**Life-Changing. Truly.**…read more I don't write reviews lightly and I especially don't write emotional ones--but Bark Busters of San Diego quite literally gave me my life back. For years, I lived in silence and stress. I couldn't leave my home without my dogs barking, howling, scratching at their crates, and spiraling into panic. The mouth watering alone was enough to break me. So instead, I stayed home. I adjusted my life around their anxiety. I suffered quietly because I loved them and didn't know what else to do. Until one day I broke down completely. I realized this wasn't living not for me, and not for them. We deserved calm. We deserved peace. We deserved to live our "best" lives and this wasn't it. Some people complain in reviews that dog training "doesn't work." Let me be very clear: anxiety whether in humans or dogs is not something you fix by checking a box. A true behavioral therapist understands one thing above all else, "awareness". Anxiety comes from surroundings and perceived safety. The work is learning how to respond and create calm and that takes consistency. I spent three straight weeks training four hours a day, every single day. I cried. I doubted myself. I wanted to quit. But I followed the Bark Busters program exactly as taught--daily simulations, real-world scenarios, repetition, and patience. And then something incredible happened. My dogs slept. They relaxed. They trusted. Today, I can leave my home and my dogs are calm, quiet, and peacefully sleeping, knowing I'm coming back. Visitors come and go with ease. My 9- and 6-year-old Maltipoos are relaxed, confident, and happy. And so am I. Here's the truth people don't want to hear, there is no magic pill. There is no shortcut. The training never "ends" because leadership and love are lifelong commitments. And honestly? That's the gift. Once it becomes part of your daily life, it feels natural. I walk more. The cuddles are calmer. I'm no longer being climbed on out of anxiety I'm being loved in peace. And about the cost? Think about it. You've already spent more on multiple trainers, treats, wasted time, emotional exhaustion, and a very unhappy household. Bark Busters' training is guaranteed for life. If you move. If life changes. If new challenges come you're supported. That matters more than people realize. Justin and his team are beyond words. Compassionate. Honest. Direct. They don't just train dogs, they train families. Value your pet's life. Value the short, precious time we get with them. Happiness--for everyone in the home is worth the work.

I'm updating my original 6-month review now that it has been a full year since we hired Bark…read moreBusters to help with our rescue dog Mimi. As first-time dog owners, the early support really did help us. Having someone we could call during those overwhelming first months was a relief. Over time, though, I realized I was hoping the training would shift toward more positive reinforcement. The constant, harsher corrections worked at first but eventually didn't seem effective anymore and started affecting my relationship with Mimi. I noticed this during a family trip where Mimi, who is usually fearful of strangers, bonded more easily with my husband and his family. She gravitated toward them when scared, and I realized it might be because they weren't following the correction-heavy approach, while I was. I also asked for help with Mimi's fear and reactivity toward other dogs, but was told they didn't have dogs available for training and that I would need to bring a calm, socialized dog myself. As a non-trainer, that was very hard, but we tried by traveling many hours to introduce her to my husband's family dog. The experience ended up being chaotic since the family didn't fully understand what the process required, and new people and dogs kept appearing even though Mimi wasn't ready. Her reactivity came back in that environment, which made me feel like the training had only put a bandaid on deeper fear issues. Maybe I should have clarified expectations better from the start, but with a high-need dog and being new to all of this, I didn't know what to expect. Since then, we've switched to a positive reinforcement trainer who organizes structured group activities. Mimi is still scared of bigger dogs and can still be reactive, but she's improving slowly and has been able to meet a few smaller dogs. She's also still fearful of people, but she nips a lot less now, so progress is happening. Overall, Bark Busters helped us in the beginning, but long-term we found that a different, more positive approach has been a better fit for Mimi.

Rubi is a wonderful dog trainer. Our 1.5 year old rescue, being mostly Australian cattle dog and…read morehaving been maltreated by a man, needed a bit of training. Rubi customized the training at every session, based on how Diego was doing. She picked up on things he needed to work on (noticed he was getting very attached to us and was starting to show signs of separation anxiety). We worked on it right away and it was solved. He loves to learn and has become the most amazing dog. Rubi is kind, patient, a great listener, dog and people reader. She is phenomenal (and super fairly priced)!

Rubi has been an absolutely godsend for our family. She has given us invaluable tools to help us…read moreincorporate our new golden retriever puppy into our lives and home. In addition to Rubi's talented dog training skills, she is also very communicative and responds promptly, she's on time, and she gets right to the point upon arrival, which really helps maximize our allotted time with her. Another thing a truly appreciate about Rubi is her wonderful way of communicating with my 6 and 9 yr old boys. She uses the right words for them to understand how their actions can help our new puppy learn better. Rubi is professional and fun! I would recommend her, with confidence, to any of my friends and family in need of pet training, and I would recommend her to you if you are in need. You won't regret it. Thank you Rubi!

