Bark Busters Reviews and Customer Testimonials
22nd June 2014 - Graham Milgrew
Graham dealt with Aggression, Separation anxiety
Jo first came out to see us when we first took on our rescue Vizla Hugo, in November 2011. Hugo had some serious issues with dog aggression and we were finding it very difficult to come into contact with any dogs. Jo came out to our home,listened to our concerns, spent time with us and Hugo to really get a sense of the negative behavior Hugo was displaying. Jo was brilliant and spent lots of time explaining the reasons why Hugo may be behaving in this way, and what steps we can start to take to change and improve this behavior. Jo took us through some initial training and left us with lots of tips and tricks in our pack to start to work on Hugo dog aggression.
More recently, on June 1st 2012, my wife, Hugo and I all attended one of Jo's workshops. Working with Jo were some wonderful helpers and trainers, along with a number of dogs which (real and stuffed!) we used to work with Hugo and practice being up close with other dogs. The session was brilliant, the people Jo had helping were so good and it really helped Hugo to realize that not all dogs are to be attacked! We would like to personally thank Georgia the trainer and behaviorist, her granddaughter Amber for all your help, Jenny the T-touch practitioner (who Hugo was very fond of!) and Graham for all your help. We personally also left with a new confidence and felt that with further work, and taking all the great advice and guidance we had been furnished with, all is not lost!. Both my wife and I would recommend attending these types of sessions, along with the professional advice and guidance Jo is giving us, Hugo is coming on very well. THANKS GUYS!
Trainer note from Graham
When I first saw Hugo a good description would be "a bag of bones". He was very under weight and very nervous. When a dog is put under pressure adrenaline kicks in and they have two options - fight or flight. Despite his lack of confidence he had learnt that "fight" worked and scared other dogs off so his default action meant that he would "attack first ask questions later". This made it impossible for his owners. He only had to see a dog and he would start to get aggressive. His owners have done a huge amount of work with him and got him to point where he could be let off around other dogs and not immediately go for whatever dog bothered him. In fact he took a shine to one of our dogs and she had to tell him to leave her alone! With a dog with as many problems as Hugo it isn't a case of "ok he is fixed". He still doesn't trust other dogs and his nervousness means that his owners will always have to keep a close eye on his signals and if he is not coping, take him away and let him calm down. He is now the most spectacular Vizla to look at and looks to his owners for guidance rather than making his own decision. His owners have done a tremendous job with a dog that many people would simply have given up on long ago and they can be truly proud of both theirs and Hugo's achievements.
When I first saw Hugo a good description would be "a bag of bones". He was very under weight and very nervous. When a dog is put under pressure adrenaline kicks in and they have two options - fight or flight. Despite his lack of confidence he had learnt that "fight" worked and scared other dogs off so his default action meant that he would "attack first ask questions later". This made it impossible for his owners. He only had to see a dog and he would start to get aggressive. His owners have done a huge amount of work with him and got him to point where he could be let off around other dogs and not immediately go for whatever dog bothered him. In fact he took a shine to one of our dogs and she had to tell him to leave her alone! With a dog with as many problems as Hugo it isn't a case of "ok he is fixed". He still doesn't trust other dogs and his nervousness means that his owners will always have to keep a close eye on his signals and if he is not coping, take him away and let him calm down. He is now the most spectacular Vizla to look at and looks to his owners for guidance rather than making his own decision. His owners have done a tremendous job with a dog that many people would simply have given up on long ago and they can be truly proud of both theirs and Hugo's achievements.
22nd June 2014 - Lee Hardy
Lee dealt with Puppy management
Lee very quickly established a training technique which would help with our young puppy biting. He also spent some time with us in teaching us how to walk to heel. Lee gave us some additional training tips which we have been using and overall the puppy's response to training has been very positive.
20th June 2014 - Kevin McDonnell
Kevin dealt with Barking
Flabbergasted! The change was very nearly instant even if Dolly did seem "shell shocked". I am sure that we can keep up the training of both ourselves and Dolly to all of our benefits.
