2 months ago
— Oakland & Alameda County, California
Gusty came by today to help my godparents with their dog Mylo. He has been struggling with barking and stranger aggression and we have spoken to a few other trainers without success. Both of my godparents are older and slightly disabled so I was concerned about their ability to be able to train Mylo and to be consistent. However, after only 1 hour, Gusty had already begun to curve his behavior significantly and given my godmother (and me) significant hope for the future! By the end of the lesson we felt like we knew exact how to handle the situation and were excited to learn more. I cannot recommend her more! If you have any concerns about your dog's behavior or simply want to learn more about the way they think, trust me and give her a call, you won't regret it!
Thank you so much for your review on Yelp Kelsey! I've loved seeing Mylo's progress as we all work together!
Ariel H.
10 months ago
— Oakland, CA
From our very first session, I saw a huge improvement in Dandy's behavior and anxiety. Gusty firmly and kindly helped me understand what I needed to adjust in the way I relate to to Dandy, and he immediately became more relaxed and listened better. Gusty helped us address his jumping and he now greets me and my guests very gently and sweetly, and we also worked on dropping "street treats" and our walks are so much more relaxing now! Dandy is just overall much more at ease - he settles nicely, waits to eagerly follow me instead of pulling ahead, and he's even more cuddly and affectionate. The price tag for the training was initially daunting, but I can say it's been 100% worth it to understand him better and know that he's happier and less anxious, and he and I have a much more trusting relationship. So very grateful for Gusty!
Thank you so much for the kind review Ariel! It was a pleasure to work with you and Dandy and witness his progress!
Kelsey D.
11 months ago
— Berkeley, CA
Gusty came by today to help my godparents with their dog Mylo. He has been struggling with barking and stranger aggression and we have spoken to a few other trainers without success. Both of my godparents are older and slightly disabled so I was concerned about their ability to be able to train Mylo and to be consistent. However, after only 1 hour, Gusty had already begun to curve his behavior significantly and given my godmother (and me) significant hope for the future! By the end of the lesson we felt like we knew exact how to handle the situation and were excited to learn more. I cannot recommend her more! If you have any concerns about your dog's behavior or simply want to learn more about the way they think, trust me and give her a call, you won't regret it!
Thank you for the review on Yelp Kelsey! It was a pleasure to work with you and your godmother and Mylo! He is showing great responsiveness to the training and look forward to continue working with you all!
Lynda P.
12 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup. If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family.
Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.
Thank you for the review on Yelp Lynda! It was wonderful to see Daisy's continued improvement with our lessons and look forward to her continued work!
Sage M.
13 months ago
— Berkeley, CA
First, I should say that this review is long overdue. Gusty deserves such high praises that I was waiting for a creative writing mood to strike — but I can’t wait any longer! In any case, I don’t have adequate words for the feeling I have, now that Gusty helped me and my dog, Panda. (Though this is so long that I definitely found some words!)
The first lesson was in a neighborhood, where my dog exhibited so many of the reactive behaviors that prompted me to look for a trainer. Panda barked at Gusty. She lunged at Gusty and although I believe my dog would not bite, anyone who hears her deep bark is surprised by her small stature. I think it really worked well was that Gusty was just talking to me and telling me what to do to redirect, Panda, to get her attention, and to get Panda to settle down. Gusty‘s feelings weren’t hurt that Panda was not her biggest fan at the first lesson. We left incredibly exhausted, both emotionally (at least for me) and physically.
During the first lesson, even though Panda was reactive, it was more about learning the Bark Busters method for communicating.
I was really reluctant to do anything like negative reinforcement or negative methods, and I ended up really valuing the harness that Gusty gave me, which is a Bark Busters branded harness. It was unbelievable! It didn’t take but a short time before Panda stopped pulling on the leash! She used to practically pull me out of my shoes when she would see her favorite dogs or people and she’d run towards them! Now I can really communicate with her through the harness, and I feel better that there’s a piece of elastic behind the metal so that her skin and hair don’t get pinched at all.
