My wife and I have had our dog Winston for almost 7 years. He's a good dog, but he would occasionally be aggressive with other dogs and bark too much when we have guests or deliveries at the front door. We reached out to Connie because we were thinking of getting a second dog and wanted to get a "tune up" for Winston before we made that decision. The process to set up the initial meeting was thorough - we filled out an initial form, we talked with someone on the phone and we were provided with material to read before we ever met Connie. We appreciated the documentation as it set reasonable expectations about the process. When Connie came to the house, the first thing she did was ask us about our goals for the training. She's a great listener and really took the time to investigate our situation and ensure she truly understood the issues that we were having. Once she had gotten our story, she explained the root cause of the issues with Winston and educated us on how to better communicate with our dog. There was a lot of useful BarkBusters material that she shared that was specifically relevant to the problems we were having. Once we got past the theory, we did a few different exercises with Winston to put the ideas into practice. We saw an immediate impact with Winston after the first session. We felt more confident once we were equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle the problematic situations. We followed up on the homework that Connie shared and the results only continued to improve in the weeks following our initial visit. When she met us for the second time, she was surprised with how well Winston had responded to training and provided some small feedback about how we can continue to improve. We are over the moon with how much improvement we've seen with Winston and are so happy we worked with Connie! With the lifetime guarantee, we know we can reach out in the future if Winston develops other issues. Working with Connie was worth every penny and we highly recommend that others reach out if they're looking to improve their dog's behavior! read more

Connie is wonderful!!! she really takes her time and make sure to understand everything you're explaining to her. She made me feel at ease that I can contact her at any time with any questions I may have. After spending three hours with her, I can tell, not only does she enjoy her work, but is very good at it. I highly recommend her. read more

We were really impressed with Connie and appreciated her help and attention to detail. She picked up on even small behaviors we hadn't noticed and was able to not only explain the reason why but gave us tools to help course correct. She was incredibly patient, kind and understanding. She listened and gave space for us to best understand the process. We are on day one of our homework, practicing walking and correcting bad behaviors like jumping, barking, whining etc. We are committed to the process and are so glad Connie will be here to guide us and add layers to give us and our dogs the best life possible. Thank you, Connie! -Ralph, Katie, Twyla and Cooper read more

We got our rescue pup in August and quickly discovered that he is a super anxious little guy. He was petrified of other dogs, humans, walks, and cars. While he's still timid, we are now able to take him on walks and his confidence with people and dogs is growing daily. Connie taught us how to be in charge so he didn't have to make so many stressful decisions. Our dog will probably always be a little shy, but he's made huge gains in his confidence and we are thrilled with his progress. read more

Bark Busters Home Dog Training - Theo the dog relaxing in the sunshine rather than hiding or pacing. - Pet Training Near Me

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After more than 10 years of nuisance barking, despite having tried EVERYTHING else, Connie was able to curb the noise in a single day - no treats, bark collars, bitter apple, or any other punishment. Ahhh-mazing! Inherited from my parents, Chance is a happier and more relaxed dog. He is also learning not to jump up, unless invited. Our boy, Maddy, is learning not to fear loud noises and engage with the neighbor's dog. Homework training is completely manageable and 100% effective. Worth every penny and only wish that I had found Connie sooner. The entire household, and neighbors, is calmer and happier. Thank you, Bark Busters. read more

