Greater San Diego

GAME CHANGER. I can't recommend Justin enough to anyone that is struggling with aggression between their dogs. We have two rescues - one young male Shepherd-mix, growing into his body (about 10 months old), and an old stubborn male hound dog very set in his ways (12+ years old). When we called Justin, we were overwhelmed, the dogs were completely separated, and we couldn't see how we were going to get to the other side.

So, what happened? At first, our new pup was doing great with our older dog. But as he grew, he began to challenge the older dog. And then all hell broke loose after a trial session with our young pup at a group dog camp. When he came home, he began attacking the older dog, seemingly unprovoked. Things quickly escalated, until we couldn't keep them in the same room. It was a mess of a situation.

We got a referral to Justin, and after the first in-person meeting, our young dog reverted back to the sweet pup that he had been before. Yes, I cried, and nope, I'm not exaggerating. Justin taught us how to manage the relationship between the dogs, but even more important than that, the relationship between us and the dogs. We went from being distraught about the future of the dogs in our home, back to a dog love-fest. To make sure we were staying on track, Justin checked in often and offered advice. He has been so professional and genuinely invested in our success.

I don't really write reviews, but Justin's methods are so effective, I wanted to share so others could benefit. Our dogs are part of our family, so it felt a bit like therapy - probably more for the humans than the dogs. :) Bottomline is that all of these 5 star reviews are legit. We are very grateful to have found him.

Bark Busters is unbelievable. We have two older dogs, one of which has never had any training. We just moved and both dogs were barking uncontrollably every time someone walked by which was often! Bark Busters taught us some easy to implement techniques that has made our home calm again. We cannot thank Bark Busters enough!!! I would give them 10 stars if Yelp would let me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "Life-Changing. Truly"

I don’t write reviews lightly and I especially don’t write emotional ones but Bark Busters of San Diego quite literally gave me my life back.

For years, I lived in silence and stress. I couldn’t leave my home without my dogs barking, howling, scratching at their crates, and spiraling into panic. The mouth watering alone was enough to break me. So instead, I stayed home. I adjusted my life around their anxiety. I suffered quietly because I loved them and didn’t know what else to do.

Until one day I broke down completely.

I realized this wasn’t living not for me, and not for them. We deserved calm. We deserved peace. We deserved to live our "best" lives and this wasn’t it.

Some people complain in reviews that dog training “doesn’t work.” Let me be very clear: anxiety whether in humans or dogs is not something you fix by checking a box. A true behavioral therapist understands one thing above all else, "awareness". Anxiety comes from surroundings and perceived safety. The work is learning how to respond and create calm and that takes consistency.

I spent three straight weeks training four hours a day, every single day. I cried. I doubted myself. I wanted to quit. But I followed the Bark Busters program exactly as taught—daily simulations, real-world scenarios, repetition, and patience.

And then something incredible happened.

My dogs slept.
They relaxed.
They trusted.

Today, I can leave my home and my dogs are calm, quiet, and peacefully sleeping, knowing I’m coming back. Visitors come and go with ease. My 9- and 6-year-old Maltipoos are relaxed, confident, and happy. And so am I.

Here’s the truth people don’t want to hear, there is no magic pill. There is no shortcut. The training never “ends” because leadership and love are lifelong commitments. And honestly? That’s the gift. Once it becomes part of your daily life, it feels natural. I walk more. The cuddles are calmer. I’m no longer being climbed on out of anxiety I’m being loved in peace.

And about the cost? Think about it. You’ve already spent more on multiple trainers, treats, wasted time, emotional exhaustion, and a very unhappy household. Bark Busters’ training is guaranteed for life. If you move. If life changes. If new challenges come you’re supported. That matters more than people realize.

Justin and his team are beyond words. Compassionate. Honest. Direct. They don’t just train dogs, they train families.

Value your pet’s life. Value the short, precious time we get with them. Happiness for everyone in the home is worth the work.
🐾💛

Having moved from a house with a yard in the country to an apartment in the city, my sweet dog Riley was uncomfortable. She was constantly barking at every sound and pulling me around on her leash. It was a hard time for both of us. Enter Justin and his magic dog training! My sweet girl is now calm and quiet in the apartment and walks easily besides me every time we go out. I’m so grateful for the help in improving my dog’s life. And I’m still shocked at how few times we had to meet! Totally worth the money! If you want to change you and your dog’s life for the better - this is it!

