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!
We've had our family dog Zeus for 7 years now. When we got him as a puppy, the breeder warned us that he was the "bully" of the litter and had a very dominant personality. Fast forward, and we had a dog that peed all over the house whenever and wherever. He jumped on people and had no boundaries. It was fine for the first few years, but then we did an expensive remodel on the inside of our home a needed to make significant behavior changes in the dog or give him up. Enter Bark Busters.
In One visit, we learned how our dog communicates and how we could begin to speak "dog.". One month later, Zeus is not only housebroken (COMPLETELY!), but he is calmer and more compliant. We also have the reassurance that we have Justin as a support for the life of our dog. Thank you so much! I don't write reviews usually, but Justin went above and beyond to help us with our dog. I highly recommend Bark Busters.
We reached out to Bark Busters for help with one of our dogs - issues included extreme leash pulling, reactivity on leash and in general, resource guarding and aggression/in-home fighting with our other dog. After years of trying to train on our own, we felt defeated, fearful about the future for our dog, and desperate for guidance. While we knew it was a significant investment, it was one that we felt was necessary to provide our dogs with a safe and full quality of life, and to relieve anxiety for us as owners.
When we met Justin, he was calm, confident and transparent. He took the time to walk through our challenges, listen to our concerns, and provide kind but honest feedback as to the root of the issues. He educated us on how to best communicate and set boundaries with our dogs in a way they would understand and respect.
His training methods are not only extremely effective (seriously!), but they are meant to create a lifelong trusting connection between you and your dog. Within the first session, we saw marked improvement and walked away with tangible training tools that we continue to implement daily. Justin remains committed to our dog’s training by checking in consistently via text and holding additional training sessions as we need them.
The relief and joy that we feel to be able to live life with calm, happy and trusting dogs is hard to put into words. It may sound as though we are exaggerating when we say that Justin changed our lives - but it’s simply the truth.
DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR PUP!
Allow Jenna and Justin to guide, advise, and encourage you to give your pup the best life.
I first met Jenna in February 2022. At this time, I was waving a flag of surrender. Anaya, my Doberman, American Staffordshire terrier, and Rottweiler mix, would bark uncontrollably. There were times when she would pull me with all of her strength. She would come off as an aggressive dog, and truthfully I was scared she would hurt another person or dog. I was a first-time dog owner. I did not know what to do!
I met other dog trainers before falling upon Bark Busters. Something different about them as dog trainers is that they learned my dog's personality and worked around what worked best for her. Another thing I appreciated was that they informed me WHY my dog would behave the way she did.
From my experience, my dog had needs that I did not know how to meet. Ultimately they helped me understand my dog better and helped me build trust with Anaya.
Today Anaya can befriend other dogs, appropriately welcome guests into our home, walk on a leash correctly, and more. Something that gives me confidence is that if by chance we backslide, I know Jenna is a phone call away.
I absolutely recommend hiring Justin as a dog trainer! He is incredibly passionate about what he does, and has transformed our Chili into a calm well behaved dog.
We’ve been working together since she was a very small puppy and we couldn’t get her to stop barking in her crate. He showed us how to fix that in our first session. Along the way Justin has shown us how to keep her in a calm and relaxed state. He’s shown us how to fix her reactivity and barking which was driving us crazy, both in the house and on walks.
He has been so helpful and responsive along the way, and I’m not sure how we would have had a shot figuring out this stuff without him. Couldn’t recommend him more!
Seriously. They're not enough words to describe how amazing Bark Busters was.
We had a 10 yr old 70 lb rescue (pitbull/rhodesian ridgeback mix) who had a checkered past (had been used as a bait dog). We have had her for 9 years and she's been good. Iffy with some dogs so we just kept her out of dog parks. Mid January we rescued another dog (pitbull/staffy/? Mix) He is about 1yr old and was found running in a parking lot, emaciated. Well introductions didn't go well. He was partially house trained and knew how to sit but had NO doggy manners at all. He'd pull horribly on the leash, jump and climb all over us and the other dog. At which point she'd growl and then he'd try to bite her Throat. It was at the point we had baby gates installed and had to keep them separate. We were desperate And worried we might have to send the new dog back to the Humane Society.
