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.

I have been a client of Sharon's at Bark Busters for a couple years. She is worth every penny! My dog Lacey had severe separation anxiety, fear based aggression, as well as other issues. There is not a single thing that Sharon has taught me to do that has not worked when I practice and do it correctly. She is always available for questions and free follow up training.

Orlando helped me stop Louie from barking at animals on tv. Rushing the door and barking and jumping on guest when they came over. Also helped me with Louie staying next to me on walks instead of pulling ahead of me.

She is very well prepared and professional. She gives great lessons. My dog was already taking to the lesson before she was done with it. Would definitely recommend.

Theresa was very helpful and informative and is a great trainer

Theresa Nichols, with Bark Busters, is an amazing trainer! She has worked with both of our dogs and we saw immediate results. She really understands dogs!

We are so glad they sent Theresa to our house. She is very informative and Bark Buster Is lucky to have her she has redeemed our faith in the company because of a previous trainer. We really wanted to refund, but she has showed us that she can help us get control of Our Golden Doodle thanks so so much.

Theresa is wonderful! She is kind and patient and wonderful at instructing both pup and client. She is helping to make a hugely positive behavioral impact with my energetic labradoodle. Highly recommend!

Theresa was very helpful for us and responds super quickly to any of our questions.

Had a great time today with Theresa learning about the steps I need to implement in order to resolve my dog’s anxiety problems. I learned so much today about being the leader that my dog need.

Theresa was timely and spent a long time with me - first explaining why my dog exhibited her behaviors and then how we can go about correcting them. She was friendly and knowledgeable and walked through all the steps necessary (along with the practice that is up to us) to ensure our success. If you’re having an issue with your dog, don’t hesitate to call her.

Our Bark Buster trainer Theresa, was very organized and knowledgeable! It’s clear she is dedicated to the process and we know she will be there along our journey.

Theresa has been incredible with our anxious, smart, hyper-attentive puppy! We finally have some control over him, and he seems much more calm in general. She sat down and educated our whole family about how dogs think, how to read their body language, and how to redirect them. Our previous methods only worked at certain times and in certain ways. This is working all of the time! We sought out distractions and worked on how to stay focused. She follows up, she wants our success, and she is patient and understanding. I’m really grateful we have her as an asset in Tallahassee!

We have been working with Theresa and Bark Buster‘s for the past six months and Justin responds very well to this form of training. The harness she has provided makes walking him a pleasure now. I highly recommend Bark Buster‘s

I highly recommend Bark Busters! After our first session with Theresa, I felt like we really got our money’s worth. She explained dog behavior in a way that made so much sense and walked us through exercises that were perfect for Theo, our Australian Shepherd. I’m excited for our follow-up to show her how much Theo has improved!

Theresa is one impressive trainer. Having had pups for over thirty five years, I was pleasantly surprised to have learned stuff about training our hyperactive Goldendoodle , Daniel, that I was not aware of before. He still has a ways to go, but I can’t believe how much hear improved just after one session. Thank you, Theresa. We’re very grateful for your help.

Gusty is terrific. She came in and assessed our needs quickly and jumped right in with skills and exercises to practice. I saw improvement in my chiweenie right away. Highly recommend Gusty to anyone needing dog training!

Gusty has completely transformed both my life and my dog Benny's--after just two sessions.

Benny is a one-year-old mixed-breed rescue who had experienced significant trauma before I adopted him. When we started working with Gusty, we were dealing with several behavioral challenges: barking and biting, leash reactivity, and difficulty adjusting to my two resident cats--whom Benny felt the need to "protect" me from. He was also very territorial on walks, often lunging and snapping at anyone with an unusual appearance--people in big jackets, those with a unique gait, or wearing medical masks. He even reacted to other dogs wearing sweaters. On top of that, he had a habit of scavenging and displayed food aggression.