We got our German Shepherd at 9 weeks old, and as time went on, we knew we had to be proactive dog parents to prevent reactivity issues. We love adventure, and one of our biggest priorities was being able to take our fur baby with us to explore the world.
In the beginning, Miles struggled with leash pulling, lacked boundaries and social skills, and was highly reactive to other dogs, bikes, and motorcycles. We quickly realized that structure was essential for him, so we reached out to Bark Buster Home Dog Training - that turned out to be the best decision we could have made.
From our very first session with our trainer, Justin, we saw an immediate difference. He set the tone right away, and it felt like night and day. One of the things we appreciated most was Justin’s ability to simplify the learning process. He didn’t just train the dog—he trained us too. He helped us understand canine behavior and taught us how to communicate our expectations in a way that made sense to our pup (instead of just speaking English and hoping for the best!).
After just three weeks, our dog is so focused on walks that I actually enjoy walking him now. At only six months old, he’s become so much more mature. He’s learning to socialize, he’s calm, and his reactivity has drastically reduced.
The best advice I can offer: trust Justin to help build a strong foundation, but be prepared to put in the work. This isn’t a quick fix—it’s a commitment and a beautiful journey.
Thank you again to Dog Buster Training for giving us peace of mind and a better life with our dog!

We’ve been working with Jenna at Bark Busters for about six months to help our rescue chihuahua mix, Mimi, and the progress has been amazing. We started training just two weeks after adopting her. She came to us with several behavior issues due to past trauma. She had been rescued, returned once, and then fostered before joining our family.

At first, Mimi had severe separation anxiety. She would escape her playpen, pace, and howl loudly whenever we left the house. Now, with Jenna’s guidance and the time we’ve put into her training, we can leave her alone for up to three hours. She’ll fall asleep and wait for us quietly. You can see her in one of the photos we attached.

She was also very reactive to other dogs, making walks and public outings tough. With Jenna’s help, she’s much calmer now. We can take her on walks and even to restaurants with dogs around. We’re currently introducing her to other dogs slowly. While she still stays on a leash and sometimes growls or nibbles, she’s able to get very close. That’s a huge improvement from where we started.

Training Mimi has helped her become more confident, happy, and relaxed. We’re so grateful for Jenna’s support and excited to keep working with her to help Mimi live her best life.

Highly recommend Bark Busters to anyone with a rescue pup who needs extra care and guidance.

I could not be more happy with the service provided by Justin. In just one session my dog was transformed and I haven’t stopped smiling since! I would 100% recommend everyone to go with Justin and bark busters!

For those familiar with TAP’s work rescuing dogs from ESLR in Ensenada, Tufa is an ESLR survivor. This means she spent several years of her life in an unsanitary, unhealthy and dangerous environment where she lacked safe personal space. We adopted her in Dec 2023 and since the very beginning she’s been incredibly sweet and loving at home, but she had some work to do on her reactive and protective behaviors toward people and dogs. It seemed that as she got more comfortable in her new home she began to increase her protectiveness, which is completely understandable!

In her first few months, we completed a 6-week series of group trainings and a few 1:1s which worked on improving obedience but wasn’t providing the tools we needed to address real world situations when another dog or person would approach us or enter our home. So I found Bark Busters online and was able to set up an appointment with Justin. That was all it really took to change everything.

In our first appointment we learned how to communicate with Tufa in a way where she realized we were in charge at all times. We also were given new handing tools that immediately stopped her pulling on walks and allowed us to give her clear signals to prevent and stop reactivity. Within days her improvement was very noticeable, within weeks she was a completely different dog outside in the world! She is now showing everyone what a sweet dog she can be and is approaching all situations with joy and curiosity, rather than fear. Thank you, Justin!

