I was referred to Bark Busters by both my vet and Charleston Animal Society. When we rescued our Lab/Golden "puppy", Rupp, he was a 70 pound stray with absolutely ZERO social skills or domestication. He was basically a wild animal.
Rupp didn't know a single command (not even SIT), had never worn a leash, and had no exposure to other dogs. He also had EXTREME separation anxiety, and could not be left alone for any period of time. To say I was desperate when I called James is an understatement! Walks were virtually impossible, and we couldn't let him out of our sight for a second....admittedly, I was almost in tears daily.
This service is worth every penny. In my opinion, the most valuable part is that James trained ME to train my dog. He has an awesome understanding of dog behavior and psychology, which is really the most important part of training. James is also SUPER patient. Rupp is an EXTREMELY hyper, energetic, "spirited" dog, and he requires A LOT of discipline & consistency. James has worked with us for hours, and never seems to get irritated or frustrated (like I do). Most importantly, his tips and training tools WORK, and he truly seems to care about Rupp's progress. He also doesn't use treats as training tools, which is awesome and unique.
The other thing I like so much about James is that he is realistic and honest, which helps me manage my expectations for Rupp. He asked me to make a list of things I wanted to work on, and it was three pages long. Instead of cramming everything into one session, we took baby steps and the results have been AMAZING. Rupp is now crate trained, walks effortlessly on the leash (with his leader), goes to his bed on command, stays off the furniture, and has even started walking past other dogs without reacting. The list goes on and on.
It has been less than three months, and we have had three sessions with James. Rupp is like a completely different dog. His progress has been unbelievable, and there is literally no way we could have gotten to this point without James. Which reminds me I need to book session #4. I would 100% recommend Bark Busters to anyone and everyone!
Rupp didn't know a single command (not even SIT), had never worn a leash, and had no exposure to other dogs. He also had EXTREME separation anxiety, and could not be left alone for any period of time. To say I was desperate when I called James is an understatement! Walks were virtually impossible, and we couldn't let him out of our sight for a second....admittedly, I was almost in tears daily.
This service is worth every penny. In my opinion, the most valuable part is that James trained ME to train my dog. He has an awesome understanding of dog behavior and psychology, which is really the most important part of training. James is also SUPER patient. Rupp is an EXTREMELY hyper, energetic, "spirited" dog, and he requires A LOT of discipline & consistency. James has worked with us for hours, and never seems to get irritated or frustrated (like I do). Most importantly, his tips and training tools WORK, and he truly seems to care about Rupp's progress. He also doesn't use treats as training tools, which is awesome and unique.
The other thing I like so much about James is that he is realistic and honest, which helps me manage my expectations for Rupp. He asked me to make a list of things I wanted to work on, and it was three pages long. Instead of cramming everything into one session, we took baby steps and the results have been AMAZING. Rupp is now crate trained, walks effortlessly on the leash (with his leader), goes to his bed on command, stays off the furniture, and has even started walking past other dogs without reacting. The list goes on and on.
It has been less than three months, and we have had three sessions with James. Rupp is like a completely different dog. His progress has been unbelievable, and there is literally no way we could have gotten to this point without James. Which reminds me I need to book session #4. I would 100% recommend Bark Busters to anyone and everyone!