Bark Busters Greater San Diego Reviews

Reviews

140 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)

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  • Bryan C.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    This service is worth every penny! We adopted a severely emaciated rescue who was a stray and god knows what the previous owners did to her.. She had major separation anxiety when we left the house, we would set up the IPAD to record her and she would be howling, crying and pacing the entire time. She did not do well in the crate and we have gone thru several sets of mini blinds because she is trying to see us outside so badly.. She was also timid and shy around other dogs when she would come across one.

    We had 2 visits with Justin and she is a changed dog.. He gave us the tools and exercises to help with her separation issues and she has been doing great when we leave the house. Over this past weekend we left her for over 8 hours and she did great. She is also more comfortable on walks when we encounter other dogs and did great on her first trip to Dog beach.

    You do have to be prepared to put in the time and do the work/exercises he suggests, but it does work.

    Thank You Justin
    Bryan, Steph and Cali

    • #Barking
    • #Separation anxiety
  • Bethany D.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    My dog Hendrix was having horrible separation anxiety. He would bark nonstop, drool excessively, shake and pant. I tried everything, including the thundershirt, with no improvement. My neighbors were starting to complain about his barking and I was told if it wasn't corrected we would have to move. I understood that his barking was an issue, but more importantly I needed help managing his anxiety so that I could have a healthy, happy pet. I took Hendrix to the vet, who recommended bark busters. I was very nervous initially about correcting his behaviors. I didn't want someone to come to my home and hurt my dog with shock collars or other negative reinforcement techniques. After my first phone conversation with Justin I knew that he would be able to help me and my dog in a way that I would be comfortable with. After his first visit and several phone conversations and a follow up, I now have a dog who isn't barking and most importantly is happy and basically anxiety free. Justin truly knows what he is talking about and how to effectively teach you how to communicate with your animals. I cannot thank him enough for helping me and Hendrix! I would recommend him a million times and will always use him in the future when issues with my pet arise. THANK YOU JUSTIN!

    • #Barking
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Pulling
    • #Separation anxiety
  • Allison G.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    Thank you Justin!

    Justin met with my boyfriend and I to help with our three year old dog Frankie (Chihuahua - Westie mix) . I contacted Justin because I had heard positive reviews about the Bark Busters Training and Justin on Yelp. The issues we were having with Frankie were anxiousness, nervousness and anxiety. This had lead to him being wound up and barking and growling at anyone entering the home.

    Justin was great at explaining what the root of Frankie's issues were and what was causing him to bark, whine and growl. He is like a dog psychologist with the intention of getting dogs and their owners to be relaxed and happy.

    We learned that dogs and humans communicate differently and trying to reason with them as if humans is futile. Justin teaches you how to communicate to dogs in their language. Having Justin come over to work with you and your dog is well worth it. He is patient and has an amazing understanding of dogs that he will share with you.

    If you are frustrated with your dogs behavior and are looking for help please contact Justin. He sincerely loves dogs and his methods are effective and easy to understand.

    • #Barking
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
  • Teri S.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    OMG! I called Justin because we just adopted 2 Yorkies, 1 year old after our 15 year old passed away. We have a 10 year old Corgi/Lab mix who flunked out of dog obedience when we adopted her 8 years ago. Barking and aggression have been a constant issue and has subsided a little because she is older.

    Justin walked in & within 2 hours our life with our dogs (and 1/2 dog downstairs) has totally changed. No more barking, escaping through the gate, etc. the mailman actually delivered mail without a peep yesterday. Unheard of in this household! Where was he 8 years ago? Don't wait. Do it now. The techniques work & Justin is very good at training people. I know cause I train people all day long.

    • #Barking
    • #Pulling
    • #Recall
    • #Toileting
  • Eric L.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    My wife and I have an 11 month old Boxer puppy. He is the sweetest, cutest dog you can find. We got our puppy when he was very young, and as sweet as he was/is, man did he have crazy energy! And I wish it was the high-energy that was the problem...Dexter (our dog) began jumping on guests, getting too rowdy, not listening, showing zero respect, etc, etc. We got to a point where we really felt that we could not do all of the things that we dreamed we would be able to do with a dog. Due to the fact that we could not get his attention, and he did not respect us, we could no longer: take him on walks, take him to dog parks, invite guests over who did not appreciate a dog jumping all over them the whole time, take him on trips, and pretty much everything else fun! His lack of respect and attention resulted in us being frustrated and stressed out, but more importantly it resulted in him getting himself in positions where he could be harmed.

    So, we decided to get serious and find help for Dexter. And after a long and careful research process, we landed on enlisting the services of Justin and Bark Busters. We did not know what to expect, but we knew that we did not want to take Dexter to a class with a bunch of other dogs, we wanted personal attention. We wanted a professional to come to our house, meet our dog, learn about all of his behavior issues, and create a training curriculum that is specific only to my dog! And I will tell you we have not regretted it one bit! Justin has not only helped our pup, but he has helped us be able to implement the training on our own. We can now enjoy our dog for the sweetheart that he his, and we can take him fun places that he too can enjoy!

    If you are anything like me, and you need more than just a great review in order to make a decision, let me tell you a bit more about our experience:
    Justin will be the first to tell you that he is not a miracle-maker dog whisperer. If there are issues between us and our dogs, it is mainly because we do not understand how to communicate with them, and they do not understand anything we are saying/doing. Justin taught us how to talk to our dog, how to establish control, and how to understand Dexter's personality so that we are correctly teaching him what is right and what is wrong. We used to get so frustrated with Dexter, he wouldn't listen, he did not have any respect for us, and he had no boundaries. I remember the most rewarding moment was after Justin's first visit; right after he left the house, we saw immediate improvement in Dexter's behavior. That moment where my wife and I looked at each other and said "Look at this! Dexter is totally minding us, and he is respecting our boundaries!" Each time Justin came over we worked on something new. He always came prepared with his next exercises, but he also made sure that we worked on anything else that we felt like working on as well. He always answered his phone, and he was picked right up where he left off the time before. Best money we ever spent! We started using Bark Busters in late August, here we are 2 months later, and our puppy has improved by leaps and bounds! Justin has mad us happy, and he has made our Dexter very happy!

    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
    • #Puppy management
  • Erin R.
    10 years ago — San Diego, California

    Our story is a bit of a rocky one. Don't worry though, there's a happy ending, all thanks to Justin :D

    Seriously, call him ASAP if you need help overcoming any dog issues - no matter how major the issue seems, there is hope! He's a wonderful, gentle dog behaviorist and an AMAZING human trainer (which is what a lot of dog training is really about). I recommend Bark Busters to everyone; my dog's total 180 speaks for itself.
    __
    Here's my full (long!) story, with the hope that it might help people feeling trapped or hopeless about their dog's behavior/potential:

    I adopted a 2-year-old chug (chihuahua/pug mix) from a rescue group. I'm not sure what the story was with his first owner or if he was ever abused, but he definitely wasn't properly socialized. He ended up dumped at a high-kill shelter (72-hours til euthanasia). A rescue group pulled him from death row with hours to spare, and he went to live with a foster family until I met him.

    I saw so much potential in him, past the moments of fearfulness (could you blame him for not knowing who to trust?). I could tell that he was smart, motivated to please people, totally wanted to love but was just insecure about his place in the world. He came home with me, because I thought he deserved a real shot at becoming a confident, happy guy. I named him Prince, because I saw the prince charming behind the sometimes growly beast (plus all his stuff was purple).

    In the first week, while Prince quickly got comfortable with me, he got worse around just about everything/everyone else. Separation anxiety issues (wanted to be glued to me, cried if left alone) and MAJOR issues with socialization and trusting people: bearing teeth/growling/snarling at strangers (sometimes other dogs but always people), wasn't a fan of anyone but me, definitely didn't want to be petted by anyone else, and would snarl at even me if I got too close to him when he had a chew bone. I couldn't sit with him at a coffee shop patio or he would turn into an unmanageable gremlin.

    I've had dogs before so I started crate training for the separation. I have never dealt with fear-aggression though, so I thought it would be worth the money to work with a professional behaviorist. The first time I met with Justin I got a GREAT feeling. I saw that he was fantastic: friendly, easy to work with, gentle but firm, and really knew dogs and loved to help people. Prince snarled at him from under the coffee table, but I'd come to expect that and Justin obviously wasn't fazed. We were on track.

    But then another week went by, and I was at my breaking point with Prince. I work from home (which can feel isolating on it's own) but now I had this creature forcing me into total solitary confinement! I had been trying to gently socialize him (asking everyone to ignore him, "don't pet him, he's in training", etc.) but had stopped bringing him most places because it was too stressful. Then I stopped having anyone over to my apartment, after he lunged up and actually bit a friend of mine when she got up to head home. She said she was okay but I was horrified and I had a spike of anxiety. It was late at night, I didn't have anyone to call/anywhere to go, no family, no boyfriend, the best friend I'd usually turn to was the one he had bitten! All I had was this monster; I thought "I should've named him Beast." :(

    We had been working on longer and longer separations (but with me still in the house), so I felt trapped: I couldn't leave him by himself at home yet, I couldn't have anyone over, I couldn't bring him places, and now I have a dog that bites.

    I was totally in over my head; major buyers remorse. I actually contacted the rescue saying I was afraid I'd have to give Prince back and called Justin asking what sort of refund he gives. I felt like an awful person that wasn't giving Prince the "forever home" I had promised. I already deal with anxiety and this was making it much worse. I was afraid that Prince was also feeling my anxiety, that I was making HIM worse, and that it was just going to keep snowballing like that. I was concerned about what this all meant for my future...In the next 10 years of our lives together, I want to be able to have friends over, bring my dog places, have a boyfriend over, have kids someday, and have my friends able to bring their kids over.

