Puppy Training

Don't walk, run to work with Bark Busters. Please read my review if you relate to any crate-anxiety issues.

Here's my story: I have a puppy GSD who's shockingly lazy, but his shepherdation (separation) anxiety was really out of control to the point where he could break out of his crate AND open my front door.

I would describe myself as highly dog knowledgable so I am VERY particular about the methods used by trainers. To each their own, but e-collars, prongs, etc are band-aids (or worseners) for most problems since most dog-owners don't really understand the timing/utility of these tools enough to ween off of them at any point. If your dog is a 100/10 lunatic, then I guess I get it :|

Anywho, I was honestly shocked to learn they don't even rely on clickers or treats, just straight up dog behavior and psychology, yet have the reviews they have.

Here's my summary. I am only 2 days post training, have received a comprehensive training plan with new crate recs, have gotten 5-7 minutes of a CALM dog in his crate once I've left (a miracle), and did nothing but learn to amend MY body languages and sounds.

Bonus that Anthony was an absolute delight to work with.

Hire them - you're welcome in advance ;)

A life-changing experience. John provided the most thorough, extensive lesson and training which had immediate effects on our puppy. John's patience, expertise and professionalism made the session productive and positive while training our dog. We are very grateful for John's help and understanding in helping us properly train Milton.

When we met Amber we were very impressed with her knowledge and with her enthusiasm we had just acquired a 10-month-old German Shepherd puppy and we needed to be able to not only integrate her into our family but she had a very bad habit of jumping on us and as a very large puppy, It was something we needed to address quickly .She gave us the tools and the steps we would need to not only accomplish this , but to also address some of the issues with our other dogs. We see this training as ongoing as the need arises. The total support that we get from this organization is ongoing for the life of our dogs and that was very impressive to us. We see this as a investment into our future and the future of our dogs and we know Amber will be there with us all the way.

It was a pleasure meeting Jeri for our first training. I learned so much on how to relate to Reiff. I was so happy to see a improvement only with the first lesson and it made me very hopeful and excited to know that Reiff will be able to be the best obedient and happy puppy that he deserves to be. Jeri was down to earth but very professional and you could see she loves and cares deeply of all pets.
Thank you so much and I’m looking forward to the future with Reiff.

These guys are amazing. I got Randy and Jared, and they were both equally as amazing. After the first visit with Randy, 75% of all issues were taken care of. After Jared came a few weeks later the remaining 25% of problems we were dealing with were fixed. Since they left me with all the tools to continue practicing good behavior with my dog, none of the problems have resurfaced. The things they helped fix was: jumping on the people and on or doors, eating our other dog's food, recall, and walks. Getting my dog to go on walks was super important because she was terrified of leaving the driveway and I had no idea what to do about it. On the first visit Randy helped to get her more comfortable with being on the leash and being in front of the house. After the second visit with Jared she venturing out on walks with full confidence. Bark Busters really is incredible and they have amazing being working for them. I do recommend Bark Busters.

Omar was amazing. He taught us how to truly communicate with our dog. And learning better communication with our dog we're getting the behavior changes we desired Omar. Our trainer was well spoken very clear and concise. He was an excellent instructor. I highly recommend Barker Busters to anyone who wants to get rid of chaotic anxious behavior in a dog. The written materials that Barker Busters leaves behind as well as emails electronically are very helpful. we look forward to learning more from Omar at our next appointment. The in-home training also is a huge benefit because it allows the trainer and the owners to concentrate on each other without interruption by others or other dogs.

I feel like I got a new dog today. I did not know my dog could be this calm & behave this well.

After just one week working with Bonnie, my dog Sherman understands that I am the leader of our pack. He walks next to me beautifully. He stops barking when commanded. He follows me vs. being unruly and underfoot. He is far more relaxed overall. The concept is brilliant and very easy to administer for fast results!

After just one session with Mark, we have course-corrected the fear aggression that we have seen building over time within our 4-year-old dog, Finnegan. After two (2) poor encounters, one at a groomer and one with another dog, Finnegan developed a very intense reaction to other dogs (and anyone in scrubs), to the point where we could not walk past another dog across the street. He would bark and pull and just go crazy, all out of immense fear. Other aspects of his temperament also started worsening like guarding socks and/or toilet paper. We felt like we were losing our dog. The worst realization was that our 1-year-old dog, Daisy, was beginning to pick up the same characteristics simply by watching him. We tried other training methods over the years that all helped/made small improvements but nothing was as dramatic as Mark and Bark Busters. He helped us reset with the dogs, establish leadership and own the space so that our dogs feel safe and look to us for direction. We have work to do to reinforce the training and make it our way of life, but we feel very excited and thankful for all of it. Our dogs are much happier as well, even after just a few weeks. We would HIGHLY recommend Mark and Bark Busters to anyone.

