen door and was jumping from balcony to balcony on the second floor of my complex. I needed help. Thankfully James came to the rescue. I had never dealt with pet separation anxiety before and had no idea what to do. When James came for our first session, he spent plenty of time making Bailey and me feel calm and comfortable. James taught me how to work with Bailey in a very patient and positive manner. I learned how to create train her, something that was new to both of us, I was consistent working with Bailey and in keeping James up to date on our training. He provided me with daily feedback and suggestions between visits. All of our work paid off. Bailey was an attentive learner. Now I can leave for errands and know that she is safe and ok. I can watch her on the camera that James suggested (very reasonable and worth every penny). I took Bailey to doggie day care on the one day per week that I worked because it was too long for her otherwise. Now I have a happy dog who walks into her crate, tail wagging and settles down until I return. Thank you James for all your help and support. This was definitely the right decision for Bailey and me! 🐾
PermalinkHelga
59 days ago
— Carlsbad, CA
It was a pleasure to work with James! He helped me with my 75 pound labradoodle (Romeo) who was barking alot and pulling on walks. James was very thorough in explaining how and why certain techniques would work for us. Romeo responded positively on the first visit, and with practice his barking and leash pulling are under control. My life is much less stressful! I highly recommend James for your dog training needs!
PermalinkNancy S.
3 months 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!
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