Bark Busters Home Dog Training - Chance - Pet Training Near Me

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Wow, thank you Connie for helping us find a peaceful balance with our pup! Six months ago we adopted Iggy from the shelter, we fell in love with his shy/ sweet temperament and adorable face. As a 2ish year old pit mix he had already been returned to the shelter twice and was on his 3rd family because of his aggression on leash and with other dogs. When we met Iggy he didn't even have a name he could identify with because he had been shuffled around so much. After a month or so with him in our family he started exhibiting his intense aggression while on walks when he passed other dogs and people- full on lunging, growling, barking. We tried so hard to train and figure it out on our own but nothing seemed to click. It finally got to the point where our efforts were failing, and we decided we couldn't even walk him up and down our street until we got a trainer to help. THANKFULLY in our search for dog training we came across Barkbusters! After just one session with Connie we understood Iggy more, and she gave us the tools to be better humans for Iggy. We were shocked how quickly the simple homework and tools remedied the problem(s). After that first visit we could walk him! Now, after just a few sessions with Connie, we have a pup who can not only take relaxing long walks with his family- but he has easily joined us on crowded hikes with dogs all around. Just today he took a walk side by side with another dog! Oh, and he has also stopped barking crazily at anyone who knocks at the door. It takes commitment and work, but Iggy is full proof that there are no bad dogs! Overall he is a much happier, balanced pup. I don't know where we'd be with Iggs without the help from Connie. We are so thankful for her training. read more

Connie was fantastic in helping us identify things we needed to work on and providing tools and tips necessary to help our corgi Poppy. We really didn't know how a non-treat, non-prong or slip training would work but what she showed us was very effective. Even though it's only been a few days since our intro training session, Poppy's barking and listening has improved immensely. We'll continue doing the homework provided and I'll write a follow up a month or so down the road; but I can say at this time, my wife and I are extremely satisfied with our services. read more

Connie was very helpful and showed us effective ways to help our dog make better choices right away. We just had our first session and are very happy with the information that was provided. It gave us a huge understanding of how to better work with our dog. read more

I am so excited, and impressed by the changes our fur babies have already responded to by Connie's input on behavior, and instructions on how to correct bad behavior. There has been a significant change in our over zealous Pomski that once thought he was king of the household and now understands he has to get in line, and barking for no reason has stopped! Thank you so much! Today....is the first quiet, peaceful day that I have had and Odie is noticeably happier! Can't wait for more Input. Connie your the best! It was a pleasure having you! read more

I have two rescue dogs that were adopted 2 years apart. Both are female Chihuahua mixed breeds. The youngest, under 1 year, had major trust issues, we couldn't even pet her or pick her up after 4 months of her living with us. After 1 visit with Connie she was allowing us to pet her and love on her. Our 5 year old is an obnoxious barker that again Connie was able to help us with right away. Any loud noise and she'd bark but not anymore. We are only two visits, and one email into our training and I'm loving the results. Connie is honest and straightforward. I completely trust her and highly recommend her. I'm thankful we found her. read more

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Happy to have heard back from them after a communication snafu. Training was thoroughly explained and we're happy with their response.

We have two dachshund mixes and I called them Regret and Disappointment because of there poor behavior. Connie arrived for our first lesson 3 weeks ago and our dogs were drastically better behaved after one training session. I seriously couldn't have imagined our dogs would have responded this well. We are forever grateful to Connie/Bark Busters and have already referred friends. read more

My pup & I just had our first session with Connie last week, and the impact it has made in just the few short days is amazing! Connie was able to help us understand my pup's behavior and personality better & introduced effective methods and tools to show progress in just a few short hours. She's very responsive & supportive, helping to respond to any questions I have as I continue the lessons we learned on my own between sessions. Can't wait to see how continuous, consistent training of these lessons will improve my pup & I's relationship and life environment. read more

I would highly recommend Bark Busters. Connie is a great trainer. Not only did she teach me techniques to help with training my dogs, but she explained why I was doing it. She told me how my dogs think and what they need from me. It's very helpful when you understand why you're doing what you're doing. Now, as some other reviewers have said, the techniques can feel a little strange. You're essentially learning to "speak dog." You basically growl and bark at your dogs. It feels weird but is very effective. So, to me, completely worth it. Connie had made progress with one of my dogs in a few hours that I haven't been able to achieve since I got him. I'm confident that with vigilant upkeep, I can get my dogs to where I'd like them to be. Couldn't have done it without Connie. read more