Our mixed breed rescue (JoJo) was experiencing EXTREME fear reactivity after having been attacked and injured by another dog. If within 100 yards of another dog, she would demonstrate over-the-top fear and stress. Although we’ve always had dogs, we were at a loss on how to help her. After discussing “re-homing” her to a safer environment, we called Bark Busters in a last effort to see if we could find a way to help JoJo feel safe and have a less stressful life. From our first meeting with Omar, he demonstrated a calming, knowledgeable and insightful understanding of our situation. He offered strategies that we could start using immediately and, above all, he was patient - both with JoJo AND with us. It has been a journey, and Omar has guided our every step. While JoJo is still reactive, it is FAR less than previously, and she allows us to calm her much more quickly. We are confident that with Omar’s continued coaching, we will get to the place we want to be, for JoJo and for us.

It was very helpful to learn how to talk dog. A different concept for us! We can see an immediate change in our dog Bradley. Loved seeing the mother dog handle her puppies video, it was very eye opening for us.

Thank heavens for Marc. I was ready to give my dog to a rescue -- he was 85 pounds and was knocking people down. He was very aggressive to both strangers and other dogs. In the first lesson (yes I said first), Peter was much calmer and continues to improve. I know it's going to get better and better because Marc will help me for the life of the dog.

I couldn’t be more thankful with Karen and Marc. They came out to our home and taught us everything we did not know about dogs and showed us how to properly correct our Honey without being physical with her. Since before they came out, we already knew what to expect because they are very good at sending you valuable information before your lesson. So by the time they come out to you, you already know more about dogs than you ever did.

Our dog responded great to their techniques and I’m very happy to know they will be there to help us throughout our dog’s life!

Again, thank you Karen and Marc. You guys are awesome!!

I don't know where to start! Me and my husband and both our pups simply adore Kevin! He has the kindest, calmest energy, never judges us, and has helped us transform our eldest dog Flynn's behaviour. We decided to hire a new trainer when we got our second dog Suki as we knew we needed help with Flynn's separation anxiety and didn't want the issue to get worse! After seeing three previous trainers, reading every book on SA in existence and even asking the vet about medication, we were beginning to think there was no hope we'd ever get our lives back. Before hiring Kevin a few months ago Flynn couldn't handle thirty seconds alone. Our latest record? Four and a half hours!!! We still have some reactivity issues we're working through with Kevin's help, but overall Flynn is a much calmer and happier dog. Suki has also settled in beautifully and working through the training with both of them has meant that we've set up consistent and trusting relationships as dog parents. The first session was very intense and the first month or so was a lot of work but we'd do it again in a heartbeat! Thank you Kevin for all your support and encouragement! We don't know what we'd have done without you!

Steve was a fantastic trainer that helped our mid aged dog as we saw his behavior and separation anxiety change with moving apartments. While we were worried that at age 7, it was too late, we were so wrong as Steve started with strong behavioral techniques to change the attitude of our dog and significantly reduce his stress and anxiety. Can’t say enough about the knowledge, support and coaching he provided us to get our pupper back to a happy and calm state.

Our Rescue, Mella. Was abandoned with her 7 puppies and was abused .We were fortunate to have Steve come to our home to train Mella. He was patient with both Mella and us during her training . He understand the circumstances she came from and I highly recommend Bark Busters to anyone looking for a dog trainer going forward.

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.

Josh helped Ammo learn how to stop pulling and help stop him from eating rocks. He also showed us "place" where the dog stays in his bed will not get off unless he has permission. He is also learning boundaries.

Sheeba responded to the commands, and I see where she will continue to respond with consistent behaviors from me. I think were on the road to a well-behaved dog.

Amazing, we were having issues with other dogs. In one session Sophie could control herself.

Enlightening, interesting and we need to practice!

I am forever thankful for all of Robert’s advices and trick, he taught me how to communicate with my dog and that’s the most important lesson anyone can teach. I learned that I can also understand and train my dog if I follow all Robert’s instructions. I can now have the best relationship with my pup. Thank you Bark Busters for all the hard work you put into this!

I had a great time learning. John is very competent and I think I learned a lot.

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!

Tips/ tricks were simple yet effective. Could see significant improvement within seconds (Over a couple attempts)! Extremely happy with how he explained why he has certain behaviors and how to correct it!

Josh explained and that helped us with the exercises given to train Winston to listen. Setting boundaries is important and something we did not do when he was a puppy. We understand that we will need to be proactive when training and working with Winston on his exercises! The goal is to have him not door dash! Josh was great and very knowledgeable.

Barb showed up ready to go and I'll add gave us very good advice and we started training. Her suggestions worked immediately. Our dog was apprehensive about meeting someone new, but Barb quickly gave some very good advice and Lux responded, in my view right away. Lux and us couldn't be more happy or satisfied with just the first day. Our little girl is very smart and Barb explained that to us and Lux picked up right where we left off the next day. She already has shown tremendous appetite for learning! Barb's leadership and advice is fantastic and we are very pleased already. We are looking forward to further training visits and giving our Girl the guidance for her to be happy and have the life she deserves! Thank you so much Barb!

We just completed our first meeting/training session with Theresa and couldn't be happier with the experience. She is extremely knowledgable and we appreciated her calm and gentle techniques with a small dog. We can't believe how quickly Charlie is already responding to the these new techniques and it's only the first day. We are excited to start this new journey and highly recommend Theresa Nichols to anyone struggling with a challenging pup!