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.

We can not say enough good things about our experience with Bark Busters. Mariah has been the most wonderful trainer. She is kind and considerate, patient and so very responsive. We would recommend her to all dog owners as she has been such an important part of our puppy’s life. And such a good trainer of us!!!

Mariah is wonderful with our dogs. She makes things easy to understand, listens to all our struggles and is always quick to fit us in when we need her!

Our trainer Mariah has been a huge help with our rescue dog! She responds in a timely manner for any questions we send her way, she has helped us better understand our dog’s behavior and body language. Before hiring Mariah we were considering rehoming him as he was presenting dangerous behavior problems that the shelter was not aware of or did not inform us of. With Mariah’s help he has made incredible improvements in his behavior and obedience! We highly recommend Mariah for any dog owner and especially for anyone with a working breed!

Thorough training details but not overwhelming. Helpful videos to remind of lessons learned.

LIFE CHANGING!!! I thought I was going to have to rehome our dog…. Sara and her knowledge/insights saved my dog and kept the dog in our home!

The “Dog Behavior Specialist” (not a “dog trainer” that trains to sit and such) was amazing!
I adopted a large breed dog for safety concerns, and that dog ended up biting my mother when she entered my house without me beside her to introduce her to the dog - the dog bit ‘the stranger’ in the house to protect me. I knew this wasn’t a bite for no reason, but the dog was becoming more and more protective of me to visitors. Sara, the Dog Behavior Specialist, was able to show me how to be the dominant presence in my own home, and to take the fear of needing to protect me out of my dog.
In just a few hours Sara was able to stop the lunging, barking, and growling! We have been practicing what was taught to myself and my dog daily and have not had another incident (3 weeks now)! Sara was amazing at explaining to me the behaviors of my dog, taught me to “speak dog”, established me as the strong leader (that doesn’t need protecting) in my dog’s mind, and stopped ALL aggressive behaviors in JUST ONE VISIT!!!
I honestly was believing that I would have to relinquish the dog back to the shelter because of the aggression and the bite… but Sara TRANSFORMED my dog’s and my relationship so that the dog has become an amazing companion!
…and it is for LIFETIME of the dog! I have already contacted Sara after our first session to ask other questions and she has gotten back to me promptly! I have already set up a second session for more insights to having visitors over to my house as I am expecting company within 2 weeks - just as a refresher for Athena, my dog, and me!

I can’t thank Sarah from Bark Busters enough for her support with my dogs today. She was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and understanding. A few times, I had tears in my eyes because, for the first time in a while, my dogs were actually listening, and it gave me so much hope and happiness. Sarah’s guidance was clear, effective, and tailored to our situation. I feel like I finally have the tools to help my dogs and create a more peaceful home. I highly recommend her to anyone needing help with their pets!

Sara was so easy to work with and was very patient with us when trying to "train" us to be effective dog parents. Several of her pointers have worked wonders with our puppy immediately, and other tips are going to take a bit more practice, as we found out after Sara left. It was a very comfortable and pleasant training experience overall and we will not hesitate to contact Sara with any questions or concerns we have during our training journey. Thank you, Sara, for giving us the confidence to tackle this most important task! We will be in touch soon!

Sara, our Bark Busters trainer did a fabulous job! She gave us thorough explanations, examples and lots of “hands on” practice. Both dogs (one is 14) are doing well with not barking. The front door and vacuum are the biggest challenges and we are making progress!

Michael was great! He spent a lot of time with us and our two puppies on the initial visit. He even answered some follow-up questions and concerns we had a few weeks after. He was dedicated and determined to help us get our puppies on good footing. He clearly loves his job and he showed so much care and kindness for our puppies. We were feeling very overwhelmed by our pups’ behaviors before we met with Michael and he gave us the confidence and the tools we needed to be the best pet owners we can be. He showed us that we can still be playful, silly and excited with our dogs while also having high standards with their behaviors. Previous to Michael’s help, we were struggling with that balance. We highly recommend Michael and the Bark Busters training.

Today's first session was fantastic! Josh explains everything so clearly and his knowledge is deep and apparent. I already saw improvement with his help. It's definitely training my dog and me, and we are already better off. I can't wait to see how it goes, and I'd recommend him to anyone!

