Bark Busters Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasanton Reviews
Reviews
32 Reviews ★★★★★(Average 5 out of 5)
Evan
21 days ago
— Walnut Creek, CA
We rescued Charlie, our dog, from the SF SPCA when he was 5. After two months with us, his behavior worsened—he became reactive, aggressive, and confrontational, even biting three people who tried to pet him. Despite trying various online courses, self-led training, and other resources, progress was slow or nonexistent. On walks, Charlie would react to every person and dog, leaving us anxious both at home and outside. Desperate, we turned to Bark Busters for help.
Dan Franco quickly taught us things about Charlie that we never knew. His methods made an immediate difference—Charlie went from aggressive and reactive to calm and obedient in just one day. Now, we can walk Charlie without issue, and he’s often calm enough to ignore other dogs entirely. Dan has truly transformed our lives, and I can’t recommend him enough.
Our beautiful mutt is almost 3 years of age. She is extremely loving, however we have always dealt with issues due to her high energy, like jumping very high when excited, wanting to kiss strangers, and overstimulation in general which leads to excessive pulling of her leash and loud barking. This program has dealt with it all. Dan is great at teaching you how to understand the dog vs. human thought processes, and why you need to be assertive/show control. We loved that this a torture-free, treat-free method of getting you dog to actually listen to you. From the first few hours in (less than 3) our pup started showing very different behaviors, like not launching herself after food that falls on the ground and understanding invisible boundaries. Dan is attentive and patient. He is willing to work at your own pace. Our pup seems more relax and calm after just 3 visits. She now listens and self-corrects her inappropriate behaviors. The only regret we have is not knowing and investing in this dog training program earlier, which would have saved us many headaches. Do yourself and your family a favor and call Dan. It is a life-changing decision that ultimately makes your everyday life dynamics and your pups' better, happier and healthier.
Dan is an amazing trainer. Within 15 minutes, Piper was already listening better. She stays by my side and doesn't react to other dogs around us anymore. Taking Piper on walks is now an enjoyable experience instead of a battle. Dan trained Piper (and me) about a year ago and this session was a refresher session. I am so happy I found Bark Busters!
Glad I called Dan. Hands down the best investment/money spent. We have a 9 month old golden retriever. She is unlike any golden we have had in the past. Very energetic but easily distracted. Training her to walk on a leash, ignore other dogs or stop jumping on guest was a challenge. After two sessions with Dan our sweet girl went from distracted to focused. Dan is calm, patient and teaches us humans how to speak dog. I highly recommend Dan for all your training needs.
Dan is absolutely amazing!
We have a young rescue Anatolian Shepherd who is a little darling but who is extremely territorial with guests in the home and who also suffers from separation anxiety.
Within minutes of arriving, Dan manages to explain what's going on and how to approach correcting the behavior. He then coaches us humans on the techniques needed and "Bam!" it works, there and then - all within 45 minutes!!
Obviously, it is now down to us to practice and reinforce the human training, but this really works and Dan is simply fantastic! It's also so reassuring to know that he is there for us should we need any more guidance.
Dan is awesome!
We just had our first session with Dan and he was friendly and full of helpful advice. He really knows what he's doing and I'm looking forward to working with him on our next session.
Dan is amazing. We have a lovely 3 year old rescue who is great with people but had a lot of leash aggression issues. Every time we would walk by another dog, she would start snarling. It got to a point where we felt like we were apologizing to other people more than we were actually walking.
We contacted Dan and described the situation. He took the challenge and we scheduled a time for an in-home visit. After just 2 hours, we felt like we had a different dog. She behaves on walks now, often ignoring other dogs. Granted we are still doing a lot of work to keep everyone in check, but Dan's tips and guidance put us on the right path.
We are now continuing to work on other training - respecting the door, walking at heel, etc - and feel like we're going to continue to make huge progress.
Our only regret is not contacting Bark Busters sooner. We can't recommend Dan enough.
Dan is the best! I have the sweetest boy, but his hyperactivity and anxiety were getting in his way. Dan helped me realize that with proper stimulation, everyone (including me) could see the best out of Charlie. Training your dog is just part of the equation. Giving them a fulfilling life is the other part. I was skeptical at first, but the results are more than I ever could have asked for. If you're struggling with an unruly pup, please call Dan!
