Bark Busters Reviews and Customer Testimonials
4th March 2025 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Chewing, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall
We couldn’t believe the change in Luna after just The first day with Kelly
Trainer note from Kelly
Puppies are a handful, but when they're a Great Dane x Shar Pei, well, we need to set some boundaries and rules LOL! Luna is just delightful, and you have absolutely done the right thing by engaging in early years training. Fear reactivity, visitor manners, jumping up, mouthing, stand over tactics on the lounge - all of this and more was targeted at lesson #1. Her brain was very tired sand relaxed by the time that we finished, and it was lovely to see her tail wagging - she might be timid but she loves a pat! Door and gate manners were also implemented, and at lesson 2, we'll start working on confidence external of the home. Thanks again for allowing me to assist, she's a great dog!
Puppies are a handful, but when they're a Great Dane x Shar Pei, well, we need to set some boundaries and rules LOL! Luna is just delightful, and you have absolutely done the right thing by engaging in early years training. Fear reactivity, visitor manners, jumping up, mouthing, stand over tactics on the lounge - all of this and more was targeted at lesson #1. Her brain was very tired sand relaxed by the time that we finished, and it was lovely to see her tail wagging - she might be timid but she loves a pat! Door and gate manners were also implemented, and at lesson 2, we'll start working on confidence external of the home. Thanks again for allowing me to assist, she's a great dog!
28th February 2025 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Digging, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall
Kelly was lovely to deal with on the phone, and helpful and engaging in person. She explained everything well and was patient with our (many) questions. Kelly demonstrated clear techniques we could use when training Maggie, and gave us ample opportunities to practice them in front of her with Maggie ourselves. Kelly is open and happy to be contacted for further questions and follow-up. We were happy with the quick progress Maggie showed after only one or two days since Kelly had visited, and know we have a much happier dog. I am now very hopeful for the future with our dog. Thanks Kelly!
Trainer note from Kelly
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, it was so great to work with you both and your family. Chewing, destruction, pulling on lead, jumping up, these are all things that are so infuriating for an owner. We just want a lovely pet to be a positive part of our family. Maggie is a sweet wee little Cocker Spaniel (whose tail never stopped!) and she was a literal sponge with the training. She showed a level of calmness post training that was wonderful to see, and it will be great to be able to remove the garden barricades, now that we've targeted her destruction. Walking and in public manners will be lesson #2, plus stair manners, and focus away from the house. Well done, great job!
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, it was so great to work with you both and your family. Chewing, destruction, pulling on lead, jumping up, these are all things that are so infuriating for an owner. We just want a lovely pet to be a positive part of our family. Maggie is a sweet wee little Cocker Spaniel (whose tail never stopped!) and she was a literal sponge with the training. She showed a level of calmness post training that was wonderful to see, and it will be great to be able to remove the garden barricades, now that we've targeted her destruction. Walking and in public manners will be lesson #2, plus stair manners, and focus away from the house. Well done, great job!
18th February 2025 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Chewing, Jumping up, Pulling, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety, Toileting, Other
We are not the type of people to leave reviews but let me tell you....
We cannot recommend Kelly from Bark Busters highly enough! After just two sessions with her, we have seen a remarkable improvement in our 4 m/o pup's behaviour. Her expertise, deep knowledge, and years of experience in dog training are evident in everything she does.
Kelly is not only professional but also incredibly friendly, approachable, and even has a great sense of humour, making the training process enjoyable for both us and our pup. She explains everything in a way that is easy to understand and gives us the confidence to continue reinforcing the training at home.
What truly sets "Bark Busters" and Kelly apart is her deep understanding of all aspects of dog care. She has given us invaluable advice on everything from training and behaviour to nutrition- She even knew which plants in our garden are toxic to dogs and advised us on the risks and contraindications and "what needs to go". Her holistic approach ensures that we are not just training Delilah but also providing her with the best possible environment to thrive.
