Bark Busters Reviews and Customer Testimonials
5th June 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Aggression, Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling
We really enjoyed our training with Mark and he opened our eyes to the mistakes we have been making with Shady. A very strong temperament Blue heeler.
Trainer note from Mark
Shady is a 18mth old Blue heeler who really is a strong , temperament . His problems were Resource guarding things he's stolen , pulling , dog aggressive , jumps up , isn't keen on visitors , recall and a lot of attention seeking. All traits of a boss dog . He's a work in progress but good results in the 1st lesson and because of the dogs location he has potentially missed out on a lot of social skills normally implemented before 5 mths of age. We couldn't cover everything is this lesson so he's on the list for future visits all part of the "Life of the dog guarantee". Great work so far guys , I'll hear from you in a couple of week's for an update.
Shady is a 18mth old Blue heeler who really is a strong , temperament . His problems were Resource guarding things he's stolen , pulling , dog aggressive , jumps up , isn't keen on visitors , recall and a lot of attention seeking. All traits of a boss dog . He's a work in progress but good results in the 1st lesson and because of the dogs location he has potentially missed out on a lot of social skills normally implemented before 5 mths of age. We couldn't cover everything is this lesson so he's on the list for future visits all part of the "Life of the dog guarantee". Great work so far guys , I'll hear from you in a couple of week's for an update.
4th June 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Aggression, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety
We recently worked with Mark from Bark Busters for our dogs, Boss and Lucy, and we couldn't be happier with the results.
Before our training sessions, walking the dogs could be quite challenging, but thanks to Mark's guidance, they are now much easier to walk and respond much better to commands. The techniques he taught us were practical, effective, and easy to implement at home.
What we appreciated most was Mark's approach. He was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and supportive, and he explained everything in a clear, non-judgemental way. We always felt comfortable asking questions, and he took the time to make sure we understood both the "how" and the "why" behind the training methods.
We have seen a real improvement in both Boss and Lucy's behaviour and confidence, and we would highly recommend Mark and Bark Busters to anyone looking for professional, effective dog training.
Trainer note from Mark
Lucy and Boss are quite different in temperament and breed. Lucy is a 8 yr old labrador, Boss a 9 yr old Australian Cattle dog. Old dogs who needed adjustments for dog reactivity , pulling ,barking , separation anxiety , recall , jumping . Pretty much all the things that should be sorted by that age of dog. They responded well , their human mums did an awesome job of applying the techniques and the dogs have shown the relaxed dog results. Great work ladies and dogs . nice job.
Lucy and Boss are quite different in temperament and breed. Lucy is a 8 yr old labrador, Boss a 9 yr old Australian Cattle dog. Old dogs who needed adjustments for dog reactivity , pulling ,barking , separation anxiety , recall , jumping . Pretty much all the things that should be sorted by that age of dog. They responded well , their human mums did an awesome job of applying the techniques and the dogs have shown the relaxed dog results. Great work ladies and dogs . nice job.
3rd June 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Chewing, Puppy management
Mark was very thorough and clear in the information shared. He did a lengthy initial home visit including a comprehensive training session for us with our 13 week old puppy. Our main concern was her biting and chewing but his scope of knowledge was much broader than that alone. Tūī responded well to the Bark Busters techniques during the session with Mark guiding us. The hardest bit is now that we are trying to continue the positive progress on our own, but it’s good to know Mark is available via email and for follow-up sessions if needed as part of the Bark Busters Life of the dog guarantee. Peace of mind for us.
Trainer note from Mark
Tui is a Golden Retriever x Border Collie of 13 weeks old. Very bitey and not focussing with what the owners had tried from Google and previous knowledge with dogs but nothing was working for them. I got the enquiry from Tui's owners as they were really struggling with her biting , over zealous boisterous play ( she thought it was play) and constant attention seeking almost aggressive behaviour. The owners were very keen to get on top of Tui's communication as soon as possible . Learn to communicate correctly for her temperament and problems. 1st session as always discussed the problems , and working into how to talk dog and then applying it. 1st steps are now in place with her being much more responsive , polite , relaxed and a plan to curb the biting . We'll do a number of initial lessons to get her on the right track early. As you would expect a puppy is a work in progress so lots to keep going with. Great work ladies , loved the session and we'll chat soon.