We first contacted Dan last year when we got our first dog. Though my husband has experience with dogs, I'm a new dog owner and had no clue what I was doing. Dan was very patient with us, and like most dog trainers will tell you, was clear that dog training was really about training the owners and then us being consistent with our dog. When we contacted Dan, I was in a bit of a panic because we had rescued our dog not knowing that she was extremely reactive to other dogs while on leash. He quickly taught us how to address it - it wasn't an overnight cure and it took time, patience and consistency. Dan is very reliable and responsive - he replies quickly to emails or calls and always manages to find time to squeeze in a quick check in session at our home. He runs through training exercises with you and has you do the exercises with your dog in front of him so he can watch and critique. He comes to your home and works with you privately and in a way that is very tailored to the layout of your house, the members of your household, etc. I'm so happy to report that we can now walk her on leash without her losing it around other dogs.
Fast forward 8 months, and we were asked by a rescue organization to adopt a second dog. We met the dog, fell in love and took him home. It turns out that Dan had briefly worked with our second dog when the dog was with his former owners, so it was just amazing luck that Dan had some background knowledge and experience with our second dog. We worked with Dan again to help with some basic behavior issues with this second dog. And again, Dan has been consistently reliable, comforting and patient with us as we found our way with both of our dogs.
I originally had a little trouble with some of the methods Dan was teaching me - this is a me issue, to be clear. I really love that Dan was very supportive of me trying to incorporate elements of what he was teaching in a way that I could actually do. He was non-judgmental and always kind and understanding as I was finding my way as a new dog owner. Thank you, Dan!
Dan has been so helpful in achieving our goals for our dog. We are first time pup parents and a bit in over our heads. We thought Dan was a dog trainer, in fact, he is an excellent owner trainer. Yes, he has trainer magic and Charlie behaves like a prince when Dan has the lead. But Dan's strength is teaching us some of that magic. Thanks to him, we have gone from a house run by a canny border collie poodle mix to having a well trained, respectful, joyful companion in Charlie. At two years old, Charlie passes his Public Access test on his first try. Thank you Dan for your ongoing support.
Evan
21 days ago
— Walnut Creek, CA
We rescued Charlie, our dog, from the SF SPCA when he was 5. After two months with us, his behavior worsened—he became reactive, aggressive, and confrontational, even biting three people who tried to pet him. Despite trying various online courses, self-led training, and other resources, progress was slow or nonexistent. On walks, Charlie would react to every person and dog, leaving us anxious both at home and outside. Desperate, we turned to Bark Busters for help.
PermalinkDan Franco quickly taught us things about Charlie that we never knew. His methods made an immediate difference—Charlie went from aggressive and reactive to calm and obedient in just one day. Now, we can walk Charlie without issue, and he’s often calm enough to ignore other dogs entirely. Dan has truly transformed our lives, and I can’t recommend him enough.
Hilda
4 months ago
— Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasanton
Like a different dog within Dan's first visit.
PermalinkOur beautiful mutt is almost 3 years of age. She is extremely loving, however we have always dealt with issues due to her high energy, like jumping very high when excited, wanting to kiss strangers, and overstimulation in general which leads to excessive pulling of her leash and loud barking. This program has dealt with it all. Dan is great at teaching you how to understand the dog vs. human thought processes, and why you need to be assertive/show control. We loved that this a torture-free, treat-free method of getting you dog to actually listen to you. From the first few hours in (less than 3) our pup started showing very different behaviors, like not launching herself after food that falls on the ground and understanding invisible boundaries. Dan is attentive and patient. He is willing to work at your own pace. Our pup seems more relax and calm after just 3 visits. She now listens and self-corrects her inappropriate behaviors. The only regret we have is not knowing and investing in this dog training program earlier, which would have saved us many headaches. Do yourself and your family a favor and call Dan. It is a life-changing decision that ultimately makes your everyday life dynamics and your pups' better, happier and healthier.
Claire
4 months ago
— Dublin, CA
Dan is an amazing trainer. Within 15 minutes, Piper was already listening better. She stays by my side and doesn't react to other dogs around us anymore. Taking Piper on walks is now an enjoyable experience instead of a battle. Dan trained Piper (and me) about a year ago and this session was a refresher session. I am so happy I found Bark Busters!
PermalinkStacy
4 months ago
— Alamo, CA
Glad I called Dan. Hands down the best investment/money spent. We have a 9 month old golden retriever. She is unlike any golden we have had in the past. Very energetic but easily distracted. Training her to walk on a leash, ignore other dogs or stop jumping on guest was a challenge. After two sessions with Dan our sweet girl went from distracted to focused. Dan is calm, patient and teaches us humans how to speak dog. I highly recommend Dan for all your training needs.
