I meant to write this review for Deena a long time ago, and am finally getting around to it! Deena…read morenot only trained my dog, Teddy, but also boarded him for two months while I was dealing with a difficult living situation. You will never meet a person who loves dogs more than Deena. You will also never meet a person who can communicate as well with dogs as Deena! I'm so glad that Teddy and I found her. Her prices are so reasonable, you wouldn't even believe it. A true dog lover and, and so knowledgeable about training, etc. Can't wait until we can do more training sessions with her!!! Thanks for all your help.

I'm crazy about Deena Jesmok. I swear she is a dog psychic. She can get the most ill behaved dog to…read moredo anything. However, what makes her so valuable as a dog trainer is not that she can teach your dog, but that she really is good at teaching you to teach your dog. Who wants a dog that only behaves when at dog school? My Shar Pei, Toby, was a wild, ill behaved ruffian when I got him at 9 months old. Where he came from he had no rules or boundaries, and he often punished his family when they disobeyed him. For example, if his mother left the house to run an errand, and she didn't take him with her; he would wait until she was home and relaxing and then he would stand in front of her, look her in the eye, and urinate. He also destroyed all of her shoes. True story: when I adopted him we hung out and bonded for about a month. He went everywhere with me all the time, and then I switched from real estate sales to a management position and had a regular 9 - 5 schedule. Well, Toby was so pissed off that when I came home the first day he took a dump right in the center of my pillow, at the head of my bed, all over my brand new Z-Gallery bed spread! Needless to say, he was enrolled in daycare and behavior classes. No more staying home alone for him. Well, after being kicked out of two day cares I was at wits end but determined to turn him into a perfect little gentleman. Deena Jesmok saved us. She told me that all Shar Peis are little bastards and they need lots of training to make them tame and domesticated. Finally, after two and half years of one on one training sessions, my dog earned his AKC Good Citizen certificate and everywhere I go people say he is an little angel. Thank you, Deena!

I can't say enough wonderful things about Kathy, She has been absolutely amazing to work with and…read morehas shown so much patience, understanding, and compassion with both me and my Benji boy throughout this process. She has helped me understand Benji in ways I didn't before and has taught me so much about his behavior, body language, and the reasons behind some of the things he does. I've realized that training isn't just about teaching your dog it's also about learning how to communicate with and understand them, and she has really helped me see that. I wasn't prepared when i got Benji as a baby and have had him for about 2 years over time i noticed he was leash reactive along with a few other sensitivities , and Kathy has been so so amazing in currently working through that with us in so many ways! She has never made me feel judged or discouraged. Instead, she has been patient, encouraging, and willing to take the time to explain things to me so I truly understand. I've already noticed slight differences in both Benji and myself, and I feel much more confident because of the guidance she has given us i truly couldn't thank her enough for coming into mine and Benjis life when we needed it the most. She is not only an amazing trainer, but an incredible person to work with. I'm genuinely grateful for all the help, patience, and knowledge she has shared with us. I'm so happy and grateful we found her, and I truly hope we can continue working together. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for someone who genuinely cares about both their dog and the person behind the leash. We appreciate you Kathy!!

Kathy is a phenomenal at training people and their dogs. She's helped us with in-home training,…read moreoff-leash practice, and everything that's come up in between. She also hosts monthly classes that are free for clients who work with her regularly and has put in lots of additional time inviting dogs (and their people) to tag along on pack walks. It's clear that she does this work because it's her passion and she cares about dogs being happy and well cared for. "Balanced" dog training includes tons of treats, lots of play, and the safety needed to make sure no one gets hurt. We weren't sure what to expect from training with Kathy, but it's been a wonderful balance of true fun, silliness, joy, and clear and firm boundaries. We're so grateful to have her in our lives.

Their 'training' is entirely anchored on fear-inducing techniques. We were given a contraption that…read moregenerates a harsh noise, and my dog was visibly terrified every time the trainer used it on her. All this while they constantly reassured us all their techniques are based on positive reinforcement - what kind of positive reinforcement is centered around fear?! It gnaws at us that we ever decided to go with this service. My dog - and every dog - deserves better.

Gusty us AMAZING!!!!! We saw great results after just 1 session and learn tons with each followup…read more If you keep up with her lessons you should see great behavioral improvement and management. Our dog was already amazing, but Gusty helped with the transition of our older rehomed puppy to our family. Something to note about the Bark Busters philosophy- it uses positive reinforcement with solid results...and also acknowledges that your dog is still going to be your dog. Their personality is their personality... so they teach you how to work with the dog that you have instead of the dog that you think you should have.

