My passion is teaching dog owners how to communicate, in a wholly natural and humane way, with their dogs. Then, dogs understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior and learn to make good decisions.
I have always had a passion for helping animals. Growing up we had seven dogs and to me they were always family. Joining Bark Busters and being mentored by some of the top dog trainers in the country, and the world, has shown me how much I can contribute to my clients and their families. Working with dogs and their owners truly brings a sense of joy and fulfillment to my life. I look forward to showing you a better way to a better dog!
Contact me today to learn more!
Most behavioral issues are learned based on both experiences and environment. That’s why in home dog training is so effective because this is where most behavioral issues occur and it’s where your dog feels the safest. Because your dog can’t speak English and you can’t “speak dog” many miscommunications occur. At Bark Busters, we can teach you how to communicate with your dog in a language he understands.
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Mason was a miracle worker with my dog Sasha. Fearing I was stuck with an eternal puppy that would not listen and chewed everything in sight, Mason transformed my dog into the dog I always knew she […]
Mason Erwin with Barkbusters has done absolute wonders with my dog!! Literally after just two sessions she has turned her bad behaviors around and is now a wonderful, sweet and obedient dog. She went […]
Bandit was very receptive to the training. The information about how dogs think is very helpful and insightful. I look forward to seeing the full development of my fur baby from this training. […]
Mason was attentive and took time to listen to our concerns with Liesl. Training at home provided additional value. The exercises were well thought out and tailored for Liesl's behavior which was […]
Mason is personable and patient, the instruction is simple and logical. He teaches effective communication which has resulted in a significant positive difference in my pup’s behavior after the […]
Mason arrived on time for our appointment. Our dog Tex was immediately at ease with him, and drawn to his friendly, yet commanding voice. His instruction for us was so simple, but so effective..... […]
We are very happy with the exercises and style that Mason brought. He is very knowledgeable and both of our dogs immediately responded to the instructions and corrections. Definitely a good template […]
After learning a few of the training techniques, I could see 100% improvement in my dog already just after 2 short hours. I feel as if this training will definitely get the job done. […]
Noticed a difference in behavior just a few minutes after demonstration. We also received homework to do. Mason left a line of communication open and I look forward to seeing the improvement in our […]
The session was very informative, easy to follow with amazing results. We thank Marc for knowledgable results. We now have a dih that behaves and understands us. Thank you! […]
I adopted a rescue dog from our local shelter with some really bad habits. I had another trainer who told me to "just live with it". I knew that was impossible. After just 3 hours with Donna, Lucy and […]
My husband came home with a 9 week old puppy in January and boy were we in over our heads! After a lot a research and much consideration, we decided to go with Bark Busters for our puppy training & […]
Donna is an experienced, calm, patient teacher. She worked wonders for our yellow lab puppy. He went from a crazy dominant boy to an obedient, loving dog. Highly recommend […]
Working with Donna has been great! I saw immediate results after the first session. She has been so helpful especially because I am a first time dog owner. I have really enjoyed working with her. […]
Donna did some amazing work with my 1 year old pug, Ernie. I was very overwhelmed with him and Donna transformed everything for me! The biggest issues were his separation anxiety and just getting him […]
Donna is a magician! I have 2 rescue shepherds and Donna is helping me to socialize and train them. My adult rescue ran upstairs and was too scared to come back down, even for food. Donna miraculously […]
We contacted Bark Busters after our three dogs had turned into a pack and we were struggling to get back control. Donna came out twice and the results have been incredible. We worked on leash walking, […]
My husband and I recently adopted a rescue puppy. We needed help with basic household manners and commands. Cooper stays in the city during the week but goes with us to the country on weekends. The […]
Donna Smith was very helpful for the training and behavioral issues we were experiencing. Within 20 minutes of our first session, my dog was calm and receptive to the training methods she introduced. […]
Donna really helped us find how to meet Phoebe's (and our) needs. She is much less frightened and barks at neighbors less frequently. I recommend Donna for your training needs. […]
The training and trainer, Donna Smith, were excellent. It was a real eye opener about really understanding my dogs and learning simple techniques that helped me to communicate with my dogs. I would […]