Fantastic!! Very helpful, I see the difference already!

We have had dog trainers in the past that have not really helped with our dog's aggressive behavior. I was doubtful that yet another trainer could assist. I was completely wrong! In fact, within the first 40 minutes I could see a huge difference. Holly basically let us know that our 8 year old lab has been in charge. She provided us concrete examples of how to let our dog know WE are in charge. I noticed a change immediately. It is going to take continued effort for myself and my wife to change as well. Looking forward to having Holly back here next week to check up on our progress. I am no longer Ebenezer Scrooge "Bah! Humbug!" - I simply dropped the Humbug portion.. Simply Bah! Elated in Marietta. You Rock Holly!!

Holly gave me some fresh advice that was extremely helpful with my two dogs. I've spent a lot of time and money with other trainers and we weren't addressing the correct issues, or even the correctly managing the "problem" dog! I have to say that Bark Busters' technique is different, yet it's simple and more importantly it works! I can't wait for our next session to further advance our training! I would highly recommend Bark Busters to anyone having any issue at all with their beloved dog(s)!

My biggest fear of Chewie running into the street after cars is fading thanks to Holly! Holly has helped us so much with Chewie, Han, and Nora and all their personalities. Han and Chewie can be crazy, but Holly is extremely patient and knowledgeable on how to put them at ease. We’re learning so much about WHY they were behaving the way they were and how we can mitigate barking, pulling, and alleviate sibling rivalry. Thankful my husband found Holly and Bark Busters so our pups can have the best life!

Today we discussed the appropriate ways for me to become the leader I need to be so that Chewie can respect and listen to me.

Orlando has excellent communication and knowledge!

Working with Ryanne and Omar has been life changing for us as puppy owners!! They are skilled and such amazing trainers! I really feel they care about our family and dog. Ryanne has also been great including our kids and teaching them what to do and why. I feel a sense of relief knowing that we have a plan and training to have the perfect K9 companion no matter what comes up during the life of our dog. They are attentive to any questions we have between our sessions and are a joy to work with. Each session is fun and informative learning things we never would have thought about! Thank you, Bark Busters!!

It was a pleasure working with Jeri. Her explanations were clear and concise and we feel prepared to help Finnegan become a wonderful and well behaved adult dog!

Within 2 hours of the initial visit, my dogs were behaving completely different! There was peace instead of chaos in the house. We learned simple ways to correct behaviors without using treats or discipline. My dogs are more calm and easy to control. I am beyond thankful and appreciative for Bobb’s nonjudgmental guidance and kind approach. I cannot wait to keep working together and making my dogs happier, healthier, members of our home!
Completely recommend to anyone! Worth every penny!

I am overall very happy to have chosen Bark Busters to train my pets! My pets struggle a lot with excessive barking, and jumping. They came today and my dogs can be stress free in their own home. I’m so happy with the end results and I love how they are strictly about learning the dogs behavior and communicating with them. Another thing I might add is I do love how they do not use any type of treats. I’m trying to avoid treats for my pets and they didn’t even mention treats. I’m so happy with today’s lesson and I definitely recommend to anybody else looking for a dog trainer!

The training has taught my fiancé and I so much about how to better manage our dogs when they get stressed and reactive. I feel so much better suited to communicate with my dogs in a way they understand. Every dog owner should have this training!

Kayla from Bark Busters is the real deal. She was awesome! Even after having dogs my entire life, learned and practiced so much last evening. It is absolutely true that you see a difference on the very first meeting with your dog. We've been putting in to practice all of the daily activities and exercises and are continuing to see great progress with my 2 year old mini-dachsund, Riley. Kayla is both professional and very personable. I have already recommended her to 2 of my nephews for their dogs, and do not hesitate to recommend her to anyone !

Kayla came to our home well prepared for our first visit and we saw results day one! Her knowledge combined with true compassion for helping owners help their dogs be the best they can be truly shines through. I love that we are armed with a plan and homework to work on in between visits.

Kayla was excellent - we just had our first visit and learned plenty on how to build confidence in our boy Hammy so he knows to look to us for leadership. Already seeing an improvement on our communication!