Tui is a Golden Retriever x Border Collie of 13 weeks old. Very bitey and not focussing with what the owners had tried from Google and previous knowledge with dogs but nothing was working for them. I got the enquiry from Tui's owners as they were really struggling with her biting , over zealous boisterous play ( she thought it was play) and constant attention seeking almost aggressive behaviour. The owners were very keen to get on top of Tui's communication as soon as possible . Learn to communicate correctly for her temperament and problems. 1st session as always discussed the problems , and working into how to talk dog and then applying it. 1st steps are now in place with her being much more responsive , polite , relaxed and a plan to curb the biting . We'll do a number of initial lessons to get her on the right track early. As you would expect a puppy is a work in progress so lots to keep going with. Great work ladies , loved the session and we'll chat soon.
25th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety
This training is great. Our dog was transformed after the first lesson. Mark followed through on what was promised and delivered more than expected. Highly recommended.
Trainer note from Mark
Zia is a border collie , 11mths old, full on and rehomed from the daughter as she was too hard to deal with in a small house and kiddies as well. Now in an environment quite different , huge space to use and focus from the owners to get the problems ironed out. Zia was barking at all the movements and noises around constantly , running from one space to another in a large section reacting to everything , pulled , recall not good , car lunging , jumping up all in hyper drive. She responded well in the lesson and started focussing on the commands and the owners requests, no food treat training as she isn't very food motivated. Greta 1st session and well be recapping , readjusting , neck up checking progress soon. Fantastic job guys . keep up the great work.
Zia is a border collie , 11mths old, full on and rehomed from the daughter as she was too hard to deal with in a small house and kiddies as well. Now in an environment quite different , huge space to use and focus from the owners to get the problems ironed out. Zia was barking at all the movements and noises around constantly , running from one space to another in a large section reacting to everything , pulled , recall not good , car lunging , jumping up all in hyper drive. She responded well in the lesson and started focussing on the commands and the owners requests, no food treat training as she isn't very food motivated. Greta 1st session and well be recapping , readjusting , neck up checking progress soon. Fantastic job guys . keep up the great work.
19th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Barking, Chewing, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall
Dougal was picked up as a roaming stray in Northland and was in a SPCA shelter for 5 months prior to adoption aged about one, with no training in his background at all. Following the 3,3,3 rule, we didn't engage Mark until Dougal was with us for 3 months. In hindsight, we should have engaged Mark straight away to learn how best to support and train Dougal at his pace, without allowing any detrimental behaviours to develop. Mark is professional and knowledgeable with advice on how to work on changing those behaviours and train Dougal so he has the safest and most positive future. Seeing Mark’s experienced handling of Dougal was a relief for us, as was having him come to our property- we were unable to leash Dougal until his visit. Dougal’s response to some techniques was instantaneous, others we are working on. Mark was recommended to us by a friend, we would also recommend Mark to any dog owners needing furtehr skills to get on top of their behaviour problems..
Trainer note from Mark
Dougal is a very special case as he is a rehomed rescue , found on the Streets in Northland . No previous training , wandering and picked up by SPCa , rehomed to Canterbury after several months of rehab and conditioning. The owners are new to dogs and the challenge is Dougal had no previous concept of rules or focus at any level . Prior to our 1st session he hadn't had any leadwork , recall , jumping , manners were non existent, attention barking and barking at any noises , movements around the property was constant. He can even sit and wait for food now. We've done one lesson of the Life of the dog guarantee system and already improvements. A long way to go but its already looking very promising. A great temperament dog and a definite work in progress but the steps are there to head him in the right direction. Awesome work so far , second session soon.
