Bark Busters Stamford & Greater Fairfield County Reviews
Reviews
206 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 4.98 out of 5)
Ian T.
7 years ago
— Stamford, CT
Wow! If anyone in the Stamford or Fairfield county is looking for a dog trainer look no more. My wife and I have a rescue pit bull , Max, who we took into our family 7months ago, He was very energetic( meaning overly hyper) and unresponsive to sort of training we tried. A friend of ours had a co worker who had Mike train their dog and highly recommended him. We got in touch with Mike and him meet Max. Well... not even 2 hours later our lives are changed forever. His behavioral approach to training US, not just max was/ amazing! He followed up with us to make sure we were following our homework with max and how he was responding.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND- THANKS MIKE!
Thank you Michael for your assistance with my 10 year old Shar Pei Georgie. I thought I would let you know that Georgie slept the night through in his crate, from 10pm to 6am, not a squeak from him. He is such a sensitive and responsive dog, I am filled with gratitude for your guidance and assistance in showing me how to be with him. I feel that has also been somewhat of a life lesson for me in other ways.
First, my dog is a Caucasian Shepherd, not the easiest breed as they have highly instinctual behaviors as it relates to protecting their family; at 150 pounds she is a formidable student. Michael took a cautious approach upon their first meeting and after a dog free session of what behaviors I needed to understand Bambi was brought in. With Michael's coaching Bambi responded within seconds, not minutes, no long drawn out drills but SECONDS. I did not believe it was happening but it sure was and the lessons stayed with Bambi and she responds faster and faster everyday. I would recommend Michael and Bark Busters to anyone because "IT WORKS".
We have a 10 month old Yorkie -Mix who barks at anything, is basically a terrorist once I come home from work and at nighttime. My husband & I were at wits end. Mike came to see us last night and within 10 minutes Gracie became a little angel! Mike taught us how to be better parents & to let Gracie know we are protecting her, she does not need to protect us. We took his recommendations to heart. Today, the day after we met Mike, our Gracie is a different happier little girl! We highly recommend Mike & Bark Busters! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Mike!
Mike is PHENOMENAL! Our pup is now on her way to being the best trained dog in the city! Not only did Mike offer great training advice but he also offered great nutritional advice for our little girl.
When I started looking at trainers I was nervous thinking that Del (our puppy) would love us less because we started instilling boundaries but what Mike taught us was to communicate with Del. Not punish but to communicate with her like her dog parents would.
Mike is so great at teaching you how to continue the training process. Worth every single penny.
Mike came on an emergency basis as I had just introduced a new rescue to my 9-year old, dominant female. In just a half of an hour there was a monumental change in the demeanor of both females. The tools offered in such a brief amount of time were amazing - I am looking forward to working with him in the future for the full program. On an aside, he also offered great advice on nutrition options for my larger breed dogs. Can't thank him enough already!
I met with Mike last week, and I couldn't be happier. I have a 2 year old French bulldog, who in my opinion has a very complex personality. He can be the sweetest, most playful guy but would sometimes snap for sometimes no reason, and I couldn't understand it. Mike had explained to me that he felt he was the boss of the house, and basically felt that he needed to protect me all the time. Which is not a job that I want my dog to feel he needs to uphold.
In one hour of some very simple training skills, my dog immediately started to realize that he was no longer going to be in charge. Of course I know that I will have to consistently work at training him, but I have no doubt that Mike's methods will work. The best part, is that I don't have to inflict pain or bribe my dog to get him to do what I want.I'm looking forward to seeing more of his progress. Also Michael is always available whenever I have questions, and when I ran out of food...he supplied me with some more until I was able to get it!!! What a guy!
Bottom line up front: I whole heartedly recommend Mike the dog trainer to anyone who has a dog.
This is my first and only review I've written and it is because I strongly believe in Mike's training program and teaching style. My dog is a little 30-pound shepherd mix named Arnie and was having increasing aggression, barking, and jumping as he was entering his adolescence. He is my first dog that I raised from a puppy and I thought I was doing everything right. I read the puppy books, went to puppy school through the ASPCA, socialized him early and often, but as he got older he got more and more aggressive, especially on the leash. I became discouraged with training assistance form most sources because most of what you find out there is positive reinforcement only, which is fantastic for training a wanted behavior, but not effective for removing unwanted behaviors. Mike had a unique approach from what I read with his style focusing on training the human, rather than the dog. I figured that Arnie's issues were coming from anxiety with him being so small and Mike agreed and also added in a very tactful manner that my dog didn't truly respect me and is the primary reason why he doesn't listen and didn't feel calm and comfortable with me when we were out together.
