Bark Busters North Seattle, Everett & Lynnwood Reviews
Reviews
51 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)
janis f.
3 days ago
— Bothell, WA
I am currently working with Connie Dubois with BarkBusters. She is fantastic and soon I was looking at other training techniques to address both of my dog's shortcomings. We have weekly 1:1s, and I have seen dramatic improvement in both of my pup's behavior. One was out of control re: dog reactivity, the other could not control her love of people which means jumping all over them and counter surfing. After a hell of a lot of 'work', we can now take long walks without fear of what will happen next (just not together - YET)! She will leave you with a ton of homework, so you must be committed. She will work with you until all your goals have been achieved (if realistic). It is a one-time cost, unlimited follow up even if you move. It is 1:1 in your home environment - which is not comparable to any board/train or 1 hour/week at the trainer's location. Last note - I have trained ALL of my dogs, many of them and all rescues and/or special needs pups over the years. However, my efforts with these two 11-month-old pups were not very fruitful. I have never had two puppies from different litters that have such vast differences with bad, or unwelcome, behavior. One was from a rescue in Idaho, one was a foster fail with the Everett Animal Shelter. If you are in need of training - please consider Connie. My dogs will never be 'perfect' but I do not need perfection, I need my pups to be as comfortable as I am feeling when we head out for our adventures.
Thank you Janis for the great review! It's been a real treat working with you and your pups! You took on a lot with those two and I think you have done a great job with them. Thank you for doing the homework because the change especially in Zena is amazing even for me to see!
Karen W.
9 days ago
— Seattle, WA
Connie Dubois is highly knowledgeable, eminently practical, a calm presence, and offers great solutions. As a dog trainer, she understands dog psychology. In my first hour with Connie, I learned how to teach confidence to a scared dog. Amazing! Highly recommend.
Thank you Karen! It has been so much fun watching Bebe gain confidence over the past couple of months. Especially playing with her new bestie Yuki the beautiful pitty pup!
Bobbie R.
6 months ago
— Ellensburg, WA
This was a wonderful experience. Connie is amazing and really helped with behaviors we didn’t know how to address. I absolutely recommend Bark Busters and Connie!
Connie has been a godsend for our family. We were having issues with our dogs’ reactivity on walks and were searching for a trainer and training method that felt right for us. However, most of what we found was either treat based, which did not work with our large reactive dogs, or dominance and physical correction based which didn’t resonate with us. Connie showed us a third way. By helping us better understand our dogs, their needs, and their communication style, she taught us how to shift our entire relationship to one in which we are the authority and we can all feel safer and more relaxed. Our walks and home life are now much more enjoyable and we feel empowered to make the changes necessary to improve our lives.
Connie was absolutely amazing in training us to work with our new dog, Rex! The office was incredibly prompt and helpful as well! We adopted Rex, a three year old husky mix tripod in April and engaged the services of Connie and Bark Busters about two weeks into welcoming Rex home.
Rex latched onto me immediately as his person and followed me around EVERYWHERE. While I loved the company, it was overwhelming and I could see that he was having anxiety when I even just leave him for a few minutes to go to the restroom. Enter, Connie!
At our first visit, she gathered a lot of info about Rex and our experiences. She focused on the behaviors that we didn’t like and that were harmful or dangerous for Rex and others. He was a bit reactive to new people, especially men, and did appear to have great socialization with people and animals. He’s gotten so much better in just a few months and we saw change after the first visit. Connie was patient, honest, and funny. I think this review could be pages long, so I’ll summarize the benefits here:
- easy to schedule and good availability. Flexible with appointment days and times.
- immediate results after first appointment
- consistent improvement over time with the homework given at each session
- great follow-up notes from each session with resource and homework
- easy communication with Connie via text with updates, questions, suggestions
- love that Connie comes to our house to see Rex in his normal environment with hands on training practice each visit and reasonable homework to follow between visits.
- Connie focuses on our needs and desires and the safety of Rex and those around him. She’s not going to tell you that letting him on the furniture or sleep in bed with you is bad if you are okay with that. She’s also realistic with what we can and can’t do to get the changes we want.
- great resources provided like videos, handouts, articles, advice, etc.
- Connie is SUPER responsive when I text with a question or update.
- love that this is a lifetime service for Rex so if something changes we can reach out for help at any time.
If you are willing to put in some effort (which was actually less daunting than I thought it would be), you will see results to help you and your dog be happier and safer. Can’t recommend enough!
