Finally, dog training that just "clicks" and makes sense!! Greg was so welcoming from the very first time we spoke to him via e-mail. My fiance and I contacted Greg because our 3 year old rescue pitbull, Lola, had started to chew on furniture and various items around the house when we would leave her alone. After a lot of research, we decided to set up a meeting with Greg. He asked us a few questions before meeting with us which I thought was very beneficial because he already had the story of what exactly was happening and what we had done so far to attempt to correct the behavior. He came to our house and spent 1.5 hours with us, talking to us and explaining what he does and why it works and then we went through the various techniques with Lola. She responded right away to his techniques! My fiance and I are so relieved that we now have great advice and have been taught techniques to help Lola make positive decisions versus making bad decisions and chewing on furniture! We also told Greg about our issue with toys, Lola chews all of them and they only last about a couple of hours before we have to put them in the garbage. He showed us the toy from Bark Busters called "Game Changer". Lola has been playing with it for hours and she is not able to destroy it yayy!! We highly recommend Greg to anyone looking for some extra support and help with their dog. He was professional, nice, and very educated!
Greg helped my girlfriend Elissa and I with two different dogs.
Our first, a three year old border collie/black lab mix rescue named Bear, was having trouble adjusting to his new home, and we weren't sure of how to exercise leadership best. Greg walked us through basic behavioral training, and not only demonstrated clearly to us how training techniques should be applied, but really taught us how to consistently and effectively apply each individual technique. Bear was having trouble with pulling on the leash outside, jumping up on guests, disobeying commands, as well as with general anxiety within the home. Since working with Greg, Bear is now practically the perfect companion! He's very attentive, and Greg's lessons in leadership and maintenance have consistently allowed us to reinforce positive behavior. He no longer pulls on the leash, and walks soundly next to us like a dream. He used to jump on every person he met; now, it's barely ever an issue-- and what little of it is left, we're able to correct out of him. He's responsive, eager to please, and perhaps most importantly, just as loving and affectionate as he was before training.
Our second, an eight year old rescue pug named Oliver, was brought into our household from his old home. His previous owner was dealing with rather complicated medical issues, and felt they were no longer able to provide Oliver with the care he deserved. Oliver transitioned into our home well, but in moving from one loving household to another, he still experienced some stress. He was eager to jump onto furniture, couldn't be left alone, and would whimper constantly if he didn't have his way. Additionally, he hadn't been trained in obedience, and we needed to learn how best to address disciplining an older dog. Greg easily walked us through the steps, and taught us a few new techniques to use to help Oliver to relax, ease into his new space, and to recognize and follow our leadership. We only just recently adopted Oliver, but after one session with Greg, we've already seen marked improvement! He no longer whines and cries, but is instead fully obedient and patient. We've been slowly teaching him new commands and tricks, which he's been responding well to.
All in all, Greg has been an excellent help with both of our dogs. He's responsive and easy to coordinate with, and he always shows up eager to help. He's provided us with a number of lessons, as well as supplemental equipment, and is always willing to further recommend other products and services that may help. His lessons are easy to follow, hands on, and have always shown immediate effectiveness.
We've learned a lot from him, and will definitely continue to!
I don't even know where to start. My husband and I adopted our then 7 month old potcake from NSAL who was fearful and reactive. This is my husband first pet and the 2nd dog I've had. At the shelter his fearfulness and re activeness wasn't as obvious, we knew we would need to work with him but we didn't realize how much until about the 2nd week we had him. I had trained my previous dog on my own and thought I could with Hunter but I quickly realized we needed help, so we got a trainer. Hunter would bark at anyone and everything, try to nip (especially visitors at home), he would whine constantly, potty training was a struggle (he was house broken but would only go on walks, not in the backyard in a specific spot), he chewed 2 pairs of shoes and a coffee table, jump on the sofa only when we weren't home, was scared of the AC or heat turning on, would pull on leash and bark at everyone and everything, and who can remember what else... So the trainer told us to give him treats ALL THE TIME..When people would come over - constant treats - during walks - constant treats - when he barks - constant treats!! TREATS TREATS TREATS.. as you could guess it didn't work. He would vomit from so many treats and it wasn't good for his health. I literally followed every instruction the trainer gave us perfectly to avoid any issues, I was crazy about it (my poor hubby!!). He and I would argue over Hunter. After about 3/4 months no real changes, living with Hunter was a nightmare and he and I didn't know what to do. We couldn't enjoy walks, have friends or family over, or enjoy our new home! I wanted a dog to bring joy to our lives, I wanted my husband to experience the love a person can have for a dog and a dog towards a person. I had such a wonderful experience with my first dog, also a rescue, that I