Cannot say enough good things! We rescued a 5 year old borzoi who was very sweet but had no…read morecommands and also no motivations to help train her, John helped us find one specific treat that worked for her and helped us learn how to work with all her other weird kinks and now our girl can settle at restaurants and has basic commands down! He helped her become more confident and comfortable in the world, book with John you won't regret it!

Summer of 2024 I had an anxious, reactive, fearful, unwalkable big rescue dog. She broke harnesses,…read morepulled me to the ground, was afraid of people, and snapped at strangers and other dogs. My friends nicknamed her Cujo, it was that bad. I couldn't invite people to the house. Summer of 2025 I have a dog that loves meeting new dogs and people and runs around OB dog beach off leash. She's not reactive, she has great recall, she makes friends, I can have people over, she listens to commands, and she's so easy to walk. I took her into the vet this week and they removed the 'bite risk' warning from her file, they said it's like a completely different dog. She's not anxious or fearful. She's confident, playful, and so happy. All of this was because of training with John. He is patient, gentle, and kind. I can't put into words how grateful I am that we found him. I recommend him to every dog owner I know.

Omg Isabel is such a life saver!!! Everyone was telling me to get rid of my dog Dolce because of…read morehis separation anxiety. It was so bad that I had to move apartments because of the noise complaints I got. He tore a hole in my wall, destroyed crates, and screamed when he was left alone. A friend of mine recommended her to me when I was at my wits end. We've only been working with Isabel for 2-3 weeks and Dolce can already be left alone while I'm at work for 5 hours. He stays in my bedroom with the door closed SLEEPING!!! I never thought I would be able to leave him that long without getting a sitter and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Not only that, but Dolce walks so much better on the leash. We did board and train for one week and are doing continued weekly trainings. I'm so thankful and so excited to see how much more he grows!!!

Isabel is a miracle worker! My doggie Charlie has never been around another dog, for all 13 years…read moreand Isabel had him over to her home to doggie sit AND HE HUNG OUT WITH HER 2 DOGS!!! A dream come true for me!! It was so wonderful knowing that my Charlie was being well cared for. She walked him, gave him his medication, sent me pics and updates throughout ANDDDD she told me that her husband watched TV and cuddled with him hahahaha! I am SO grateful to have found Isabel. I think he even came back a better dog :)

Jim walked our terrier mix for around 10 years. He genuinely cared immensely for Minnie and she…read morealways perked up when Jim arrived for the daily walk (she doesn't take kindly to most adults). Jim always gave value-added advice on medical issues and I thoroughly enjoyed our chats. A real salt of the earth guy

Jim is a true animal lover. He walked my dog Simon for several years and also managed to befriend…read moremy two cats. I wouldn't hesitate to trust him with my pets.

This is my first time ever checking out the local pet store. I love that they offer a variety of…read moreunique pet food brands. The brands they offer are dehydrated dog food, probiotic vitamin dog food, and other high performance brands at a reasonable price. I purchase dehydrated sweet potatoes slices for my German Shepherd and Frenchie. I decided to try Diamond Grain Free Wild Caught fish with sweet potatoes all life stages for only $30. They also sell toys, vests, collars, and clothes for cats and dogs. I had a positive experience with friendly staff helping out with selecting a brand. I highly recommend you check out this local pet store and support their unique business.

Finally made it to the OG IB Pet store! I've gone to all of them except this one! Out of all of…read morethem I want to say it is the cutest! HUGE frozen section, was able to find what I needed right away. As usual friendly staff that I've encountered at all their other locations here as well!!! It's deep in IB right by where the strand starts. Great parking lot with easy in and easy out access. Didn't take any pictures or video as we were kind of in a hurry trying to beat traffic to get back home but I WILL BE BACK! To explore the entire store with more time

This was groomer number 3 that we tried. My dog loved this place! I inquired about day care and he…read morewas 'interviewed' to see what he was like with the others at daycare. He passed! Everyone here is super nice and my lab agrees!!

Jose was absolutely wonderful! He was very kind and really listened to exactly what haircut and…read morestyle we wanted for our puppy, Coco. Coco was pretty nervous at first about meeting someone new, but Jose was so patient and gentle with her. She came back happy, calm, and looking absolutely beautiful. We couldn't be more pleased with the experience. Highly recommend!