Bark Busters Reviews and Customer Testimonials
28th February 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Hi Kelly, we really enjoyed our first lesson with you. The attention to detail of our little Storm that you gave us from the moment you walked in was really appreciated. Every explanation of 'how to' to the practical was with patience and all questions answered. Since our session, we have improved our communication with Storm, which in turn is allowing him to understand better behaviour and we enjoy him a lot more. We look forward to our next session. Thank you
Trainer note from Kelly
Firstly, let me say thank you for taking on a rescue/rehome, you are a wonderful and kind family! We love working with rescues, as we don't always have the full background story, so need to take things slow to work out what works for the dog, and what needs attention. One of the biggest concerns early on with your Frenchie, Storm, was his unwarranted reactivity, and concerns around potential snapping at children. We put safety measures and corrections into place, and now his BFF is your youngest family member, and it is a beautiful relationship to watch! We now have his walking in hand, jumping up and door answering have ceased, and he no longer barges through the door when opened. Looking forward to road and park work next lesson - keep up the consistency, you're all doing so well :-)
Firstly, let me say thank you for taking on a rescue/rehome, you are a wonderful and kind family! We love working with rescues, as we don't always have the full background story, so need to take things slow to work out what works for the dog, and what needs attention. One of the biggest concerns early on with your Frenchie, Storm, was his unwarranted reactivity, and concerns around potential snapping at children. We put safety measures and corrections into place, and now his BFF is your youngest family member, and it is a beautiful relationship to watch! We now have his walking in hand, jumping up and door answering have ceased, and he no longer barges through the door when opened. Looking forward to road and park work next lesson - keep up the consistency, you're all doing so well :-)
25th February 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly did an amazing job in our first session, Diesel has already changed for the better and listens and responds to commands now
Trainer note from Kelly
Diesel is such a funny, and very cool, American Staffordshire Terrier, and I can see why everyone loves him so much! He was getting confused with the commands, and expectations, and once we set some boundaries, and house rules (that everyone agreed on), he relaxed almost immediately. Being such a big, strong dog, his walking needed some help, so he could get out and about more - prior to our training, he was being very on lead reactive. We put measures into place to gain focus off site, and at the second lesson, to see him walking up the street at heel, without worrying about anything else, was truly golden!!! Massive well done, huge changes in your gorgeous boy :-)
Diesel is such a funny, and very cool, American Staffordshire Terrier, and I can see why everyone loves him so much! He was getting confused with the commands, and expectations, and once we set some boundaries, and house rules (that everyone agreed on), he relaxed almost immediately. Being such a big, strong dog, his walking needed some help, so he could get out and about more - prior to our training, he was being very on lead reactive. We put measures into place to gain focus off site, and at the second lesson, to see him walking up the street at heel, without worrying about anything else, was truly golden!!! Massive well done, huge changes in your gorgeous boy :-)
22nd February 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Within 24 hrs we saw a massive turn around with Chicas behaviour. She was a hyperactive dog but now she has really calmed down. We feel more in control of situations
Trainer note from Kelly
Chica is a rather delightful Frenchie, who was causing you both so much stress, purely because things felt "out of control". It is always so frustrating for the owner to not have good recall, have a dog that races out doors between your legs, marking / toilet training is an issue, and on lead reactivity. Your consistency and passion for Chica showed again at the second lesson - heeling, sitting on the kerb, completing stay exercises with such a calm demeanor - so much control gained! We started ground work for walking past other dogs without reactivity, too, and we will continue with this at lesson 3. Thanks for allowing Bark Busters to come and help :-)
Chica is a rather delightful Frenchie, who was causing you both so much stress, purely because things felt "out of control". It is always so frustrating for the owner to not have good recall, have a dog that races out doors between your legs, marking / toilet training is an issue, and on lead reactivity. Your consistency and passion for Chica showed again at the second lesson - heeling, sitting on the kerb, completing stay exercises with such a calm demeanor - so much control gained! We started ground work for walking past other dogs without reactivity, too, and we will continue with this at lesson 3. Thanks for allowing Bark Busters to come and help :-)
8th February 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly was fantastic. Explained things easy to understand and follow. Bruno went exceptionally well on his first training on the lead. We would definitely recommend Bark Busters to any one with helping and training difficult dogs. We are excited for what is to come. Thank you Bark Busters
Trainer note from Kelly
Thank you for your kind words, and time! Being a Cane Corso, the owner's focus is always on having complete control, due to their size and strength. But, having a big breed can also be limiting for owners, as friends and family get scared, and don't want to interact in the home environment. Thank you for allowing me to fine tune all the awesome work you had already done with your big teddy bear, and get him onto the right track, so he is a more settled companion, and he doesn't impact your day to day lives in a negative way. Looking forward to lesson #3 soon!
Thank you for your kind words, and time! Being a Cane Corso, the owner's focus is always on having complete control, due to their size and strength. But, having a big breed can also be limiting for owners, as friends and family get scared, and don't want to interact in the home environment. Thank you for allowing me to fine tune all the awesome work you had already done with your big teddy bear, and get him onto the right track, so he is a more settled companion, and he doesn't impact your day to day lives in a negative way. Looking forward to lesson #3 soon!
22nd January 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly was very informative and described the training program in a manner that was easily understood. We noticed an immediate improvement in Mishka’s behaviour.
Trainer note from Kelly
I LOVE working with Poodles! Thei smart attitude, and willingness to engage in training is also so rewarding. Thank you both for being so honest and upfront with the issues with Mishka - lesson one we really focused on the jumping up, barking, separation anxiety, and door racing. Improvements in her walking manners was instant as well, and I am looking forward to lesson #2 where we'll get out and about with distractions to work on her timidity and lack of confidence in public. Awesome work!
I LOVE working with Poodles! Thei smart attitude, and willingness to engage in training is also so rewarding. Thank you both for being so honest and upfront with the issues with Mishka - lesson one we really focused on the jumping up, barking, separation anxiety, and door racing. Improvements in her walking manners was instant as well, and I am looking forward to lesson #2 where we'll get out and about with distractions to work on her timidity and lack of confidence in public. Awesome work!
21st January 2024 - Kelly McClelland
I can't recommend Kelly enough! By the end of the session my dogs had already made an improvement and they’re getting better and better every day! I wish I did this sooner!
Trainer note from Kelly
Ahhhh, the wonderful world of the barking Dachshund LOL! Working hounds are so much fun, so much attitude, it is awesome! Your two babies had tipped the scales into over reactivity, over guarding, door guarding, and moving into fear reactivity/aggression, which was really upsetting for your family. Seeing both of your Doxie's relax with the initial training, was just great, to watch your confidence grow with gentle control was even better! I can't wait for lesson #2 where we'll target the off site issues - pulling, lunging and dog reactivity, and then after that, onto group training, yay! Amazing work, well done :-)
Ahhhh, the wonderful world of the barking Dachshund LOL! Working hounds are so much fun, so much attitude, it is awesome! Your two babies had tipped the scales into over reactivity, over guarding, door guarding, and moving into fear reactivity/aggression, which was really upsetting for your family. Seeing both of your Doxie's relax with the initial training, was just great, to watch your confidence grow with gentle control was even better! I can't wait for lesson #2 where we'll target the off site issues - pulling, lunging and dog reactivity, and then after that, onto group training, yay! Amazing work, well done :-)
9th January 2024 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Other
Kelly - you are a lifesaver. We honestly are amazed with the difference in Shijo after our first meeting with you. We know that we still have a way to go to perfect our new skills but what you have taught us has made a huge difference - we now don’t have to listen to incessant barking and can walk through the door without struggling to get inside before Shijo. I am sure that our neighbours are grateful too.
Trainer note from Kelly
It was amazing to meet you all at lesson one, thank you for ensuring everyone in the family is invested in Shijo's training, consistency is everything! So much noise LOL, so much barking, I could certainly see why you were all so worried for your neighbour's sanity (and your own!). At the first lesson, when corrected for the barking her response was instant - her body language relaxed, the pacing slowed to almost stopped, and she stopped trying to bully your adorable older boy. We focused on the barking, of course, but also door racing, cat management, walking politely on lead and recall - she is such a darling, and responded like a dream! I am looking forward to working on the street next lesson, focus on pulling, dog reactivity, lunging, road manners and safety and just being a good kid! No one needs a robot, I love her spunk, and it was great to see everyone pleased with her improvements - well done team!