Incoming Rocco update! So it’s been 2 weeks since Rocco’s session and you guys, he is a DIFFERENT DOG! We are in constant disbelief. It’s as if a switch was flipped. He doesn’t do any of the bad behaviors anymore! • He doesn’t bark at random noises when we’re home. • He doesn’t bark and run towards the windows when the neighbors pass by. He literally looks and doesn’t react! • He doesn’t have any aggression whatsoever towards our cleaning lady. I was able to bring him out on leash with the training cushion in hand, but he didn’t do anything! He was green zoning the whole time. • I’m able to bring him along to do errands and he just sits by my feet when I’m paying or waiting for something. Even if men come up next to me, he looks but then relaxes and doesn’t react at all. • yesterday Mauro had a friend over for dinner 🥹 and I wasn’t home when he first came over but Mauro said he was super calm and totally accepted Claudio in the house and let him pet him!! I was worried when I arrived that he would turn and start being aggressive, but he stayed in the green zone alllll night. We kept him on leash but were 👌this close to taking it off because we were THAT confident that he wouldn’t behave badly. • when we take him out to cafes he literally just sits calmly under my seat and looks around (💚 zone), even with other dogs and babies walking right in front of him. We’ve been very diligent on the 👏 and “bah” when he steps a toe into the 💛 zone. I’ve let up on the leash yanking when were out because he started to look scared of me haha. He’s really good on leash. He now waits for me to step in/out of the elevator before walking and doesn’t lunge or even notice people walking by. I don’t know how you guys did it, but you totally fixed Rocco!!! We cannot believe the transformation!! I can see in his eyes he is HAPPIER and at ease. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you did 🥹🙏 You guys literally changed all of our lives!!

We are absolutely amazed! We have a 3 year old Cockerpoo that we purchased during COVID. Because of that, she didn't get the socialization that she would have received. Ellie Mae was anxious, barked all the time at anything, people walking their dogs by our house, delivery trucks, basically anything or for no reason. We have had 4 trainers for Ellie Mae in 3 years and we never saw a difference in her behavior. That is until we found Jenna at Bark Busters!!
Oh my goodness! What a huge difference! Our home is so much more peaceful! We now have the tools to stop the barking before it escalates. Now when she barks, which is less and less, we stop it! Bark Busters are dog behaviorists and that makes all the difference.
There are still some things that we are working on, like when people come to the house and how to keep Ellie Mae in her place when we open the door to let our guests in, but we have such harmony and Ellie Mae seems so much happier! She's not on guard all the time and not on high alert. She is much more relaxed!
We had friends over the other night and they couldn't get over the change in Ellie Mae. It's so noticeable.
We are absolutely thrilled and so grateful to have found Jenna and Bark Busters. We are clients for life!
JENNA, YOU ARE AMAZING!
Thank you so much,
M~ & M

Our family selected Bark Busters for our in-home training needs and it was the best decision we made. Max is 4.5 years old Pitbull, Beauceron, Lab mix, 80lbs & was adopted into our home 2.5 years ago. We were discussing the process of re-homing our beloved dog Max when I found Bark Busters on google. Max was aggressive when visitors came to the home and we had to keep him lock in a crate or separate room. He would incisively bark at mail man, delivery persons, neighbors walking by the house on the sidewalk. Max began becoming aggressive with my oldest son and his girlfriend over the last 8 months. After doing a ton of research and reading countless reviews regarding correcting aggressive and protective dog behavior I was willing to give it a try in hopes we could enjoy many more years with our dog. From the first phone call to the first visit; the service was 10/10. Marcus called and completed a thorough intake of Max and the behaviors we had experienced. We were sent instructions to follow leading up to the first consultation. We sent videos of Max prior to first meeting to allow our assigned behavior specialist an opportunity to observe Max behavior. The first visit was extremely educational. The trainer went into depth about why Max behaves the way he does and helped us develop communication skills with Max that he understood that would allow us to correct these behaviors. Within in the first 2 hours Max went from a dog that would jump through a window to guard this house from anyone passing by on the sidewalk or attempting to approach the door, now he sits calmly on the floor not triggered in the slightest by the Fed Ex delivery people. Our walks have become more enjoyable and easier now that Max understand that I am his pack leader. There is respect, boundaries, trust and communication. All things that were lacking for the last 2.5 years since we had adopted Max from the shelter. Our first visit with Bark Busters was 2 weeks ago and Max continues to build on his confidence daily in learning to trust his humans and that we will handle any situation. Max is much friendlier, calmer, respectful, playful, chill. The family is learning to exhale and trust Max again and the children are also building confidence in correcting Max when if he is triggered.

