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Bark Busters' dog trainers are proudly referred and recommended by veterinarians all over Denver, Boulder and Colorado! Bark Busters Has a Weekly Radio Show! "It's a Dog's Life" with Greg Kleva of Bark Busters on Martha Stewart Living Radio   Bark Busters Home Dog Training of Denver Colorado proudly provides behavioral, leadership and obedience dog training in your home for the greater Denver and Boulder metro areas including the following communities: Bark Busters training is ideal for: aggressive behavior, basic obedience, chewing, digging, jumping up, nuisance barking, pulling on the leash, puppy training, separation anxiety, toileting in the house, and much more! | Welcome to Bark Busters Home Dog Training of Colorado including Denver Metro and the surrounding areas! Training Dogs the Aussie Way! Developed in Australia, our dog-friendly training techniques leverage the same communications methods - body language and voice control - that dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. All training takes place in the home. Our all-natural methods are effective with any dog, any age - including puppies. Learn more!
We are the award winning team of Bark Busters Dog Behavioral Therapists and Dog Trainers serving the state of Colorado - Denver Metro, and the surrounding area's.
Bark Busters' dog trainers have trained well over 750,000 dogs worldwide. We have trained thousands of dogs and their owners to be the "leader of the pack" right in the comfort of their own homes, using all-natural, dog-friendly techniques that will allow your dog to learn quickly without pain or fear, while bringing balance and harmony back into your home. What is the typical lesson like? Click Here for a video! WE CAN TRAIN ANY DOG, ANY AGE, ANY ISSUE!Your dog training program begins in your home - however our dog trainers will help you train your dog with issues outside of your home as well. So, if you need help in the park or on the trails, call Bark Busters now! Bark Busters Home Dog Training is ideal for: aggressive dog behavior, obedience training, chewing, digging, jumping up, nuisance barking, pulling on the leash, puppy training, separation anxiety, potty training, and much more! We can help with those embarrassing moments when your dog jumps on your guests, barks at a passersby or pulls you down the street; as well as other common dog behavior issues that may occur in the vet's office, groomers or dog parks. We are experts in behavioral dog training, leadership training and obedience training, and we would be delighted to help you (and have fun while we are doing it, too)! Take a moment to review our individual dog trainer bios below, review what some of our clients say about our dog training services and feel free to contact us by calling 877-500-BARK (2275) or by clicking on our Fetch a Dog Trainer link for the dog behavioral therapist in your area or by clicking on their picture below.
Bark Busters' Governing Principles and Training PhilosophyDeveloped through decades of practical field experience with hundreds of trainers and hundreds of thousands of dogs, the Bark Busters training methodology is based upon five core principles. 1. Dog behavior can best be explained in dog terms. Canis lupus familiaris is a complex creature evolved with and by humans for some 15,000 years. Dog owners often find it difficult to relate to dogs without anthropomorphizing; researchers find it difficult to study dogs of their own accord, without comparison to wolves or other species entirely. This creates both a conflict over “which” theories should hold sway, and whether one truly can. Bark Busters believes that our vast set of practical knowledge has produced a working model for dog behavior that is more functionally complete than narrow academic findings, and has more predictive validity than common folk theories. As students of dog behavior, we respect and apply relevant findings in the latest research to bridge the gap between academic findings and household application. 2. Undesirable behavior is a symptom of some underlying cause, not a problem in and of itself. Training solutions must account for the precipitating factors of a dog’s choice, not simply the proximal components of the behavior or the consequences. Often, undesirable behaviors can be changed by simple conditioning. However, in many circumstances, if the impetus for the behavior has not changed, the problem will not resolve and symptoms will recur, or new ones will develop. 3. Dogs are social animals and interpret most behavior according to the social context. Of dogs’ competing drives, inclusion within a pack or familial unit is one of the strongest because the pack is the means through which all other needs are met. Therefore, many behavioral issues can be traced to pack dysfunctions, while many solutions are created through pack re-organization. How the overall training regimen affects the dog’s assessment of the pack is of primary importance in creating sustainable results. 4. Dog perceptive and communicative abilities govern how and what they learn. What is it like to be a dog? Certainly dogs and humans have much in common, however, significant differences remain. We look and act differently. We perceive the world differently, too. An integral element of dog training is how a trainer communicates, which is a primary determinant of whether or not he will be understood. Bark Busters structures our communications with this in mind – with body language, voice tones, timing, and sequence – to replicate the canine communications model. By doing so, we foster better understanding, and therefore, more complete learning. 5. The training tactics we employ emulate the same tactics dogs use to train each other and humans. There is no better standard for canine education than that which dogs are predisposed to use and understand. Contrary to common assumptions, dogs do not typically use pain or fear to communicate with each other, so the Bark Busters training approach doesn’t either. Additionally, dogs learn through a number of processes – operant conditioning, classical conditioning, inference and imitation are chief among them. The Bark Busters training tactics take advantage of all of these learning processes in a dog-friendly way. At Bark Busters – without physical force or cajoling – we use measured and responsible techniques to take advantage of dogs’ full intellectual capabilities.
