I was really skeptical about hiring a dog behavioral therapist at first. Part of me just wanted to buy a training program or send my dog away for professional training so she'd come back "fixed" My French Bulldog, Mango who was 2 at the time, was super stubborn and reactive, and she suffered from pretty severe separation anxiety. She couldn't leave my side, cried the moment I walked away. It was overall super stressful. Josh helped me understand where that anxiety was truly coming from. Turns out, IT WAS ME! He encouraged me to create healthy boundaries with Mango and offered practical solutions, along with dietary supplements, to support her emotionally and physically. I had no idea that excess energy could actually contribute to anxiety in dogs! Josh suggested adjusting her meal plan, and that alone made a huge difference. He also gave me plenty of tips and tricks to help Mango naturally regulate her anxiety. And since his program includes lifetime training, he's continued to guide me whenever I have questions or notice old behaviors resurfacing. Josh reassured me that if I stayed consistent with the regimen he provided, Mango would be okay, and he was absolutely right. She's like a whole new dog now! At 4 years old She can stay home calmly without destroying furniture or becoming overly needy. I'm beyond grateful to Josh for his guidance and to his partner, Nicole, who helped me prepare for our first session. If you get a chance to talk to Nicole, let her know she's an absolute gem! so kind and caring, even behind the scenes! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Mango in her place training! - Pet Training Near Me

Josh is absolutely phenomenal with dogs. I loved how he uses non-food reinforcement and how ethical he is with animals. He is a former education professional and he brings the most humanistic approach with animals while giving a plethora of resources and plan along the way. He showed us tangible rewards within our first session and the most notable moments being my dog behaving as I passed through to grab my cup of coffee and also her manners as we were walking around and with creating ranging proximity to enable her to understand walking versus exploring. Definitely would recommend supporting this small business owner here locally! read more

Josh at Bark Busters West has been absolutely outstanding. He has worked with my dog and me for the past two years, and the difference he has made has been remarkable. When I first brought my dog home, he was a recent rescue, very undisciplined, and difficult to handle. Josh immediately understood that the training needed to involve both of us -- not just my dog, but me as well. He taught me how to communicate clearly, set boundaries, and handle my dog with confidence and consistency. Over the past two years, we have met with Josh in person more than a dozen times, and he has always been available by text or phone whenever I needed guidance. That kind of support is rare and incredibly valuable. The transformation in my dog has been amazing. He is now well behaved, much calmer, and far easier to manage. It is obvious that Josh truly loves dogs and has a real passion for helping them. When you watch him work, you can see how much he cares. I honestly think Josh has become my dog's favorite friend. I highly recommend Josh and Bark Busters West to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, patient, and committed dog trainer. read more

My experience with Josh was great! Adopted my dog a few months ago, he felt anxiety and had boundary issues. Josh helped me understand about his situation and how to curb it. Would recommend him to anyone looking to get help understanding their dog. read more

Working with Josh R has been fantastic! I am a first-time dog owner and was struggling with my two year-old rescue. Josh is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and passionate with dogs. He answered all my questions and provided customized advice for my specific needs. He came to my house to train me how to set boundaries at home and how to recall my pup, among other skills. He also met me at parks to teach me how to walk my pup properly, which have transformed chaotic walks into enjoyable experiences. My pup is now a lot more obedient and calm, and I am a lot more confident. The skills I learned have really helped me establish a positive long-term relationship with my pup. I'm so happy to have found Josh as my trainer and I look forward to his ongoing support! read more

So, grateful we found Bark Busters. Such a huge relief to have learned simple easy effective tools to keep our Delilah calm & friendly. Josh & Nicole go above and beyond for what they charge. Especially in the Bay Area. Hands on training from experts that come to your home and show you solid loving communication to enforce welcoming behavior. I can't emphasize enough of how truly relieved we are to be in such good hands. read more

Where do I start. My two frenchies, age 4 and 6 had two private lessons each from different trainers . I was told that frenchies are stubborn and hard to train so I guess I'll just live with it. Then came Josh, one month into their training, I am walking my fur babies instead of them walking me. They are no barking excessively each time the doorbell rings. The good thing about Bark Busters, unlike other trainers is their continued future support read more

