Bark Busters Greater San Diego Reviews

Reviews

142 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)

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  • Renae T.
    15 months ago — Del Mar, CA

    Oh. My. Dog.

    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.

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Digging
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Puppy management
    • #Sibling rivalry
  • Aly E.
    15 months 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.

    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!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Chewing
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
    • #Recall
  • Martin J.
    15 months 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!

    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.

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Pulling
    • #Puppy management
    • #Recall
  • Mariah M.
    15 months ago — Encinitas, CA

    It has been about 1 year since our first training session, and we are still using and loving the tools today' It's not like a one time lesson and our dog was instantly fixed. In fact, we fell off from using the tools we'd learned for a few months, then realized we needed to get strict with our behavior so Koa could go back to his relaxed state of mind. The onus is on us as Kia's humans to do the work so he's a happy, healthy pup, and that was one of the biggest lessons from Justin. A year later I still think the training was worth every penny and I recommend it to anyone even slightly interested.

    Thank you again, Bark Buster's!!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Chewing
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
    • #Recall
    • #Separation anxiety
  • Dana G.
    15 months 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.

    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!

    • #Barking
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
    • #Recall
    • #Separation anxiety
    Trainer Note:
    Dana we are so glad Ziggy is doing so well. Congrats to you for doing the homework.
  • Randy M.
    15 months ago — Poway, CA

    Jenna Finch is a miracle worker!! My two Havanese dogs, ages 5 years and 7 years have had numerous classes and private trainers over their lives. Despite being affectionate and friendly each had developed behaviors that made them less than desirable neighbors in high rise buildings. No trainer was able to change those negative behavior. Rushing the front door, going into frenzies when guests arrived and being very demanding of attention from those guests were the most frustrating behaviors. In one visit, Jenna eliminated all of those actions and the new behavior has remained consistent with reinforcement homework by me. I discovered by accident that my older dog barked constantly when my husband and I are both gone from home. Jenna showed me how this was classic separation anxiety behavior. With the assistance of a nanny cam and Jenna's patient guidance and support, my boy has stayed quietly in his bed during our absences. I had to make sure the camera was actually working I was so astonished! All of these incredible results after only a week! Jenna is a pleasure to work with, explains everything then gives you very clear guidance in writing. She has been unfailingly available , including on nights and weekend. I couldn't be more delighted by the results of her training!!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Jumping up
    • #Recall
    • #Separation anxiety
  • Jesse S.
    2 years ago — San Diego, CA

    Justin was INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend!!! He was truthful about the challenges of my dog and the situation in general. His feedback was so honest and genuine despite the difficult nature of my dog. I can’t recommend him any higher. Thanks so much Justin.

    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Separation anxiety
    • #Other
  • Sadie K.
    2 years ago — San Diego, CA

    Photo of Penny I am still in shock with how quickly my dog went from an anxious aggressive dog to a calm happy dog. Justin is incredible. We have worked with multiple other trainers for over a year and within one session, our dog was transformed. The photo attached is our dog who is so relaxed she is ASLEEP right next to another dog. To be honest, we had given up hope before meeting Justin. His tips are simple and yet effective. Don't waste your time with anyone else. Hire Justin- he understands dogs!!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
  • Monty S.
    3 years ago — San Diego, CA

    Photo of Rin When we adopted Rin we knew nothing about her first four years of her life and we realized early on that she will need special care for her behavior. She was anxious, insecure, and wary of her new surroundings, new people, and new life in the city. We were patient with letting her acclimate, but when the half year mark came around we knew we needed help. We were so relieved when Justin finally came by and gave us the right tools and the right frame of mind when it comes to interacting and helping Rin-- in just one session. Justin did what google search couldn't do, and it was provide on-site expert opinion and advice, providing us with exact answers and tools to help face the challenges we have with Rin.
    Lastly, Thank you for the important dietary advice! Rin loves her food now more than ever.

    • #Other
  • Adam P.
    4 years ago — San Diego, CA

    Five stars for Justin without a doubt. Our Aussie was very reactive. For 5 years we were tormented with her going into a frenzy whenever she encountered another dog whether it be walking, car rides or seeing one on TV. She would lunge, growl and bark and act as though she wanted to fight even though she would never bite or attack another dog.

    Luna's behavior started when she about 6 months old. We had three different dog trainers prior to Justin. The first two were "positive reinforcement" using treats, clickers and commands. They did not work. The third was the e-collar which gives the dog a shock to prevent the unwanted behavior. This did not work either. We loved Luna but after five years of anxiety filled walks, drives and TV watching we were stressed out, frustrated and running out of ideas and patience. We did not want to rehome her after five years but we also were not convinced more training would do the trick.

    I did a search for dog trainers in San Diego and found Bark Busters. I read the reviews and it sounded promising. They guaranteed the problem would go away. I called them and the fellow I spoke with let me know that their behavior training wouldn't include bribes, clickers or any other gimmicks. He said it was much more similar to what I may have seen on TV's Dog Whisperer. So, we gave it a chance! We were hopeful yet skeptical.

    Appointment day came and Justin and Jenna showed up. Justin explained the method to us, and it made sense, but I was anxious to see the "concept" go into practice. Sure enough, within 1 hour with Justin coaching from the sidelines Luna was behaving. It was amazing! We walked by dogs and she was calm and submissive. The method is quick and easy and best of all, it works! We have a new dog. We are happy and Luna is happy.

    Best training ever! Money well spent. Our only regret is not doing it sooner. Justin knows his stuff, his training works, and it is easy to follow. Thank you Justin!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking