Bark Busters Reviews and Customer Testimonials
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!
27th October 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Chewing, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety, Sibling rivalry, Toileting
Kelly was knowledgeable, caring and beyond helpful. We have recently taken on a rescue dog and we have done a lot of training previously with other trainers with our 5 year old dog. However, I learnt so many new things that went far beyond what I thought I needed to learn to solve some challenges we've had with our new addition and the change in the family dynamics. We have two very content and stable dogs and a much more relaxed household thanks to Kelly's input. Nothing was beyond Kelly's scope including food, toys, training and implementing things for different family members such as our 4 year old son. I was feeling like I had lost my way with both dogs and now thanks to Kelly I have confidence in knowing what to implement so everyone is looked after! I can not talk higher of Kelly's knowledge, skills and coaching.
Trainer note from Kelly
What an amazing dog owner you are! So much knowledge, and so much applied skill, has made Tilly (Labrador) so well behaved! Bringing Winnie (Poodle x Border Collie) into the mix absolutely changed the dynamics, and when the owner gets caught up in a dog brawl, confidence goes out the window super fast. Recognizing where Tilly was (passively) pushing the point, and then balancing that with gaining Tilly's trust, was our main focus at lesson 1. Being a rescue, Tilly was a blank slate for education and by the end, her fear of me had subsided and I was able to show her all the positive pats that come with being such a good girl. We understand that having dogs that pull on lead on walks makes that exercise time incredibly frustrating, so we fine tuned that at lesson 2 - it was so rewarding to watch your confidence grow instantly, once they walked with you, not dragging you! Congratulations to you both for your consistency and hard work with training - I can't wait for our lesson 3 walk around the block and to the dog park :-)!
What an amazing dog owner you are! So much knowledge, and so much applied skill, has made Tilly (Labrador) so well behaved! Bringing Winnie (Poodle x Border Collie) into the mix absolutely changed the dynamics, and when the owner gets caught up in a dog brawl, confidence goes out the window super fast. Recognizing where Tilly was (passively) pushing the point, and then balancing that with gaining Tilly's trust, was our main focus at lesson 1. Being a rescue, Tilly was a blank slate for education and by the end, her fear of me had subsided and I was able to show her all the positive pats that come with being such a good girl. We understand that having dogs that pull on lead on walks makes that exercise time incredibly frustrating, so we fine tuned that at lesson 2 - it was so rewarding to watch your confidence grow instantly, once they walked with you, not dragging you! Congratulations to you both for your consistency and hard work with training - I can't wait for our lesson 3 walk around the block and to the dog park :-)!
24th October 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Barking, Chewing, Digging, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Separation anxiety, Toileting
Absolutely thrilled with the help we received from Kelly for our Frenchie, BOSS! He was definitely the boss of us, and we felt completely overwhelmed. After two years of struggling, we were on the brink of giving up, but Kelly's training was a game changer.
By the end of our first 3.5-hour session, we had a new understanding of BOSS and his behavior. We even switched his food to address his hyperactivity, and now we're working daily on the techniques Kelly taught us. I genuinely wish we had done this sooner!
The methods we’re using aren’t hard or time-consuming at all—far from what I had expected! If you’re feeling defeated like we were, I urge you to reach out to Kelly. The love and bond with your fur baby will only grow stronger as the hard work becomes manageable.
Thank you, Kelly! You’ve made such a difference in our lives!
Trainer note from Kelly
Your family has been so wonderful to deal with, you are all so lovely, and it was very clear to me from the second I arrived that you all love Boss dearly, but that his behaviour was almost pushing you to the point or surrender / rehoming. Correcting his visitor reactivity at lesson 1 was the main aim, positive crate training had some fine tuning, door answering solutions were presented and we started on his door work. Lesson 2 was just WOW! What a change! Even with incredibly difficult time restraints (work, kids, etc) you have all done a superb job, and his improvements were absolutely noticeable. Even road walking, stays and having him standing so close to me, a visitor, without reacting? Very rewarding indeed, and I was thrilled for you all. Huge well done!
Your family has been so wonderful to deal with, you are all so lovely, and it was very clear to me from the second I arrived that you all love Boss dearly, but that his behaviour was almost pushing you to the point or surrender / rehoming. Correcting his visitor reactivity at lesson 1 was the main aim, positive crate training had some fine tuning, door answering solutions were presented and we started on his door work. Lesson 2 was just WOW! What a change! Even with incredibly difficult time restraints (work, kids, etc) you have all done a superb job, and his improvements were absolutely noticeable. Even road walking, stays and having him standing so close to me, a visitor, without reacting? Very rewarding indeed, and I was thrilled for you all. Huge well done!