The second lesson, however, was in my apartment. Panda remembered Gusty and not exactly with positive feelings lol! She barked a lot again, just like the first lesson. Gusty was focused on me and not so much on Panda. By me being the bad guy, I supposed Panda felt less and less threatened by Gusty. It was so stinking adorable when Panda eventually went up to Gusty for pets, and then even climbed in her lap and gave her kisses! What a turn around!
In the second lesson, we worked on not barking at Gusty walking in the door, or getting too close to the door if I opened it for someone that I didn’t know. But what was the most magical to me — and the most surprising — was to be able to put pieces of cheese on the floor in front of Panda, and have her come to me, walking past the cheese, and not eating any of it! Normally, that would really really get her. That is a high value treat for sure! I am able to practice that again and again, and I have seen such improvement. It feels like I have a different dog in someways, but she’s still a dog, not a robot, I never want Panda to lose her goofy personality.
In the weeks since I first met Gusty, I have been really happy that I went not only with Bark Busters, but with Gusty in particular. She supported me despite my anxieties and Panda despite hers, lol! Gusty is a patient and thoughtful person in the way that she teaches. She knew that I was worried about any negative training methods so she showed me a video of a mama dog correcting her puppies, and that put my new communication methods in a whole new light to where I think of myself not just as a dog mom, but also kind of like a leader. That’s so much easier for me to understand and feel comfortable with then more aggressive words like pack leader.
I have told people around town about Bark Busters, like when we’re in the park and folks are amazed at how well Panda behaves (most of the time!) Definitely give her a call or a text! You and your dog will be happier!
Thank you so much for the review, Sage! It was wonderful to work with you and Panda and see the turnaround!
Kendall H.
13 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty was amazing! We were struggling with leash reactivity, aggressive behavior in public around both people and dogs, and pulling on leash. In the first session she knew exactly how to work with my dog. She was careful about approaching the dog and nonjudgmental about the aggression my dog showed her. She talked me through how to work with her and the Bark Busters system and gave us a harness to help with the pulling. We saw significant improvement from the first session, the leash pulling is completely gone and her reactivity is much better and will continue to improve as we interact more with social crowds. I was so impressed with the results after one session.
You can tell Gusty really wants to help the pups she works with!
Wow! What a difference one lesson can make! I was really worried because my 3-year-old dog Murphy was aggressive on leash and used to bark, growl and lunge at other dogs while we were walking. It got so bad I would only go out at night when no one was around. That was until I met Gusty and everything changed.
The great part of the BarkBusters training is it does not rely on treats, shock collars or prong collars, none of which I ever have handy. Gusty taught me how to talk to my dog so he understands me using my voice and hand gestures. It made a lot of sense because puppies initially learn things from their Mamas and thye Mama dog doesn't have treats!
I can say the lesson was lifechanging for Murphy and I. Now we go on walks all the time, and Murphy is great on a loose leash, walking calmly by my side.
My only regret? That I waited 3 years to fix this problem!
Thank you so much for the review Robert! It was a pleasure to work with you and Murphy!
Angela O.
14 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty is fantastic! I hired her to help with a barking / doorbell problem our Cavalier King Charles developed during the pandemic. Gusty's passion for dogs (and humans) is obvious. She is extremely patient and intuitive in terms of diagnosing problem areas and explaining possible solutions. I had honestly gotten to the point where I didn't think this problem could be fixed, but after our first session my dog was already showing incredible positive changes in behavior. I would highly recommend Gusty to anyone looking for help with any dog issues, and especially "pandemic puppy problems"!
My dog has recently begun to act aggressively towards new guests in our home, not biting exactly, but kind of nipping and barking at them. We thought we have tried everything when it comes to training, but Gusty came in and right away there was a difference once we enforced the corrections and training that we were being taught to do in order to help our pups behaviors! Instantly, we saw results and are so excited to continue with these training sessions.
We are AMAZED! The change in my dog was instant. We are so grateful for Gusty’s instruction. I could tell Gusty was just as big of a dog lover as me, and she went out of her way to help me and my dog, Kobe. She taught me how to “speak dog,” how to communicate with Kobe in a way he instantly understands. The lesson was mostly teaching me, as Kobe got it right away! I have truly gained such valuable knowledge. I’m so excited to continue with the exercises I have learned and watch Kobe’s progress! I am so excited and hopeful again that I will give my dog the best life he deserves, thanks to Gusty and bark busters! I seriously cannot recommend this training enough!!!