ONE SESSION with Justin, at our home and the difference was LITERALLY night and day. I even had the two of them laying in our bed together! He walks nicely on the leash now, and we can even FEED them together!!! I can't say ENOUGH about this trainer. NO shock collar/prong collar/choke chain needed. And no excessive use of treats needed. I know. sounds like voodoo or something but IT WORKS. He's pricier than your standard "obedience" training but it's worth it!!! He works with you AND the dog. He comes to you so your dog is being trained in the home environment.
TLDR: BEST. TRAINER. EVER. Worth every penny! YOU WANT THIS TRAINER. TRUST ME.
Justin's great to work with! He's so patient with my pups which is definitely needed because I have 3 (Nala, Baxter, Chloe) that he's helping me work with. My main concern was their barking but during training I realized that my youngest pup Chloe was starting to get aggressive with other (stranger) dogs on the leash. It was awesome to see immediate results after the first day. Even better is that it wasn't hard to get follow up appointments. In addition, Justin is easy to reach through texts if I have questions in between appointments.
His methods work really well and he takes the time to make sure I'm doing it correctly (half the battle is me implementing the corrections correctly lol) and is patient and good about correcting me when I lapse and do something incorrectly. When one method doesn't seem to work well, he's got another one we can try. My aunt even commented that she noticed a huge difference in Chloe's behavior when she saw her. She hasn't seen the others yet but I'm sure she would say the same for them. I'm super glad I went with Bark Busters and Justin and I'm definitely going to be working with Justin again for any future pups!
Justin from Bark Busters was 1,000% more than we could have hoped for. We called Bark Busters after our initial trainer recommended finding a dog behaviorist for our 8 month old male Red Heeler rescue puppy, Koa. After scouring Google, we stumbled across Bark Busters's site and are so glad we did! We rescued Koa at 5 months old and he was very anxious, nervous, territorial, protective, distracted on the leash, and clingy .... but super cute so gotta love him. An example of our issues was extreme alertness and aggressive barking anytime someone came up the stairs to our apartment, including barking at the neighbors that have lived next door for a month. Koa could not deal with strangers in the house, but with Justin's guidance we were able to correct and calm Koa down within 60 seconds. LITERALLY 1 MINUTE! Our dog went from "psycho" to calm and smiling within just 1 minute!
Justin showed us how to correct unwanted behavior, become the pack leaders our dog needs, and keep our dog in a calm state. He showed us how to walk our pup the right way and now walks are more pleasant than we could have imagined. This training was worth every penny and I would recommend Justin (and his whole team) to anyone who needs serious help with their pups.
I cannot recommend Justin enough for anyone struggling with their dog's behavior. He has been a game-changer for us and our dog Ziggy. We came to Justin when Ziggy was exhibiting leash reactivity, separation anxiety, and excessive barking, which was making it difficult for us to enjoy walks and even leaving the house without worrying about our neighbors complaining.
From the very first consultation, Justin was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and kind. He took the time to listen to our concerns and understand Ziggy's personality and tendencies. He explained the psychology behind dogs' behavior and how we could communicate more effectively with Ziggy to help him overcome his challenges.
Justin also gave us easy-to-follow homework and guided walkthroughs that helped us build confidence and trust with Ziggy. We saw significant improvements in Ziggy's behavior after just one session. He is much more relaxed and comfortable being left alone and coming in contact with other dogs and people.
Most importantly, Justin was always available to answer our questions and provide support whenever we needed it! He truly cares about his clients and their dogs, and it shows in his work.
Overall, I cannot recommend Justin enough for anyone looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and effective behavioral dog trainer. Best decision we could’ve made to help our dog, and we are so grateful for his help!
Abbie D.
2 years ago
— Encinitas, CA
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!
PermalinkWe 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!
Mia Y.
2 years ago
— Escondido, CA
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.
PermalinkTo 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!
Dory G.