I would summarize Mike's style as dog whispererish, but without ever laying your hands on your dog as punishment. As Mike says, "hands are for petting". It is very much about continually reinforcing your dominance through every interaction with your dog so that your dog respects you in a 100% humane manner. There are no treats, there is no violence, and no pain brought upon your dog in any way. His method is based off of continuous communication. What does that mean you ask? Mike taught me the tools to communicate with my dog through body language, a modified growl (sounds silly and takes some getting used to but is extremely effective) and a couple of tricks. Mike walks you through the process every step of the way and gives continuous feedback on how to improve.
Within 1 day of implementing Mike's teachings my dog's unwanted behaviors almost entirely vanished. I was able to loose leash walk him in a distraction free environment and he did not bark or jump on guests when they entered the house. I'm now about 6 months out of Mikes session (which only took about 2 and 1/2 hours and he came to our house) and I can loose leash walk him through a high distraction area with passing cars and barking dogs and Arnie will calmly walk through with only minimal corrections on my part. This is because Mike taught me how to forge a relationship of trust and respect with my dog, so even though he is an anxious little fella, he knows that if there is a threat to him (which is almost everything in his eyes) that I will take care of it and so he remains calm and happy and thus I remain calm and happy. I have found that through the brilliance of the basics that Mike teaches you most of the problem behaviors just go away, and when a problem behavior does emerge, because your dog trusts and respects you he will actually listen even if there is a great big distraction.
I will emphasize that this is by no means a "magic bullet". Mike will give you the tools to communicate with you dog and then it is on you to continuously and consistently use these techniques, but Mike is readily available to take questions or even come back for additional training sessions if ever needed. I can't recommend his services enough.
I am a volunteer with Pack Leaders Rescue of CT and I reached out to Michael for assistance with Arwyn, a dog we rescued from a local shelter in Nov. 2015. Shortly after Arwyn went to his foster home, he began exhibiting aggression when meeting new people. We have consulted with several different trainers and while Arwyn has learned many basic commands, he has not improved in his ability to socialize with people.
Michael generously agreed to provide training to both Arwyn & Autumn, the foster's personal dog. He came prepared with all the tools needed to teach Arwyn & Autumn that their foster mom is "top dog" in the house. I was so impressed with Michael's knowledge, ability to teach the foster how to be a leader with both dogs, and was amazed by how quickly the dogs responded to the training. I am optimistic about the future for Arwyn and am so grateful for the training Michael provided. I would highly recommend him to others experiencing behavior issues with their dog.
Its been a little over two weeks since Michael came to train Winston, my first time rescue dog who is a pit/american bull dog mix. First off, Michael was very impressive, and broke down a lot of information for me in a common sense way to understand it. But more importantly, more than two weeks later, the methods he taught me are working. The issue I have with Winston is his distraction with other dogs when I walk him. To say that he pulls on the leash doesn't do justice to what really happens on the leash when we walk, just ask my back. I had been using a prong collar with some success, but with the training we got, I have not had to use that collar and even though it was effective, I believe that over time, a simple voice command will be enough keep Winston's attention on me, and not the nearby dog. Curing Winston of being distracted by other dogs will be a process, for sure, and depends a lot on me putting my time and energy in and probably will always be an issue to some extent, but in two weeks, not only have I seen real progress, but I am very confident that I have been taught the methods necessary to improve Winston's behavior when we go on walks for the long term. I could go on and on about what has become a very successful experiment in adjusting Winston's behavior but I will just add that the discipline, or "communication" as Michael called it has not made Winston resentful of the walks we go on or the time we spend together but quite the opposite. He enjoys the communication and works really hard to give me what I am asking from him. Its been an amazing experience. One more thing: the tips on diet have been implemented, partially, not fully, but even still, the results that Michael predicted would result in a healthy coat are already noticeable. Thank you, Michael.
Ian T.
