Bark Busters San Francisco and Marin County Reviews
Reviews
49 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 4.86 out of 5)
Valeria C.
15 months ago
— San Rafael, CA
Before finding Bark Busters, I was so traumatized because of a bad training experience we had in the past with someone else. Honestly I was so excited when I found Bark Busters because I learned that they don't use any physically punishing methods with dogs and that's just what I was looking for. Karen was amazing - super respectful, kind, my dog was very happy during our training session, and his behavior was incredible. I recommend Karen 100%. My dog was having some aggression issues and bad recall but I’m so confident now that I will be able to train my dog without making him feel scared or hurt him. If you love your dog as much as I love mine then Karen and Bark Busters training is perfect for you.
My partner & I rescued a German Shepherd mix in August of 2021 who is sweet as can be but struggled with severe separation anxiety. We worked with several trainers before meeting Adam and didn’t have much success, which meant we couldn’t leave our dog alone at all. Adam taught us how to communicate with our dog better and was thoughtful and patient in his training process. He understood our dogs unique needs and provided us with successful solutions— we are now able to leave her at home while we work without her being disruptive or destructive. It’s honestly a miracle! Thank you Adam! Our rescue girl is living her best life knowing that being alone at home while we work is only temporary!
Karen was very patient and compassionate with us, quickly becoming very attuned to my rescue cattle dog mix with separation anxiety issues. I was very impressed by her reading of our relationship, and immediately felt we were in good hands and could finally get the personalized training we needed without relying on bribery (my dog is very stubborn and very not treat-motivated).
She gave me simple and clear instructions on how to make Jolene feel incrementally more confident, but the content of the training mostly focused on modifying my own behavior so as not to inadvertently make my dog worry or feel like she needed to look out for me at all times.
I feel so fortunate for having Karen in our lives, after moving to the city for a new job I was incredibly stressed about leaving Jolene at home alone, knowing she would be howling and pacing. Our relationship is much stronger now and I can finally make plans without constantly worrying.
Up until a week ago we were chronically stressed by our doggie’s behavior. If we didn’t have a treat available, his counter-surfing, jumping on visitors, and lunging at other dogs was unstoppable. Then Karen helped us.
Karen taught us “how to speak dog” and I am in awe. Buster is a changed dog, just after one day. This first week post-training we feel a weight lifted off of our shoulders. Thank you Karen. We feel so much gratitude for your help.
We highly recommend Karen Gaines, she is observant, patient, a great communicator, not to mention has TONS of experience training dogs with all sorts of behavioral problems. She is an absolutely excellent teacher and dog-trainer.
I read the reviews here and figured we had nothing to lose - I adopted an abused puppy from Africa while working there, and he had severe separation anxiety and fear aggression. I was almost at the point of giving up - he would rip items to shreds when I was not home, and on walks would lunge and sometimes bite people (and occasionally, try to bite me). When Adam first visited us, he spent almost 3 hours observing, asking questions, and giving us tools to use to change our dog's behavior. Setting boundaries, showing the dog who is the boss, correcting bad behaviors quickly - Adam offered lots of solutions. It's not even 4 months later and I'm happy to say my now "teenaged" 1.5 yr old dog is completely changed. He walks closely and confidently with my husband, me, and our other dog, no longer lunging at people and other dogs. His separation anxiety (and with that, chewing and peeing) is gone, because he is now calm and comfortable. Most of all, thanks to Adam, my husband and I gained the confidence *we* needed to be strong dog parents to be able to correct (or, unlearn) our dog's bad behaviors. I cannot even believe it is the same dog. It's nice to know we'll always have Adam to call on should any other problem behaviors appear, he's just a text message away. Thank you Adam!
Bark Busters saved us. We were at the decision to use a ‘boot camp’ style training facility or locate a home trainer, and Bark Busters/Karen Gaines was the right choice. It didn’t feel right to send our little guy away. What were we going to learn from doing that? Our little puppy is intelligent and started to not respond to treat training, and sometimes used the treat training for his benefit. Yum! Training without food is so much better. Also, it’s based on our individual needs, and those needs can change. That’s the benefit of Bark Busters, customized attention and solutions for the unique challenges presented now and thereafter.
I have only glowing, positive comments about Karen! She has helped us with our very rambunctious, energetic 7-month old Pit bull. As he grew from a little, frisky puppy into an enormous 65-lb dog made of solid muscle, he began to get aggressive as a fear response to cars, other dogs and even small children. We knew we had to act fast and ensure that our dog remained just as gentle and lovable outside the home as he was inside the home with our family and older, smaller dogs. Karen's approach was methodical and we mastered it quickly and easily. Our dog took a little longer and over several weeks we graduated to more restrictive - but never painful or punitive - leashes and training methods. Finally, we found the perfect solution! Here is a recent text I sent to Karen in joy and gratitude for her help: "OMG thank you so much for the gentle leader leash and the training your provided us! I just returned from a 45-minute walk around the neighborhood with Smokey, what a difference! At first I stayed close to the house, but as I grew more confident because he remained so calm, I ventured further and further out. We passed cars, children, even other dogs - and he got excited, but he did not lunge or bark and remained close to me the entire time. Occasionally he tried to paw off the gentle leader leash, but I was attentive and distracted him immediately. I talked to him the entire time, I gave him frequent treats but always at random intervals. The contrast was stunning. Thank you for transforming our walks from ordeals into pleasurable excursions!" She has given us our lovable puppy back - inside and out outside our home!