2 years ago
— El Cajon, CA
We've had our family dog Zeus for 7 years now. When we got him as a puppy, the breeder warned us that he was the "bully" of the litter and had a very dominant personality. Fast forward, and we had a dog that peed all over the house whenever and wherever. He jumped on people and had no boundaries. It was fine for the first few years, but then we did an expensive remodel on the inside of our home a needed to make significant behavior changes in the dog or give him up. Enter Bark Busters.
PermalinkIn One visit, we learned how our dog communicates and how we could begin to speak "dog.". One month later, Zeus is not only housebroken (COMPLETELY!), but he is calmer and more compliant. We also have the reassurance that we have Justin as a support for the life of our dog. Thank you so much! I don't write reviews usually, but Justin went above and beyond to help us with our dog. I highly recommend Bark Busters.
Desi M.
3 years ago
— Encinitas, CA
We reached out to Bark Busters for help with one of our dogs - issues included extreme leash pulling, reactivity on leash and in general, resource guarding and aggression/in-home fighting with our other dog. After years of trying to train on our own, we felt defeated, fearful about the future for our dog, and desperate for guidance. While we knew it was a significant investment, it was one that we felt was necessary to provide our dogs with a safe and full quality of life, and to relieve anxiety for us as owners.
PermalinkWhen we met Justin, he was calm, confident and transparent. He took the time to walk through our challenges, listen to our concerns, and provide kind but honest feedback as to the root of the issues. He educated us on how to best communicate and set boundaries with our dogs in a way they would understand and respect.
His training methods are not only extremely effective (seriously!), but they are meant to create a lifelong trusting connection between you and your dog. Within the first session, we saw marked improvement and walked away with tangible training tools that we continue to implement daily. Justin remains committed to our dog’s training by checking in consistently via text and holding additional training sessions as we need them.
The relief and joy that we feel to be able to live life with calm, happy and trusting dogs is hard to put into words. It may sound as though we are exaggerating when we say that Justin changed our lives - but it’s simply the truth.
Arianna R.
3 years ago
— San Diego, CA
DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR PUP!
PermalinkAllow Jenna and Justin to guide, advise, and encourage you to give your pup the best life.
I first met Jenna in February 2022. At this time, I was waving a flag of surrender. Anaya, my Doberman, American Staffordshire terrier, and Rottweiler mix, would bark uncontrollably. There were times when she would pull me with all of her strength. She would come off as an aggressive dog, and truthfully I was scared she would hurt another person or dog. I was a first-time dog owner. I did not know what to do!
I met other dog trainers before falling upon Bark Busters. Something different about them as dog trainers is that they learned my dog's personality and worked around what worked best for her. Another thing I appreciated was that they informed me WHY my dog would behave the way she did.
From my experience, my dog had needs that I did not know how to meet. Ultimately they helped me understand my dog better and helped me build trust with Anaya.
Today Anaya can befriend other dogs, appropriately welcome guests into our home, walk on a leash correctly, and more. Something that gives me confidence is that if by chance we backslide, I know Jenna is a phone call away.
Kyle F.
3 years ago
— Carlsbad, CA
I absolutely recommend hiring Justin as a dog trainer! He is incredibly passionate about what he does, and has transformed our Chili into a calm well behaved dog.
PermalinkWe’ve been working together since she was a very small puppy and we couldn’t get her to stop barking in her crate. He showed us how to fix that in our first session. Along the way Justin has shown us how to keep her in a calm and relaxed state. He’s shown us how to fix her reactivity and barking which was driving us crazy, both in the house and on walks.
He has been so helpful and responsive along the way, and I’m not sure how we would have had a shot figuring out this stuff without him. Couldn’t recommend him more!
Renae T.
3 years ago
— Del Mar, CA
Oh. My. Dog.
PermalinkSeriously. They're not enough words to describe how amazing Bark Busters was.
We had a 10 yr old 70 lb rescue (pitbull/rhodesian ridgeback mix) who had a checkered past (had been used as a bait dog). We have had her for 9 years and she's been good. Iffy with some dogs so we just kept her out of dog parks. Mid January we rescued another dog (pitbull/staffy/? Mix) He is about 1yr old and was found running in a parking lot, emaciated. Well introductions didn't go well. He was partially house trained and knew how to sit but had NO doggy manners at all. He'd pull horribly on the leash, jump and climb all over us and the other dog. At which point she'd growl and then he'd try to bite her Throat. It was at the point we had baby gates installed and had to keep them separate. We were desperate And worried we might have to send the new dog back to the Humane Society.