Our family selected Bark Busters for our in-home training needs and it was the best decision we made. Max is 4.5 years old Pitbull, Beauceron, Lab mix, 80lbs & was adopted into our home 2.5 years ago. We were discussing the process of re-homing our beloved dog Max when I found Bark Busters on google. Max was aggressive when visitors came to the home and we had to keep him lock in a crate or separate room. He would incisively bark at mail man, delivery persons, neighbors walking by the house on the sidewalk. Max began becoming aggressive with my oldest son and his girlfriend over the last 8 months. After doing a ton of research and reading countless reviews regarding correcting aggressive and protective dog behavior I was willing to give it a try in hopes we could enjoy many more years with our dog. From the first phone call to the first visit; the service was 10/10. Marcus called and completed a thorough intake of Max and the behaviors we had experienced. We were sent instructions to follow leading up to the first consultation. We sent videos of Max prior to first meeting to allow our assigned behavior specialist an opportunity to observe Max behavior. The first visit was extremely educational. The trainer went into depth about why Max behaves the way he does and helped us develop communication skills with Max that he understood that would allow us to correct these behaviors. Within in the first 2 hours Max went from a dog that would jump through a window to guard this house from anyone passing by on the sidewalk or attempting to approach the door, now he sits calmly on the floor not triggered in the slightest by the Fed Ex delivery people. Our walks have become more enjoyable and easier now that Max understand that I am his pack leader. There is respect, boundaries, trust and communication. All things that were lacking for the last 2.5 years since we had adopted Max from the shelter. Our first visit with Bark Busters was 2 weeks ago and Max continues to build on his confidence daily in learning to trust his humans and that we will handle any situation. Max is much friendlier, calmer, respectful, playful, chill. The family is learning to exhale and trust Max again and the children are also building confidence in correcting Max when if he is triggered.

Absolutely the BEST money I ever spent!!! I was at my wit's end. I got my dog during covid so she never experienced people coming in my house. Once people started coming over again, she would bark and bark. She followed anyone who came over around and barked at them. She is a Shepard mix so it was very scary for my guests. She would never calm down. It got to a point where I just did not have anyone over. She also barked at other dogs on our walks. It was all very stressful and not enjoyable. After ONE VISIT with JD, she was a changed dog!!! Unbelievable. JD stayed for 3 hours and listened and learned all about my dog's behavior issues and of course experienced her barking when he arrived. He really took the time to understand her (and my) anxiety!! He taught me all about my dog's anxiety and how to help her relax. I started inviting people over right away, just to test it out. Everyone was totally amazed! As am I. Not only can I invite people over now, without barking, she actually wags her tail and says hi to my guests! If I had not experienced this miraculous transformation, I would not believe it. JD is the best. Oh, plus, we can go for walks without pulling or barking at other dogs. I would totally recommend JD to anyone having these issues. I am so happy. One last thing: these new behaviors started immediately!!! Again, best money I ever spent!

Justin has been fabulous!! Kobe has responded so well. He no longer pulls, jumps up, and just today he has not followed me anywhere! We do have a new leash which we all like. It is like we have a new dog! Thank you Justin!!
This will be ongoing as Kobe is only 8 months old. We are so thankful to you Justin!!

We have been amazed at the response from Kobe! Justin is amazing! We have had just 2 sessions with him and Kobe has been transformed into quite the puppy! No more pulling, no more jumping and today he has not followed me ANYWHERE!!
he has stopped chasing the cat too!
I will post more pictures this weekend. We are so proud of him and THANK YOU JUSTIN!!

My 4 year old Pomeranian had a lot of behavioral issues that I was struggling so hard to correct. He was always territorial of his food, places in the house and me and would even resort to biting to guard these things. He would also bark nonstop in the house when he heard dogs outside and no command could stop him. He would also be very reactive to other dogs in public which would always stress me out when we were out to the point where I wasn’t able to enjoy being out with him. This always made me so sad to have to leave him in the house all the time because of his reactivity. I was desperate for change and was so scared that he wouldn’t be able to change since he is already almost 4 and has very severe habits. However, Justin has completely changed him. I was skeptical when they said we would see results within the first session but it was absolutely true. After just one session, he became the quietest dog on our block. He wouldn’t respond at all to the dogs barking around our neighborhood. He became so well behaved, some family members became worried because of how quiet he stayed. The biggest miracle is him not being territorial anymore. This has ensured my family of complete safety around the house. I never thought my dog would be able to learn how to heel, but Justin showed him how in the first session which completely astonished me. A few days after our first session, I was able to take my dog out to the mall and it was the first time I was able to enjoy being out with him. He would quietly wait under the table while we ate and didn’t react to dogs he would come across while we were walking. Justin has been absolutely amazing. It is so comforting to have someone of his caliber and expertise guiding you and genuinely caring about you and your dog. He makes every effort to make sure he is able to help with whatever you need and always emphasizes that he is only one text away. He always finds a way to fit you into his schedule and is a complete joy to be around. When they say he is the last trainer you’ll ever need, they mean it. Investing in training my dog has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Both me and my dog have become less stressed and are both now able to enjoy life to the fullest.

There aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am for Justin’s help with training Ranger. Here’s a bit about Ranger when we first started:
- He was 90 lbs and pulled on a leash, even with a prong collar.
- He was extremely reactive and could not contain the malamute in him. He just HAD to say hi (bark) at every person and dog to meet them.
- He was constantly on high alert, and his solution for every situation was the craziest solution.
Walks were unpleasant for both of us, I would constantly just yell and be frustrated and he didn’t have the correct guidance.

The first session with Justin, he was able to get Ranger to loose leash walk next to him in 5 seconds. That’s when I realized, it’s not Ranger. It’s my fault and our miscommunication. I didn’t know how to tell him properly that he shouldn’t be pulling on the leash. I didn’t know how to tell him that he has to be calm to be able to great people and dogs.
We’ve only had about 4-5 sessions, 30 mins each. His teaching style is very clear and super EASY! Ranger and I now have better communication and work better as a team. Ranger is now my service dog in training, he comes to my classes with me every week and flies with me. He can now:
- Loose leash walk, and heel properly.
- Ignore people and dogs when we’re out
- Be CALM everywhere we go.
- Realize the difference between play time and work time.

Justin doesn’t teach service dog tasks, but he WILL make sure your dog can become calm and confident. He was able to help me turn my reactive dog into a service dog. I am so so grateful for everything Justin did for us!
I highly recommend BarkBusters. This is the best decision we ever made! Both Ranger and I now have a better and happier life with better training and communication.

Last evening we were able to have dinner out with friends and leave Wally at home without worry…a first in the year since we adopted him! Thank you Justin for your help with Wally’s separation anxiety!

This sweet 8-year-old little dog would always want to be near us, but could be skittish, shy, and somewhat distant. He was quiet, calm, and well behaved until left alone. Then the separation anxiety caused non-stop barking and howling and we would return to find him wide-eyed, panting, and agitated. Our activities became limited to those that could include Wally, basically avoiding and likely worsening the problem.

Justin spent nearly 3 hours at our initial visit, listening patiently to our worries and frustrations and evaluating Wally’s behavior. He explained his approach and demonstrated some techniques, then left us with a solid plan for the coming week. Justin participated in these “homework assignments” via text or phone call and we saw immediate steady improvement in the first week - Wally went from barking & howling to a little whining & panting. Now three weeks out we hear a quiet sigh or moan in the first few minutes and that’s it. He’s happy to see us when we return and he settles down quickly.

An unexpected benefit of this work on Wally’s separation anxiety has been a reduction in his general anxiety. He’s no longer skittish, doesn’t run after us if we leave a room, and has become a lap dog. We can’t thank Justin enough and recommend him highly. His work is not just about solving an annoying problem – it has created a whole new much healthier dynamic for this little dog family and we are so grateful!

Sharing some tail-wagging success I’ve had with my fur son, Maverick (Maviboy) and our dog behavioral therapist, Justin! Maverick was a bit of a wild child (rescue pup -- got him @ 8 weeks old) with his barking, crazy walks (zig zagging all over the place), and his knack for turning every greeting into a jumping party. Spoiler: Justin came in and worked some serious magic.

First off, let's talk about the barking situation. Maverick is an excited pup and would 'play bark' at almost any dog that was bigger than him (50lb Boxer Pit) to get their attention, but Justin gave us the tools to dial this down tremendously.

Secondly, our walks… Maverick really bodied the, "I'm gonna pull you everywhere on our walks" mentality. Justin came with a game plan that turned our strolls into a focused dog walk that didn’t involve any pulling (on our very first session). Night and day difference.

Lastly, when it comes to Maverick’s greetings… he is a big lover and would jump on every guest that entered the house. With a bit of ‘pawsitive reinforcement’ and some corrections (‘Bah’s and throw pillows’), now Maviboy greets our friends without turning everyone into his personal launchpad.

But what really sets our therapist apart is the ‘Scher’ love he has for animals/genuienly wanting to understand ‘YOU’ and your furry friend as individuals and a team. It's not just a job for Just; it's a passion, and you can tell. He is truly a dog whisperer.