7 years ago
— Stamford, CT
Wow! If anyone in the Stamford or Fairfield county is looking for a dog trainer look no more. My wife and I have a rescue pit bull , Max, who we took into our family 7months ago, He was very energetic( meaning overly hyper) and unresponsive to sort of training we tried. A friend of ours had a co worker who had Mike train their dog and highly recommended him. We got in touch with Mike and him meet Max. Well... not even 2 hours later our lives are changed forever. His behavioral approach to training US, not just max was/ amazing! He followed up with us to make sure we were following our homework with max and how he was responding.
PermalinkHIGHLY RECOMMEND- THANKS MIKE!
Rowena Z.
7 years ago
— New Canaan, CT
Thank you Michael for your assistance with my 10 year old Shar Pei Georgie. I thought I would let you know that Georgie slept the night through in his crate, from 10pm to 6am, not a squeak from him. He is such a sensitive and responsive dog, I am filled with gratitude for your guidance and assistance in showing me how to be with him. I feel that has also been somewhat of a life lesson for me in other ways.
Permalinkchris G.
7 years ago
— Bridgeport, CT
First, my dog is a Caucasian Shepherd, not the easiest breed as they have highly instinctual behaviors as it relates to protecting their family; at 150 pounds she is a formidable student. Michael took a cautious approach upon their first meeting and after a dog free session of what behaviors I needed to understand Bambi was brought in. With Michael's coaching Bambi responded within seconds, not minutes, no long drawn out drills but SECONDS. I did not believe it was happening but it sure was and the lessons stayed with Bambi and she responds faster and faster everyday. I would recommend Michael and Bark Busters to anyone because "IT WORKS".
PermalinkDebbie G.
7 years ago
— Fairfield, CT
We have a 10 month old Yorkie -Mix who barks at anything, is basically a terrorist once I come home from work and at nighttime. My husband & I were at wits end. Mike came to see us last night and within 10 minutes Gracie became a little angel! Mike taught us how to be better parents & to let Gracie know we are protecting her, she does not need to protect us. We took his recommendations to heart. Today, the day after we met Mike, our Gracie is a different happier little girl! We highly recommend Mike & Bark Busters! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Mike!
PermalinkMarin S.
7 years ago
— Stamford, CT
Mike is PHENOMENAL! Our pup is now on her way to being the best trained dog in the city! Not only did Mike offer great training advice but he also offered great nutritional advice for our little girl.
PermalinkWhen I started looking at trainers I was nervous thinking that Del (our puppy) would love us less because we started instilling boundaries but what Mike taught us was to communicate with Del. Not punish but to communicate with her like her dog parents would.
Mike is so great at teaching you how to continue the training process. Worth every single penny.
Jessica W.
7 years ago
— Fairfield, CT
Mike came on an emergency basis as I had just introduced a new rescue to my 9-year old, dominant female. In just a half of an hour there was a monumental change in the demeanor of both females. The tools offered in such a brief amount of time were amazing - I am looking forward to working with him in the future for the full program. On an aside, he also offered great advice on nutrition options for my larger breed dogs. Can't thank him enough already!
PermalinkCathy C.
7 years ago
— Stamford, CT
I met with Mike last week, and I couldn't be happier. I have a 2 year old French bulldog, who in my opinion has a very complex personality. He can be the sweetest, most playful guy but would sometimes snap for sometimes no reason, and I couldn't understand it. Mike had explained to me that he felt he was the boss of the house, and basically felt that he needed to protect me all the time. Which is not a job that I want my dog to feel he needs to uphold.
PermalinkIn one hour of some very simple training skills, my dog immediately started to realize that he was no longer going to be in charge. Of course I know that I will have to consistently work at training him, but I have no doubt that Mike's methods will work. The best part, is that I don't have to inflict pain or bribe my dog to get him to do what I want.I'm looking forward to seeing more of his progress. Also Michael is always available whenever I have questions, and when I ran out of food...he supplied me with some more until I was able to get it!!! What a guy!
Ben F.
8 years ago
— Norwalk, CT
Bottom line up front: I whole heartedly recommend Mike the dog trainer to anyone who has a dog.
PermalinkThis is my first and only review I've written and it is because I strongly believe in Mike's training program and teaching style. My dog is a little 30-pound shepherd mix named Arnie and was having increasing aggression, barking, and jumping as he was entering his adolescence. He is my first dog that I raised from a puppy and I thought I was doing everything right. I read the puppy books, went to puppy school through the ASPCA, socialized him early and often, but as he got older he got more and more aggressive, especially on the leash. I became discouraged with training assistance form most sources because most of what you find out there is positive reinforcement only, which is fantastic for training a wanted behavior, but not effective for removing unwanted behaviors. Mike had a unique approach from what I read with his style focusing on training the human, rather than the dog. I figured that Arnie's issues were coming from anxiety with him being so small and Mike agreed and also added in a very tactful manner that my dog didn't truly respect me and is the primary reason why he doesn't listen and didn't feel calm and comfortable with me when we were out together.