We cannot recommend Connie and BarkBusters North Seattle highly enough! We absolutely love our pup but to be honest, he was really causing us a TON of stress with his behavior and nonstop barking and demand for attention, as well as struggles toward other dogs. During our very first session with Connie, she taught us to really understand Archie's psychology and how to communicate effectively with him. The tools and techniques that Connie taught us began to work immediately and after a couple days of using these tools, we started to notice substantial progress. Archie has high anxiety but the tools Connie taught us help him feel more relaxed and confident and it has improved every aspect of his behavior. We're excited to continue this training journey with Archie and are so glad we have Connie on our team. This is a great service that offers continued support throughout your journey. If you're looking for a trainer who truly cares about you and your dog and truly knows what she's doing, call Connie right now! read more

I originally wasn't going to write this review out of respect, but after not receiving respect once I voiced my dissatisfaction with the training technique being used on my dog, I decided to go ahead and write it. After going through a few training classes that my dog wasn't receptive to, I started looking into one-on- one trainers that could offer me some kind of security that my dog would be able to learn without me throwing more money away. I saw that Bark Busters had a lifetime "guarantee" to work with you and your dog for the duration of its life and saw all the good reviews and thought that was perfect. However, I didn't know what kind of techniques they were using. Connie is a nice person, but the technique that she uses consists of you "BAHing" at your dog in a loud, growly voice in order to "communicate" with them. Apparently my BAH wasn't being yelled the correct way and I was told that's why my dog wasn't listening to me and that I needed to practice. I took Spanish for six years as a teenager and every single one of my teachers told me I'd learn to roll my Ls and here we are many years later, and I still can't roll my Ls. So needless to say, the BAH wasn't going to get any better regardless of what I did. My dog is a 50 pound chow mix and is very reactive towards other dogs and because the BAH wasn't working, I was told to throw bags full of water in front of her and yell a BAH as soon as she sees another dog. I did this a few times and felt like an absolute idiot and eventually stopped doing it since my BAHs weren't effective anyway. Connie's reasoning for my dog being so reactive was because my dog was fearful of other dogs and often trying to protect me, which is completely untrue. She may be more educated on the subject, but I know my dog and my dog is legitimately just an asshole 80% of the time, with about 20% being fear. Yet Connie kept insisting I was doing something for my dog to feel like she needed to protect me on our walks. After finally being fed up with my dog not responding to the BAH, I emailed Bark Busters main office to inquire about a refund because I didn't have the heart to tell Connie I was dissatisfied with her technique and felt like I was seeing zero results. They decided to immediately forward the email to her without responding to it at all and I received a text from her shortly after. She stated that she stood by her assessment that my dog was fearful and that she thought she saw progress because my dog used to react when a dog would walk by, but now she doesn't, which is untrue. I've told Connie more than once that my dog only acts obedient when she's around, but about 70% of the time when she's with me, she'll react to another dog no matter how far they are. She then asked me what I thought a fair refund price would be. I told her that I didn't want to insult her by offering too high of a refund price and that she deserves to be compensated for her time (we had 7 or 8 sessions in the span of three months out of a lifetime "guarantee") and asked if $500 out of the original $700 I paid would be doable. She stated that she thought half was more reasonable. What was the point of asking me to begin with if you already had a number in mind? To try to low-ball me even more if I stated something lower? I told her that was fine and didn't bother to argue because she obviously already knew what she wanted. This is the most expensive trainer I've ever tried and I was desperately hoping it was going to be worth it. Had I known before I paid that I was going to have to BAH at my dog, I would have immediately said no. Be prepared to feel like an idiot if you go with this training technique, which I'm pretty sure ALL Bark Busters trainers use. On top of paying the original $700 for training, Connie recommended I spend another $40 or more on a thunder shirt (which didn't work and was returned after a week) as well as some other items that might help with my dog's "fearfulness," like CBD oil. Yes, because the $700 I barely managed to come up with in the beginning wasn't enough of my money being spent. I spent three months BAHing at my dog and using the poorly designed harness I was given and she still can't walk without pulling. Two stars for getting any of my money back, but that's it. I won't ever be recommending Bark Busters and their absurd "yell at your dog in front of your neighborhood like an idiot" technique to anyone. read more

