Efficient and Holistic In-Home Dog Training Serving San Mateo County and Over 25 Other Mid-Peninsula Communities

Are you experiencing behavioral issues with your dog? Our dog-friendly training methods can help you overcome these issues quickly. We train in your home where you and your dog are most comfortable. With our efficient, results-oriented training program, you can achieve the communication and leadership you want with your dog. Live a happier life together with your dog!

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Common Dog Behavioral Issues We Address

Our expert puppy training, dog training, and dog behavior services in San Mateo County resolve the most challenging dog behavior issues including:

  • Aggression
  • Adjusting to New Home
  • Barking
  • Biting
  • Chewing
  • Destruction
  • Digging
  • Focus & Listening
  • Housebreaking
  • Improving Confidence
  • Jumping
  • Leash Pulling
  • Marking/Peeing
  • New Baby Preparation
  • Obsessiveness
  • Respecting Other Pets
  • Running Away
  • Separation Anxiety
  • Sibling Rivalry – in House Tensions/ Fights


Not sure where your dog could use improvement? Take our free behavioral quiz today.

Meet Jared, Your Local Professional Dog Trainer

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A happy dog with his owner training in the backyard

Home Dog Training in San Mateo County, CA!

I am Jared Levenson, your Dog Behavioral Therapist and Dog Trainer for Bark Busters Home Dog Training in San Mateo County and the Mid-Peninsula. Let me introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my story.

As one of the Bay Area’s top-rated dog trainers, I have spent the last 10 years living in and serving this community I am so proud to call home. My journey here has been diverse, from my years working as a behavioral interventionist for children with autism in Santa Clara to teaching yoga in San Jose. These experiences taught me the importance of patience, clear communication, and a calm presence—skills that are essential when helping dogs and their owners connect.

My background is rooted in understanding behavior, fueled by a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University. While working as a counselor in Half Moon Bay, I saw firsthand how animals can heal and transform human lives. This inspired me to focus on the Bark Busters method, which uses natural communication rather than force or treats. Whether you are dealing with severe aggression, separation anxiety, or just starting with a new puppy, my goal is to help you "speak dog." By understanding your pet’s needs and triggers, we can replace stress with leadership and respect.

I love seeing families go from the brink of giving up to enjoying a happy, peaceful home. My approach is simple, time-efficient, and entirely cruelty-free. To ensure I’m providing the best possible care for your furry family members, I have earned certifications as a CGC Evaluator, Pet Food Nutritionist, and in Dog Reiki and Pet CPR. It is a true honor to be part of your journey and to help you live the life you’ve always wanted with your best friend.

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Client Reviews

See what our clients in San Mateo County have to say

Jared is kind, caring, patient, and considerate. He really focuses on training Humans rather than the dogs which has a longer lasting effect. My dogs went from never being able to have people come to our house to being able to handle a full party! The change that I’ve seen in My dogs after having Jared's help was significant!!!! I highly recommend him as a Trainer.
Isabelle B.
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Jared thoroughly and easily explained their training process and I walked away feeling confident that I want to continue and already feel like my dog is better trained. Thank you so much!
Dakota B.
San Jose, CA
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Let me start by saying I love this training style. It's all about communicating effectively with your dog (no shock collars or prong collars AND no excessive treats). I grew up with chronically misbehaving dogs and had parents default to prong collars, so I was a little uncertain about this training style actually working, but I already notice improvements!
Overall, Jared was helpful, thoughtful, and thorough. We covered a ton of information during the first session. We focused on leashed walks, attentiveness, jumping, barking, personal space, and general manners (not crowding while we eat, stealing shoes, staying away from the door while we enter/ exit, etc.). We even went over diet. We gave us a lot of material to review and ways to track progress over weeks so it wasn't overwhelming and it's easier to stay consistent. He was well-prepared for the session and even brought a stuffed dog!
He helped my two dogs (11 year old rescue and 5 month old German shepherd) as well as my boyfriend's dog (5 year old pitbull mix rescue). There was noticeable improvement with the puppy before the end of the first session. Thank you, Jared!
Gianna A
San Jose, CA
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We are really happy with the results of our dog training. Our dog is a mature dog not a puppy and it was challenging to correct her behavior. However Jared gave us plenty of advice and exercises to practice in order we could learn how to demonstrate our leadership and lead the dog. She is much calmer and less pushy now with her behaviors, for example no more begging for food, less whining and no more jumping on the couch without permission. We also find the format of occasional follow-up sessions very useful to maintain good behavior and help her improve. It was invaluable that Jared also brought his own dog to practice pack walks together with our dog, it was a game changer in her leash performance, paying attention to us and staying calm in close proximity to another dog.
Elena
San Mateo, CA
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We’re experienced dog owners, but Clementine completely humbled us. We adopted her, as a puppy, thinking she was a small-breed chihuahua mix, but it turns out she’s about 80% working dog (Malinois, Border Collie, Shepherd) and only 20% chihuahua…which explains a lot in hindsight. One day, the world became terrifying to her. We couldn’t walk down the street or have people in our home and were honestly losing hope. She was reactive to everything, and despite months of training on our own, nothing helped. I also have an energy-limiting disability, which made her extreme protectiveness even harder to manage. We were running out of options.

