Bark Busters La Jolla, Encinitas & Carlsbad Reviews
Reviews
18 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)
Stephanie S .
49 days 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!
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!
My two small poodle mixes barked a lot at our windows that are right by a busy sidewalk and were out of control when I walked them. They would lung at other dogs and be aggressive. Not anymore! James is amazing. In 3 lessons I know how to stop the barking and get them to walk calmly by me. I’ve used other trainers but was never able to replicate their behavior after they left. Not a problem with this approach. I get it and can do it. And if I need help, I can call him. Life around our place and walking around town is so much calmer these days!
We had the pleasure of working with James for our dog, Bear. James was wonderful and we are so grateful for the training we received! Bear is doing so much better with the skills we targeted- not pulling the leash on walks and not jumping on people when they come over. We are so thankful we went with a training approach that still keeps our happy, energetic boy’s personality- just works in some boundaries. Highly recommend!
Training our new puppy Luna with James and Bark Busters has been going really well! Our family feels blessed to have found James and appreciates everything he has done thus far!
I found bark busters when I was at my wits end with my pup Coco. She is a Shepherd/lab mix and is sweet as can be but has a lot of very difficult behaviors. She is reactive, a jumper, a counter surfer, a chewer, a digger, a fence fighter, desperate for constant attention, and follows us everywhere. Even though she is sweet, she terrifies people when she barks because she looks like a Shepherd. I felt so helpless and based on my oldest dog I thought my only option was to send her to a board and train boot camp. Then I took to my good friend Google and found Bark Busters. After a phone consultation and a thorough review of the website I figured I would give it a shot! As an added bonus, my mom’s dog could be trained as well for only $100 more. We worked with James and he is amazing! He spent so much time with us just trying to understand our dogs and their behaviors at our first session. We saw results immediately! Coco can now walk on a leash without huge reactions. I had someone come to my door this week and she didn’t bark once. She isn’t jumping on us, hasn’t been counter surfing and is starting to understand our boundaries in the home. We shower her with praise when she does something well and she is eager to please! The beauty of this method is how easy it is. I was terrified of the thought of having homework, but with the Bark Busters’ method we are able to practice often and not even think of it as homework. Even my 9 year old son is able to correct our dogs! James is attentive to us and comes back whenever we have new behaviors or struggles. This training has been worth every penny. It feels like we can enjoy Coco and all her sweetness now that she understands her boundaries in the home! I highly recommend this training!
James with Bark Busters was amazing. I have struggled with my dog of nine years in regarding leash reactivity, incessant barking at the door and aggression to other dogs for a long time. I tried many times to work on training her myself with treats and positive reinforcement however, despite some improvement, the underlying issues still existed. My goal is to get another dog at some point and foster animals when needed. As I was unable to do that, I got in touch with Bark Busters . Surprisingly, within one session, Chloe was much improved. We continue practicing every day and although it is a work in progress, I have seen her made so much stride. James has been very helpful and responsive, even when I started fostering a puppy. I highly recommend Bark Busters .
James was a fantastic trainer for Cassidy. We were struggling with her barking and jumping but he helped us with techniques to curb that behavior. Highly recommend, and we have a happy so
Stephanie S .
49 days 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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!
PermalinkPeg
6 months ago
— La Jolla, CA
My two small poodle mixes barked a lot at our windows that are right by a busy sidewalk and were out of control when I walked them. They would lung at other dogs and be aggressive. Not anymore! James is amazing. In 3 lessons I know how to stop the barking and get them to walk calmly by me. I’ve used other trainers but was never able to replicate their behavior after they left. Not a problem with this approach. I get it and can do it. And if I need help, I can call him. Life around our place and walking around town is so much calmer these days!
PermalinkJenna R .
7 months ago
— North County San Diego
We had the pleasure of working with James for our dog, Bear. James was wonderful and we are so grateful for the training we received! Bear is doing so much better with the skills we targeted- not pulling the leash on walks and not jumping on people when they come over. We are so thankful we went with a training approach that still keeps our happy, energetic boy’s personality- just works in some boundaries. Highly recommend!
PermalinkBrandi J.
8 months ago
— North County San Diego
Training our new puppy Luna with James and Bark Busters has been going really well! Our family feels blessed to have found James and appreciates everything he has done thus far!
PermalinkK M.
10 months ago
— North County San Diego
I found bark busters when I was at my wits end with my pup Coco. She is a Shepherd/lab mix and is sweet as can be but has a lot of very difficult behaviors. She is reactive, a jumper, a counter surfer, a chewer, a digger, a fence fighter, desperate for constant attention, and follows us everywhere. Even though she is sweet, she terrifies people when she barks because she looks like a Shepherd. I felt so helpless and based on my oldest dog I thought my only option was to send her to a board and train boot camp. Then I took to my good friend Google and found Bark Busters. After a phone consultation and a thorough review of the website I figured I would give it a shot! As an added bonus, my mom’s dog could be trained as well for only $100 more. We worked with James and he is amazing! He spent so much time with us just trying to understand our dogs and their behaviors at our first session. We saw results immediately! Coco can now walk on a leash without huge reactions. I had someone come to my door this week and she didn’t bark once. She isn’t jumping on us, hasn’t been counter surfing and is starting to understand our boundaries in the home. We shower her with praise when she does something well and she is eager to please! The beauty of this method is how easy it is. I was terrified of the thought of having homework, but with the Bark Busters’ method we are able to practice often and not even think of it as homework. Even my 9 year old son is able to correct our dogs! James is attentive to us and comes back whenever we have new behaviors or struggles. This training has been worth every penny. It feels like we can enjoy Coco and all her sweetness now that she understands her boundaries in the home! I highly recommend this training!
PermalinkHilda S .
12 months ago
— North County San Diego
James with Bark Busters was amazing. I have struggled with my dog of nine years in regarding leash reactivity, incessant barking at the door and aggression to other dogs for a long time. I tried many times to work on training her myself with treats and positive reinforcement however, despite some improvement, the underlying issues still existed. My goal is to get another dog at some point and foster animals when needed. As I was unable to do that, I got in touch with Bark Busters . Surprisingly, within one session, Chloe was much improved. We continue practicing every day and although it is a work in progress, I have seen her made so much stride. James has been very helpful and responsive, even when I started fostering a puppy. I highly recommend Bark Busters .
PermalinkJohn L.
12 months ago
— North County San Diego
James was a fantastic trainer for Cassidy. We were struggling with her barking and jumping but he helped us with techniques to curb that behavior. Highly recommend, and we have a happy so
Permalink1 2 next »