I had a couple of reasons for not hiring a dog trainer; I thought I could do it myself with treat rewards, and I thought the cost was prohibitive. But things have been getting stressful at home with a middle age Chi and a young Boston, both trying to rule the roost. I finally accepted that I needed help! I found Bark Busters through an internet search and figured I'd get more info. When Nicole called me, she was so caring and so supportive. I still worried about the cost but when I found out I could get support for the lifetime of the dogs, I was all in!! Within 20 minutes of Josh's first visit, my dogs were showing responsiveness to what he was teaching me. We have just started, but I finally have hope for a future of a calm, secure, and happy dog household! read more

Peanut is our rescue puppy who has some behavior and manner issues. Josh helped identify that there is a reason for this: undernurtured puppy syndrome. Josh is a very good, positive & EXTREMELY knowledgeable dog trainer. We saw results with Peanut after the first session. The way Josh explains things is super understandable and the instructions he gives are easily accessible to all in our household, from an elderly women to 12 year old. We feel hopeful that we can work through Peanut's problems with Josh's help and that feels so good! I can't recommend him and Bark Busters enough!! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Peanut - Pet Training Near Me

Josh is phenomenal and incredibly knowledgeable! We've had our pup Woodson for almost two weeks and we knew we wanted to get him some training. After 4 days we're seeing an incredible improvement in our little guy. He's been really good on the leash and with recall. With the tools that Josh gave us, we know he'll only get better. Not only has Josh helped our pup, but he's made us better pet owners and parents. He answered any and every question we had. He provided so much knowledge and information on how to give our pup the best life possible. Josh is incredible and this training is worth every penny. ((Dog pic for extra credit)) read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Pet Training Near Me

Josh is a lifesaver. I contacted him when I first got my puppy and I was feeling anxious about the whole process. Every time that Josh has come to the house to deal with a concern or issue that we have, he equips us with tools to be the best dog owners that we can be. I'm able to text him when I have a question about my puppy's development and he is quick to respond and offer advice. read more

Josh was amazing with my 11 year old dog Lola. He is knowledgeable and explained everything in a very clear manner. I felt confident that going forward behavioral issues that I experienced with Lola are going to be resolved thanks to Josh. read more

Josh is a dog whisperer. He did an amazing job helping me calm Phyllis into better behaviors.

A waste of almost $2000 although josh is a very nice guy and informative,their concept is to meet with you 1 time for up to 3 hours and give you verbal information and a bunch of links to their training.Then it's on you to train your dog they will tell you that's it if you have any issues call us and we will come back.they is no follow up call or text or anything to see how things are going. read more

We noticed the difference almost immediately after some time with Josh, looking forward to Zephyr becoming the best boy thanks to Bark Busters! read more

We recently started working with Josh for both our dogs: a 10-year-old dog, Paisley, and a 12-year-old dog, Bailey. Bailey struggled with aggression issues, which have worsened over time. With two young toddlers at home, this was terrifying. Paisley has had problems with anxiousness and separation anxiety. She also started having accidents inside the house, which was becoming a real issue for us. Josh helped us meet both dogs' core needs, such as the right type of food, leadership, and interactions. He was patient and understanding, taking the time to answer all of our questions and teach us techniques to use at home. His background as a former teacher was incredibly helpful. He made concepts stick in our minds by relating them to simple, memorable classroom examples. We were really impressed with Josh's approach to working with Bailey's aggression. He didn't use any harsh methods. He immediately helped us correct Bailey's behavior, where he kept barking and jumping up to steal our toddlers' food. Thanks to Josh's guidance, Bailey's behavior has improved significantly...instantly...almost magically. We HIGHLY recommend Josh as a dog trainer. He is knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely cares about the well-being of the dogs he works with. We are grateful for the progress we've made with both Bailey and Paisley, and we look forward to continuing our work with Josh in the future. read more