ONE SESSION with Justin, at our home and the difference was LITERALLY night and day. I even had the two of them laying in our bed together! He walks nicely on the leash now, and we can even FEED them together!!! I can't say ENOUGH about this trainer. NO shock collar/prong collar/choke chain needed. And no excessive use of treats needed. I know. sounds like voodoo or something but IT WORKS. He's pricier than your standard "obedience" training but it's worth it!!! He works with you AND the dog. He comes to you so your dog is being trained in the home environment.
TLDR: BEST. TRAINER. EVER. Worth every penny! YOU WANT THIS TRAINER. TRUST ME.
Aly E.
3 years ago
— Carlsbad, CA
Justin's great to work with! He's so patient with my pups which is definitely needed because I have 3 (Nala, Baxter, Chloe) that he's helping me work with. My main concern was their barking but during training I realized that my youngest pup Chloe was starting to get aggressive with other (stranger) dogs on the leash. It was awesome to see immediate results after the first day. Even better is that it wasn't hard to get follow up appointments. In addition, Justin is easy to reach through texts if I have questions in between appointments.
PermalinkHis methods work really well and he takes the time to make sure I'm doing it correctly (half the battle is me implementing the corrections correctly lol) and is patient and good about correcting me when I lapse and do something incorrectly. When one method doesn't seem to work well, he's got another one we can try. My aunt even commented that she noticed a huge difference in Chloe's behavior when she saw her. She hasn't seen the others yet but I'm sure she would say the same for them. I'm super glad I went with Bark Busters and Justin and I'm definitely going to be working with Justin again for any future pups!
Martin J.
3 years ago
— San Marcos, CA
Justin from Bark Busters was 1,000% more than we could have hoped for. We called Bark Busters after our initial trainer recommended finding a dog behaviorist for our 8 month old male Red Heeler rescue puppy, Koa. After scouring Google, we stumbled across Bark Busters's site and are so glad we did! We rescued Koa at 5 months old and he was very anxious, nervous, territorial, protective, distracted on the leash, and clingy .... but super cute so gotta love him. An example of our issues was extreme alertness and aggressive barking anytime someone came up the stairs to our apartment, including barking at the neighbors that have lived next door for a month. Koa could not deal with strangers in the house, but with Justin's guidance we were able to correct and calm Koa down within 60 seconds. LITERALLY 1 MINUTE! Our dog went from "psycho" to calm and smiling within just 1 minute!
PermalinkJustin showed us how to correct unwanted behavior, become the pack leaders our dog needs, and keep our dog in a calm state. He showed us how to walk our pup the right way and now walks are more pleasant than we could have imagined. This training was worth every penny and I would recommend Justin (and his whole team) to anyone who needs serious help with their pups.
Dana G.
3 years ago
— La Jolla, CA
I cannot recommend Justin enough for anyone struggling with their dog's behavior. He has been a game-changer for us and our dog Ziggy. We came to Justin when Ziggy was exhibiting leash reactivity, separation anxiety, and excessive barking, which was making it difficult for us to enjoy walks and even leaving the house without worrying about our neighbors complaining.
PermalinkFrom the very first consultation, Justin was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and kind. He took the time to listen to our concerns and understand Ziggy's personality and tendencies. He explained the psychology behind dogs' behavior and how we could communicate more effectively with Ziggy to help him overcome his challenges.
Justin also gave us easy-to-follow homework and guided walkthroughs that helped us build confidence and trust with Ziggy. We saw significant improvements in Ziggy's behavior after just one session. He is much more relaxed and comfortable being left alone and coming in contact with other dogs and people.
Most importantly, Justin was always available to answer our questions and provide support whenever we needed it! He truly cares about his clients and their dogs, and it shows in his work.
Overall, I cannot recommend Justin enough for anyone looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and effective behavioral dog trainer. Best decision we could’ve made to help our dog, and we are so grateful for his help!
« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 next »