So, if your fur baby needs a behavior boost or if you just want to understand how to communicate with your pup best friend, Justin is the man, hands down. Thanks for all that you do for pups, Justin! Big licks from Maviboy.

The team at Bark Busters is truly unique in all aspects of their training. The in-depth understanding of canine behavior and the connection to the training method is why all these reviews are so great. We realized very quickly that this process was going well below the surface level symptoms, identifying the root causes and then utilizing the techniques to change the behavior. The amount of nuance and insight applied to every detail is remarkable.

Justine, JD and Jenna are 100% committed to solving the issues, making the pup happier and empowering the owners through knowledge and tools. Their communication and availability is superb and if you commit to doing the work, the results will bring a smile to your face. This is an investment into the relationship you will enjoy with your dog for a lifetime and without a doubt would recommend Bark Busters.

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Jenna and Justin, and I cannot recommend their services highly enough! From start to finish, they ensured that my experience was absolutely exceptional. Their kindness and compassion were evident from the very beginning as they took the time to answer all of my questions and explain their training methods in a way that made sense to me. With their deep understanding of dog behavior, I saw incredible results right from our first session together.

What truly sets Jenna and Justin apart is their ability to create a positive learning environment for both myself and my beloved dog, Benji. They employ effective techniques that build trust, respect, and cooperation between us. Never once did it feel like we were using harsh or punishing methods on Benji - instead, it felt like we were finally speaking his language! They effortlessly understood each of Benji's unique quirks when it came to his reactivity towards other dogs, tailoring their approach accordingly for maximum our success.Not only did Jenna and Justin address specific behavioral issues such as dog reactivity but they also equipped us with valuable tools for maintaining harmony inside and outside our home. It was abundantly clear from day one how much they genuinely cared about both Benji's progress as well as mine!

Their ongoing communication has been outstanding too! After our initial session ended, Jenna immediately asked about my availability so we could schedule follow-up sessions with both her AND Justin present - talk about dedication! She even provided me with her personal phone number encouraging me to not hesitate reaching out if any questions arose between sessions. And let me tell you - she followed through by messaging daily just to check up on Benji's progress! The level of support continued after subsequent sessions when she initiated a group chat including Justin so they could stay updated on how things were going. They also quickly followed up with a third session the following week! If you are looking to be ghosted by your trainer, LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE. They checked in like clock-work from my morning walks to my evening walks and I never felt alone during the whole process. When they say unlimited sessions, they mean it whole-heartedly - it’s not just a marketing ploy!!!

Jenna & Justin are true professionals who mean business when it comes to helping dogs reach their full potential. If you're searching for a top-notch dog trainer who combines expertise with compassion, look no further than Jenna and Justin at Bark Busters. Working with them has been an absolute joy, and I am incredibly grateful for all the work they've done with Benji. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Justin Scher is amazing. Enough said.

I moved to San Diego temporarily for work, and was looking for training for Leo, my rescue pup. I was desperate to find help for Leo since his separation anxiety was inhibiting us from living a happy life. He couldn't stay in the house for more than 5 minutes alone before howling at the top of his lungs. As a pup, he destroyed my books, and plants. Justin trained us to guide Leo and empowered him from feeling safe and happy at home alone. With Justin's help, we are able to leave Leo to go to the grocery store and run errands as well as date nights! I've contacted Justin for follow ups and he's always available for me for advice to guide and empower
Me to help Leo live his best life. Justin and Barkbusters is hands down the best choice I made since rescuing Leo. Thank you so much Justin!

I contacted Bark Busters after seeing changes in my Frenchie that weren't resolving, regardless of what I tried. It seemed my girl was probably experiencing some type of anxiety. She had admittedly been spoiled along the way. She had become aggressive on a leash, frequently barking at the door, jumping up & down during her food prep & acting out when she didn't get what she wanted. Walks had become stressful, as I found myself regularly apologizing for her behavior.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't initially a bit skeptical. I appreciated the time Justin took to talk me through why their methods were successful, as it really helped reassure me. I also appreciated that Justin didn't blame me for what was happening. I felt enough guilt as it was.

It was truly amazing seeing how quickly CoCo responded! Within an hour of Justin arriving, she was responding well to my cues. She immediately walked well, with no leash aggression. She now sits quietly at my side as I prepare her meal. It's rare for her to bark at the door.