I had given those little Bark Busters pamphlets at the vet's office a critical side-eye on many occasions. I even picked them up and perused them once in a while, but my resistance to working with a "chain/franchise" business kept me from digging too much further. Shouldn't I favor one of the many other independent small business-people whos flyers and business cards also adorned the counters nearby? How could I choose between them anyway--there are SO MANY! Paralyzed by confusing options, I simply never felt motivated to make a call to any of them. One day when lamenting our newest young pup's anxiety issues to our beloved vet, she told us she herself had used Bark Busters with one of her dogs, and she definitely recommended we give them a call. Based on her recommendation, I visited the site, read some more about their methods, and was intrigued enough to send a mail to get connected with our local trainer. The trainer turned out to be Connie DuBois--incidentally the same trainer my vet worked with (trainers are regionally-assigned) and we could not be happier! Our little guy is a bundle of energy--some just regular puppy energy, but some definitely based in anxiety. As a pup-parent to a rescue adoption, issues like this are something you sign on for, and we were determined to help him feel more confident in his new home. Connie came one sunny summer afternoon and spent a couple hours with us in our yard talking about all the behaviors we were struggling with. She validated every one of our concerns and attempts to train him, and then gave us a very detailed attack plan. She worked with us on some techniques we had never tried before, and by the time she left, we were **already** seeing improvement in his behavior. We were left with several printed sheets of recommended training techniques, and a personalized hand-written step-by-step plan for us to work from. Connie never ever pressured us in any way into buying some high tier multi-visit package, and in fact was very encouraging to us to "wait and see" how the techniques work longer term and never pay or book more time with her unless we need a refresher or a follow-up. We were thrilled to not feel "upselled" in any way, and honestly really enjoyed our time with Connie not just as a trainer, but as a really funny and kind person all around. We did end up choosing to follow-up, months later, mainly for a refresher/clean up of our methods and consistency with the training. Connie was just as patient and encouraging as the initial visit, and not only reinforced what we did previously, but gave us a couple other additional tips to try, all of which worked fairly miraculously to help our little guy improve exponentially. I do not exaggerate when I say that from the time Connie walks through our door to the time she leaves we see tangible improvement, and it just continues to improve in the days and weeks after as we gain more confidence with our new toolset. It all felt very "doable", and everyone in our household is benefiting from the new routines. I can't recommend Connie enough. You'll see great strides in your dog's behavior, and you will feel more validated and confident in your role as a dog owner. Don't allow yourself to be turned off by the "chain", because as Connie as an example, there are some incredibly skilled, caring trainers available to help you as we were. Thanks, Connie! read more

Connie just started training my three dogs. By the end of the first session we saw so much improvement. They're barking is almost a non issue now! Next we are going to work on the marking indoors. I will update after that process gets going. read more

Connie said that dogs already know the language and we just have to communicate in ways they understand, and she was SO right! We have two small terriers and wanted help with excessive barking, crazy door behavior, and some house breaking issues. She was able to figure out what was going on with both our dogs (who each have different issues) and taught us simple and effective ways to correct their behavior. Connie has been here twice and our rat-terrier barker is so much better! He no longer goes crazy every time someone comes to the door (or even comes near our door, like the UPS guy). We can now hang out on the deck without him running to the railing and barking at everyone who walks by. You can tell he really wants to, but he doesn't. And if he slips up, it only takes a small verbal correction to put him back in line again. Our other pup's issues are a bit more complicated. She is a rescue and has a more sensitive temperament and needed a different approach. It took a little time, but she is coming right along. Also, they are both easier to walk now and have much better walking behavior. No more pulling at the leash and trying to charge and bark at other dogs. I feel like we have a healthier relationship with our pups now. Still affectionate and fun, but there is a subtle shift that seems to be good for all of us. One thing that really impressed me was Connie's follow up. I didn't have to call her, she called me to check up on how things were going and set up our second appointment. Connie really "gets" dogs and can explain it in a way that makes sense and is easy to implement. I also think it really helps to have someone come to the house to see what is going on personally and work with the dogs in their own environment. So, all and all, we are happy and highly recommend Connie! read more

