Bark Busters Greater San Diego Reviews

Reviews

140 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)

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  • Jason W.
    11 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of Kea After getting our 2 month-old Belgian Malinois, we noticed some aggressive behaviors form her including biting. It got to the point where I had to lock myself in my room a few times to get away from her. My husband and I decided she needed more training than just a class at Petsmart, and searched on multiple review sites. This is what brought us to Justin and Bark Busters. After the first session with Justin my husband and I noticed an extreme difference in our dog Kea. She was responding to our commands, and was starting to develop respect for me. This is exactly what we were hoping to get out of training, more than just a dog who can sit when told, but a dog who has respect for us. Within a few months of training, she learned the sit, stay, come, and "go to your kennel" command, along with near perfect walking behavior. As well she no longer cries or barks when we leaver her in her kennel. Not only are we extremely proud of our dog, receiving compliments every time we are in public, Justin is a great trainer to work with. He was on time, answered our phone calls or responded to our messages in a prompt manner, and stayed the duration of the hour we had with him. He also seemed to show great care and compassion for our dog which showed us he really loves his job. We would, and have, recommend Justin to any of our friends and family for whatever type of dog someone is looking at seeking training or help for.

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Chewing
    • #Pulling
    • #Puppy management
    • #Recall
  • Anonymous
    12 years ago — San Diego, California

    I found Justin through a recommendation from my Vet- I'll write a lengthier testimonial at a later date...But at this point, I just wanted to say I couldn't have found anyone smarter, more devoted to his job, and more sensitive to our family (& my personal) situation and needs. He has been a miracle worker for our Golden Retriever puppy, Grace, and a tremendous ego booster and support /confidence builder for me. Thank you!!!

  • Anonymous
    12 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of I contacted Bark Buster's when my 2 year old lab/pit mix Sookie and I moved into a townhouse where a cat, Bentley, was currently living. For the life of me and my roommates we could not get the dog and cat to get along. Constant hissing and barking and lunging and just overall it was a tense atmosphere. I had to keep Sookie on her leash at all times and it was just no fun for the both of us. Finally, I had Justin come in and by the end of his first visit Sookie and Bentley were calmly co-existing. Bentley even came downstairs and ate his food in front of Sookie while she just laid there. From that point on things only got better. By Justin's next visit there was a notable difference in the atmosphere and dynamic of the house. We are still working on better walking on the leash, but the biggest issue is, thankfully, behind us. Mainly Justin has showed me how to be the leader that Sookie needs and as long as I remain consistent with her we are going to have a more relaxed relationship in the future. Thanks Bark Busters and thank you Justin!!

  • Anonymous
    13 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of Justin has now helped us with not just one, but two dogs. My newest dog, Wendy, was so strong that when she jumped up she knocked me over. She also engaged in puppy biting and barking that was less than cute. She started to calm down within ten minutes of Justin's arrival. He was able to figure out what techniques would get through to her very quickly, and worked with me until I understood what to do. Within just one day, I was able to play with Wendy with a cup of coffee in my hand, something I have never been able to do. Justin is just wonderful.

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of Nothing less than amazing. My two boxers had been to countless trainings and schools. I saw results after the first week. I'm now able to walk the dogs and use the training aids in a correct manner. After taking my giant boxer, Tyson, to the vet and having the vet shake as she listened to his heart, I spoke to Justin and he accompanied me for the next visit. He has really done above and beyond. I recommend him to anyone that has dogs big or small. He is consistent and honest but I always knew he cared about my Tyson and Layla.

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    I was very impressed with Justin and am happy I called him. When I brought my new rescue pup home, Pippin would bark constantly if I left the apartment, even for a few seconds. Within two days of Justin's visit, Pippin was showing about a 90% improvement. After a week, it was 100%, and we have no more problems with barking. The techniques turned out to be so simple and gentle, yet I would never have thought of them on my own. In our second visit, Justin answered many questions I had about dog behavior, and I felt more confident after our talk that I'm on the right track with my dog. This was money VERY well spent, and I have no regrets whatsoever about working with Justin and Bark Busters. Pippin and I both send our thanks!