Hiring Jared from Bark Busters was our last resort and the best decision we made. Clementine has done a complete 180. We went from not being able to walk down the street or have visitors to hosting family and taking her to crowded restaurants. Jared’s approach is practical, grounded in how dogs actually communicate, and it works. We went from feeling helpless to confident again, and Clementine is thriving. If you’re stuck or feel out of options, hire him. You won’t regret it. And bonus: he’s an awesome person too.
Jess
Moss Beach, CA
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I cannot recommend Jared enough!
We started training with him because we wanted a calmer, more confident dog and honestly the difference has been amazing. Jared is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and SO good at explaining things in a way that makes sense.

What I loved the most is that he didn’t just “train the dog,” he taught US how to work with him in real life situations. Every session felt personalized to our dog’s personality and needs, and Jared always showed up with such a positive attitude and so much care.

We’ve seen huge progress already, better leash manners, calmer behavior around other dogs and people. Overall just a happier pup who knows what’s expected of him.

If you’re looking for a trainer who is professional, results-oriented, and genuinely passionate about dogs, Jared is the one. Totally worth it.
Dama
Belmont, CA
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Jared of Bark Busters has been doing a great job helping me train my pack of three young dogs. We have made great strides in improving the dogs’ behavior. All three dogs were barking a lot at the front door and jumping on guests as they arrived. Issue addressed and resolved. I have one dog that that is tough case and continues to bark at some strange triggers. Jared continues to work with me to improve this behavior. We have come a long way. This dog has made great improvements in her barking and I am confident with more repetition and Jared’s guidance we will get there. Jared is kind, has a calm presence, and communicates well with humans and dogs.
Amy
Menlo Park, CA
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I had such an amazing experience with Jared and it’s only been 2 lessons so far. My original concerns with Luna (my dog) was her excessive barking and separation anxiety. During training, I remembered that she also has no recall, LOL. Anyways, Luna’s 7 years old, she’s the first dog I’ve ever really tried “training” with, and she only knows your basic commands (sit, down, paw, stay, leave it) but I had absolutely no idea what to do about her separation anxiety or barking. She’ll bark at whatever sounds she hears and whatever she sees outside of our apartment.

Our first lesson with Jared was great, he taught me how to correct Luna’s behavior and how to read her body language. He actually even showed me that Luna actually knew how to heel and was really good at walking (with Jared at least.. LOL). He showed me some practices/training I could do with Luna on my own time. He’s extremely knowledgeable and really patient. There were times where I just didn’t catch onto Luna’s body language or I didn’t know when to correct her and Jared was there to help me recognize those behaviors.

