Do not waste your money with this company. Our trainer had very poor social skills.....I think he has worked with dogs just a little bit too long. He treated us like dogs. Save your money and find an actual trainer.



Just for the record, the Bark Busters location was in Central Illinois.

I THINK THE COMPANY IS A SCAM !



I paid 275.00 just for one visit because after the trainer finished this so called training for three hours & i didnt feel it was worth it, I didnt want to schedule another visit with her. It was mainly a presentation about how to train your dog. The trainer act like she was scared of my dog the whole time she was in my home. when she first met my dog he was barking at her, but after all she was a stranger to him. she asked me for some treats so that she can give to him so he can feel more comfortable. she was throwing the treats at him & she gave him too many ! he still was a little nervous around her so she advise that we put him in the room until she finish with her questions. finally we took my dog out the room after her presentation which took about two & half hours ! she did two drills with my dog & that was just because i asked her could she address some of the behavior issues i had initially discussed with her. she was not prepared to actually do hands on training with my dog ! the service kind of sucked....i feel that my money was wasted & i dont feel they should get a good review !

Ok. The trainer was very available to work with our schedule to sign us up and take $500. What did we get. A squirt bottle and poor advise. Yes it was unlimited follow up but just try to get then to follow up or make an appointment outside of taking off work. The techniques are textbook. Save your money and time. Just YouTube it. We called after the consultation and discussed out displeasure. What did we get. Too bad. You signed the contract. No refunds. AVOID THIS COMPANY. IT'S A SCAM.

A total scam. They come out give a whole bunch of information on how to train your dog make you buy their collar and leash and charge you $500.00 for one year of training. He showed up twice after that to work with us but clearly knew nothing. after that we never heard from him and he never returned our calls again. Total rip off.

The San Diego trainer was very nice and seemed quite knowledgable with BarkBusters methods. However, if you have a very stubborn dog (like I do) you might find the methods do not work. The trainer tried all his methods: Saying 'bah!' and clapping your hands, squirting my dog with water, throwing down their pillows that make a loud sound, water bombs, and then pouring water on him. NONE of these worked. I feel like an idiot paying out the $650 and I still can't take my dog for a walk -- he pulls on the leash, barks at other dogs and people, and runs ahead of me. So, I'm now looking for another trainer. I would say, 'buyer beware' and ask lots of questions before shelling out those big bucks!

steer clear of bark busters in Seattle, WA. its a ripoff. they ended up charging me $374 for 1 in home dog training visit. i paid originally to have a dog training package of multiple lessons and paid the guy $537 (my first mistake). anyway after the 1st lesson, he got very agitated when i couldn't make the 2nd lesson. i requested to cancel the agreement. he sends me an email saying 1 in home visit cost $374. his name is DAVID WILEY - BARK BUSTERS IN SEATTLE, WA - STEER CLEAR

Potential buyers BEWARE!



I wanted to get some extra help for training my dog Coda, who from a puppy showed us that she was willing and able to learn just about anything. My best friend recommended Bark Busters because she loved her trainers and had a lot of success with the training. I wish I had never paid the money, it was a huge mistake. I should have done more research, read reviews and paid attention to my instincts. My particular trainer from the beginner made me uncomfortable. She did the whole flip chart demonstration without any passion, it was pretty mundane. I paid the money ($695) anyway, because of my friend's recommendation. The one thing I didn't know is that if you have problems with your trainers personality, you are out of luck. A couple of times the trainer yelled at my for throwing the "water bomb" wrong, and for not continuing to walk after throwing it. I gave this lady a second and third chance, but it seemed like we wouldn't learn anything because I didn't have a dog that had any inherent problems. I just wanted to help my dog learn more. I called the corporate offices and the lady on the phone there pretty much said it wasn't her problem because these trainers own the franchise and I would have to talk to my trainer instead of her. She offered no help what so ever. In fact if the corporate office had been even slightly nice I wouldn't be spending so much time writing horrible reviews of this company.



So in short, know that you like the trainer before paying. Also figure out that your dog is right for the Bark Buster methodology, since as it seems not all dogs need the kind of help they offer. I'm for any company that is out to help dogs, but sometimes the people can be really incredibly disappointing.



To add insult to injury, I bought the lifetime membership, so I am out $695 for nothing.

I am a volunteer at Cedar Rapids Care & Control and have been working with Janie Fairchild of Bark Busters. Janie's instructions have been to the point, very easy to understand, and very helpful in dealing with basic obedience and the behavioral problems of some of the dogs at the shelter.



Working under the most difficult of circumstances, I saw almost immediate postive results from our training sessions.



I can't thank Janie and Bark Busters enough for assisting in making our homeless animals more adoptable. I would highly recommend Bark Busters to anyone dealing with troublesome issues with their dog.



Thanks Janie!



Douglas R Fuller

The Bark Busters training methods and techniques changed my life and truly taught me how to communicate effectively with my dog. I just don't understand those who say such derogatory things. We know when we begin Bark Busters that we are the student, being taught how to communicate and manage our pups. I have a min-pin, loaded with personality and energy and was struggling beyond belief to curb her bad behavior. In the first few minutes, she was absolutely transformed. I have tried every obedience approach under the sun and none were effective beyond a day or two. Bark Busters works unbelievably! My pup is happy, disciplined in a humane way and responds so well to the BB techniques. As with anything important, We have to be consistent with our methods and take advantage of the invaluable "life of the dog guarantee" for followup visits should we begin to see areas that need attention. I know several people with various breeds of dogs and behavior issues, and different family situations and all have had the same extraordinary result! I am forever grateful to Bark Busters and especially Barbara Gazley (trainer) for her devotion to the successful outcome of our training. Thank you!!