It was amazing to meet you all at lesson one, thank you for ensuring everyone in the family is invested in Shijo's training, consistency is everything! So much noise LOL, so much barking, I could certainly see why you were all so worried for your neighbour's sanity (and your own!). At the first lesson, when corrected for the barking her response was instant - her body language relaxed, the pacing slowed to almost stopped, and she stopped trying to bully your adorable older boy. We focused on the barking, of course, but also door racing, cat management, walking politely on lead and recall - she is such a darling, and responded like a dream! I am looking forward to working on the street next lesson, focus on pulling, dog reactivity, lunging, road manners and safety and just being a good kid! No one needs a robot, I love her spunk, and it was great to see everyone pleased with her improvements - well done team!
17th December 2023 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Other
Kelly was informative, helpful, had an amazing manner with our dogs and showed us what we were not understanding about how our girl was feeling. The training was very good. She left us with a clear blueprint for us to follow and answered all our questions with a smile and detailed pertinent information. We have already seen an improvement and look forward to seeing our dog feel more confident and comfortable in the future.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thank you so much! Even though we were only working with one, your whole pack improved with the simple changes we implemented, so everyone felt safe to be able to relax! Being heavily involved in the world of the equine, you both understand the need for calm and positive control, and our easy and kind programming exercises showed your gorgeous girl that "you've got this" and she doesn't need to worry - which has really helped her lack of eating (she looked amazing at lesson 2, her weight was so much better!). I am looking forward to seeing you at group training, as your next step forward, for more positive control in public :-) - well done!!
Thank you so much! Even though we were only working with one, your whole pack improved with the simple changes we implemented, so everyone felt safe to be able to relax! Being heavily involved in the world of the equine, you both understand the need for calm and positive control, and our easy and kind programming exercises showed your gorgeous girl that "you've got this" and she doesn't need to worry - which has really helped her lack of eating (she looked amazing at lesson 2, her weight was so much better!). I am looking forward to seeing you at group training, as your next step forward, for more positive control in public :-) - well done!!
4th December 2023 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Aggression, Jumping up, Separation anxiety
I got in contact with Bark Busters due to my youngest dog attacking our oldest dog this came out of nowhere and started to occur more often then not, leaving myself feeling very anxious. After my first phone call with Kelly there was already a sigh of relief, Kelly explained to me that our youngest wants to try and be Alpha and already got me started on certain changes to be made before our first meeting! I was already impressed and already started seeing a massive difference in our doggo's behaviour. Our first meeting was amazing, after implementing everything Kelly tought us, I now have submissive dogs, the humans are alpha's and we haven't had one dog-fight since Kelly visited! Our eldest doggo is definitely a lot more trickier to train but I have so much faith that we will get there in the next upcoming sessions. Can't wait!
Trainer note from Kelly
Thank you so much for your kind words! When you have two large breeds (Labrador and a Lab x GSD) it is imperative that no one gets hurt, and there is balance to create calmness. Sibling rivalry is terrifying for the owner, and both of your gorgeous dogs responded like a dream, showing respect, responding instantly to commands, and wagging tails the whole time! As shown, dogs love to know where they stand, and your positive attitude was awesome. Looking forward to getting out on the road for lesson 2, to target the pulling on lead, and his dog reactivity - exciting times ahead! Thanks again!
Thank you so much for your kind words! When you have two large breeds (Labrador and a Lab x GSD) it is imperative that no one gets hurt, and there is balance to create calmness. Sibling rivalry is terrifying for the owner, and both of your gorgeous dogs responded like a dream, showing respect, responding instantly to commands, and wagging tails the whole time! As shown, dogs love to know where they stand, and your positive attitude was awesome. Looking forward to getting out on the road for lesson 2, to target the pulling on lead, and his dog reactivity - exciting times ahead! Thanks again!
27th November 2023 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Chewing, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Puppy management, Recall
Kelly is amazing! Such a beautiful lady and so easy to talk to, she listened to our problems and what we needed help with, our little beagle is 1yr old and full of energy and gets up to mischief so with Kelly's guidance we have been able to get our second chance with chino!
Thank you so much Kelly!!