I would summarize Mike's style as dog whispererish, but without ever laying your hands on your dog as punishment. As Mike says, "hands are for petting". It is very much about continually reinforcing your dominance through every interaction with your dog so that your dog respects you in a 100% humane manner. There are no treats, there is no violence, and no pain brought upon your dog in any way. His method is based off of continuous communication. What does that mean you ask? Mike taught me the tools to communicate with my dog through body language, a modified growl (sounds silly and takes some getting used to but is extremely effective) and a couple of tricks. Mike walks you through the process every step of the way and gives continuous feedback on how to improve.
Within 1 day of implementing Mike's teachings my dog's unwanted behaviors almost entirely vanished. I was able to loose leash walk him in a distraction free environment and he did not bark or jump on guests when they entered the house. I'm now about 6 months out of Mikes session (which only took about 2 and 1/2 hours and he came to our house) and I can loose leash walk him through a high distraction area with passing cars and barking dogs and Arnie will calmly walk through with only minimal corrections on my part. This is because Mike taught me how to forge a relationship of trust and respect with my dog, so even though he is an anxious little fella, he knows that if there is a threat to him (which is almost everything in his eyes) that I will take care of it and so he remains calm and happy and thus I remain calm and happy. I have found that through the brilliance of the basics that Mike teaches you most of the problem behaviors just go away, and when a problem behavior does emerge, because your dog trusts and respects you he will actually listen even if there is a great big distraction.
I will emphasize that this is by no means a "magic bullet". Mike will give you the tools to communicate with you dog and then it is on you to continuously and consistently use these techniques, but Mike is readily available to take questions or even come back for additional training sessions if ever needed. I can't recommend his services enough.
Jennifer K.
8 years ago
— Andover, CT
I am a volunteer with Pack Leaders Rescue of CT and I reached out to Michael for assistance with Arwyn, a dog we rescued from a local shelter in Nov. 2015. Shortly after Arwyn went to his foster home, he began exhibiting aggression when meeting new people. We have consulted with several different trainers and while Arwyn has learned many basic commands, he has not improved in his ability to socialize with people.
PermalinkMichael generously agreed to provide training to both Arwyn & Autumn, the foster's personal dog. He came prepared with all the tools needed to teach Arwyn & Autumn that their foster mom is "top dog" in the house. I was so impressed with Michael's knowledge, ability to teach the foster how to be a leader with both dogs, and was amazed by how quickly the dogs responded to the training. I am optimistic about the future for Arwyn and am so grateful for the training Michael provided. I would highly recommend him to others experiencing behavior issues with their dog.
Matt V.
8 years ago
— Bridgeport, CT
Its been a little over two weeks since Michael came to train Winston, my first time rescue dog who is a pit/american bull dog mix. First off, Michael was very impressive, and broke down a lot of information for me in a common sense way to understand it. But more importantly, more than two weeks later, the methods he taught me are working. The issue I have with Winston is his distraction with other dogs when I walk him. To say that he pulls on the leash doesn't do justice to what really happens on the leash when we walk, just ask my back. I had been using a prong collar with some success, but with the training we got, I have not had to use that collar and even though it was effective, I believe that over time, a simple voice command will be enough keep Winston's attention on me, and not the nearby dog. Curing Winston of being distracted by other dogs will be a process, for sure, and depends a lot on me putting my time and energy in and probably will always be an issue to some extent, but in two weeks, not only have I seen real progress, but I am very confident that I have been taught the methods necessary to improve Winston's behavior when we go on walks for the long term. I could go on and on about what has become a very successful experiment in adjusting Winston's behavior but I will just add that the discipline, or "communication" as Michael called it has not made Winston resentful of the walks we go on or the time we spend together but quite the opposite. He enjoys the communication and works really hard to give me what I am asking from him. Its been an amazing experience. One more thing: the tips on diet have been implemented, partially, not fully, but even still, the results that Michael predicted would result in a healthy coat are already noticeable. Thank you, Michael.
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