PermalinkLorraine W.
7 months ago
— Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasanton
Dan is absolutely amazing!
PermalinkWe have a young rescue Anatolian Shepherd who is a little darling but who is extremely territorial with guests in the home and who also suffers from separation anxiety.
Within minutes of arriving, Dan manages to explain what's going on and how to approach correcting the behavior. He then coaches us humans on the techniques needed and "Bam!" it works, there and then - all within 45 minutes!!
Obviously, it is now down to us to practice and reinforce the human training, but this really works and Dan is simply fantastic! It's also so reassuring to know that he is there for us should we need any more guidance.
Elena
8 months ago
— Concord, CA
Dan is awesome!
PermalinkWe just had our first session with Dan and he was friendly and full of helpful advice. He really knows what he's doing and I'm looking forward to working with him on our next session.
Todd S.
10 months ago
— Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasanton
Dan is amazing. We have a lovely 3 year old rescue who is great with people but had a lot of leash aggression issues. Every time we would walk by another dog, she would start snarling. It got to a point where we felt like we were apologizing to other people more than we were actually walking.
PermalinkWe contacted Dan and described the situation. He took the challenge and we scheduled a time for an in-home visit. After just 2 hours, we felt like we had a different dog. She behaves on walks now, often ignoring other dogs. Granted we are still doing a lot of work to keep everyone in check, but Dan's tips and guidance put us on the right path.
We are now continuing to work on other training - respecting the door, walking at heel, etc - and feel like we're going to continue to make huge progress.
Our only regret is not contacting Bark Busters sooner. We can't recommend Dan enough.
Randy
10 months ago
— Clayton, CA
Dan is the best! I have the sweetest boy, but his hyperactivity and anxiety were getting in his way. Dan helped me realize that with proper stimulation, everyone (including me) could see the best out of Charlie. Training your dog is just part of the equation. Giving them a fulfilling life is the other part. I was skeptical at first, but the results are more than I ever could have asked for. If you're struggling with an unruly pup, please call Dan!
PermalinkGrace C.
10 months ago
— Walnut Creek, CA
We first contacted Dan last year when we got our first dog. Though my husband has experience with dogs, I'm a new dog owner and had no clue what I was doing. Dan was very patient with us, and like most dog trainers will tell you, was clear that dog training was really about training the owners and then us being consistent with our dog. When we contacted Dan, I was in a bit of a panic because we had rescued our dog not knowing that she was extremely reactive to other dogs while on leash. He quickly taught us how to address it - it wasn't an overnight cure and it took time, patience and consistency. Dan is very reliable and responsive - he replies quickly to emails or calls and always manages to find time to squeeze in a quick check in session at our home. He runs through training exercises with you and has you do the exercises with your dog in front of him so he can watch and critique. He comes to your home and works with you privately and in a way that is very tailored to the layout of your house, the members of your household, etc. I'm so happy to report that we can now walk her on leash without her losing it around other dogs.
PermalinkFast forward 8 months, and we were asked by a rescue organization to adopt a second dog. We met the dog, fell in love and took him home. It turns out that Dan had briefly worked with our second dog when the dog was with his former owners, so it was just amazing luck that Dan had some background knowledge and experience with our second dog. We worked with Dan again to help with some basic behavior issues with this second dog. And again, Dan has been consistently reliable, comforting and patient with us as we found our way with both of our dogs.
I originally had a little trouble with some of the methods Dan was teaching me - this is a me issue, to be clear. I really love that Dan was very supportive of me trying to incorporate elements of what he was teaching in a way that I could actually do. He was non-judgmental and always kind and understanding as I was finding my way as a new dog owner. Thank you, Dan!
Kathy
11 months ago
— Walnut Creek, CA
Dan has been so helpful in achieving our goals for our dog. We are first time pup parents and a bit in over our heads. We thought Dan was a dog trainer, in fact, he is an excellent owner trainer. Yes, he has trainer magic and Charlie behaves like a prince when Dan has the lead. But Dan's strength is teaching us some of that magic. Thanks to him, we have gone from a house run by a canny border collie poodle mix to having a well trained, respectful, joyful companion in Charlie. At two years old, Charlie passes his Public Access test on his first try. Thank you Dan for your ongoing support.
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