Trainer note from Kelly
What a fun lesson! Your family is delightful, and so willing to listen to different options, to regain control of Chino. Beagles can be a challenge to a lot of owners, so you're not alone, but he responded so well to our gentle methods, and he loved the praise! Showing you how to correct the jumping up, door manners, recall (yes, even with a beagle LOL), rough play, lead manners - we fitted so much in on lesson 1, and I cannot wait for lesson 2, where we'll focus on stay with distractions, pulling on lead, and social skills. Well done, and thanks again for letting me help :-).
What a fun lesson! Your family is delightful, and so willing to listen to different options, to regain control of Chino. Beagles can be a challenge to a lot of owners, so you're not alone, but he responded so well to our gentle methods, and he loved the praise! Showing you how to correct the jumping up, door manners, recall (yes, even with a beagle LOL), rough play, lead manners - we fitted so much in on lesson 1, and I cannot wait for lesson 2, where we'll focus on stay with distractions, pulling on lead, and social skills. Well done, and thanks again for letting me help :-).
25th November 2023 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Recall, Other
I was absolutely shocked at the very first command that Kelly gave
Dakota and he responded positively. I instantly thought, we can do this and was looking forward to not giving up on Dakota. I had got to the point that I wouldn’t go anywhere with him as it was so hard to deal with him and everyone would get upset with his high pitched barking at every little noise anyone would make. We are using the technique of ‘bah’ and it is helping so much. Can’t wait to continue so that Dakota can reach his full potential and we will have the tools to help him do that.
Trainer note from Kelly
Thank you so much Kerri! It was so lovely to work with you, your partner and your support worker. When we work with therapy dogs it is imperative that we don't conflict with the awesome training they've already had, and ensure that what we're doing it working parallel to that, and also in a very positive manner. To see your adorable Cavoodle, Dakota, respond to our fun system, within minutes was amazing! He is so super smart, and he realised that barking, jumping up, chasing the cats and pulling on lead weren't on the good side of the behaviour list. For a dog that has struggled with recall (coming when called), he was on point once we finished lesson #1! We will continue to work on cat control at lesson 2, plus get outside and look at recall in an open environment, plus consolidate barking and lead control. Massive well done!
Thank you so much Kerri! It was so lovely to work with you, your partner and your support worker. When we work with therapy dogs it is imperative that we don't conflict with the awesome training they've already had, and ensure that what we're doing it working parallel to that, and also in a very positive manner. To see your adorable Cavoodle, Dakota, respond to our fun system, within minutes was amazing! He is so super smart, and he realised that barking, jumping up, chasing the cats and pulling on lead weren't on the good side of the behaviour list. For a dog that has struggled with recall (coming when called), he was on point once we finished lesson #1! We will continue to work on cat control at lesson 2, plus get outside and look at recall in an open environment, plus consolidate barking and lead control. Massive well done!
21st November 2023 - Kelly McClelland
Kelly dealt with Barking, Chewing, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall
What we achieved in minutes with our puppers was incredible. Simply being able to walk out our back door without being jumped on and having them try and barge into the house was fantastic. Kelly is so knowledgeable and was able to help us understand our dogs and their behaviour from a completely new perspective. We look forward to continuing our training and it is as much training for the dogs as it is for us as well. Highly recommend.
Trainer note from Kelly
Hi Ramona, thanks so much for inviting Bark Busters in t assist with your Staffordshire Bull terrier and Golden Retriever. Having a new baby is hard enough, but throw into that 2 adolescent dogs? I could certainly see where your frustrations lay :-). What smart dogs you have, they responded to our gentle methods straight away, and with positive reinforcement they continued to display the right behaviours throughout lesson #1. No more jumping and mouthing - yay! I am looking forward to lesson #2, where we will tackle lead walking in public, as well as dog and pram training, so you can enjoy walks with your baby Princess and the dogs as well. Can't wait! Well done :-)
Hi Ramona, thanks so much for inviting Bark Busters in t assist with your Staffordshire Bull terrier and Golden Retriever. Having a new baby is hard enough, but throw into that 2 adolescent dogs? I could certainly see where your frustrations lay :-). What smart dogs you have, they responded to our gentle methods straight away, and with positive reinforcement they continued to display the right behaviours throughout lesson #1. No more jumping and mouthing - yay! I am looking forward to lesson #2, where we will tackle lead walking in public, as well as dog and pram training, so you can enjoy walks with your baby Princess and the dogs as well. Can't wait! Well done :-)