What can I say? Josh is amazing!!! I have used 2 other trainers that just didn't work for us. I was never comfortable with the other trainers so I kept searching and came across Bark Busters. My dog Charlie and I are so glad we did. I made my appointment with Josh and anxiously awaited our meeting. Right away he was personable, funny and boy does he know his stuff. I've never met someone who understands dogs like he does. Everything he said made sense! Like wow it's common sense we just didn't know what we don't know. Josh takes the time to explain how we need to communicate with our dog and why we need to communicate this way. The 1st meeting is a long one. But so worth it. He also discussed the importance of nutrition. I'm so excited for the future with my best furry pal. I've already started telling all the neighborhood dog parents about Josh. I can't wait for everyone to see Charlie's manners on display. If you need help with your pooch please call Bark Busters and get an appointment with Josh. You and your dog will be so glad you did. Our dogs want to be good dogs they depend on us to help them be the best they can be. My dog has separation anxiety, he barks, jumps scavenges food. Josh explained the reason for all of these behaviors. So fascinating to learn about what makes dogs tick. Definitely recommend their service. read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Charlie waiting like a good boy outside of the kitchen. - Pet Training Near Me

Josh was an amazing trainer and brings so much knowledge to the table. We have a new puppy named Bruin with unlimited amounts of energy and curiosity. In one session Josh was able to teach both us and the dog more than could ever be expected. Our puppy is now well behaved and asks for permission instead of running around like a wild beast. In addition, it was brilliant to be able to talk to Josh about dog nutrition as he is a certified dog nutritionist. Dog food on the market can be a maze of choices, and Josh was helpful in providing the needed information to make a smart and informed decision. Between training and food, our new expertise will insure we have many happy years with our pup! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Well behaved pup! - Pet Training Near Me

Update...we've been working with Josh for several weeks now and have seen drastic improvements with our dog. She's more responsive to us on leash, guarding the front window less, and overall has more energy since we changed her diet. She's been kicked out of doggie daycare in the past and shown to have more reactivity with dogs as she's gotten older. This week Josh met us at a dog park and after doing on leash training outside of the park Josh says to me "let's go in and walk the path inside"...not once did my dog lunge or even growl at the other dogs! At the end of the day I was so proud of her/us for this monumental accomplishment! Josh, I can't thank you enough for coming into our lives and helping our family! read more

We have 6 unruly dogs. lol I know. a lot. but Josh came in listened to all the dogs back stories and helped us understand that they are like humans and like kids. that made it click. after one training they aren't perfect but man they are way better because I as their owner is better. read more

Josh was amazing with advice for our 2 dogs with various issues. Many have now resolved and we are still working on some. Having him in our home was so much better so he could see them in their natural habitat read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Chloe and Millie - Pet Training Near Me

I did a quick yelp search on dog training and see all 5 star reviews for Bark Busters for Josh so I reached out. Bark Busters called immediately and started with their sales pitch of "guaranteed lifetime training", gave me the price of $2,500, explaining other trainers are more expensive, but that they offer a lifetime guarantee. It did leave me feeling as though they did not explain in depth how their training worked, but I was excited to get my dog a piece of mind since he is anxious and it can lead him to be reactive. After convincing me that their trainer Josh will be able to help and getting my $300 nonrefundable deposit, Bark Busters called me to tell me another "specialized" trainer is in the area and asked if I would be interested in switching to her because she "looked at my file" and thought she could really help my dog. I explained I was a little uncomfortable with this and asked for more information since I did not know anything about her. After doing some digging on yelp, I see this new trainer has a few bad reviews, one which states "upon receiving a partial refund" they "had to sign a NDA stating he wouldn't speak negatively on Bark Busters", which of course left me very nervous. They were a few others stating they felt they weren't given many tools and only taught to growl at their dog (none of these were about Josh himself, just other trainers in the organization including the one they were offering me). When I called the office to speak with someone I got a woman who was very nice but clearly still trying to sell me on their services and told me I need to "take reviews with a grain of salt" and she didn't really address the concerns I presented. After expressing my concerns that my dog's needs would not be met since he is reactive and growling noises will not work, she just explained that they're not growling noises, but noises a dog would respond to that people mistake as growling. After a 30 minute phone call, a loss of $300 for no training at this point, and what I felt was a misleading sales pitch, I felt incredibly duped. A few days later Josh himself called me and told me he put in a request for a refund and explained that he is not in the business of taking people's money if they are not happy with his services. He addressed all my concerns in a thoughtful and direct way and offered the refund and asked that I remove/update the review. My review is in no way a reflection of Josh's services, as I did not get a chance to witness them myself, just a review on how the customer service team handled the entire interaction. Josh promised to speak with the team so that they may more clearly communicate in the future with potential customers. I appreciate josh's call and communication. Please make sure to ask more about training methods first and see if it will be a good fit for your family and your dog. IT seems to work well for all these other users. read more