The greatest outcome has been seeing CoCo more relaxed! Frankly, I'm more relaxed. It's also incredibly reassuring that Justin is a text or phone call away! He's been very supportive.

I am astonished! My trainer JD accomplished a miracle within the first three hours (1st visit). I have 2 behemoth american bulldog puppies weighing in at 220lbs total at 18 months--strong willed and protective. Pre JD, they walked all over me: I wasn't able to take them in my car, go on hikes with them, or walk them together.
I am in control now of their barking and behavior. Today, my dream of walking them together at Calavera Lake came true--3 months later. I am so grateful for JD teaching ME how to be the alpha and thereby giving them more than a backyard life.
juliana de beers, vista I am astonished! My trainer JD accomplished a miracle within the first three hours (1st visit). I have 2 behemoth american bulldog puppies weighing in at 220lbs total at 18 months--strong willed and protective. Pre JD, they walked all over me: I wasn't able to take them in my car, go on hikes with them, or walk them together.
I am in control now of their barking and behavior. Today, my dream of walking them together at Calavera Lake came true--3 months later. I am so grateful for JD teaching ME how to be the alpha and thereby giving them more than a backyard life.
juliana de beers, vista

Our 5 yr old rescue, Rav, is a VERY anxious pup who is especially fearful of strangers (men in particular), cars, and loud noises. She started demonstrating fear based aggression, even going so far as nipping people when she was feeling especially afraid. Whenever we'd have guests over, we'd have to put her away in another room, where she would bark and cry until everyone left. We would try practicing taking her out to public places, but she would be so visibly stressed and scared that we worried we were actually doing more harm than good. We felt overwhelmed and lost about what to do!

We worked with various trainers over the years, but nothing comes close to the progress we've made because of BarkBusters. Jenna has been so kind, patient, and knowledgable. In just two sessions, we've seen major improvements and we continue to practice the skills and exercises she taught us. Together we worked on Rav's leash reactivity, keeping her in the "green zone" when guests are over, and stopping her resource guarding when it comes to our house. Shortly after our second session, we had friends stay at our house for several days. Ordinarily, we would have to hide Rav away the whole time, especially because one of our friends is male. However, Rav was able to keep her distance and actually lie down comfortably in the living room while we all socialized together-- something that wasn't even possible before!

I actually considered Bark Busters a few years ago when I was researching different training options, but balked at the price. Now, having tried several different programs, I can wholeheartedly say the cost is absolutely worth it. It's so comforting to know that we can continue to train with them for the rest of Rav's life, which has undoubtedly improved by leaps and bounds because of the progress we've been able to make so far. Thank you Jenna, and thank you Bark Busters!

Back in February, I rescued Maple, my 3 year old pitbull mix from Mexico. She is the sweetest dog and loves humans, but immediately I noticed her anxiety and aggression towards other dogs. She was making accidents in the house daily, growling/pouncing/air- biting at other dogs on our walks and would jump on people when they tried to say hello. After multiple complaints of her behavior from my neighbors, I was at my wits end- frustrated and extremely anxious especially when I would take her out, scared I was going to come into contact with other dogs. I found Bark Busters on Yelp and connected with them immediately. The intake process was extremely thorough and I was set up to work with Justin a few weeks after I reached out.

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I booked the appointment. The reviews on Yelp seemed promising so I was hopeful, but still very worried that Maple wasn't going to be receptive of help. I. Cannot. Rave. About. Justin. Enough. I don't think there is anything I can say that will explain how grateful I am for him. JUSTIN IS BEYONNNDD INCREDIBLE. Not only is he one of the most personable people ever, but he took time to explain to me the psychology behind Maple's misbehavior. I was able to understand what was going on and why my other attempts in correcting her behavior weren't working/ why what he was about to teach me was going to be successful. Justin exudes confidence and made me feel empowered when modeling how to redirect her. He was patient with the both of us, encouraging and validating all my anxieties though the whole process, the list goes on... He is clearly so knowledgeable about his craft and I honestly do not know how I got so lucky to be paired with him. In just two days, I have noticed major improvement. She no longer lunges at dogs and she walks right next to me on our strolls. I know it may sound absurd that he was able to create this much change in just a 2- hour session, but he is a MIRACLE WORKER!! I am just blown away!

Thank you, Justin for being so passionate and helpful with us. You changed our lives!