Training by Donna of Bark Busters was excellent! Our dogs were already obedient to the commands we had taught them, but they struggled with anxiety, pacing, and excessive nudging for our attention. […]
Donna is a miracle worker! We knew our rescue dog Max had the potential to be a good dog, but we had trouble learning how to get there until we met Donna. In a few short hours she taught us how to […]
Donna gives such great direction with my dog, Lizzie. Before getting dog training, I was frustrated and angry with Lizzie. I decided to use Bark Busters because I read their website and believe in the […]
I really was surprised as to how quick the training started to work. Donna Smith was so nice and easy to work with, I feel like I have a new friend and my dogs were very comfortable with her. […]
We contacted Bark Busters shortly after adopting our 2.5 year old, Mia. Although Mia is sweet, she needed to learn a lot of manners in and out of the house. Donna gave us tips to begin correcting her […]
It's challenging to train 2 GSD-mix 4 month old puppies, but Donna gave me useful pointers in training these high energy pups. Each day with the pups brings new discoveries, challenges and joys. I'm […]
Donna is absolutely brilliant with dogs! We have 2 young Boxers who are lovable and friendly creatures, but they really need to learn better manners. Our concerns were mainly to stop them from jumping […]
Harry Potter was new to our home & had problems with resource guarding. Donna was great and worked with us to help us all adjust to people & activity in our home & neighborhood. […]
Donna has been wonderful to work with. She's very patient with our dog (and us) and has given us so many helpful tips. It's great having her come to our house, so our dog is comfortable in her own […]
Donna is so knowledgable about training dogs. Her kind demeanor and patience make her the perfect go to for any dog training or issues with your pet. I highly recommend her! […]
Donna was a wonderful help with training our 6 month old puppy. We just need help with the basics of training and she helped us get him on the path to being a well trained puppy. […]
My dog, Atticus, is a pit bull so I knew I wanted and needed to get him trained. I went to a more aversive-based dog training prior to Bark Busters and found that it only negatively affected Atticus […]
Donna was fantastic with Bentley. She helped give me guidance on techniques to use with Bentley. They have worked very well since our training session! […]
Donna is the greatest!!! Bark Busters was recommended by my vet and I have not been disappointed. Donna has worked with my 3 dogs ages 2 years to 14 years. My focus for training was to teach them […]
After talking with a few trainers we decided to try out Bark Busters. I didn't expect much but we had to keep our pups from jumping on people when they came over to visit. We are also first time dog […]
Donna was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the behavior issues my dog was portraying. I was very impressed with her skill level and would highly recommend her. […]
Donna was an excellent trainer. Calm and patient with both Mosby and I. When we started Mosby's training I had puppy marks up and down my arms and legs. What I learned was that Mosby's behavior was […]
I am very impressed with the improvement my dogs have shown after one session with Donna. She really worked some magic. A large part was that we needed to establish who was in charge, which she showed […]
It has been a pleasure working with Donna to train my new rescue dog. First of all, she was very prompt in calling me to schedule appointments and explained the training process to me. She taught my […]
Donna did wonders with our three pups! Before training my in-laws were literally afraid of our two larger dogs: when they would show up to feed/take care of them when my husband and I were on vacation […]
When I called Bark Busters, I wanted help in getting 2 young very hyper labradoodles to listen better and respect boundaries. Donna Smith made a huge difference, even after one visit, in training me […]
Donna is an excellent trainer. She has helped me with behavioral issues with an older dog, and now puppy training basics with a new puppy. She is patient, comprehensive, provides great tips and […]
Donna at Bark Busters did a fantastic job and we saw immediate improvement and responsiveness from our dog who is still well into the puppy stage! We worked on a number of things from the very start […]
We saw Donna today for our 12 wk old German Shepherd and 7 month old English Bulldog. She was great from the moment she walked in to our home. Our pups jumped all over her and she quickly corrected […]
I asked Donna to help me with my dog Roy. I have never had a dog before, and after getting a rescue who was generally well behaved, I still felt like I needed some guidance about how to walk with him […]
Donna was great to work with - she was friendly and professional. I called Bark Busters because Flash was counter surfing and resource guarding. Flash would at times try to guard the counters and […]
The training session was EXCELLENT! Donna Smith was extremely knowledgeable and assessed the situation thoroughly and efficiently. Her intuition about my dog's personality, our relationship and his […]