Karen is an incredible dog whisperer! She just has to enter the room and my daughter's puppy turns into a little angel....and stays that way long after she is gone. Karen offers wonderful advice to overcome any behavioral issue you might be encountering - demand barking, counter surfing, separation anxiety, and more. Her techniques are easy to implement and immediately effective. She is a fabulous resource and has made the whole process of rearing a puppy manageable and enjoyable. It is so helpful to have one person that you can contact for tips as new issues come out. I am confident that Murphy will develop into a well-trained companion for my daughter!
Karen came to help us with our two dogs. We have an older dog and a puppy and they were not getting along. Our puppy was constantly barking at our older (highly anxious) dog. We were at our wits end with what to do. Karen spent 2+ hours with us and once she left, the dogs behavior was almost 100% improved. We now have tools to use to deal with issues that come up. But, honestly, the dogs have been incredible since our meeting with Karen. We were all on edge and stressed from the dogs before Karen came. Now, the house is calm and the dogs are so much better. Thank you, Karen. After only 1 session, you have turned the dogs around. We still have to work on some problems that we didn't address but I am certain we will figure it all out in future meetings.
Adam was amazing! Our dog Bernie was showing signs of resource guarding (spoiled only dog child problems) and being a little brat. He was also getting aggressive with some dogs at the dog park when he had been super friendly for the first year of his life. He is only 16 months and we new we wanted to get it under control right away. We are super social and wanted to feel comfortable taking Bernie with us places and not having to worry. Adam helped us establish boundaries and we saw a noticeable difference after one session. Seriously one session. It was great. We have had follow up sessions since and Bernie continues to improve. We are so thankful for Adam and his work with us and Bernie. I would highly recommend Adam and we are so pleased with our progress.
Valeria C.
15 months ago
— San Rafael, CA
Before finding Bark Busters, I was so traumatized because of a bad training experience we had in the past with someone else. Honestly I was so excited when I found Bark Busters because I learned that they don't use any physically punishing methods with dogs and that's just what I was looking for. Karen was amazing - super respectful, kind, my dog was very happy during our training session, and his behavior was incredible. I recommend Karen 100%. My dog was having some aggression issues and bad recall but I’m so confident now that I will be able to train my dog without making him feel scared or hurt him. If you love your dog as much as I love mine then Karen and Bark Busters training is perfect for you.
PermalinkRiley R.
15 months ago
— San Francisco, CA
My partner & I rescued a German Shepherd mix in August of 2021 who is sweet as can be but struggled with severe separation anxiety. We worked with several trainers before meeting Adam and didn’t have much success, which meant we couldn’t leave our dog alone at all. Adam taught us how to communicate with our dog better and was thoughtful and patient in his training process. He understood our dogs unique needs and provided us with successful solutions— we are now able to leave her at home while we work without her being disruptive or destructive. It’s honestly a miracle! Thank you Adam! Our rescue girl is living her best life knowing that being alone at home while we work is only temporary!
PermalinkKelly S.
18 months ago
— San Francisco, CA
Karen was very patient and compassionate with us, quickly becoming very attuned to my rescue cattle dog mix with separation anxiety issues. I was very impressed by her reading of our relationship, and immediately felt we were in good hands and could finally get the personalized training we needed without relying on bribery (my dog is very stubborn and very not treat-motivated).
PermalinkShe gave me simple and clear instructions on how to make Jolene feel incrementally more confident, but the content of the training mostly focused on modifying my own behavior so as not to inadvertently make my dog worry or feel like she needed to look out for me at all times.
I feel so fortunate for having Karen in our lives, after moving to the city for a new job I was incredibly stressed about leaving Jolene at home alone, knowing she would be howling and pacing. Our relationship is much stronger now and I can finally make plans without constantly worrying.
Alexa K.
21 months ago
— San Rafael, CA
Up until a week ago we were chronically stressed by our doggie’s behavior. If we didn’t have a treat available, his counter-surfing, jumping on visitors, and lunging at other dogs was unstoppable. Then Karen helped us.
PermalinkKaren taught us “how to speak dog” and I am in awe. Buster is a changed dog, just after one day. This first week post-training we feel a weight lifted off of our shoulders. Thank you Karen. We feel so much gratitude for your help.
We highly recommend Karen Gaines, she is observant, patient, a great communicator, not to mention has TONS of experience training dogs with all sorts of behavioral problems. She is an absolutely excellent teacher and dog-trainer.
Pamela H.