All I can say is that BEFORE Bark Busters, every day was like walking on eggshells around our rescue dog Archie. One never knew what would trigger his aggression and resource guarding. AFTER Bark Busters, Archie and the rest of the family know exactly where we stand with each other. My husband and I feel more confident in our interactions with him and he's a much happier and more relaxed dog that before. Our friends who have known him since the day we brought him home asked us if we had swapped him for another dog because he's so different now :-) Connie is the trainer assigned to our area. She is a great listener and observer and invests as much time as is needed to get things to work. She's also readily available on the phone in between visits when we have doubts and questions. It's important to do the homework persistently and consistently to see the changes take place. If you stick with the instructions and program, you do get results.
Connie was our trainer, and her methods were immediate and effective. She changed our lives overnight! We struggled with our family’s first puppy. He was excessively nippy and did not do well with our kids, among other issues. She helped all of us be our dog’s leader. Even our kids are practicing the training with great results. 10/10 Would highly recommend!
Connie is a great at training both my dog, Winnie, and me. I'm guessing you probably know if you've ever watched Caesar Milan, that you know that it's us humans who need training, not so much for the dogs. Trust me when I say, I need a lot of training! Connie is both personable and patient. She has a great sense of humor and really understands animals. One of the things I like best about Connie and Bar Buster's is the Positive Training as opposed to negative (shock, choke collars, etc.). Winnie and I have made a lot of progress, but still have a ways to go with training, but I'm sure with Connie's help we will get there. I HIGHLY recommend her.
Connie did a fantastic job with my very hyper poodle mix puppy! So nice to know that she will help me in the future should an issue pop up.
Only wish that we found Bark Busters sooner!!!
Thank you KR! So incredible seeing the change in both you and the hyper poodle mix!!!
Lori K.
4 years ago
— Everett, WA
I hired Bark Busters, Connie DuBois last Oct. to help me with my puppy Lily (Pom-Chi). I found it so easy to treat a small dog as a “toy” and not as a “real” dog. Connie helped me with getting my "Alpha Dog" back. Lily has learned respect and has turned into a great companion. Last month I adopted another very small 10 month old Chihuahua mix (7lbs). Chuck is full of puppy life and attitude. I needed Connie back here badly! Within an hour of working with Connie, Chuck was not jumping into my lap like he owned me, his attention was not on outside distractions, it was on me. I was blown away! I have watched video after video, there is nothing like having Connie at my home working one on one with me. Thank you Connie for giving me my control back with lots of puppy love included.
janis f.
3 days ago
— Bothell, WA
I am currently working with Connie Dubois with BarkBusters. She is fantastic and soon I was looking at other training techniques to address both of my dog's shortcomings. We have weekly 1:1s, and I have seen dramatic improvement in both of my pup's behavior. One was out of control re: dog reactivity, the other could not control her love of people which means jumping all over them and counter surfing. After a hell of a lot of 'work', we can now take long walks without fear of what will happen next (just not together - YET)! She will leave you with a ton of homework, so you must be committed. She will work with you until all your goals have been achieved (if realistic). It is a one-time cost, unlimited follow up even if you move. It is 1:1 in your home environment - which is not comparable to any board/train or 1 hour/week at the trainer's location. Last note - I have trained ALL of my dogs, many of them and all rescues and/or special needs pups over the years. However, my efforts with these two 11-month-old pups were not very fruitful. I have never had two puppies from different litters that have such vast differences with bad, or unwelcome, behavior. One was from a rescue in Idaho, one was a foster fail with the Everett Animal Shelter. If you are in need of training - please consider Connie. My dogs will never be 'perfect' but I do not need perfection, I need my pups to be as comfortable as I am feeling when we head out for our adventures.
PermalinkKaren W.
9 days ago
— Seattle, WA
Connie Dubois is highly knowledgeable, eminently practical, a calm presence, and offers great solutions. As a dog trainer, she understands dog psychology. In my first hour with Connie, I learned how to teach confidence to a scared dog. Amazing! Highly recommend.
PermalinkBobbie R.
6 months ago
— Ellensburg, WA
This was a wonderful experience. Connie is amazing and really helped with behaviors we didn’t know how to address. I absolutely recommend Bark Busters and Connie!
PermalinkMariana S.
6 months ago
— Everett, WA
Connie has been a godsend for our family. We were having issues with our dogs’ reactivity on walks and were searching for a trainer and training method that felt right for us. However, most of what we found was either treat based, which did not work with our large reactive dogs, or dominance and physical correction based which didn’t resonate with us. Connie showed us a third way. By helping us better understand our dogs, their needs, and their communication style, she taught us how to shift our entire relationship to one in which we are the authority and we can all feel safer and more relaxed. Our walks and home life are now much more enjoyable and we feel empowered to make the changes necessary to improve our lives.