Kelsey D.
2 months ago
— Oakland & Alameda County, California
Gusty came by today to help my godparents with their dog Mylo. He has been struggling with barking and stranger aggression and we have spoken to a few other trainers without success. Both of my godparents are older and slightly disabled so I was concerned about their ability to be able to train Mylo and to be consistent. However, after only 1 hour, Gusty had already begun to curve his behavior significantly and given my godmother (and me) significant hope for the future! By the end of the lesson we felt like we knew exact how to handle the situation and were excited to learn more. I cannot recommend her more! If you have any concerns about your dog's behavior or simply want to learn more about the way they think, trust me and give her a call, you won't regret it!
PermalinkAriel H.
10 months ago
— Oakland, CA
From our very first session, I saw a huge improvement in Dandy's behavior and anxiety. Gusty firmly and kindly helped me understand what I needed to adjust in the way I relate to to Dandy, and he immediately became more relaxed and listened better. Gusty helped us address his jumping and he now greets me and my guests very gently and sweetly, and we also worked on dropping "street treats" and our walks are so much more relaxing now! Dandy is just overall much more at ease - he settles nicely, waits to eagerly follow me instead of pulling ahead, and he's even more cuddly and affectionate. The price tag for the training was initially daunting, but I can say it's been 100% worth it to understand him better and know that he's happier and less anxious, and he and I have a much more trusting relationship. So very grateful for Gusty!
PermalinkKelsey D.
11 months ago
— Berkeley, CA
Gusty came by today to help my godparents with their dog Mylo. He has been struggling with barking and stranger aggression and we have spoken to a few other trainers without success. Both of my godparents are older and slightly disabled so I was concerned about their ability to be able to train Mylo and to be consistent. However, after only 1 hour, Gusty had already begun to curve his behavior significantly and given my godmother (and me) significant hope for the future! By the end of the lesson we felt like we knew exact how to handle the situation and were excited to learn more. I cannot recommend her more! If you have any concerns about your dog's behavior or simply want to learn more about the way they think, trust me and give her a call, you won't regret it!
PermalinkLynda P.
12 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup. If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family.
PermalinkSomething to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.
Sage M.
13 months ago
— Berkeley, CA
First, I should say that this review is long overdue. Gusty deserves such high praises that I was waiting for a creative writing mood to strike — but I can’t wait any longer! In any case, I don’t have adequate words for the feeling I have, now that Gusty helped me and my dog, Panda. (Though this is so long that I definitely found some words!)
PermalinkThe first lesson was in a neighborhood, where my dog exhibited so many of the reactive behaviors that prompted me to look for a trainer. Panda barked at Gusty. She lunged at Gusty and although I believe my dog would not bite, anyone who hears her deep bark is surprised by her small stature. I think it really worked well was that Gusty was just talking to me and telling me what to do to redirect, Panda, to get her attention, and to get Panda to settle down. Gusty‘s feelings weren’t hurt that Panda was not her biggest fan at the first lesson. We left incredibly exhausted, both emotionally (at least for me) and physically.
During the first lesson, even though Panda was reactive, it was more about learning the Bark Busters method for communicating.
I was really reluctant to do anything like negative reinforcement or negative methods, and I ended up really valuing the harness that Gusty gave me, which is a Bark Busters branded harness. It was unbelievable! It didn’t take but a short time before Panda stopped pulling on the leash! She used to practically pull me out of my shoes when she would see her favorite dogs or people and she’d run towards them! Now I can really communicate with her through the harness, and I feel better that there’s a piece of elastic behind the metal so that her skin and hair don’t get pinched at all.
The second lesson, however, was in my apartment. Panda remembered Gusty and not exactly with positive feelings lol! She barked a lot again, just like the first lesson. Gusty was focused on me and not so much on Panda. By me being the bad guy, I supposed Panda felt less and less threatened by Gusty. It was so stinking adorable when Panda eventually went up to Gusty for pets, and then even climbed in her lap and gave her kisses! What a turn around!