wanted that again. Needless to say my husband was sick and tired of being sick and tired of Hunter, and honestly, I was getting there too. The shelter told us he was adopted once before and returned because the new owners couldn't deal with him, I remember thinking what a**holes would do that .. and now I was thinking of doing the same..I figured lets try one more trainer and if that doesn't work there was nothing else we could do, we could at least say we did our best. I had to convince my hubby to spend money yet again on training, not an easy thing to do! We both agreed it was the last chance. After our first session with Greg all 3 of our lives changed. I honestly can't say enough good things, he changed everything for us. Hunter is happy and healthy, and we love spending time with him. We now go on hikes, long walks, play in the back yard, have friends over, all without worrying! He went from barking whenever a guest would stand up to go to the bathroom, to waiting by the couch as they entered and then greeting them! He will never be that super friendly dog (which we are ok with) but we can have friends over and not worry. He even stayed with my parents for 2 weeks while we were out of the country and they had NO problems with him! Not to mention they always have people over their house! The best is that Hunter can relax and enjoy his life, he doesn't have to be fearful, and we are so proud to be part of the change in him. I once feared he would bite someone and we would need to put him down..That is not a worry anymore. I know how to be best pet parent for him and what he needs, my husband and I know how to help him navigate through the world. We rescued him but Greg helped us save him. I know this is a long review but we had a tough time and this was our last shot. I honestly can't thank Greg enough. The change has been incredible and it has only been a couple months, people aren't kidding when they see changes in day 1..We didn't think we would but holy cow, instantly we saw a change. And with more work the change continued. We are still working for him and will always have to but even friends say "he is a completely different dog". We finally have the happy little family we wanted. THANK YOU GREG
We adopted Bear, a 3 year old shelter dog with fear aggression and behavior issues, and had tried another trainer with no success. A friend recommended Greg at Bark Busters and we are amazed at our results! After just one session, Bear was no longer jumping up on us, waking us up during the night, and would come inside when called. He also tolerates guests in our home rather than growling at them! We also noticed an unexpected but very welcome side effect --Bear seems happier and more confident- he is a more playful, tail wagging, happy dog!! Hard to believe it only took one session!
Thanks Greg!!
Greg was very good with my Great Dane Onyx from the first minute he walk in the door.
Amazed at how well he methods and techniques worked...very successful and now its a pleasure to walk and be around Onyx!
Greg was awesome!! Very personable and knowledgeable. Made it easy for my whole family to understand the program.
Remy took to the training right away and we could not be happier right now. Looking forward to more lessons with Greg as Remy gets older. Would (and already have) recommend Greg to all pet owners.
Greg was a training trainer for our stubborn puppy Marty! He gave us useful tips to curb his puppy behavior and now Marty is about to turn 1 years old and is such a fantastic WELL BEHAVED dog. We absolutely could not have trained Marty without Bark Busters assistance. He was patient and Marty was not the typical Dog.... He was a challenge! But Greg did not get discouraged and encouraged us to stick with the training and it paid off:) I strongly recommend his services to anyone with a puppy or a dog in need of training.
Working with Greg to train our 9 month old puppy to stop aggression towards our 3yo dog has been a lifesaver. We were having to remove the 3 yo from the house at times due to fear of harm from the puppy. Almost instantly after Greg arrived the puppy, Bentley, was responding to the commands. Very shortly after that he was responding to the commands from my husband and I. The training has been helping tremendously and we continue to see it improve over time. We are truly grateful that the process was so quick, easy and effective. We are also applying the techniques to other situations such as walking on a leash and distance control. Thank you again, Greg!
Training through Bark Busters has gone great! We started to see the effects of training on the very first day. Our rottie/aussie mix is an extremely energetic pup and we thought we would never be able to train her, and particularly keeps her from jumping up and stealing things from all over the house, but we were proved wrong! Greg Kleva was really great at addressing the issues we had and truly teaching us the value of earning the respect of our dog!
We finally decided after 1 previous puppy class to bring in some outside help for our 2 year old rescue Brittany Spaniel, Banner. From the moment Greg arrived, it was apparent that he was not only knowledgable about dogs and dog training but was noticing things about Banner and how he responded to myself and my husband. We learned from Greg about how much our boy wants to please us and how by shifting how we communicate with him, he is better able to respond to us and allows us to be the leader of his pack, instead of the other way around. We also addressed his fixation with lights and shadows, a newer issue over the past few months that had us concerned since he wouldn't focus on anything else. We finally are starting to see our dog's personality come back! We would absolutely recommend Greg to anyone that has struggled with training, our only regret is that we waited so long to bring him in.
Joanna H.
