Bark Busters Lake Norman

We highly recommend Diane and John from Bark Busters Lake Norman! They've been working with us and our 6-month-old Golden Retriever puppy, and we've seen such a noticeable difference in his behavior. His leash walking has improved tremendously, and we've been amazed at how much better he's able to settle down and relax when we correct him using the techniques they taught us. Diane and John are knowledgeable, patient, and take the time to make sure we understand how to continue reinforcing the training at home. Their guidance has made a huge difference for both us and our puppy, and we're so grateful for their support. We would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for effective, positive training and lasting results!

Patrick has been amazing! We have always had very easy dogs, and in December when we adopted a seven month old Sable German Shepherd, Dutch, we expected nothing different. We already have an eight-year-old German Shepherd, Gunner, that is very easy to handle, but he is reactive to other dogs on walks and in the backyard. Walking the dogs together became a complete nightmare that we eventually started to avoid. Even taking the dogs out in the backyard was very stressful because the neighbors on both sides of us have multiple dogs. Our two would charge the fence, their hackles would be up, they would be barking like crazy and trying to bite the other dogs through the fence. We knew we had a major problem when Dutch started reacting the same way to the children that live in the houses on both sides of us. We googled, we watched videos, we reached out to friends with shepherds and we got nowhere. Things were not improving. We finally reached out to Bark Busters at the recommendation of a friend who has used them in the past and we couldn’t be happier with the progress both of our dogs have made so far. I am now walking both dogs by myself on walks of moderate distance, and I’m only seeing occasional reactivity that I am easily able to correct. We have only worked with Patrick over four in home sessions and I would say the improvement in the dogs is about 90%. However, the improvement in our confidence, in our ability to control the leash, to be consistent, and to be clear in our expectations of the boys has improved 100%!! Patrick has given us the tools to help these babies be more confident and comfortable in their own home and to be a part of their pack, not fighting to be the leaders of their pack. Dutch is now 10 months old, and still has a puppy brain, but he is responding to verbal commands consistently. Gunner has become non-reactive in the backyard and significantly less reactive during daily walks. We are no longer stressed out when it comes time to take the dogs out and give them the activity they need. We are finally enjoying them the way we expected to and we’re feeling better about our ability to lead them. If you are struggling with your dog’s behavior, this investment is well worth their happiness and your sanity! Patrick is the absolute best!

I cannot recommend Patrick and Bark Busters of Lake Norman highly enough. If you are looking for a trainer who truly understands dog psychology and delivers immediate results, look no further. Our dog had a few behavioral hurdles that felt overwhelming, but Patrick stepped in with a level of expertise and calm confidence that changed everything. Bottom line: Patrick is a miracle worker for the Lake Norman dog community.