    I met with Justin to talk about it, and he was seriously better than a therapist. With newly boosted confidence, I decided to keep at it. After a month with Bark Busters, Prince almost seems like a different dog. These days, he PLAYS with Justin when he sees him, all goofy smiles and waggy tail. I've had friends over with no issues and fewer and fewer issues in public. He respects and looks to me. He RUNS to his crate, and I've caught him voluntarily napping in there. I can leave the house again! Of course there are still things to work on, but I have all the confidence in the world (and I know Prince can sense that). I can't thank Justin enough.

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Pulling
    • #Separation anxiety
  • Brenda P.
    11 years ago — San Diego, California

    Justin was awesome. I called Justin because Jenna, 2 years old, is a little crazy. She is a mini pin / pallilion mix and a rescue. She is overly protective and pushes my 2 cats and other dog away from me. She was attacking other white small dogs at the dog park and lunging when I walked with her at other people and dogs. Within 30 minutes of the first visit with Justin, Jenna was under control. She was very submissive around Justin. He showed me how to control her barking, control her aggressiveness and walk her with my other dog without lunging at people. I called him today for a refresher course and I totally get it! Before Justin, I had called Petco and the guy kept missing appointments and so i cancelled training with Petco. I then called a dog obedience person and she taught Jenna how to sit but thats it. She didn't help correct the behavior. I realize that working with Justin the problem was Jenna, it was me. He didn't teach Jenna how to behave but taught me how to behave and take back the alpha male role from Jenna. I'm the boss now and not Jenna. She is a much calmer and happier dog (and Murphy and the 2 kitties are also very heppy). Thank you Justin. I would highly recommend you to anyone!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
  • Melanie H.
    11 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of Harry Harry was acting like Cujo until we met Justin! Our Chinese crested is fear aggressive and insecure, but in two hours Justin transformed him into a calm and relaxed pooch. Perhaps more importantly, he taught us how to keep him that way! Justin was our last hope as we were agonizing over whether Harry needed to be put down as he had already bitten someone. We shuddered to think of what would happen if he ever escaped! With a 5 year old child who loves to have friends over, we also knew the chance of Harry biting a child was a huge liability.We got Harry when he was 7 months old from a private party. He has always been male aggressive but he gradually started disliking everyone outside our family. We started to feel as though we were being held captive by our vicious little dog. Having friends over would mean non stop barking from the crate. We have spent thousands of dollars on vets, dog psychologists and trainers in the past 3 years but nothing has ever worked. Trainers would tell us that he was too old to change or that he was just born aggressive. In desperation, we went to a dog boot camp in North County and met the owner who professed to be an expert with large hostile dogs. One look at my barking and snarling little guy and he told us he would take $2000 and shock him into submission, but he wasn't sure he could make him a "nice" dog. He told us to put him down when we refused to pay him to hurt our dog. After one lesson, Justin was able to knock on our door, ring the doorbell AND sit on our couch with Harry out of his crate! Not only that, Harry let Justin pet him!! I cried...literally!! This was our first lesson and the next one is leash walking (he's a leash puller). I will update my post after lesson 2. Thank you Justin!!!!!!! I didn't know what to expect because your reviews seemed "too good to be true" but they were spot on!!!! You rock!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Hyperactivity
    • #Jumping up
    • #Pulling
    • #Separation anxiety
    • #Toileting
  • Patrick B.
    11 years ago — San Diego, California

    Our Olde English Bulldog, Olive (1 1/2 old) suddenly started developing some anxious and aggressive behavior. She had become overly protective of our house (or any house she was visiting), we were no longer comfortable having guests over as she had displayed some not so friendly behavior with a few of our friends and neighbors. Justin was great, he came over on time and sat down with myself, my fiance', and Olive to get a grasp of the unwanted behavior. After we talked about some of the causes of the behavior Justin then worked with Olive and us(10% Olive 90% us). Almost immediately, Olive was a different dog. It has been 2 weeks since, all unwanted behaviors are gone, and she is back to being the perfect dog she was before. We have had several house guests over since, Olive was as friendly as could be, wagging her tail and giving kisses. When the doorbell rang before, she would "rush" the door growling, barking and snarling. Now, when the doorbell rings she just lays down in place where ever she is at in the house, not a peep. Thanks Justin!

    • #Aggression
    • #Barking
    • #Pulling
    • #Recall
  • Merissa N.
    11 years ago — San Diego, California

    Photo of Marley My boyfriend and I had adopted a pitbull mix and have constantly worked with her for almost a year, but was really having problems with her fear with males and listening to us. After struggling for some time we decided to call Justin for some help. Thank god we did because Justin helped so much!!! Justin has such an amazing natural way with dogs, which was really important to us because we don't believe in shock collars, prong collars, etc. Justin didn't need any of that!! We saw a difference in our dog Marley's behavior after the first week!!! So happy we called Justin it was seriously the best decision we have made for our pup who is not living in fear anymore. Thanks Justin for the help!! :o)

    • #Barking
    • #Pulling
    • #Other