9 years ago
— New Milford, NJ
Finally, dog training that just "clicks" and makes sense!! Greg was so welcoming from the very first time we spoke to him via e-mail. My fiance and I contacted Greg because our 3 year old rescue pitbull, Lola, had started to chew on furniture and various items around the house when we would leave her alone. After a lot of research, we decided to set up a meeting with Greg. He asked us a few questions before meeting with us which I thought was very beneficial because he already had the story of what exactly was happening and what we had done so far to attempt to correct the behavior. He came to our house and spent 1.5 hours with us, talking to us and explaining what he does and why it works and then we went through the various techniques with Lola. She responded right away to his techniques! My fiance and I are so relieved that we now have great advice and have been taught techniques to help Lola make positive decisions versus making bad decisions and chewing on furniture! We also told Greg about our issue with toys, Lola chews all of them and they only last about a couple of hours before we have to put them in the garbage. He showed us the toy from Bark Busters called "Game Changer". Lola has been playing with it for hours and she is not able to destroy it yayy!! We highly recommend Greg to anyone looking for some extra support and help with their dog. He was professional, nice, and very educated!
PermalinkJohn R.
9 years ago
— Wood Ridge, NJ
Greg helped my girlfriend Elissa and I with two different dogs.
PermalinkOur first, a three year old border collie/black lab mix rescue named Bear, was having trouble adjusting to his new home, and we weren't sure of how to exercise leadership best. Greg walked us through basic behavioral training, and not only demonstrated clearly to us how training techniques should be applied, but really taught us how to consistently and effectively apply each individual technique. Bear was having trouble with pulling on the leash outside, jumping up on guests, disobeying commands, as well as with general anxiety within the home. Since working with Greg, Bear is now practically the perfect companion! He's very attentive, and Greg's lessons in leadership and maintenance have consistently allowed us to reinforce positive behavior. He no longer pulls on the leash, and walks soundly next to us like a dream. He used to jump on every person he met; now, it's barely ever an issue-- and what little of it is left, we're able to correct out of him. He's responsive, eager to please, and perhaps most importantly, just as loving and affectionate as he was before training.
Our second, an eight year old rescue pug named Oliver, was brought into our household from his old home. His previous owner was dealing with rather complicated medical issues, and felt they were no longer able to provide Oliver with the care he deserved. Oliver transitioned into our home well, but in moving from one loving household to another, he still experienced some stress. He was eager to jump onto furniture, couldn't be left alone, and would whimper constantly if he didn't have his way. Additionally, he hadn't been trained in obedience, and we needed to learn how best to address disciplining an older dog. Greg easily walked us through the steps, and taught us a few new techniques to use to help Oliver to relax, ease into his new space, and to recognize and follow our leadership. We only just recently adopted Oliver, but after one session with Greg, we've already seen marked improvement! He no longer whines and cries, but is instead fully obedient and patient. We've been slowly teaching him new commands and tricks, which he's been responding well to.
All in all, Greg has been an excellent help with both of our dogs. He's responsive and easy to coordinate with, and he always shows up eager to help. He's provided us with a number of lessons, as well as supplemental equipment, and is always willing to further recommend other products and services that may help. His lessons are easy to follow, hands on, and have always shown immediate effectiveness.
We've learned a lot from him, and will definitely continue to!
Christine F.
9 years ago
— Dumont, NJ
I don't even know where to start. My husband and I adopted our then 7 month old potcake from NSAL who was fearful and reactive. This is my husband first pet and the 2nd dog I've had. At the shelter his fearfulness and re activeness wasn't as obvious, we knew we would need to work with him but we didn't realize how much until about the 2nd week we had him. I had trained my previous dog on my own and thought I could with Hunter but I quickly realized we needed help, so we got a trainer. Hunter would bark at anyone and everything, try to nip (especially visitors at home), he would whine constantly, potty training was a struggle (he was house broken but would only go on walks, not in the backyard in a specific spot), he chewed 2 pairs of shoes and a coffee table, jump on the sofa only when we weren't home, was scared of the AC or heat turning on, would pull on leash and bark at everyone and everything, and who can remember what else... So the trainer told us to give him treats ALL THE TIME..When people would come over - constant treats - during walks - constant treats - when he barks - constant treats!! TREATS TREATS TREATS.. as you could guess it didn't work. He would vomit from so many treats and it wasn't good for his health. I literally followed every instruction the trainer gave us perfectly to avoid any issues, I was crazy about it (my poor hubby!!). He and I would argue over Hunter. After about 3/4 months no real changes, living with Hunter was a nightmare and he and I didn't know what to do. We couldn't enjoy walks, have friends or family over, or enjoy our new home! I wanted a dog to bring joy to our lives, I wanted my husband to experience the love a person can have for a dog and a dog towards a person. I had such a wonderful experience with my first dog, also a rescue, that I wanted that again. Needless to say my husband was sick and tired of being sick and tired of Hunter, and honestly, I was getting there too. The shelter told us he was adopted once before and returned because the new owners couldn't deal with him, I remember thinking what a**holes would do that .. and now I was thinking of doing the same..I figured lets try one more trainer and if that doesn't work there was nothing else we could do, we could at least say we did our best. I had to convince my hubby to spend money yet again on training, not an easy thing to do! We both agreed it was the last chance. After our first session with Greg all 3 of our lives changed. I honestly can't say enough good things, he changed everything for us. Hunter is happy and healthy, and we love spending time with him. We now go on hikes, long walks, play in the back yard, have friends over, all without worrying! He went from barking whenever a guest would stand up to go to the bathroom, to waiting by the couch as they entered and then greeting them! He will never be that super friendly dog (which we are ok with) but we can have friends over and not worry. He even stayed with my parents for 2 weeks while we were out of the country and they had NO problems with him! Not to mention they always have people over their house! The best is that Hunter can relax and enjoy his life, he doesn't have to be fearful, and we are so proud to be part of the change in him. I once feared he would bite someone and we would need to put him down..That is not a worry anymore. I know how to be best pet parent for him and what he needs, my husband and I know how to help him navigate through the world. We rescued him but Greg helped us save him. I know this is a long review but we had a tough time and this was our last shot. I honestly can't thank Greg enough. The change has been incredible and it has only been a couple months, people aren't kidding when they see changes in day 1..We didn't think we would but holy cow, instantly we saw a change. And with more work the change continued. We are still working for him and will always have to but even friends say "he is a completely different dog". We finally have the happy little family we wanted. THANK YOU GREG
PermalinkValerie K.