We started seeing Connie with our puppy Marlo when he was about 4 months old. We have learned so much from Connie and are grateful for her expertise and patience in helping us with our goldendoodle. Highly, highly recommend Connie with Barkbusters. read more

We started with Connie about 3 few weeks ago. We needed help with our 4 year old GSD rescue who came from a really bad situation. We actually saw a HUGE difference after just the initial meeting! We continue to use her tactics on a daily basis and she has now guided us onto dealing with bigger issues that have been driving us crazy since we rescued our cute boy about 7 months ago. Looking forward to continued success. Connie is amazing - she is creative and thoughtful for each indivual situation, professional and obviously loves her job! Thank you, Connie!! read more

Connie was fantastic with our pup Penny. The tips and tricks she taught us took effect within the first few days and we have a new dog. No more jumping, pawing or barking. Highly recommend this service as it's one-on-one, personalized training in the dogs environment. read more

We have struggled with our dogs barking in the yard, reacting to other dogs, jumping up, and pulling on the leash. They are stubborn pit bulls who have not been very responsive to positive reinforcement training programs we have tried. That is, they would respond in the moment we were giving a treat and then go right back to whatever they were doing. One of the dogs was so hard to walk that it made me not want to walk him at all. At our wits end, we looked around for help and found barkbusters. We were hesitant to put down the money up front but I am so glad we did! It's such a better deal than training classes that provide guidance for a couple days and then no follow-up. And since it takes place in the home, there is no issue of the dog forgetting all their training when they leave the classroom. The add-on for a second dog was such a good deal, as is the add-on for lifelong support. Apparently the dogs will still receive training even if we move away, but I hope we don't because Connie is the best. She is the trainer for our district and it's like the dogs transform each time she visits. After the first visit I could walk my dog without him snapping and growling at other dogs, which he was doing without fail before. We could also get the dogs to stop barking in the yard, which previously we had no idea how to fix. Connie's strategies are so simple yet affective. They are not aversive but also don't rely on treats, which is mind blowing to me because it's so different than other training we have done. The dogs seem to quickly understand what she is trying to teach them, so mostly the training involves us learning how to communicate with the dogs in the right way. The whole idea is to get the dogs to focus on us and look to us for guidance instead of just reacting to the things happening around them. Working on their focus has had positive effects on their behavior around other dogs and people. While we are still working on the problem behaviors that drove us to find a trainer in the first place, three visits in I have seen such an improvement that I would definitely recommend barkbusters to anyone! My only regret is that we struggled through so many challenges on our own and didn't reach out sooner. I now feel that whatever challenges come up, we have someone to help us - new dog, new baby, etc. Thank you! read more

This review is for the trainer Connie. I cannot believe how many positive reviews there are here and I was so fooled by them. I wasted 4 hours for a highly overpriced training session that resulted in no solutions to my dog problems. I have a Beagle who is 5 and a Rottweiler puppy who both need potty training and the Beagle is my main concern with other issues such as bolting out the door running away and jumping on the dinner table to steal food. I was told to figure out a way to get my Beagle to be able to go outside when she needs to, which is extremely difficult without a fenced yard, and telling her that she said I could find a way. She didn't actually give me a solution, and her ideas would be expensive, such as an invisible fence or building a doggie door and fenced area on a place we are only renting. Then for stealing food I had to design my own "trap" for her where when she went on the table a loud noise would occur. She even said "I don't know how you're going to do it" and "you'll figure it out". For the high price you pay this is just as good of advice as I would get from a friend or Google search. I wanted specific and real solutions that would actually work. I didn't pay this much or use up all that time to simply figure out most of it myself. Most things she taught me anybody with a dog should already know or you could easily look up on Google. I am very disappointed in the time and money spent for nothing. I got nothing out of this experience. I really don't know how the other reviews got such positive results, I'm very surprised. An important note, the training was very disorganized and not enough hands on teaching. Update: after creating an honest review I received a disrespectful email from Connie. I'm glad others got a positive experience with her but I hope to save some people the time and trouble because my experience was very poor. It is way overpriced. ~$400 for one session that didn't fix one of my concerns. read more