Dougal is a very special case as he is a rehomed rescue , found on the Streets in Northland . No previous training , wandering and picked up by SPCa , rehomed to Canterbury after several months of rehab and conditioning. The owners are new to dogs and the challenge is Dougal had no previous concept of rules or focus at any level . Prior to our 1st session he hadn't had any leadwork , recall , jumping , manners were non existent, attention barking and barking at any noises , movements around the property was constant. He can even sit and wait for food now. We've done one lesson of the Life of the dog guarantee system and already improvements. A long way to go but its already looking very promising. A great temperament dog and a definite work in progress but the steps are there to head him in the right direction. Awesome work so far , second session soon.
16th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Barking, Hyperactivity, Pulling, Recall, Other
Mark was very thorough and his teaching and techniques were easy to understand.
We saw a difference straight away with Moose. It's a work in progress and with the tools provided his behaviour will continue to improve as we put in place the teachings we've learned.
Trainer note from Mark
Moose is a 2yr old GSD, with separation anxiety , pulled a lot , jumped up , quite hyperactive. He responded well in the lesson and still has some things to address but like all dogs is a work in progress . He's also a rehome for these clients so some of the issues were in place before he came to them. Good focus once the process and exercises were applied. We'll catch up for a check up soon Moose.
Moose is a 2yr old GSD, with separation anxiety , pulled a lot , jumped up , quite hyperactive. He responded well in the lesson and still has some things to address but like all dogs is a work in progress . He's also a rehome for these clients so some of the issues were in place before he came to them. Good focus once the process and exercises were applied. We'll catch up for a check up soon Moose.
13th May 2026 - Keiko Ruwhiu
Keiko dealt with Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety
Keiko is amazing. We were having issues on leaving Queen alone, taking her for a walk and her super excitement when meeting other people. It was getting impossible to leave the house without taking her to a day care.
On our first meeting with Keiko we found hope again, Queen has already shown major improvements from day 1. Within a week we were even able to go out for a dinner without having any issues with her separation anxiety. I would strongly recommend Keiko, that was a life changer for was.
Trainer note from Keiko
Thank you Sharles! I was very happy with the way Queen (2 years old Maltese Shih Tzu cross) responded to her first session. Great to hear you can go out for a dinner!! Keep up the good work! My help is always available for you and Queen 😊
Thank you Sharles! I was very happy with the way Queen (2 years old Maltese Shih Tzu cross) responded to her first session. Great to hear you can go out for a dinner!! Keep up the good work! My help is always available for you and Queen 😊
11th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety
We found Mark to be very informative and beneficial in our efforts to train Molly. Progress is definitely being made so we are very happy.
Trainer note from Mark
Molly is a 2.5 yr old Jack Russell with major TV barking aggression issues at certain adverts. Jumped up , pulls. She is a work in progress for some other behaviours but showed huge promise in the lesson with the TV barking just non existent by the time the owners had applied our training exercises. I'm keen to hear progress in a week or two.
Molly is a 2.5 yr old Jack Russell with major TV barking aggression issues at certain adverts. Jumped up , pulls. She is a work in progress for some other behaviours but showed huge promise in the lesson with the TV barking just non existent by the time the owners had applied our training exercises. I'm keen to hear progress in a week or two.
10th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Aggression, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety, Sibling rivalry
Mark was life changing (quite literally). My dog chief had severe behavioural issues such as extreme fear aggression and being territorial of our property. He was on fluoxetine which had not helped calm him, and he was a safety concern for my other dogs and visitors. Within one session Mark taught me the skills to properly communicate with Chief and how to be a real leader for him. He no longer goes out of his way to react, has stopped jumping on people, and understands the rules of the house. He was experiencing sleep episodes resulting in aggression towards my Labrador, in which he had to sleep in a crate and could not be trusted in the house at night. He now sleeps happily with our Labrador and no longer stays in a crate but on their bed snuggling. He is now starting to trust other dogs and people. He has also gone from constant pulling on the lead to walking at heel throughout the home, as well as coming when I call him. I cannot recommend Mark and bark busters enough to anyone contemplating him! He saved my dogs life!