We had adopted our Kody boy 8 months ago from a shelter. It was a very hard five months trying to…read moreget him settled with a routine. We all had different ways of how to train him and it was causing a rift in the family. I was turned down by some trainers until I came across Jonathan Wong's page. He was local, he was fast to get back to me and he was willing to give us a chance after everything I told him. Kody still has a long way to go and I will continue with Jonathan as his trainer, but it is night and day after three months of training with Jonathan. He was dog and people aggressive, to the point we had to avoid them entirely. We can now go for walks, albeit we move opposite of any dog and can keep walking without any barking or pulling. He was always actively pulling on the leash and bad at recall. He is loose leashed now and responds with recall with our daughter. In the end I had to get use to the idea that Kody was a crate or muzzle dog when it came to large crowds or people in our home. I felt awful but Jonathan was so supportive and positive as I came to terms with it. I hope as we continue to train with Jonathan and Kody builds his confidence that soon things might change for him. Jonathan has such a kind soul and so encouraging when it comes to both us and Kody. I cannot thank Jonathan enough for what he has done for us. He left solid foundations for us to grow on. Kody is such a sweet and smart boy, and we always want the best for him. Jonathan truly is the best.

Yep, Jonathan knows his stuff. Highly recommend. Truth be told, my puppy (7 month Labrador) isn't…read moretoo difficult, but Jonathan got through to her quickly and made me feel like the pup wasn't such a menace.

I first worked with Karen about five years ago when we first brought our puppy home, and she made…read moresuch a positive difference with my dog that I didn't hesitate to reach out again recently when some new issues came up (admittedly because I had become lazy with enforcing the rules). Once again, she was fantastic to work with. She has a great way of observing what's really going on and then offering advice that is both effective and manageable to implement in everyday life, and specifically within my house. Nothing felt overwhelming or unrealistic--just clear, practical strategies that made a noticeable difference.She takes the the time to understand me, my dogs and our routine before making tailored recommendations. I'm really grateful for her help (both then and now) and would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for thoughtful, practical dog training support.

Bark Busters contacted me to offer additional assistance. Some unforeseen personal events were…read moreoccurring with the trainers, and they apologized for the disconnect and offered to make things right for me. I now have a better understanding of the steps I need to take (and not take) to deal with my pup's unique challenges. After I put this advice to use for a week or two, I plan to schedule a follow-up visit.

Just completed Flynn's obedience class here at Oakland Dog Training Club! It's located in Richmond,…read morejust a few miles from Shoreline Dog Park -- which makes it perfect for a post-class treat and playtime for Flynn. Laurie, our instructor, was amazing. She really understands both human and dog body language and gives clear, practical advice on how to improve and practice at home. Her positive reinforcement approach makes training fun and super effective. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a supportive and knowledgeable environment to train your dog. Flynn loved it -- and so did I!

Wonderful place to get your dog some training. We are doing scent training, but started with…read moreAlbert's beginner training and also a session on tricks. The trainer really gets to know each dog's personality and seems to get the best out of them.

About a month ago, I went to Joybound People & Pets to adopt a kitten, and I had such a wonderful…read moreexperience. Everyone was so kind, welcoming, and helpful throughout the whole process. I was looking for a baby kitten, and thankfully I found exactly the little cat I was hoping for. The adoption process was easy and smooth, and you can really tell how much the staff cares about the animals. The cats are very well treated, and the conditions they are kept in are excellent. Everything was clean, organized, and the animals looked healthy, happy, and loved. Thank you to everyone at Joybound People & Pets for all the care and dedication you give to these animals. I truly recommend this adoption center!

My best friend lost her mom to cancer a few weeks ago. My friend lives out of state- so I have been…read moreassisting her locally. Her mom adopted the sweetest chihuahua from Arf back in 2021, the fur baby went blind about a year ago. So we were really concerned about how she would settle in a new environment, and we're trying to rehome the dog I went to Joybound a few weeks ago to ask if there was any chance they take back their animals in these circumstances. The woman at the welcome desk was so helpful explaining yes they do. She walked me thru the process to fill out the forms online They got back to my friend promptly to setup an appointment for a behavior assessment and vet evaluation. We had our appointment yesterday at 2. We arrived a half hour early so we wouldn't be rushed , and to help Lily stay as calm as possible. Everyone we encountered was delightful and so kind. No judgements- Lily came alive with tail wags and enthusiasm to be back at such a supportive rescue group. She was just basking in the attention and love. She passed her behavior test with flying colors. We were told she most likely will be going to a foster home first for a few weeks before she's available for adoption. We were told we can follow her online with her name, and see when she becomes available and she won't be on the website anymore once she finds her next loving home. Thank you Joybound for standing behind your animals and supporting families We also did not have to pay a surrender fee. We were encouraged to take our time and enjoy complementary coffee or tea, also offered a box of tissues We were already pulling out of the parking lot before our scheduled appointment time Can't think you enough for your kindness all around this hard experience