With Kelly by our side and the knowledge we have gained, we are more than confident that Delilah will grow into an intelligent, obedient, and well-mannered dog. Her guidance has given us the tools to ensure Delilah has the best quality of life and we too, get the best possible pup - bringing both Delilah and us to our highest potential - as pup parents.
We couldn’t be happier with the progress we’ve seen so far,
Thanks to Kelly, our girl is more responsive, calm, and well-behaved, and we are so grateful for her guidance.
If you are looking for an exceptional dog trainer or behaviouralist, we would absolutely recommend Kelly to anyone and everyone. She truly is amazing!
If you're considering making the call and are still unsure, this is your sign - Don't walk, RUN! - Kelly is your gal and you will not regret it!
with gratitude,
Kali, Scott & Delilah 🐾
Trainer note from Kelly
Ohhh, this is just so very lovely, you have both been so amazing to work with (I love a note taker!), and you have both engaged yourselves in every single step of Delilah's training journey. Of course we did the normal puppy management, that makes every owner's life easier - recall, sit, stay, mouthing, jumping up, lead training, toilet training, crate training and sleeping patterns. And Miss D responded like a dream, terriers love to be trained and she had so much fun! At the second lesson we had a quick look through the garden to sort out her reactive rash (Good old Moses in the Cradle was the culprit!), and then we moved onto recall with distraction, and calling her away from the neighbours fence / dogs. There were some control concerns with grooming and washing, so off to the wash area we went, and a clean puppy emerged - showing holding techniques, and how to bathe correctly will allow you to self manage her care as well. I am looking forward to lesson 3, up at the park, and getting Delilah out and about! Thanks again, you are all amazing!
Ohhh, this is just so very lovely, you have both been so amazing to work with (I love a note taker!), and you have both engaged yourselves in every single step of Delilah's training journey. Of course we did the normal puppy management, that makes every owner's life easier - recall, sit, stay, mouthing, jumping up, lead training, toilet training, crate training and sleeping patterns. And Miss D responded like a dream, terriers love to be trained and she had so much fun! At the second lesson we had a quick look through the garden to sort out her reactive rash (Good old Moses in the Cradle was the culprit!), and then we moved onto recall with distraction, and calling her away from the neighbours fence / dogs. There were some control concerns with grooming and washing, so off to the wash area we went, and a clean puppy emerged - showing holding techniques, and how to bathe correctly will allow you to self manage her care as well. I am looking forward to lesson 3, up at the park, and getting Delilah out and about! Thanks again, you are all amazing!
13th February 2025 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Puppy management
Kelly was amazing. Her knowledge and experience plus her ability was incredible. She gave us valuable insight.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thanks Kirsten! I really enjoyed working with your family, and it was wonderful to have everyone there and on the same page. Barking dogs can cause so much stress (especially in a body corporate scenario) and your gorgeous Labradoodle responded like a dream to all of the programming exercises shown. At the first lesson we finished the session on door manners, and to be able to have a visitor walk in and out of the door (with no sit/stay/wait command), and Monkey staying well away was so reassuring for your family - especially being so close to traffic. Greta work, and I am looking forward to providing ongoing support to you all :-)
Thanks Kirsten! I really enjoyed working with your family, and it was wonderful to have everyone there and on the same page. Barking dogs can cause so much stress (especially in a body corporate scenario) and your gorgeous Labradoodle responded like a dream to all of the programming exercises shown. At the first lesson we finished the session on door manners, and to be able to have a visitor walk in and out of the door (with no sit/stay/wait command), and Monkey staying well away was so reassuring for your family - especially being so close to traffic. Greta work, and I am looking forward to providing ongoing support to you all :-)
9th December 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Puppy management, Separation anxiety, Toileting
Kelly has been an amazing source of support for my Maltese Shitzu dog! Soju was always a little shy and timid but to see her grow in confidence every day has been amazing. When I first met Kelly, I couldn’t leave my dog for more than a couple of minutes without crying and barking. Together, we worked on her separation anxiety issues and now I can leave her during the day whilst I work with no issues. Overall she seems a lot happier and healthier too! Kelly has always been on hand to revisit when I need additional help or lessons and her calm, patient approach has been really appreciated. Thanks so much!
