Bark Busters Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica & Beverly Hills Reviews

I adopted Gili, a 10-month old female poodle–schnauzer mix, who came to me with several behavioral issues that appeared to stem from being treated poorly before I adopted her. Despite this, Gili quickly revealed herself to be a joyful, funny, and incredibly intelligent dog who was easy to train. However, there were a few serious behavioral issues that I could not resolve, no matter how hard I tried.
About two weeks after coming into my home, Gili began to feel secure with me and in her environment. Unfortunately, that security turned into extreme protectiveness of herself, the house, and especially of me. She became reactive to unfamiliar people to the point that no one could enter our home or even come near me unless I medicated her or confined her to a bedroom to prevent incidents. I hired different trainers who were kind and well-intentioned, but their methods and advice were ineffective for the specific issues we were facing.
Then into our lives came Carrie, the owner of the local Bark Busters franchise. I do not believe I have enough words to describe how positive and effective our experience with Carrie has been. She is exceptionally knowledgeable about canine psychology and the development of behavioral issues, and most importantly, she has an incredible ability to identify the root cause of each specific problem with precision. In a caring, non violent yet effective way Carrie focuses not only on the dog, but also on how we, as humans, can unintentionally exacerbate issues while trying to compensate for our dog’s difficult past. She teaches people how to gently, confidently, and correctly address unwanted behaviors through proper posture, attitude, and consistency. What I love most about Carrie is her upbeat, joyful, and generous nature. You never feel rushed or inadequate; questions and input are welcomed and encouraged, no matter how long it takes. Carrie made it clear that she is committed to being there for both Gili and I for as long as it takes to create real, lasting change. She patiently and thoroughly addressed each issue in a way that was easy to understand, carefully explaining not just what to do, but why. I truly felt that she cared deeply about my understanding the methods, the sequence of exercises, and the reasoning behind them.
Although I have shared my adult life with five different dogs, this experience taught me something entirely new: my posture, energy, and state of mind during training are just as important as the commands themselves. I am incredibly grateful to have finally found a trainer who is not only a skilled behavioral therapist but also a master trainer—an essential combination, especially when working with a dog who was not raised from a young puppy and comes with a difficult history. In Gili’s case, that history left lasting emotional scars that affected how she interacts with the world. Not only did Carrie spend several hours working with us, but a few days later she followed up with a detailed and thoughtfully prepared email covering everything we had discussed. It included educational videos to further clarify the instructions, links to recommended toys and helpful equipment, a clear overview of the exercises Gili and I should practice, and much more. It was evident that Carrie spent many hours compiling this instructional guide, and it has already proven to be an invaluable resource for us.

Even though it has been less than a week since Carrie trained both of us, I am already seeing meaningful improvement in Gili’s behavior. More importantly, I now feel confident that I have the tools to help Gili reach her full potential and become the best version of herself, a happy, loving, and confident little lady who was always there beneath the hardships she endured before coming into my life. I am also reassured knowing that as time goes on, Carrie will be there for us whenever we need reinforcement of learned skills or guidance with any new challenges that may arise.

• #Aggression
• #Barking
• #Hyperactivity
• #Jumping up
• #Pulling

Carrie is amazing. She answered all of our questions and addressed all of our concerns with expertise, empathy, and humor. We have already seen the benefits of her help and can't wait to see more.

• #Aggression
• #Barking
• #Other

We learned so much about dog behavior and alpha (dog leadership) behavior. We feel so much more empowered to understand our dogs' actions. We saw an immediate change in our dogs in various situations during our first session. We are so hopeful and grateful!

• #Barking
• #Jumping up
• #Pulling
• #Recall
• #Sibling rivalry
• #Separation anxiety
• #Other

It was awesome! I learned so much. Carrie is the best and is so helpful.

• #Chewing
• #Puppy management
• #Toileting