I used Josh in the summer of 2023. Bark Busters is way Overpriced. Not really worth 2k+ for a nice conversation with Josh and some follow up PDF documents that are your sole training guide. Follow up training was scheduled but know one ever showed up. The owner said he would personally make it right. He then showed up on the wrong day and my dog really never responded to Josh. At that point I went it alone and have done just fine thank you. Also he wanted me to give him a 5 star review after the initial meeting. How can I review a dog trainer before the training has even begun to bear fruit??? Something never felt right about the service. You live and learn. read more

Josh was super clear and helpful. i loved how respectful he was about my dog's point of view and experience. I am so grateful.

Josh is very knowledgeable and has an intuitive understanding of both dogs and humans. My dog Mosley is deaf and extremely aggressive, and he used to lunge at dogs across the street when i first got him, which really stressed me out. We went with josh to a local dog park where my dog could interact with other dogs through a fence so there would be no danger, and josh was able to identify that I was so scared of my dog biting another that my body language had changed, which was making the problem worse. He took the leash from me, and it was amazing how calm my dog was. He clearly explained what i was doing wrong and how my dog was interpreting my incorrect body language, and when i took the leash back mosley did much better! A few months later, Mosley is doing great! We can now walk within 5-8 feet of other dogs with no issue Josh is also highly responsive via phone for any questions i had during the training process. Great company! read more

Josh was super amazing with my (almost) 10-month-old Mini Australian Shepherd. You can tell that he is very invested in the success of the dogs and humans alike. While he is very knowledgeable of dog mannerisms and behaviors he empowers the owners to trust their gut about their dog's behaviors and mannerisms. Just in a short span of time, Josh was able to help me lead my puppy and help him understand acceptable vs unacceptable behavior! In addition to his amazing training techniques Josh is a certified nutrionist and was able to give helpful tips and resources on leading a healthier lifestyle for my pup! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Pet Training Near Me

Josh is an absolute wizard with dogs. We adopted a chihuahua that was giving us a headache with territorial behavior, growling, barking, and not listening to our commands. After working with Josh, we can recall our dog, walk him calmly and confidently next to other dogs, and he knows his boundaries inside the house. Our dog is so much more well behaved than we ever thought was possible at the beginning of the process. Josh's methods are all non violent, never relying on physical coercion. He instead teaches you how to communicate with your dog so that he understands what is right and what is wrong. Josh knows when to slowly introduce new methods to see constant progression. Josh doesn't promise overnight results, and indeed some of his communication methods do take some time to stick, but once they stick they are long lasting, permanent solutions. Josh has a one time upfront payment fee. Even though he doesn't have any incentive to keep contact since he doesn't make more money per visit, he has always been proactive in setting up follow up consultations without us needing to push him. He identifies problem areas and sets up periodic visits even many months after our initial visit. All in all, we had high expectations when we signed up with Josh but somehow he has still managed to exceed them. read more

Honestly, i totally recommend if anyone is looking for a dog trainer! He taught me many ways on how i'm able to have more control over my three dogs. Explained to me how my dogs have anxiety which i didn't even know they did. I've always had problems with my dogs pulling me while on a walk, first ever session and my dogs actually followed his method. Sent me very useful information through text, Now i know methods i can do on my own and what important supplements my dogs need in their everyday life. I totally recommend. Thank you josh! read more

Josh has been great helping to train our Dachshund. Our main areas of focus have been separation anxiety and reactivity, and we've made great strides in just two sessions. We've had other trainers before, and have found that they often take a one-size-fits-all approach to their training -- they try to apply their framework to every dog without exception. I appreciate that Josh instead meets our dog where he is and adapts his approach accordingly. He's not blindly applying a framework to every dog he interacts with. You can tell he loves dogs and takes his job very seriously! Josh has given us thorough, actionable advice to improve our dog's behavior in our focus areas, and I have no doubt we'll solve our dog's issues with Josh's help! He's super responsive to our questions, in person and via text, and scheduling follow-up sessions is a breeze. Highly recommend Josh to anyone looking for a trainer! read more