In the second lesson, we worked on not barking at Gusty walking in the door, or getting too close to the door if I opened it for someone that I didn’t know. But what was the most magical to me — and the most surprising — was to be able to put pieces of cheese on the floor in front of Panda, and have her come to me, walking past the cheese, and not eating any of it! Normally, that would really really get her. That is a high value treat for sure! I am able to practice that again and again, and I have seen such improvement. It feels like I have a different dog in someways, but she’s still a dog, not a robot, I never want Panda to lose her goofy personality.
In the weeks since I first met Gusty, I have been really happy that I went not only with Bark Busters, but with Gusty in particular. She supported me despite my anxieties and Panda despite hers, lol! Gusty is a patient and thoughtful person in the way that she teaches. She knew that I was worried about any negative training methods so she showed me a video of a mama dog correcting her puppies, and that put my new communication methods in a whole new light to where I think of myself not just as a dog mom, but also kind of like a leader. That’s so much easier for me to understand and feel comfortable with then more aggressive words like pack leader.
I have told people around town about Bark Busters, like when we’re in the park and folks are amazed at how well Panda behaves (most of the time!) Definitely give her a call or a text! You and your dog will be happier!
Kendall H.
13 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty was amazing! We were struggling with leash reactivity, aggressive behavior in public around both people and dogs, and pulling on leash. In the first session she knew exactly how to work with my dog. She was careful about approaching the dog and nonjudgmental about the aggression my dog showed her. She talked me through how to work with her and the Bark Busters system and gave us a harness to help with the pulling. We saw significant improvement from the first session, the leash pulling is completely gone and her reactivity is much better and will continue to improve as we interact more with social crowds. I was so impressed with the results after one session.
PermalinkYou can tell Gusty really wants to help the pups she works with!
Robert J.
14 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Wow! What a difference one lesson can make! I was really worried because my 3-year-old dog Murphy was aggressive on leash and used to bark, growl and lunge at other dogs while we were walking. It got so bad I would only go out at night when no one was around. That was until I met Gusty and everything changed.
PermalinkThe great part of the BarkBusters training is it does not rely on treats, shock collars or prong collars, none of which I ever have handy. Gusty taught me how to talk to my dog so he understands me using my voice and hand gestures. It made a lot of sense because puppies initially learn things from their Mamas and thye Mama dog doesn't have treats!
I can say the lesson was lifechanging for Murphy and I. Now we go on walks all the time, and Murphy is great on a loose leash, walking calmly by my side.
My only regret? That I waited 3 years to fix this problem!
Angela O.
14 months ago
— Oakland, CA
Gusty is fantastic! I hired her to help with a barking / doorbell problem our Cavalier King Charles developed during the pandemic. Gusty's passion for dogs (and humans) is obvious. She is extremely patient and intuitive in terms of diagnosing problem areas and explaining possible solutions. I had honestly gotten to the point where I didn't think this problem could be fixed, but after our first session my dog was already showing incredible positive changes in behavior. I would highly recommend Gusty to anyone looking for help with any dog issues, and especially "pandemic puppy problems"!
PermalinkPaula G.
15 months ago
— Oakland, CA
My dog has recently begun to act aggressively towards new guests in our home, not biting exactly, but kind of nipping and barking at them. We thought we have tried everything when it comes to training, but Gusty came in and right away there was a difference once we enforced the corrections and training that we were being taught to do in order to help our pups behaviors! Instantly, we saw results and are so excited to continue with these training sessions.
PermalinkJackson A.
15 months ago
— Berkeley, CA
We are AMAZED! The change in my dog was instant. We are so grateful for Gusty’s instruction. I could tell Gusty was just as big of a dog lover as me, and she went out of her way to help me and my dog, Kobe. She taught me how to “speak dog,” how to communicate with Kobe in a way he instantly understands. The lesson was mostly teaching me, as Kobe got it right away! I have truly gained such valuable knowledge. I’m so excited to continue with the exercises I have learned and watch Kobe’s progress! I am so excited and hopeful again that I will give my dog the best life he deserves, thanks to Gusty and bark busters! I seriously cannot recommend this training enough!!!
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