Natural Dog Behavior Dogs will be dogs. Even so, while some bad behaviors are natural, they do not have to be normal. Let’s face it. Some of the things dogs do drive us crazy. And yet, digging, chewing and jumping all come naturally to dogs. Let’s look at some examples. Jumping begins as play behavior among puppies. They jump on and wrestle each other to prepare themselves for adult life when they’ll have to figure out their place in the pack. While most people think that a dog is saying hello when he jumps up, he’s actually demonstrating his dominance. The dog is saying that the house is his and that he is making the rules—or, he may be challenging you to “play” for leadership. Barking is a natural form of dog communication. In a pack consisting of only dogs, however, there is usually very little barking. But in human-canine packs—our families—barking can happen way too much. We tend to miss the more subtle messages from our dogs, so they learn that people “need” to hear barks to respond. Answering the front door is another natural behavior, as the front door signifies entry to your dog’s den, and he’s inquisitive about who’s there and what’s happening. This doesn’t mean that barking and pushing should be tolerated. If you can’t have a conversation with a delivery person or welcome a guest into your home, you as the pack leader need to set boundaries. When dogs are allowed to make decisions for us (as in how to greet visitors), they tend to do it badly.
Mouthing and nipping are behaviors that puppies learn as part of play—which is one reason dogs are designed with thick, loose skin that can handle a few nips and nibbles. Pups usually learn bite inhibition from the reactions of their littermates or from older dogs. Unfortunately, people often don’t convey the message clearly that nipping is inappropriate. Many of our reactions unintentionally encourage more nipping.
Coprophagia, or eating feces, is absolutely disgusting to people. Even so, it is a natural dog behavior. There are two good reasons for it. First, a mother dog will stimulate her very young puppies to toilet by licking their genital and anal areas. When they go, she consumes the excrement in order to keep the nest area clean. This is a puppy’s first exposure to the behavior. Second, dogs who persist in the habit may find some nutritional benefit, either from undigested food or from the bacteria that are present. These and many other natural dog behaviors are triggered by instinct, so dogs don’t understand that there is anything wrong with them. They aren’t doing them to make us mad—although that is often the result. When you understand the natural basis for your dog’s behavior, you can more easily learn to modify it. He’ll still be a dog with the personality you love. However, once everyone understands the rules, it’s much easier to play the game.
To learn how to stop these and other bad, yet natural behaviors, contact your local Bark Busters dog trainer.