22 months ago
— San Francisco, CA
I read the reviews here and figured we had nothing to lose - I adopted an abused puppy from Africa while working there, and he had severe separation anxiety and fear aggression. I was almost at the point of giving up - he would rip items to shreds when I was not home, and on walks would lunge and sometimes bite people (and occasionally, try to bite me). When Adam first visited us, he spent almost 3 hours observing, asking questions, and giving us tools to use to change our dog's behavior. Setting boundaries, showing the dog who is the boss, correcting bad behaviors quickly - Adam offered lots of solutions. It's not even 4 months later and I'm happy to say my now "teenaged" 1.5 yr old dog is completely changed. He walks closely and confidently with my husband, me, and our other dog, no longer lunging at people and other dogs. His separation anxiety (and with that, chewing and peeing) is gone, because he is now calm and comfortable. Most of all, thanks to Adam, my husband and I gained the confidence *we* needed to be strong dog parents to be able to correct (or, unlearn) our dog's bad behaviors. I cannot even believe it is the same dog. It's nice to know we'll always have Adam to call on should any other problem behaviors appear, he's just a text message away. Thank you Adam!
PermalinkKaren C.
23 months ago
— San Rafael, CA
Bark Busters saved us. We were at the decision to use a ‘boot camp’ style training facility or locate a home trainer, and Bark Busters/Karen Gaines was the right choice. It didn’t feel right to send our little guy away. What were we going to learn from doing that? Our little puppy is intelligent and started to not respond to treat training, and sometimes used the treat training for his benefit. Yum! Training without food is so much better. Also, it’s based on our individual needs, and those needs can change. That’s the benefit of Bark Busters, customized attention and solutions for the unique challenges presented now and thereafter.
PermalinkDaniel K.
3 years ago
— Corte Madera, CA
I have only glowing, positive comments about Karen! She has helped us with our very rambunctious, energetic 7-month old Pit bull. As he grew from a little, frisky puppy into an enormous 65-lb dog made of solid muscle, he began to get aggressive as a fear response to cars, other dogs and even small children. We knew we had to act fast and ensure that our dog remained just as gentle and lovable outside the home as he was inside the home with our family and older, smaller dogs. Karen's approach was methodical and we mastered it quickly and easily. Our dog took a little longer and over several weeks we graduated to more restrictive - but never painful or punitive - leashes and training methods. Finally, we found the perfect solution! Here is a recent text I sent to Karen in joy and gratitude for her help: "OMG thank you so much for the gentle leader leash and the training your provided us! I just returned from a 45-minute walk around the neighborhood with Smokey, what a difference! At first I stayed close to the house, but as I grew more confident because he remained so calm, I ventured further and further out. We passed cars, children, even other dogs - and he got excited, but he did not lunge or bark and remained close to me the entire time. Occasionally he tried to paw off the gentle leader leash, but I was attentive and distracted him immediately. I talked to him the entire time, I gave him frequent treats but always at random intervals. The contrast was stunning. Thank you for transforming our walks from ordeals into pleasurable excursions!" She has given us our lovable puppy back - inside and out outside our home!
PermalinkLisa P.
3 years ago
— San Francisco, CA
Karen is an incredible dog whisperer! She just has to enter the room and my daughter's puppy turns into a little angel....and stays that way long after she is gone. Karen offers wonderful advice to overcome any behavioral issue you might be encountering - demand barking, counter surfing, separation anxiety, and more. Her techniques are easy to implement and immediately effective. She is a fabulous resource and has made the whole process of rearing a puppy manageable and enjoyable. It is so helpful to have one person that you can contact for tips as new issues come out. I am confident that Murphy will develop into a well-trained companion for my daughter!
PermalinkSusanne C.
3 years ago
— Greenbrae, CA
Karen came to help us with our two dogs. We have an older dog and a puppy and they were not getting along. Our puppy was constantly barking at our older (highly anxious) dog. We were at our wits end with what to do. Karen spent 2+ hours with us and once she left, the dogs behavior was almost 100% improved. We now have tools to use to deal with issues that come up. But, honestly, the dogs have been incredible since our meeting with Karen. We were all on edge and stressed from the dogs before Karen came. Now, the house is calm and the dogs are so much better. Thank you, Karen. After only 1 session, you have turned the dogs around. We still have to work on some problems that we didn't address but I am certain we will figure it all out in future meetings.
PermalinkKesley T.
3 years ago
— San Francisco, CA
Adam was amazing! Our dog Bernie was showing signs of resource guarding (spoiled only dog child problems) and being a little brat. He was also getting aggressive with some dogs at the dog park when he had been super friendly for the first year of his life. He is only 16 months and we new we wanted to get it under control right away. We are super social and wanted to feel comfortable taking Bernie with us places and not having to worry. Adam helped us establish boundaries and we saw a noticeable difference after one session. Seriously one session. It was great. We have had follow up sessions since and Bernie continues to improve. We are so thankful for Adam and his work with us and Bernie. I would highly recommend Adam and we are so pleased with our progress.
Permalink1 2 3 4 5 next »