20th June 2014 - Lee Hardy
Lee dealt with Puppy management
Absolutely fantastic training! Lee helped me with all areas of puppy management and it was a great refresher as it has been quite a few years since we have had a pup in the house.
20th June 2014 - Kevin McDonnell
Kevin dealt with Aggression, Barking, Jumping up, Recall
The training was clear and easy to implement. The desired behaviour changes occurred almost immediately.
18th June 2014 - Andy Waterhouse
Andy dealt with Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety
we had our first session with andy last week and already we can see a difference just by using the techniques andy showed us
and by switching both dogs to a healthier raw food diet
we are happier both our dogs seem happier
cant wait for our second training session again today and progress further
andy is a amazing trainer and we look forward to working with him for the year
there is nothing that seems to phase andy at all and he has techniques to overcome situations that dont seem possible
so thank you andy and bark busters were looking forward to our journey continuing with you
17th June 2014 - Liz Johnson
Liz dealt with Aggression, Jumping up, Pulling
Liz did a fantastic job with Dexter. Previously he pulled so hard on the lead he would cough and choke, making going for a walk frustrating and embarrassing. Now walks are lovely, I'm enjoying taking him out again. Dexter is a lot better with other dogs when out on walks, we've even set up some doggy dates to see if Dexter can make some friends.
He's much calmer in general, it's easier to control him when we have guests, we no longer have to shut him away when we have people over. Before, they used to get licked half to death!
Liz taught me everything from the theory behind his different behaviours (and misbehaviours) to the importance of good nutrition. Can not recommend Liz enough, she really understands dogs and their owners.
15th June 2014 - Graham Milgrew
Graham dealt with Other
What a fantastic morning. We (and Sammi our dog) learnt so much. I had a dog on a muzzle (not dog friendly at all) working with people she had never met (apart from Jo) and in no time at all they had identified Sammi's issue. Found the start of the solution and within a couple of hours Sammi was running around with no muzzle and totally ignoring the other dogs that were around her. Her love of the little Pond kept her occupied. We have a way to go but we are feeling very positive about how this is going to go. Sammi will now sniff around some other dogs rather than attack them. We still have a few issues but with further workshops we are convinced it will all come good. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We can only thank you for what you have done so far and I’m sure Sammi thanks you too !!
Trainer note from Graham
Sammi is a lovely Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was adopted from Battersea Dogs Home. Like many rescue dogs she came with lots of little quirks like her love of sitting on tables and chairs and her determination to look out of the window, but the thing that her owners really struggled with was her dog aggression. She is a very fearful dog and had learned that the best form of defence was offence and would attack dogs if they came to close. We started off with muzzle training for safety and then her owners started working at a distance getting her focus onto them and getting her used to dogs walking nearby. They had practiced this diligently and by the time she came to the workshop Sammi was ready for practice in a controlled environment with "friendly" dogs. Dog aggression is not an overnight fix, but these owners have proved that with hard work and determination you can make a difference to your dog. Update: Sammi has been to a second workshop and is now being let off lead in open spaces and comes back to her owner on command if she is worried or concerned. She is still fearful and will react to dogs so is kept muzzled for safety unless her owner knows the dogs are friendly. This is an excellent common sense approach as her owners can then relax and enjoy being out and about with their dog.
Sammi is a lovely Staffordshire Bull Terrier who was adopted from Battersea Dogs Home. Like many rescue dogs she came with lots of little quirks like her love of sitting on tables and chairs and her determination to look out of the window, but the thing that her owners really struggled with was her dog aggression. She is a very fearful dog and had learned that the best form of defence was offence and would attack dogs if they came to close. We started off with muzzle training for safety and then her owners started working at a distance getting her focus onto them and getting her used to dogs walking nearby. They had practiced this diligently and by the time she came to the workshop Sammi was ready for practice in a controlled environment with "friendly" dogs. Dog aggression is not an overnight fix, but these owners have proved that with hard work and determination you can make a difference to your dog. Update: Sammi has been to a second workshop and is now being let off lead in open spaces and comes back to her owner on command if she is worried or concerned. She is still fearful and will react to dogs so is kept muzzled for safety unless her owner knows the dogs are friendly. This is an excellent common sense approach as her owners can then relax and enjoy being out and about with their dog.