After the first lesson, Luna hardly barks at the sounds she hears and the people, cars, and/or animals she’ll see outside of our apartment. Surprisingly, this has lead into her separation anxiety as well. She hardly cries now when we are gone for work, which we are so grateful for. It was extremely stressful for us when she was gone. Now we’re currently working on her recall and honestly, it’s been going great so far. Even with all the YouTube videos or advice all over the internet, I just couldn’t get a grip on what to do with Luna or how to get it to work — until I found Jared!! I honestly couldn’t recommend him more!
Vi
San Bruno, CA
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Jared helped me and my family with our first puppy, Monty. With the overwhelming amount of information out there, it is comforting to have someone with Jared’s knowledge and calm demeanor who we can reach out to for the support that we need in raising our mini-Schnauzer. Through Jared’s first visit, we learned Bark Buster’s methods of behavior correction which has helped us feel more empowered and given us the confidence boost we needed to improve our relationship with our new pup. I am excited to continue on this training path with Jared’s support and would recommend him to anyone who may struggling with the challenges that all new puppy parents face.
Neil
Daly City, CA
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Jared is kind, caring, patient, and considerate. He really focuses on training Humans rather than the dogs which has a longer lasting effect. My dogs went from never being able to have people come to our house to being able to handle a full party! The change that I’ve seen in My dogs after having Jareds help was significant!!!! I highly recommend him as a Trainer.
Bea
San Mateo, CA
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Jared's expertise and time spent actively listening, genuinely empathizing, REALLY, really getting to know my dog's situation before we began training was nothing short of absolutely INVALUABLE to me. Jared is a skilled counselor as well as an expert dog trainer. I had relief and confidence after our intro talk. I knew that Jared was going to be very patient and very encouraging as I learned and then gradually mastered now, I feel, how to speak "dog language", as he says (and skillfully demonstrates) to my dog. My dog needed to know that I was the leader. He really didn't know that --- and I didn't know he din't know that. Jared taught ME how to teach him that. My dog is tremendously more relaxed, "waits" appropriately for food/ treats & affection, and RESPONDS to my behavior corrections and praise --- because I learned how to present these to him meaningfully, in "dog language". Jared has absolutely changed my life with his training and time. Where I once had fear about not having enough control over my dog's behavior, I now have confidence, relief, and quite literally, peace. Bark Busters' systems and philosophies are very clear, really concise, and "simplified", helpful for me as I became too easily confused and rattled, definitely too self-conscious in a "group" training environment with others. ​​Bark Buster's one-on-one instructional format, with Jared's particular gifts as an expert in these training techniques AND as a sensitive counselor who understands dog parents' insecurities about their dogs' issues, is something I'm always, always going to be so grateful to have found.
Angi
Half Moon Bay, CA
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So happy to have found Jared and this program. Jared is great at sharing information and teaching in a way that really feels like a friend and shows his care for his work. 10/10 very happy to have his support for life!
Jean-Paul
Pacifica, CA
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We had such a wonderful experience with Bark Busters and our trainer, Jared! As first-time dog owners, we were feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to effectively communicate with our pup. Jared completely changed that. He taught us how to understand and work with our dog in a way that felt natural and frustration-free.

Jared was always punctual, professional, and incredibly easy to communicate with. He made sure all our questions were answered--no matter how small--and took the time to explain things clearly and patiently. It's so obvious how much he genuinely cares, not just about the dogs, but about their humans too.

If you're a new dog owner or just looking for a trainer who truly gets it, we can't recommend Jared and Bark Busters enough. He's kind, hardworking, and a total lifesaver. Thank you, Jared!
Stephanie
Redwood City, CA
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My dog was a senior rescue. He behaved wildly around other dogs, and he would lead me wherever he wanted to go. Thanks to Jared, I now know how to speak to my dog and the behavior has completely changed. He is obedient and is much calmer around other animals. Thank you Jared for your expert training; my dog is now a pleasure to be around.
Matteo
Burlingame, CA
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I highly recommend Jared! I've been working with him for about two months now, I think we've had four or five sessions, and my dog has made huge improvements.

One of my neighbors even said 'wow, it's like he's a different dog!', and I was able to host a small party at home without having to worry about him bulldozing everyone when they walked in the door.

I have a 75lb, three-year old dog, and the specific issues we were looking for help with were:
- pulling on leash
- jumping on people to say 'hi'
- barking at people, dogs, cats when they walk by the window

On the first visit, Jared came to my house to get a better understanding of my dog's problem behaviors, and was able to teach me some techniques to practice for homework.

In the next visit, he was able to see what kind of progress we'd made, and point out how I could improve, as well as teach my parents and teenager how to communicate with the dog. He is very honest about what he thinks might be too much if the dog isn't ready, and what we need to practice. I really appreciate how he tailored his instructions for different people so they each felt confident about what to do when they are handling the dog.

Jared crafts his training program to meet individual's needs. For example, if you want to take your dog to a park, or outdoor restaurant, he'll go there with you and he show you techniques that work for that setting.

He doesn't use choke chains, e-collars, or any other negative/violent reinforcement tools to 'break' a dog into submission. He also doesn't rely on over-dispensing treats (I was doing that before) to coax a dog into behavior.