10th October 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Hyperactivity, Puppy management, Other
Kelly was full of information and friendly.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thanks Brian! It was so lovely to work with you both, and gaining and understanding of how we could get the behaviour of Benny, your Cavoodle, to work in better with your requirements, was crucial. Teaching in to walk nicely near the mobility scooter, without getting tangled, only jump up when asked, barking, and recall. In both lesson 1 and 2 we focused on all of these, as well as setting kitchen boundaries and positive crate training, and starting his obedience journey towards a PAT. Well done, great job!
Thanks Brian! It was so lovely to work with you both, and gaining and understanding of how we could get the behaviour of Benny, your Cavoodle, to work in better with your requirements, was crucial. Teaching in to walk nicely near the mobility scooter, without getting tangled, only jump up when asked, barking, and recall. In both lesson 1 and 2 we focused on all of these, as well as setting kitchen boundaries and positive crate training, and starting his obedience journey towards a PAT. Well done, great job!
26th September 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Chewing, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Recall
What Kelly showed us was nothing short of magic. Lily is a very good dog but was quite erratic and barked at everything. After one session with Kelly she bearly barks and only for good reasons. This allows was worth every dollar.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thanks Michael! Lily is a gorgeous little girl, but wow, what a screaming bark she had LOL! When the owners have a home office, a barking dog is a major issue, and of course a high balcony over-looking everything is a perfect set up for a dog to over guard. At lesson one Lily responded like a dream - she was so keen for someone to take the leadership role, it was wonderful to see how quickly she picked things up. And WOW, lesson 2, what a change! No barking as I walked up the driveway, she was polite at the door, no jumping, and so so calm and relaxed. Massive well done to you both, your consistency and the way you have applied the training to your day to day regime has made all the difference. Lily now has 2 FOC sessions of group training to attend, and I'll see you when you're ready! Super job!
Thanks Michael! Lily is a gorgeous little girl, but wow, what a screaming bark she had LOL! When the owners have a home office, a barking dog is a major issue, and of course a high balcony over-looking everything is a perfect set up for a dog to over guard. At lesson one Lily responded like a dream - she was so keen for someone to take the leadership role, it was wonderful to see how quickly she picked things up. And WOW, lesson 2, what a change! No barking as I walked up the driveway, she was polite at the door, no jumping, and so so calm and relaxed. Massive well done to you both, your consistency and the way you have applied the training to your day to day regime has made all the difference. Lily now has 2 FOC sessions of group training to attend, and I'll see you when you're ready! Super job!
26th September 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Puppy management
After we've been tearing our hair out for 7 months trying to find solutions for our dominant and hyperactive 10-month-old Groodle's behaviour, Kelly had results within 10 minutes of walking in the door, calming our girl down in no time. Kelly explained her approach clearly, before moving to work through the various strategies and exercises to apply with our pooch each day. It was like we had a different dog two hours later and, while she's still testing the boundaries a few days later, there has been a significant breakthrough in how calm she is and, when she does become excited, how quickly we can cause her to come down, all with some simple and effective strategies provided by Kelly. It's also so good to know that we can call Kelly at any time (which I did the next day to clarify a few things) and that it isn't a one-off session. We look forward to continuing to understand how best to work with our girl for everyone's benefit!
Trainer note from Kelly
What a cheeky and happy girl you have! Groodle's can tend to be a handful during adolescence, but she responded like a dream to our gentle and easy training methods. The aim of all training is to have a happy, balanced and well behaved dog, and as your parents care for her regularly, even more so, so no one gets accidently hurt from her being too rough. We focused on jumping up, recall, walking politely and barking, and at the next lesson, we'll show how to control public manners like lunging, dog excitability and pulling on lead. I can't wait to work with you all again soon!
What a cheeky and happy girl you have! Groodle's can tend to be a handful during adolescence, but she responded like a dream to our gentle and easy training methods. The aim of all training is to have a happy, balanced and well behaved dog, and as your parents care for her regularly, even more so, so no one gets accidently hurt from her being too rough. We focused on jumping up, recall, walking politely and barking, and at the next lesson, we'll show how to control public manners like lunging, dog excitability and pulling on lead. I can't wait to work with you all again soon!