9th June 2014 - Lee Hardy
Lee dealt with Aggression, Barking, Jumping up
Lee very quickly sorted out barking problems I was having with my dogs.
My dogs have other issues that need working on and I am confident that these will be remedied in future sessions.
9th June 2014 - Graham Milgrew
Graham dealt with Aggression
I have been seeing Jo with my 3 year old German Shepherd Candy who had been attacked three times when she was a young puppy by my neighbours' dogs. I noticed after that she became aggressive when meeting other dogs and it became so problematical that I could not take her out during the day and took her out for a walk in the early hours of the morning.
I have just attended a workshop that Jo ran along with Georgina from the German Shepherd rescue and Jenny who showed me more TTouch exercises to do with Candy to help calm her prior to going out for a walk. I had learnt the basics of TTouch with Jo and have been practising this for a while.
At the end of the training session I was able to walk Candy round an enclosure with another 2 dogs inside and 4 other dogs outside the enclosure that Candy could see. I discovered that Candy was not as aggressive as I first thought, as although she appeared aggressive to me whilst out when she was barking with her hackles raised, she was observed by Jo to actually retreat rather than advance towards the other dogs.
I realise that the 'problem' also lies with me and that I have to be more confident when meeting other dogs whereas before I tended to avoid this in case Candy attacked them. It is early days and I have been walking Candy during the day. We have encountered other dogs and I have been practising the skills and commands that I learnt and am gradually building up my confidence too. Thanks Jo and team.
Trainer note from Graham
This owner has two large powerful dogs. A beautiful white German Shepherd Candy and an elderly German Shepherd Collie Cross. For safety she had got to the point where she would only take her two dogs out at 5am in the morning so that she could minimise the chance of meeting any other dogs. She had worked hard on getting the control she needed and when she came to the workshop she had the chance to practice in a safe environment and did a wonderful job of helping her dog cope with other dogs around. Dealing with dog to dog aggression is not a quick fix. It is a combination of getting a dogs focus on the owner, keeping them calm and then working with them so that they do not feel under threat and can actually focus on learning. This owner is prepared to go the extra mile with her dog and do everything she can to help her be less fearful and cope with seeing other dogs.
This owner has two large powerful dogs. A beautiful white German Shepherd Candy and an elderly German Shepherd Collie Cross. For safety she had got to the point where she would only take her two dogs out at 5am in the morning so that she could minimise the chance of meeting any other dogs. She had worked hard on getting the control she needed and when she came to the workshop she had the chance to practice in a safe environment and did a wonderful job of helping her dog cope with other dogs around. Dealing with dog to dog aggression is not a quick fix. It is a combination of getting a dogs focus on the owner, keeping them calm and then working with them so that they do not feel under threat and can actually focus on learning. This owner is prepared to go the extra mile with her dog and do everything she can to help her be less fearful and cope with seeing other dogs.
9th June 2014 - Lee Hardy
Lee dealt with Barking, Pulling, Puppy management
We seem to have made a good start, Billy is now walking better on lead and not barking at everybody as much as before. The word and use of cushion is proving to be very helpful with our puppy , they seem to be getting along a lot better, she is learning her boundaries and how to leave Billy alone sometimes at least!
We are hopeful that with further input from Lee we will be left with 2 very happy dogs.
8th June 2014 - Lee Hardy
Lee dealt with Barking
Jack has almost stopped barking at the provocation from the neighbours children and is a different dog.
Lizzie is much slower but we are getting there. I am not sure if she is stubborn or stupid!!
And I am relaxed and the house is much calmer and happier.
A complete success all round.
Fantastic. Many, many thanks