I was amazed how fast our 8 month old Frenchie responded to Connie's training! My biggest issue was every time the front door opened Lloyd would charge the front door and either jump on people or dart out. He has done neither since our 1st session. I cannot thank you enough Connie! read more

Connie is fabulous! We have two dogs (3.5 and 1.5 years) and together they were a handful. We were so grateful to Connie for her training techniques. We saw immediate results with our girls. The biggest issues we had were barking in the house (at other dogs passing by and birds and squirrels in the yard), coming when called, pulling on walks, and one dog's over excitement when meeting people. Connie taught us how to read our dog's body language and to be aware of our own body language and responses. We really are so pleased with our progress as a dog family and will continue to work on the techniques to further improve our results. I will say that it does take commitment from everyone in the house to be consistent in applying the training. But the work is worth it. Having calm, happy dogs is the best! read more

Connie came to our house in Everett to help us with our dog that we adopted that had impulse control issues and a very LARGE prey drive. This was an issue because he wanted to attack our to cats at home. With her help and guidance, my husband and I learned some very simple techniques that we could use to help guide our dog on his manners. After just 3 short hours, we already noticed an improvement with his impulse control issues. We have been working with him using the techniques Connie taught us and after just a week, we have an incredibly well mannered dog! While we are only a week into his training, I can't wait to see where we can get with the cats over the next month! Thank you Connie! read more

Connie and this program are amazing! Our 9 month old GoldenDoodle just wasn't minding and in a very short time, with the tools that Connie taught us, we were able to establish authority over our dog without yelling or hitting! Connie took a sincere interest in our dog and in what areas of help we needed and tailored the lesson to our needs. The in home training is very accommodating and we appreciated her flexibility. I highly recommend this trainer as well as the program she uses. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Connie from Busters!! We had just adopted a 1 yr. old Great Dane who was suffering from separation anxiety...she barked non-stop when we left, tore down blinds, and made the neighbors angry. Sweet and calm as can be when we were home though! Needless to say, her anxiety caused us and our neighbors stress and we needed someone fast...we we already attached to Lucy the Dane, but worried that we would have to get rid of her. Bark Busters/Connie dropped everything and came out THAT DAY! She spent 2+ hours working with us and Lucy...extremely professional, non-judgmental, supportive and did miracles with Lucy! We learned so much about our dog and now she is comfortable and quiet when we leave home. Connie's training techniques are things we can use for life, and they don't use any other devices/bark collars/etc. Very worth the money!!! Her techniques will last us for life and her support (and Lucy's better behavior) have changed our lives forever. read more

Connie has been tremendously helpful in correcting some issues in our dog that we had been living with for years thinking, "this is just how he is." Our dog, a pointer-pitt mix, had some bad habits. We avoided having anyone over to our house because the barking was incessant and no matter what we would do to try to correct it, he would just keep going. He is aggressive toward other dogs, so we avoided going outside our house or back yard with him for fear of how he would react to other dogs. We knew there were things we could probably do to improve his behavior, but often felt like we just didn't have the right tools in our toolbox. Connie has helped to equip us with the tools we need to feel like we can address the behaviors we had lived with for so long. The difference in our dog - even after the first session - was remarkable. We now have more ideas of things to do with him to make our lives and his better. We opted to do the "lifetime training" options and are so glad that we did. Connie has been responsive, proactive, and really open to tackling any issue we want to address. We've even took our dog out for a walk for the first time in years today, and he did so well thanks to the ways that Connie helped us build up to that. We would absolutely recommend Connie to anyone looking to address issues they've been living with. You don't have to just deal with it - call Connie! read more