One week in and so far we're pretty impressed with Josh and the Bark Buster program! Josh is a great educational speaker and took the time to make his training guidance as engaging as possible throughout the kick off session. Our shelter pup is the sweetest little guy, but still has a ways to go before he's fully okay with being by himself, and in one week he's already made big strides with being crated for increasingly longer stretches of time. I liked how the training was not punishment based but instead about building the pup's confidence in their humans and setting them up for a happy and healthy life. read more

I had read the reviews about Josh and they all convinced me right away. But I was even more convinced after my first home visit! He is very knowledgeable and knows how to read and understand dogs behavior excellent. Everything he says makes sense. He is very patient with answering all my questions. He's very polite. I totally recommend him and his trainings. The program is lifetime and it's a very good investment if you want to break any bad habits your pup may have. I needed my pups to get along and not eat each other up. They have come a long way. They now take naps together in the same bed and share the water bowl! And they can now play with toys together without becoming possessive over them!! Thank you Josh!! read more

Josh at BarkBusters has done an amazing job helping me with my Pit Bull Storm . He is very patient and I have seen great results with he has taught and shown me to do so that my dog is more trustworthy and responds to me now . He also has given me good advice on nutrition for my dog . At first I was skeptical but now I am a true believer in Josh and Bark Busters ! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Pet Training Near Me

I had a fun and effective lesson with Henri. He taught me exercises for every specific behavioral issue my dog Coco has and all of them worked within the first lesson! I am really looking forward to seeing more improvement on my dog thanks to Henri. read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Pet Training Near Me

It's a game changer for me, I am very thankful that i made the decision to go ahead and contact Josh to help with my Ari's behavior. Josh was very patient with me, he answered all my questions and addressed concerns I brought up during the face to face meetings. Josh responded to my text messages very timely. He provided resources I can tap into for additional training. Looking back, I can honestly say that Ari made a lot of progress in such a short time. Ari is more attentive now, listen and follow my lead when I correct his unwanted behavior. There's still hiccups here and there but I am now more confident that following the training that Josh provided, Ari will soon be all that. read more

Josh was so clear and instructive that, not only was my very active, huge newfy under control, but I also learned the communication skills I needed to get him to listen to me. I am so appreciative for our lesson. On our first walk, for once, I was able to control him confidently without being pulled over! We were able to get him out of the prong collar and under control in one session. We learned how to use permission dynamics at doors and crates to get him to respect me. This was so important to me, as my two dogs are both 150 pounds of love, and I am in my 80s. Having them under control enables me to keep my dogs and I safe. Thank you so much for your help! read more

When we got our puppy we knew that we wanted to get a trainer for him. My sister found Bark Busters and we scheduled our first appointment with Josh. Over the past 3 months we have learned so much from Josh and we couldn't be happier. Josh is amazing at what he does. He is so personable, professional, and funny. Anytime we have a question he responds promptly. If you are looking for an amazing dog trainer go with Josh at Bark Busters. read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - This is our sweet puppy Scout! - Pet Training Near Me

Josh has been an incredible trainer and made a huge difference with our rescue dog. He has been patient, responsive with our questions, and easy to work with. It is clear he has a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to working with dogs, especially with behavior and nutrition. We have noticed a huge amount of progress in a short amount of time, and the recommendations he has given us have made our dog much happier. We had Josh return for a second session and he made time for us on a Friday night. We still have work to do but we feel much more confident and are looking forward to the continued results. read more

I HIGHLY recommend Josh as a Dog Trainer!! He is VERY knowledgeable, insightful, and has effective training methods (which end with kind praise :). At our initial session, he was quick to understand our dog, then explained succinct training methods, demonstrated them, then we practiced; and in the same session, as well as the following days, our dog followed our commands to an improving degree. Additionally, Josh shared resources for a healthy diet and more. Our days have been much more enjoyable for all since implementing Josh's training methods. read more

My pup Pongo has been struggling with his reactivity on leash and manners in the home. After our first session it is like I have a different dog. I can't thank Josh enough and Barkbusters! I really recommend this for anyone struggling with their dog! read more

Bark Busters Santa Clara County West - Pongo! - Pet Training Near Me

Josh is an excellent trainer and more importantly teacher. He explains concepts in a very relatable way and gives clear instructions that work! Even after one session I feel like I better understand my dog and how he thinks, and I know that I have support when I need it. read more