9 years ago
— Westwood, NJ
We adopted Bear, a 3 year old shelter dog with fear aggression and behavior issues, and had tried another trainer with no success. A friend recommended Greg at Bark Busters and we are amazed at our results! After just one session, Bear was no longer jumping up on us, waking us up during the night, and would come inside when called. He also tolerates guests in our home rather than growling at them! We also noticed an unexpected but very welcome side effect --Bear seems happier and more confident- he is a more playful, tail wagging, happy dog!! Hard to believe it only took one session!
PermalinkThanks Greg!!
GARY G.
9 years ago
— Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Greg was very good with my Great Dane Onyx from the first minute he walk in the door.
PermalinkAmazed at how well he methods and techniques worked...very successful and now its a pleasure to walk and be around Onyx!
Vinny S.
9 years ago
— Westwood, NJ
Greg was awesome!! Very personable and knowledgeable. Made it easy for my whole family to understand the program.
PermalinkRemy took to the training right away and we could not be happier right now. Looking forward to more lessons with Greg as Remy gets older. Would (and already have) recommend Greg to all pet owners.
erica l.
9 years ago
— Westwood, NJ
Greg was a training trainer for our stubborn puppy Marty! He gave us useful tips to curb his puppy behavior and now Marty is about to turn 1 years old and is such a fantastic WELL BEHAVED dog. We absolutely could not have trained Marty without Bark Busters assistance. He was patient and Marty was not the typical Dog.... He was a challenge! But Greg did not get discouraged and encouraged us to stick with the training and it paid off:) I strongly recommend his services to anyone with a puppy or a dog in need of training.
PermalinkJessica M.
9 years ago
— Fair Lawn, NJ
Working with Greg to train our 9 month old puppy to stop aggression towards our 3yo dog has been a lifesaver. We were having to remove the 3 yo from the house at times due to fear of harm from the puppy. Almost instantly after Greg arrived the puppy, Bentley, was responding to the commands. Very shortly after that he was responding to the commands from my husband and I. The training has been helping tremendously and we continue to see it improve over time. We are truly grateful that the process was so quick, easy and effective. We are also applying the techniques to other situations such as walking on a leash and distance control. Thank you again, Greg!
PermalinkEmily H.
9 years ago
— Hoboken, NJ
Training through Bark Busters has gone great! We started to see the effects of training on the very first day. Our rottie/aussie mix is an extremely energetic pup and we thought we would never be able to train her, and particularly keeps her from jumping up and stealing things from all over the house, but we were proved wrong! Greg Kleva was really great at addressing the issues we had and truly teaching us the value of earning the respect of our dog!
PermalinkJenica A.
9 years ago
— Township Of Washington, NJ
We finally decided after 1 previous puppy class to bring in some outside help for our 2 year old rescue Brittany Spaniel, Banner. From the moment Greg arrived, it was apparent that he was not only knowledgable about dogs and dog training but was noticing things about Banner and how he responded to myself and my husband. We learned from Greg about how much our boy wants to please us and how by shifting how we communicate with him, he is better able to respond to us and allows us to be the leader of his pack, instead of the other way around. We also addressed his fixation with lights and shadows, a newer issue over the past few months that had us concerned since he wouldn't focus on anything else. We finally are starting to see our dog's personality come back! We would absolutely recommend Greg to anyone that has struggled with training, our only regret is that we waited so long to bring him in.
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