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    Another amazing review for Justin, but he really is this great! Justin helped me out over a year ago with my Jack Russell, "Sproles." We adopted him from the humane society, and I don't think he had ever walked on a leash before. He would get extremely frantic whenever we passed another dog. He would just completely lose it, barking and crying, because he wanted to go towards the other dog and usually this freaked out the other dog and owner as well. Justin showed me how to correct Sproles on the leash before he got into this excited, out-of-control state, and now he is a dream to walk. I even get compliments from people on how well-behaved he is for a Jack Russell. Justin just dropped by for a short refresher course after Sproles had an incident with my dog walker, and it was just as effective as his previous training sessions. Justin is truly a behaviorist and will teach you how to watch, listen, and feel for your dog's state of mind so that it's easy to stop the bad behavior before it starts, and he is also great about reminding you how important it is to reward and reinforce the good behavior that you are teaching. Definitely worth it to seek out a true professional like Justin if you are having behavioral issues with your four-legged friend. It will make life for the both of you so much more enjoyable, and enjoying your dog is what it's all about.

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    Whoo-hoo! I am learning to speak dog! Just had my first session with Justin yesterday to address issues I have been having with my headstrong, 11-lb. Pom. He's 10 months, and I had been looking at training options for months. None seemed to be what I needed. I wanted to figure out how to deal with certain issues...excessive barking in a variety of situations, jumping on people, leash pulling, chewing, and other general behaviors I wanted to correct. Obviously, what I was doing was not working. Justin came in and immediately was greeted with a bark-a-thon and within seconds, Bear stopped barking-Hey, how did you do that?-I have been trying for months without progress, and within seconds my dog was quiet. WOW! You have got my attention! Over the next two hours, Justin showed me how to properly correct and train with INSTANT results. Turns out I was the one that needed to be trained-LOL! Bear is doing amazing with the training Justin has taught me and only barked one time in 24 hours and stopped immediately when correcting him the right way-whoo-hoo! The walk this morning was a breeze-no pulling. I wish I would have found Justin earlier and can't wait for Justin's next visit! What is so great about Justin and Bark Busters is that they come to your home and see the "real" situation. They can observe things you may not even realize that are issues and teach you to properly train your dog. I have so much more confidence with training Bear, and if I am unsure of something, Justin is just a phone call away to give me advice on how to handle it. Thanks Justin!

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    I found Justin while doing a Google search for dog trainers in San Diego. I didn't think anything of him or his work and decided to go with another company, which shall remain nameless. The previous trainer didn't seem to teach me anything, and I felt it was an hour lost, in addition to the money I coughed up. I called Justin and voiced my concerns regarding my dog Aldo, and he told me to rest assured; he'll be able to show me changes in one session. I was skeptical and thought he may be too confident of himself. BUT, let me tell you...he did just that. I have a 7-month-old mini Australian Shepherd, and he has energy galore. He would jump all over people and think it's playtime whenever someone walks in the door. From the first session, Justin was able to have the dog sit, listen to what I say, and be more attentive. For anyone who is looking for a trainer out there, trainers are plenty and so are their companies, yet not many trainers will tell you what the problem is and solve it from the ground up. Justin did that for me! As long as you follow his instructions and actually put in the effort, your dog will turn out great. Too many people try to humanize their dog and treat them like one of their own and forget that these "kids" are dogs, and at the end of the day, work on instincts. It's an art how we can communicate with them, and Justin is like Picasso in that field. I have been getting compliments from my friends and family on Aldo's attentiveness, in addition to his calm demeanor. I recommend Justin to anyone willing to put an investment into his or her dog's life.

  • Anonymous
    14 years ago — San Diego, California

    Justin is fantastic. Our 2-year-old rescue, Biscuit, suffered from separation anxiety and would bark constantly after we left the house. He also had anxiety around other dogs when being walked (and new dogs in general). He lunged, barked and growled at dogs we passed. During our first lesson, we saw a huge improvement. We learned how to walk him correctly, and he took to it right away. He was just looking to be led. Once we did, he followed. On the first day, we walked him past another dog and he didn't even turn his head to look. The anxiety took a little bit longer to deal with, but Justin came over for weekly lessons and that soon too was no problem. We no longer hear a peep from Biscuit when we leave, which I'm sure our neighbors greatly appreciate. After working with Justin for just a few sessions, we were even able to take Biscuit to the dog park: something we never dreamed would be possible. It's now one of his favorite things to do. Bark Busters isn't a magical fix. You will have to put in the work between lessons, but once you do, you won't for a second regret hiring Justin.