PermalinkErin B.
14 months ago
— Lynnwood, WA
Connie was absolutely amazing in training us to work with our new dog, Rex! The office was incredibly prompt and helpful as well! We adopted Rex, a three year old husky mix tripod in April and engaged the services of Connie and Bark Busters about two weeks into welcoming Rex home.
PermalinkRex latched onto me immediately as his person and followed me around EVERYWHERE. While I loved the company, it was overwhelming and I could see that he was having anxiety when I even just leave him for a few minutes to go to the restroom. Enter, Connie!
At our first visit, she gathered a lot of info about Rex and our experiences. She focused on the behaviors that we didn’t like and that were harmful or dangerous for Rex and others. He was a bit reactive to new people, especially men, and did appear to have great socialization with people and animals. He’s gotten so much better in just a few months and we saw change after the first visit. Connie was patient, honest, and funny. I think this review could be pages long, so I’ll summarize the benefits here:
- easy to schedule and good availability. Flexible with appointment days and times.
- immediate results after first appointment
- consistent improvement over time with the homework given at each session
- great follow-up notes from each session with resource and homework
- easy communication with Connie via text with updates, questions, suggestions
- love that Connie comes to our house to see Rex in his normal environment with hands on training practice each visit and reasonable homework to follow between visits.
- Connie focuses on our needs and desires and the safety of Rex and those around him. She’s not going to tell you that letting him on the furniture or sleep in bed with you is bad if you are okay with that. She’s also realistic with what we can and can’t do to get the changes we want.
- great resources provided like videos, handouts, articles, advice, etc.
- Connie is SUPER responsive when I text with a question or update.
- love that this is a lifetime service for Rex so if something changes we can reach out for help at any time.
If you are willing to put in some effort (which was actually less daunting than I thought it would be), you will see results to help you and your dog be happier and safer. Can’t recommend enough!
Christabel B.
18 months ago
— Lynnwood, WA
All I can say is that BEFORE Bark Busters, every day was like walking on eggshells around our rescue dog Archie. One never knew what would trigger his aggression and resource guarding. AFTER Bark Busters, Archie and the rest of the family know exactly where we stand with each other. My husband and I feel more confident in our interactions with him and he's a much happier and more relaxed dog that before. Our friends who have known him since the day we brought him home asked us if we had swapped him for another dog because he's so different now :-) Connie is the trainer assigned to our area. She is a great listener and observer and invests as much time as is needed to get things to work. She's also readily available on the phone in between visits when we have doubts and questions. It's important to do the homework persistently and consistently to see the changes take place. If you stick with the instructions and program, you do get results.
PermalinkCarol C.
23 months ago
— Everett, WA
Connie was our trainer, and her methods were immediate and effective. She changed our lives overnight! We struggled with our family’s first puppy. He was excessively nippy and did not do well with our kids, among other issues. She helped all of us be our dog’s leader. Even our kids are practicing the training with great results. 10/10 Would highly recommend!
PermalinkKaren M.
2 years ago
— Bothell, WA
Connie is a great at training both my dog, Winnie, and me. I'm guessing you probably know if you've ever watched Caesar Milan, that you know that it's us humans who need training, not so much for the dogs. Trust me when I say, I need a lot of training! Connie is both personable and patient. She has a great sense of humor and really understands animals. One of the things I like best about Connie and Bar Buster's is the Positive Training as opposed to negative (shock, choke collars, etc.). Winnie and I have made a lot of progress, but still have a ways to go with training, but I'm sure with Connie's help we will get there. I HIGHLY recommend her.
PermalinkK R.
2 years ago
— Bothell, WA
Connie did a fantastic job with my very hyper poodle mix puppy! So nice to know that she will help me in the future should an issue pop up.
PermalinkOnly wish that we found Bark Busters sooner!!!
Lori K.
4 years ago
— Everett, WA
I hired Bark Busters, Connie DuBois last Oct. to help me with my puppy Lily (Pom-Chi). I found it so easy to treat a small dog as a “toy” and not as a “real” dog. Connie helped me with getting my "Alpha Dog" back. Lily has learned respect and has turned into a great companion. Last month I adopted another very small 10 month old Chihuahua mix (7lbs). Chuck is full of puppy life and attitude. I needed Connie back here badly! Within an hour of working with Connie, Chuck was not jumping into my lap like he owned me, his attention was not on outside distractions, it was on me. I was blown away! I have watched video after video, there is nothing like having Connie at my home working one on one with me. Thank you Connie for giving me my control back with lots of puppy love included.
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