I know that when I am performing a demo, I ask all involved in the dogs life to be present. If you are not able to train around distraction, then how do you call yourself a dog trainer. I would have siezed the opportunity to work through the situation, just to show how easy it is to control the entire situation, rather than letting the dog control the situation.



I wish you the best of luck and hope you found someone to train your dog.

We've had Paula & Dennis from Bark Busters come out a couple of times her in Lakeway - which is part of the greater Austin area. The first time was amazing, I was able to work with our dog immediately and get some basic results. We then had them out a 2nd time to fine tune and the results were even more amazing. My dog will not come, sit, stay, let me answer the door and greet people without him jumping all over them or trying to dart out the door. Thanks Austin Bark Busters!!

I have had Jack work with my dog since a puppy, rarely needing his help for corrections, as his initial advice was simple and very effective. The education of how to communicate with noises and body language is so amazing and logical.

I have however had a recent irritation with my dog, and saw Jack yesterday to follow up. My dog instantly understood the new training technique and almost made me out to be a lier. So with my consistency over the next few weeks I hope to have this corrected too.

I would advice everyone, especially with new pups, to contact him and start communicating with your dog more easily. Your dog will thank you.

As a professional dog trainer and handler (university trained 4 years, Certified pet dog trainer, CGC evaluator, Kennel Club director and AKC dog show superintendent in Eagle for as long as Bark Busters has been available in the area), I seriously question any company that claims to 'fix' any dog behavior at any age. If you've been in the industry long enough you know that's not even conceivable. We also learn through proper education where our abilities end and either the DVM needs to step in or the Certified Animal Behaviorist must intervene. Competent, knowledgeable dog professionals know this.



With that said, I have had no negative feedback from clients regarding the training they received from the franchise Bark Busters in Western Colorado. Thus the three stars. I have had no positive feedback either...

Well I just want to say that www.superdog.com has pretty much shamed there name here. Obviously this is written by an employee. No unsatified client would go through the trouble to point out and repeat another company's name. I think that this superdog needs to check their employees and realize this does not help their company in any way and that it further proves to me as a potential client, how unprofessional they are!!!

I hired Bark Busters to help with our two dogs (a lab mix and an beagle). Our vet recommended them. It was a very positive experience and got great results. I'd suggest you visit the company's web site. It's a wealth of information: http://www.barkbusters.com. They teach a very clear method of canine communication using voice tones and body language. Our dogs were both much better behaved after only two training session. The gold package includes a lifetime guarantee -- if we need more help or a refresher the trainer will come back free of charge. He's taken my calls and provided advice and has been back to our home at least twice since our original training sessions no problem. We just needed to work within his schedule. We had tried some of the other group classes -- they didn't work. Bark Busters worked great for us.

bark busters is the first training company that my co-workers and i recommend when we come across pet owners who have any type of behavior issue w/their dog (i work at a vet clinic). nancy has even helped me find homes for some of the foster pets i come across in need of a home. she genuinely cares about an animal's well-being, so wouldn't work for a company that doesn't. one previous person said that they were told to "throw things" at their dog-- this is NOT an action they recommend. they always discourage negative physical contact, and show you other ways of helping you & your dog. keep in mind that it is bark busters that can teach and show you ways of training your dog, so you & everyone in your home can live in harmony with your dog; however, EVERYONE in the household has to be on-board and you have to continue training techniques even when the trainers are no longer there. there are no "bad dogs," only "bad owners."

I found this training to be completely humane and quite effective. You do not, as a couple of reviewers said, throw anything AT your dog. And yes, you growl at your dog, because this is how dogs communicate with each other. (Also, a couple of reviewers have complained that Bark Busters has no photos to prove their success/competence. How anyone would rely on a still photo of a dog as proof of competence is beyond me. You would need to watch a dog's behavior, and furthermore, you'd need proof that the dog wasn't a well behaved dog in the first place.) Bottom line: I'd recommend Bark Busters to anyone.

This training method is completely humane and worked beautifully for my family. I loved my trainer and would recommend it to any one with a dog in need of training.

The instructor was not versed in pit bulls and dog aggression at all. she actually started a fight with her excitement. This would be fine for basic behavior modification or puppy training. The instructor mainly read off flip charts which you can get from a video. I would not recommend for any aggression issues.

The SOB told us to throw things at our dog and bark at him like a dog. My husband, a police officer, nearly lost it when the trainer made our Dachshund scream and threw the man out of our house. We hope people see this and reconsider a company with no photographs or videos to substantiate their claims. In retrospect, we were persuaded by the name (sounds like Ghostbusters) and that they were from Australia. The trainer said he had two weeks of training to be a dog trainer and did not have much experience with small dogs. We did research on-line and found a lot of other people who were appalled by the cruel, inhumane, out-dated techniques used by this company.



You need to ask what they are going to do to your dog and demand to see photos of dogs the person coming to your house has trained. Either they can train a dog and have photos of dogs like yours--OR THEY DO NOT. Having references and testimonials is different than HAVING PHOTOS TO SUBSTANTIATE COMPETENCE.