Trainer note from Mark
Chief is male GSP , 2 yrs old when I first got a call to help. He was very anxious and stressed with arrivals , dogs , people . A worried reactive aggressive dog. He has turned right around due to the daily simple focus exercises of the owner, Chiefs owner was determined not to have to put Chief down or rehomed but rehabilitated back into social life. The review above says it all . Teaching people to communicate better with their own dogs. Amazing work Mr Chief . Well done team chief
Chief is male GSP , 2 yrs old when I first got a call to help. He was very anxious and stressed with arrivals , dogs , people . A worried reactive aggressive dog. He has turned right around due to the daily simple focus exercises of the owner, Chiefs owner was determined not to have to put Chief down or rehomed but rehabilitated back into social life. The review above says it all . Teaching people to communicate better with their own dogs. Amazing work Mr Chief . Well done team chief
7th May 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Barking, Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Recall, Separation anxiety
Mark was amazing. We learned so much about our dogs and our own behavior that explained why we were having trouble managing our dogs
We are so excited to be working with Mark and the Bark Busters philosophies.
Trainer note from Mark
Due to location and lack of dog training close by these clients needed training at their venue, a Bach on the beach where most of the issues arise. Both dogs ae reactive to people walking on THEIR beach (public beach but nobody told Gracie and Peanut that). Also pullers and recall was an issue too. So the idyllic environment can be more peaceful and enjoyed. Early days yet but really good progress during the lesson and we'll cover anything missed on the next lesson. Love your spot and great work the other day. Keep up the little bit of homework.
Due to location and lack of dog training close by these clients needed training at their venue, a Bach on the beach where most of the issues arise. Both dogs ae reactive to people walking on THEIR beach (public beach but nobody told Gracie and Peanut that). Also pullers and recall was an issue too. So the idyllic environment can be more peaceful and enjoyed. Early days yet but really good progress during the lesson and we'll cover anything missed on the next lesson. Love your spot and great work the other day. Keep up the little bit of homework.
3rd May 2026 - Keith Mockett
Keith dealt with Aggression, Barking, Chewing, Jumping up
If you want a Good Dog this is for you . We seen a massive difference in our Puppy instantly with the methods we were taught by Keith. Also providing us with the mind set of our puppy was an eye opener . This was all in the first session , looking forward to the next one .
Trainer note from Keith
Thanks. Being a first time puppy owner can be a bit challenging. It's great that I was able to reassure you that you were doing good things and what the next steps are for moving puppy towards that Good Dog status. It's early days with this youngster and I look forward to the rest of the journey with you. You're off to a great start!
Thanks. Being a first time puppy owner can be a bit challenging. It's great that I was able to reassure you that you were doing good things and what the next steps are for moving puppy towards that Good Dog status. It's early days with this youngster and I look forward to the rest of the journey with you. You're off to a great start!
29th April 2026 - Mark Gall
Mark dealt with Hyperactivity, Jumping up, Pulling, Puppy management, Recall, Separation anxiety
I cannot believe the change in our puppy. It was noticeable and immediate. Our girl is a 1 year old Amstaff. At 33kg she’s a handful at times. We let her away with everything and it’s been impossible to reign in her attitude and get her to chill out. The change in her behaviour was instant. She hasn’t been the same since Mark left our home. We have done soooo many courses and spent hundreds of dollars on the next best treat we could find, but Marks advice has been a miracle. We love our girl even more than before. Now she’ll just lay in the sun and relax instead of pestering me for attention
Trainer note from Mark
Poppy is young and full on , at 1yr old loves to play full on too. The owners issues are she wouldn't listen or focus , very hyped all the time , no off button, barked a lot , jumped even more ,separation anxiety and mothing play as well as pulling and recall. Very busy girl with a full on attitude but nice temperament . She did great on lesson day in the hands of the lady of the house . As usual there is follow up work to do but so far huge improvements. Awesome change Poppy girl.
Poppy is young and full on , at 1yr old loves to play full on too. The owners issues are she wouldn't listen or focus , very hyped all the time , no off button, barked a lot , jumped even more ,separation anxiety and mothing play as well as pulling and recall. Very busy girl with a full on attitude but nice temperament . She did great on lesson day in the hands of the lady of the house . As usual there is follow up work to do but so far huge improvements. Awesome change Poppy girl.