Nutrition and Behavior: A Vital Link to Optimal Canine HealthJust as we humans need good nutrition to function at our best, your canine companion also requires a balanced diet for optimal health and well being. With proper nourishment, your dog can grow and develop to his full potential, enabling him to perform both physical and mental activities with vigor and joy. The diet you select for your dog may affect not only his health but also his behavior. A clear link exists between a well-balanced, biologically appropriate diet and improved behavior. The right balance of good-quality nutrition can decrease your dog’s levels of stress, helping him be calmer and more relaxed. By providing the proper nutrition his body needs, your dog will have less of a tendency to exhibit unwanted behaviors. Of equal importance to the basic nutrients a dog needs is the quality of the source of those nutrients. Most animal nutritionists agree that a well-balanced, healthy canine diet should contain only high-quality ingredients, with no extras like food coloring, unspecified animal by-product or chemical preservatives. Basic Nutritional Needs The following information provides the basics of nutrition for healthy adult dogs. Due to a dog’s age, breed, activity level, metabolism and health needs, it is important to talk with your veterinarian about determining the right diet for your dog. And remember, a higher quality food generally means a healthier dog and thus fewer visits to the veterinarian throughout the dog’s life. Proteins Called “the building blocks for life,” proteins are part of every cell tissue and organ and are thus essential to a dog’s health. Protein helps boost your dog’s energy and regenerate his muscles. When food proteins are digested, they are turned into smaller sub-components of the protein called amino acids. A “complete protein” provides all of the essential amino acids your dog needs to maintain good health. Complete proteins are animal based and include meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Whatever the protein source in your dog’s food, the best quality food uses one primary source of protein, for example, “chicken” not “poultry,” “beef” not “meat.” An incomplete protein is low in one or more essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins are found in vegetables, cereals and soy. Because these proteins are not “complete,” your dog’s body is being deprived of essential amino acids he needs for good health. Your dog is an opportunistic carnivore (meaning he prefers to eat meat but will eat anything to survive) and requires animal-based protein to thrive, unless your veterinarian recommends otherwise. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates, a general term for fibers and starches, provide the fuel that keeps your dog on the go. Carbohydrates (“carbs”) turn into glucose, a pure form of energy vital to your dog’s energy metabolism. As in humans, a dog’s body can use glucose immediately or store it in the liver and muscles for when it is needed. Also like humans, too many carbs can turn into fat. There is much debate among animal nutritionists with regard to the canine’s need for carbohydrates. Canines in the wild eat a very small percentage of carbs. Most domesticated dogs today are fed manufactured foods, which are convenient and inexpensive. However, some manufactured dog foods contain ingredients for energy that are cheaper than meat—usually corn or other grains. Thus, today’s dogs get far more carbs than their wild ancestors did. While carbs add bulk, variety and taste to the canine diet, some dogs do not tolerate a higher amount of carbs from grains, and can develop allergies or display signs of protein deficiency. The source of the carbohydrates and the way in which they are prepared are important factors in how well the dog’s system digests and utilizes the food. Bear in mind, though, some dogs do just fine with grains while others thrive only on a no- or low-grain diet. Fiber While not considered a nutrient, fiber for dogs is necessary to aid digestion. Too much fiber can cause loose stools or diarrhea, while too little can lead to constipation or dry hard stools. Fiber is derived from plants (fruits and vegetables) and grains prepared in a certain way (bran). In general, high-fiber foods are not good for dogs with high energy requirements, such as puppies and working dogs, as too much fiber may impede food absorption and not provide the correct nutrient balance needed to sustain their activity and growth. Fats Fats provide your pet with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Derived from both animal fats and vegetable oils, fats are essential to cell membrane structure, for the production of some hormones and for the absorption and utilization of some vitamins. Fats promote healthy skin and coat and provide the body with insulation and protection for internal organs. Finally—and most importantly, from a dog’s point of view—fats make food taste great. Fats are composed of smaller units called fatty acids which contribute to a dog’s health in different ways. A group of fats called “essential fatty acids” must be provided in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by a dog in sufficient amounts. These include specific types of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are sometimes given as supplements to help prevent inflammation, arthritis and dry skin. Vitamins and minerals Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that every living body requires for normal growth and development. Minerals and most vitamins cannot be synthesized in the body and, therefore, must be provided in a dog’s diet. Dogs need a precise balance of vitamins and minerals for optimal health. Vitamins are organic substances found in plant and animal sources. Minerals are inorganic elements that come from the earth. Animals acquire all the vitamins and minerals they need from the foods they eat, which is why eating a complete and balanced diet is essential for good health. Talk to your veterinarian about whether your dog needs a vitamin or mineral supplement for preventive health or to improve his current condition. In addition, consider rotating the types of foods you feed your dog, allowing him to ingest a wider variety of different nutrients from a range of foods. Nutrition’s Effects on Behavior Your pet's behavior can be greatly affected by the kind of nutrition he gets. Many animal nutritionists agree that an imbalance in a dog’s behavior can sometimes be linked to an imbalance in his diet. Just as with humans, a poor diet can result in poor health, which can lead to poor behaviors. The following are some diet-related unwanted behaviors or conditions our dog behavioral therapists have observed over the years while working with dogs of all breeds and ages:
-“Counter-surfing”—stealing food from a counter or tabletop -Aggression over food, treats or toys -Digging and escaping—to seek out better nutrients he is lacking -Eating soil—sometimes linked to a mineral deficiency -Getting into the garbage -Coprophagia (eating feces)—whether his own or that of another pet -Chewing on wood (including furniture), rocks, and other objects around the house and yard -Devouring his meal and then vomiting it up again
In our experience, our trainers have seen marked improvement in dogs’ behaviors by switching them to a more biologically appropriate diet in conjunction with a sensible training program. A biologically appropriate diet includes considerations for a dog’s size, activity level, current healthy status, and age. Three More “Essential Nutrients” There are three more “essential nutrients” we believe every dog needs for a long and healthy life: Water Water is vital for life to exist—it is involved in every function of the body and is found in every cell, tissue and organ. Water makes up about two-thirds of an adult dog’s body weight. All dogs need access to clean, fresh water in order to maintain good health, which includes proper urinary tract function. Exercise To ensure the diet you so thoughtfully feed your pooch yields the best health, be sure he gets plenty of exercise appropriate for his age, breed, size, etc. Exercise is essential for your dog to maintain a balance of physical, mental and emotional health. Ask your veterinarian about the most beneficial exercise program for your pet. Love Dogs are social creatures and naturally need and seek a strong leader in order to feel safe and secure within their social structure. For your dog to regard you as “top dog” in your family unit, you must set rules and apply them consistently, and praise your dog’s good behavior. Dogs have a language of their own, and once you understand and learn to “speak” your dog’s language, you will enjoy many happy years of canine companionship. All of us who’ve experienced the unbridled joy of a dog’s unconditional love want to do all we can to provide our canine companions with a full and healthy life. Understanding the vital link between nutrition and behavior is an important factor for all dog owners. Wholesome nutrition, along with proper care, exercise, training, and a healthy helping of love are all part of a holistic approach to animal wellness. Aussie Method Trains Any Dog in Hours, Not Weeks While pet owners would prefer their dogs’ bark be worse than their bite, constant barking can be particularly biting to the ears—and patience. A dog that jumps up on people, is too aggressive, or does not come when called can be difficult to live with as well. That’s why experts say behavioral training is so important – and that lasting training isn’t about treats and physical punishment. It’s about understanding the way our furry friends think and communicating in a way that establishes the owner as top dog. Dogs are pack animals. They have a specific way of interacting, which includes an instinctual manner of communication. Learning how to communicate effectively with your dog in a language it understands is the first step toward establishing leadership and control. Sylvia and Danny Wilson, the Australian founders of Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, are pioneers in animal behavior and developed a natural training technique that uses the same communication methods – body language and voice control – that dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. This method can effectively train any dog in about two hours, with a dog owner’s commitment to reinforce the training 10 minutes per day for a few weeks to ensure the learning becomes permanent. Puppies instinctively respond to voice tones and body language; therefore, their learning curve is accelerated using Bark Busters natural training techniques. Understanding a few simple guidelines can help you establish leadership and help control a misbehaving dog: • Dogs crave good leadership. If they don’t get it from their owner, they’ll take charge. That leads to bad behavior such as barking, jumping, aggression and pulling on the leash—each examples of the dog taking charge. Dogs will challenge for leadership in the home, just as a wolf in the wild. The owner needs to win all challenges to demonstrate leadership. • There are several ways to establish leadership. First, ignore all requests from the dog, such as nudges to be petted, or played with. To do so, break eye contact. Then, when the dog has “given up,” call him back to you to be petted or to play. When he responds to you, versus you to him, he sees you as the leader. If he misbehaves, such as chewing on a child’s toy, correct his behavior with a forceful, low-toned growl (“BAH”). As soon as he stops, offer pleasant, high-toned praise. He will understand his mistake and respect you as his leader. • In the wild the leader always leads the pack – literally. Establish your leadership by always leading your dog—up and down stairs, through doorways, and especially on walks. Remember, the leader always leads.
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