I found Brian when I began looking into e-collar training for my reactive dog. I wanted to make…read moresure I introduced the collar correctly so that it was as effective as possible, and Brian was a massive help. Before finding Brian, I struggled with getting my dog (Rumo) to heel, and he's recall was nonexistent. He's a shikoku, a primitive breed similar to the shiba inu, and they are notoriously difficult to fully off-leash train. With Brian's guidance, Rumo now understands communication through the e-collar, and overall taking a balanced approach has had a positive effect on our relationship because he better understands what behaviors I want from him. He's also heeling incredibly well both on and off leash. And last weekend during a camping trip, Rumo was off leash the majority of the time. I was able to recall him despite strange people and dogs walking by, and even called him off a rabbit - pretty amazing for a high prey-drive dog! I absolutely love Brian's approach, and he's extremely thorough in making sure his clients expectations are reasonable.

I found Brian with a Google search for trainers specializing in e-collars…read more Our puppy is a lab / pit bull mix that is sweet, smart, and determined. I started researching electric collars because I believe that a combination of plenty of positive reinforcement, coupled with a small amount of correction, is the best way to train a dog. I'm finding that the e-collar is a gentle way to guide her to the behavior we are looking for, like to come when called. It is a lot more flexible than, for example, a corrective pinch / choke collar that only works with a leash, and is a lot more difficult to control in terms of the level of correction. Brian's training approach starts with identifying the dog's state of mind, e.g., is she playful, confused, rebellious, etc. and working from there. I've already started to learn to use the collar in an effective and humane way, and after just 4 sessions, we've had great results with our puppy. She is already behaving much better on-leash (no more leash biting and tugging) and the off-leash walking is also going quite well. I've also valued the fact that Brian focuses on what I want, that is, to have a good quality of life with the dog. It isn't all about asserting my dominance, or having her do a perfect "sit". It is more about being able to spend time together safely, off-leash, without her running into the street or after another dog. Finally, I should mention that Brian provided a no-commitment consultation upfront, where he shared his training philosophy for around 45 minutes before we got started. You have absolutely nothing to lose in doing the consultation, at the very least you can hear about the approach, and if you are curious, see what the e-collar feels like on your arm.

If we could give Mark Peña ten stars, we would! We originally reached out to Mark during a very…read morestressful time. After living together in relative peace, our two three-year-old dogs suddenly started viciously attacking one another. We were desperate for help. We consulted with several trainers, but Mark immediately stood out from the crowd. Even though he was going out of town and wouldn't be available for two weeks, we felt a strong intuitive connection to him that we decided to wait for his return. Looking back, that was the absolute best decision we could have made for our furry family. From the moment he stepped into our home for our initial "getting-to-know-you" appointment, we knew we were in expert hands. He spent a couple of generous hours patiently meeting and greeting us and our entire menagerie of animals. He shared his heart-centered training philosophy, and his deep wisdom and incredible talent were obvious right from the start. Mark is the perfect combination of professional and deeply personable. He is always punctual, bursting with positive energy, and possesses a truly rare, loving magic with animals. Our dogs absolutely adore him--their tails start wagging the moment he arrives, and they don't want to say goodbye when it's time for him to leave. We just completed our initial six-session course, and the results are stunning. Since we began incorporating his techniques, our dogs have not had a single issue with one another (except once when it was our fault with bones - so we learned our people lesson). Harmony has been restored to our household. Beyond the behavioral issues, Mark's vast knowledge even helped us successfully tackle a stubborn car sickness issue with one of our pups! What also appreciate the incredible value and ongoing support Mark provides. Included in our original package are three more sessions to use whenever we need them, because Mark truly understands that training is an ongoing journey. He is incredibly generous with his time and support--whether it's a quick phone consultation for simple questions, a Zoom check-in, or coming out in person, he is always there for us. Mark is not just a profoundly talented trainer; he is one of the nicest, genuine human beings you will ever meet. We highly recommend him to anyone looking to transform their relationship with their pets. In fact, we are already planning to have him train one of our dogs as a service dog next! Thank you, Mark, for bringing peace back to our home!

The trainer helped me and my little grandkids work with my rescue pup, who was terrified of small…read morechildren. The protocol really works!

Employees here falsely accused me of stealing. I had grabbed an item I was going to purchase but I…read morechanged my mind and put the item back on the shelf. As I walked out of the store an employee followed me and proceeded to take pictures of my license plate without confirming that I had even shoplifted. I felt extremely violated and disrespected. If only the employees had been paying attention instead of being on their phones, they would have seen me put the item back on the shelf.

Small spot not a huge selection but they do have a a good selection of chicken feed and great…read moreprices. A co worker told me about this spot so I drove all the way from Oakland. I'll definitely be back for more feed soon.