Gusty not only helped me see that Benny is an incredibly intelligent dog, but also gave me the tools and structure to bring out the best in him. With just a few consistent rules, Benny has blossomed into a calm, focused, and eager-to-learn companion. Thanks to Gusty's guidance:
- Benny no longer barks at people passing our apartment.
- He's calm and responsive on leash--no more lunging.
- He sits at crosswalks, comes when called, and no longer demands attention by barking.
- I no longer need to rely on endless chew toys or treats to keep him occupied.
- He drops trash when asked and responds beautifully to direction.
- Most importantly, our bond has grown stronger than ever.

While he still occasionally reacts to the cats' presence, he is MUCH calmer, only barks and them once or twice and then immediately goes to lay down after I tell him to. The fact that he can disengage from something that once distracted him so totally that I was concerned about his safety and the cats is actually incredible.

With Gusty's encouragement, I'm now excited to take things further--we're starting agility training, and I'm working on getting Benny comfortable in busier environments with the goal of certifying him as an emotional support animal so he can eventually travel with me.

Thank you, Gusty and the Bark Busters team! Your dedication to educating dog owners is inspiring, and the results speak for themselves. This has been one of the best investments I've ever made.

We are blown away by how effective Orlando's techniques were. He explained things in a clear way, and completely changed the way we saw our role in our dog's life. We are very pleased with the results.

Deb is incredibly helpful as a dog trainer and uses a system that really works! My husband and I are already pretty well versed in dogs, but something about the dynamic of the two we have now--barking at the door and windows, jumping on guests, even to the point of fighting with each other--we couldn't get a handle on. Deb came in and brought an expert outside perspective to our situation that has completely changed the stressful dynamic of the house. We've so appreciated the resources offered, the follow up texts, and the simple way to track what we should practice. By applying these trainings, already after just two sessions, our dogs are so much calmer and more obedient and we've taken back control of the house. I would 100% recommend Deb to anyone who has a difficult dog/s. If you listen to her and do the practice, you will absolutely see results.

I have a min pin who barked all the time at anything. I knew that Kate saw herself as the alpha of the pack and nothing I did was successful. I decided to give Bark Busters a try. Deb helped me understand how to speak dog and exactly what I needed! After the first session the barking was very much under control and Kate knew I was the leader and not her! After our second lesson I can now take Kate for walk and I am the leader instead of Kate dragging me down the street at her pace. Barking at others or dogs on our walks has also subsided. Deb is amazing and I can't say enough good things about her knowledge of dogs. My house is more peaceful and I believe Kate is happy that I have stepped into the alpha role and me too! Deb also provided training tools and a special harness for Kate that helped assure immediate success with barking!!!! This program is worth every penny I paid!

It was great meeting with Deb. She was so informative about how train our puppy. We have raised several dogs from puppies, but Deb put everything into perspective. All of the information that she shared with us made so much sense. Our puppy is a Shiba Inu with lots of energy, an attitude, and a huge personality. Deb was able to get our pup to respond to her immediately with some of the training techniques.
We looked at several training options. After meeting with Deb, we are 100% sure that we made the best choice possible. We are looking forward to working with her.

We are well pleased with Orlando and his training. Ori is responding very well. Thank you.

I am thrilled with Bark Busters and with my trainer, Kevin. Although I've had dogs my whole life, I never trained a dog, and I was a little afraid of doing it. I lost my 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel a year ago and got a puppy quickly. Joey is a pure-bred Cocker Spaniel--he is emotional, gorgeous, and loving, but he is a handful!

Kevin has provided me with a ton of innovative information, approaches, and tasks to train Joey, and they are working!

My family and I see the improvement! The methods work by using sounds that a dog naturally responds to.

There are many trainers in Los Angeles, so the information alone is insufficient. I am an intuitive person, and Kevin is kind and understands human and dog nature!

I feel comfortable sharing what is hard for me with Joey. He responds quickly with new ideas, humor, and patience. I consider him a friend of my family.

Joey and I are in great hands, as problems come up, and as Joey grows.

I'm grateful and relieved that I found the right company and person for me and Joey.

If you need dog training, make sure to call Bark Busters of Greater Los Angeles!

Deb is wonderful to work with and she sure knows her job. After working with her the first training session we were rewarded with a whole new dog. We now know how to communicate with our dog so he understands what we are asking of him I would recommend bark busters to anyone who is looking for some training for their precious four-legged animal.