In just the two months we've been working with Jared, I sense that my dog is more relaxed, because I am more relaxed and confident!
Holly
San Mateo, CA
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We realized we needed a behavioral trainer when our dog began to occasionally snap at some family members. She had been a bit unruly already but we weren't totally concerned until then. Jared came out to our house and we started with Kali put away. We just kind of talked about the issues we were having with her and what we wish she would see in her. We discussed how some things are trainable and others are personality issues that would need to be more about us controlling the environment. Then we gently introduced her and he got to see her silly craziness in action. I think right off the bat, Jared realized that Kali was walking all over us and that it was causing both her as the dog and us as the owners some anxiety. He taught us how to be the owner and treat her like an actual dog so that she would not feel the need to be the mom protect protecting her little pups. She has become a lot more trainable, less anxious, and brings us a lot more joy. Jared has been coming out regularly to teach us new training techniques as well as checking in to see how we're feeling about her progress. Our biggest thing is that Jared helps us stay accountable with the training. Because it's not a pay per session type of training business model, we know that Jared does this because he enjoys working with dogs and bettering them through their owner. He has been super helpful and we are seeing progress in Kali every day.
Caitlin
San Mateo, CA
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This is my first dog and he was not a puppy when I got him. Although he is friendly, he did not receive a lot of training with his previous owners so there was a lot of work to do. After feeling quite overwhelmed trying to do it on my own, I began looking for professional dog training.
We have been working with Jared for about a month now and there has definitely been progress. What I really appreciate is Jared's quick responses to questions and concerns. Jared also seems to be quite knowledgeable, always offering new solutions if something doesn't seem to be working.
I would highly recommended working with Jared if you are having trouble training your dog on your own.
Lee
San Bruno, CA
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Josh and I are so glad we found Jared through BarkBusters. After our initial 3 hr session, Jared already gave so many tips to help our pup, Udon. She is a rescue dog and has anxiety along with aggression towards dogs.
On our first walk together, Jared gave us a head collar and the change was instant. It was so much easier to control her on walks. No more leash pulling.
Every session since then, we have worked on a specific issue and Jared always has amazing patience and kindness towards us and Udon.
Jared was also there to support us when we introduced Udon to the dog park (still a work in progress). We feel so much more competent and know how to progressively work on exposing Udon to more dogs and reading her body language.
Another moment I will always remember is when Udon met my in-laws 3 month old puppy. With Jared's guidance, they were able to have a positive first encounter.
We honestly can't believe the progress Udon has made in these last few months.
Looking forward to continuing this wonderful relationship with Jared as our pup expert.
Roni
Daly City, CA
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Jared is amazing! Flexible, knowledgeable, patient and fun too! Our 5 month old Shepherd/Malinois mix is high energy and all teeth at this age. Jared has taught us how to communicate with our pup and what he needs from us. Jared is amazing with this crazy breed, and the dog too! lol
Stephanie
Redwood City,
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Jared has been phenomenal in helping my wife and I understand the small but very important social cues and behaviors our two pugs exhibit. He's helped us achieve a stronger relationship with our dogs rooted in better communication. We are now focusing on making sure we know how to handle and communicate with our puggers during times that they get stressed and levels of high emotion. Jared makes sure to hold our hands throughout this learning journey every step of the way! I can't recommend him enough to dog parents who want a better relationship with their furry ones.
Andrew
San Mateo, CA
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Jared with Bark Busters is the best dog trainer! Ever since he has been working with me in training my puppy she has been doing great. I don't know what I would do without him. Highly recommend Jared with Bark Busters you wont regret it.
Gigi A.
Millbrae, CA
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Jared is kind, professional and knowledgeable. He was very helpful and an active problem solver with our newly adopted 20 month old Rottweiler/Boxer mix Jax, who came to us with severe separation anxiety. Jax was also a strong puller/lunger during our daily walks. With Jared's guidance and strategies, we can now safely leave Jax home alone and our walks are getting better steadily. It takes consistent practice, but it's reassuring to know that Jared is just a text away.
Christina .
San Mateo, CA
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I first worked with Jared about a year ago and was really impressed with his calm, intuitive approach. Due to shoulder and foot surgeries, I had to take a break from training—but when I was ready to resume, I reached out to Jared again, and I’m so glad I did.