Trainer note from Kelly
Soju is super smart! Managing the training (for toilet, lead, and visitor manners) around your injuries was easy, and we still managed the same results - so good, well done! Timidity and fear need to be managed correctly, and you took your time, and you are now seeing the benefits. She is so happy now, and on our most recent session we managed her fear reaction to cars and people on walks as well, and she improved once again. Thanks so much for allowing us to assist!
Soju is super smart! Managing the training (for toilet, lead, and visitor manners) around your injuries was easy, and we still managed the same results - so good, well done! Timidity and fear need to be managed correctly, and you took your time, and you are now seeing the benefits. She is so happy now, and on our most recent session we managed her fear reaction to cars and people on walks as well, and she improved once again. Thanks so much for allowing us to assist!
26th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Barking, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall
I cannot thank Kelly enough. It has only been a few lessons and the progress has been magnificent.
Tito has been so calm that he no longer reacts to dogs or people walking past the house. I had given up that dachshunds are barking dogs but no.
He is calm enough now that I can take him to a cafe with me and relax. No more pulling on lead which was one of my main problems I had addressed at the start.
Thank you so much Kelly, I cannot wait to see how he will be in a few months time.
Trainer note from Kelly
I will admit to having a soft spot for a naughty Dachshund, LOL, and Tito was so much fun to work with! It can be so embarrassing when your dog barks at the door (and doesn't stop), and is scared of visitors, and runs the fence line like he is on speed! Today was Tito's 4th session, and WOW, what a difference - you have done a stellar job of following through with his 15mins a day of training, and I was SO PROUD of how you walked with him at heel, past other dogs, without any issues at all. Next stop, group training! It will be fun for Tito to do some more social confidence work, and with your 2 FOC sessions, he can come along when you are ready. Thank you so much for allowing me to assist, and I loved my pats and tail wags this morning, he is a darling boy :-). Well done!
I will admit to having a soft spot for a naughty Dachshund, LOL, and Tito was so much fun to work with! It can be so embarrassing when your dog barks at the door (and doesn't stop), and is scared of visitors, and runs the fence line like he is on speed! Today was Tito's 4th session, and WOW, what a difference - you have done a stellar job of following through with his 15mins a day of training, and I was SO PROUD of how you walked with him at heel, past other dogs, without any issues at all. Next stop, group training! It will be fun for Tito to do some more social confidence work, and with your 2 FOC sessions, he can come along when you are ready. Thank you so much for allowing me to assist, and I loved my pats and tail wags this morning, he is a darling boy :-). Well done!
26th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Barking, Puppy management, Recall
First day and already noticed a massive change in behaviour.
Dinner was prepared without dogs under our feet and boundaries were established. A treat in itself.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s walk with other issues to address.
Thank you Kelly for you insight, looking forward to seeing you again.
Trainer note from Kelly
What a delicious Shepherd pup!!! And I loved my cuddles with Snoop (your older boy), he is so well behaved! Slim on the other hand, what a handful LOL! By focusing on the human body language and timing, as well as adjusting how the dog was being corrected to re-focus and listen to commands, we had him recalling in minutes. It was wonderful to see how relaxed his body language became, soft eyes, relaxed ears, and low wagging tail - he loves to work! We also focused on barking, jumping up and the door issue (always nice to be able to walk in and out of your door without a Shepherd size bouncer blocking your way haha). Slim responded so nicely, and it's great to hear you have regained your kitchen! I am looking forward to improving his external manners at lesson #2, dog to dog work, confidence and calmness in public. Well done!