After just one session last week, my dog is now showing no aggression toward other dogs—a huge change! Jared clearly understands both dogs and their people, and he gave me practical tools that were easy to use and made a noticeable difference right away.

One of the things I love about Bark Busters is that the training happens at home, in the dog’s familiar environment. It made the whole experience less stressful and more effective.

We still have some work to do (especially around cats!), but I’ll definitely be bringing Jared back. I highly recommend him.
Jeanne W.
Pacifica, CA
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Jared, our dog trainer, is great! He’s very knowledgeable, but also applies what he knows to real world situations, when it comes to dog training! We’ve been working with him for about 3 months now, and the tools and techniques he’s given us have helped us to be more confident and understanding of our dog, Justice, in turn, helping Justice to be more calm and obedient around our family and friends.
Allan M.
Millbrae, CA
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We had such a wonderful experience with Bark Busters and our trainer, Jared! As first-time dog owners, we were feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to effectively communicate with our puppy, especially since he was growing bigger by the day. Jared completely changed that. He taught us how to understand and work with our dog in a way that felt natural and frustration-free.

Jared was always punctual, professional, and incredibly easy to communicate with. He made sure all our questions were answered—no matter how small—and took the time to explain things clearly and patiently. It’s so obvious how much he genuinely cares, not just about the dogs, but about their humans too.

If you’re a new dog owner or just looking for a trainer who truly gets it, we can’t recommend Jared and Bark Busters enough. He’s kind, hardworking, and a total lifesaver. Thank you, Jared!
Steph
Redwood City, CA
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We hired Jared to help with our husky mix when she was going through a difficult adolescence. Jared helped us understand "as we live" training and create structure and consistency with her through ongoing enforcement of basic house rules like only crossing the door threshold with permission, better loose leash walking, and sleeping only in her bed rather than on the couch. His methods were clear, straightforward and effective. We were able to have a calmer dog and calmer family once we all understood each other better thanks to Jared's training of humans and pup!
Jubilee
Daly City, CA
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We reached out to BarkBusters due to some fights between my dog and my roommate's moms' dog, who was temporarily living with us. What appealed to us was Jared coming to our home to train us instead of us bringing the dogs, who are already stressed, to a strange location. Jared is super patient with us, and guides us in the best way to interact with our dogs.
Jared has been very responsive to inquiries and is readily available when we have requested him for follow-up sessions. Due to our hectic and conflicting work schedules, we have had to make adjustments to visits, and Jared has always been accommodating and understanding of this, something we greatly appreciate.
I feel I have made good progress with my approximately 2 1/2 year old Siberian Husky mix. We still have a way to go, but I feel we have made a good start and built a good foundation for us to work with.
I readily recommend BarkBusters and Jared to anyone having issues with aggression, reactivity, obedience, etc.
Jonray
Pacifica, CA
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What Makes Bark Busters San Mateo County Unique

Bark Busters is a global leader in home-based training, with more than 30 years of experience helping families create better relationships with their dogs. We focus on the root cause of behavior problems by improving communication between you and your dog.

Dogs learn best in a safe, familiar setting, which is why we come to you. Your trainer works with you where behavior matters most, then helps you build skills that hold up around everyday distractions.

We teach you how to communicate through body language, tone of voice, timing, and calm leadership so your dog can follow your guidance with confidence.

Any breed. Any age. Any issue. We are here to help you move forward with clarity, support, and results.

Home Dog Training

Our Services

Bark Busters trainers conduct the one-on-one training in your home, without the distraction of other dogs or the stress of being sent away for dog obedience training at a kennel. Once you and your dog are ready, your San Mateo County dog trainer, Jared, will work with you outside and around real distractions — in your neighborhood, on your streets, where it matters most.

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Life of Dog Support Guarantee

Life of Dog Support Guarantee

Bark Busters Home Dog Training provides a Life of Dog Support Guarantee that is unique in the industry.

For families seeking in-home dog training in San Mateo County our Life of Dog Support Guarantee means Jared will always be just a call away — ready to help at no additional cost.

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Dog Behavior Issues

Tips & Advice

We're here to help. From general dog training tips, to puppy toilet training best practices, to learning about various dog breeds we've worked with, Bark Busters offers our free tips and advice on common dog behavior problems including guidance tailored to dog owners in San Mateo County.

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Professional Dog Training Near You!

Servicing: Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Daly City, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Montara, Moss Beach, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Francisco, San Mateo, South San Francisco

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