What a delicious Shepherd pup!!! And I loved my cuddles with Snoop (your older boy), he is so well behaved! Slim on the other hand, what a handful LOL! By focusing on the human body language and timing, as well as adjusting how the dog was being corrected to re-focus and listen to commands, we had him recalling in minutes. It was wonderful to see how relaxed his body language became, soft eyes, relaxed ears, and low wagging tail - he loves to work! We also focused on barking, jumping up and the door issue (always nice to be able to walk in and out of your door without a Shepherd size bouncer blocking your way haha). Slim responded so nicely, and it's great to hear you have regained your kitchen! I am looking forward to improving his external manners at lesson #2, dog to dog work, confidence and calmness in public. Well done!
26th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Barking, Puppy management, Recall
First day and already noticed a massive change in behaviour.
Dinner was prepared without dogs under our feet and boundaries were established. A treat in itself.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s walk with other issues to address.
Thank you Kelly for you insight, looking forward to seeing you again.
Trainer note from Kelly
What amazing dog owners you both are! Slim's level of obedience is excellent for such a young dog, but being a German Shepherd, you recognised that his fear reactivity had a chance of sending him down the wrong path. Barking at visitors, jumping up, barging doors, lunging and barking on lead at dogs - all identified as issues that needed to be corrected before he gets any bigger. Even though you are both very experienced owners, you were also able to identify what needed changing, once pointed out, and could also see how it made such a change in Slim's behavior at the very first lesson. We love a dog that recalls when told! I can't wait for lesson two, working with distractions and focusing on dog manners, so your walks are enjoyable, and positive. Great job, well done to you both!
What amazing dog owners you both are! Slim's level of obedience is excellent for such a young dog, but being a German Shepherd, you recognised that his fear reactivity had a chance of sending him down the wrong path. Barking at visitors, jumping up, barging doors, lunging and barking on lead at dogs - all identified as issues that needed to be corrected before he gets any bigger. Even though you are both very experienced owners, you were also able to identify what needed changing, once pointed out, and could also see how it made such a change in Slim's behavior at the very first lesson. We love a dog that recalls when told! I can't wait for lesson two, working with distractions and focusing on dog manners, so your walks are enjoyable, and positive. Great job, well done to you both!
19th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Chewing, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety, Toileting
A masterful delivery of helpful advice and of training instructions. Kelly held our interest over the 2 hour session, ( difficult when her students are old fossils) and managed this by injecting humour and by drawing on her wealth of stories relating to her history in her training of innumerable pooches ( and their carers) over the years.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thank you both so much for engaging with Bark Busters for training, I thoroughly enjoyed our lesson, and guiding you both into new ways of approaching training, to get results! Hugo, your Cavoodle, is a delightful wee pup, but his jumping up, barking, over guarding when people walk past, pulling on lead, and lack of recall skills was certainly causing you both stress! We worked on all of these things at lesson one, and Hugo was a very calm and mentally tired puppy by the end - and he showed such amazing improvements so quickly! I'll see you both soon for lesson 2, where we'll add distractions to the training, to focus on his external manners. Massive well done, you're both amazing!
Thank you both so much for engaging with Bark Busters for training, I thoroughly enjoyed our lesson, and guiding you both into new ways of approaching training, to get results! Hugo, your Cavoodle, is a delightful wee pup, but his jumping up, barking, over guarding when people walk past, pulling on lead, and lack of recall skills was certainly causing you both stress! We worked on all of these things at lesson one, and Hugo was a very calm and mentally tired puppy by the end - and he showed such amazing improvements so quickly! I'll see you both soon for lesson 2, where we'll add distractions to the training, to focus on his external manners. Massive well done, you're both amazing!
19th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Jumping up, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety
Extremely happy with our puppies progress after only the first session.
Trainer note from Kelly
Ziggy is just all legs! What a gorgeous Amstaff x Staffordshire Bull Terrier you have, a kind natured pup, and so willing to learn. It was lovely to spend time with your family, to get Ziggy on the right path - you have done amazing early work with him, and we fine tuned his toilet training, separation work, barking, crate training and started on his lead work. As you engaged with our unique in-house "Lifetime Support Guarantee", you also received a session of puppy school free of charge! Attending week #3, we saw Ziggy go from shy and unsure (as he hadn't been able to socialise yet, due to his vaccination status), to playing and inviting the rumble by the end of the lesson! We kick started his heeling work, learning how to stay, door manners and recall. Great job everyone! I can't wait to see you all for lesson 2!
Ziggy is just all legs! What a gorgeous Amstaff x Staffordshire Bull Terrier you have, a kind natured pup, and so willing to learn. It was lovely to spend time with your family, to get Ziggy on the right path - you have done amazing early work with him, and we fine tuned his toilet training, separation work, barking, crate training and started on his lead work. As you engaged with our unique in-house "Lifetime Support Guarantee", you also received a session of puppy school free of charge! Attending week #3, we saw Ziggy go from shy and unsure (as he hadn't been able to socialise yet, due to his vaccination status), to playing and inviting the rumble by the end of the lesson! We kick started his heeling work, learning how to stay, door manners and recall. Great job everyone! I can't wait to see you all for lesson 2!
16th November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Recall, Other
Kelly was informative about appropriate nutrition and toys for my toy Caboodle. She also provided tips on how I should become the alpha dog to assist with my dog’s anxiety around other new dogs. Although it has only been a few days, Finn is responding well to requests and I look forward to more advice on how to overcome his apparent fear of strange dogs.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thanks Cherrie, your kinds words and feedback mean a lot to me! You have done some amazing pre-training with Finn, you have consistent rules and boundaries, and you already have a lot of experience - thank you for allowing us to assist with the fine tuning! Barking, fence running, jumping up, gate manners and recall were all worked on in lesson #1, and you both picked up the training super easily! I am looking forward to lesson 2 with dog to dog scene setting and management, as that is the major issue - nice and calm, nice and positive for the win! See you soon!
Thanks Cherrie, your kinds words and feedback mean a lot to me! You have done some amazing pre-training with Finn, you have consistent rules and boundaries, and you already have a lot of experience - thank you for allowing us to assist with the fine tuning! Barking, fence running, jumping up, gate manners and recall were all worked on in lesson #1, and you both picked up the training super easily! I am looking forward to lesson 2 with dog to dog scene setting and management, as that is the major issue - nice and calm, nice and positive for the win! See you soon!
3rd November 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Digging, Hyperactivity, Pulling
Kelly was extremely helpful and kind during the first lesson. So much information was given. To truly understand what my boy needs has been a big insight to what I need to change . She was so lovely to talk to and has made the decision to take this opportunity so much easier to take on board.. I think there was an overload of information, but I know I can contact Kelly at anytime for her help.
First session was so much more than I expected. I am so grateful to have met her, And can't wait to see what I can achieve with my beautiful Hudson 💙
Trainer note from Kelly
Your dogs are so wonderful! Having a dog that is storm phobic, and panic escapes, is terrifying for the owner (and how ironic that our first lesson was in the middle of a thunderstorm LOL!). Thank you for allowing me to assist with Hudson's training, he responded like a dream. Being a herding breed, if you don't get given a job, they will make one, so working his brain to allow him to relax was very important. Lesson 2 was literally perfect, you have both followed through with consistent training, and his road walking was amazing! Go you! The plan for lesson 3 is walking with distractions and dog part entry manners, which I am looking forward to. Well done to you both!
Your dogs are so wonderful! Having a dog that is storm phobic, and panic escapes, is terrifying for the owner (and how ironic that our first lesson was in the middle of a thunderstorm LOL!). Thank you for allowing me to assist with Hudson's training, he responded like a dream. Being a herding breed, if you don't get given a job, they will make one, so working his brain to allow him to relax was very important. Lesson 2 was literally perfect, you have both followed through with consistent training, and his road walking was amazing! Go you! The plan for lesson 3 is walking with distractions and dog part entry manners, which I am looking forward to. Well done to you both!