"She wasn't coming right away when I called her and she seemed to be scared of noises and the problems were getting worse," Epstein said,
The dog team has been working with Epstein on leadership techniques with Lily - such as having her stay and following verbal commands.
"When the dog follows you have her focus on your leadership instead," they offered.
And "let your dog be a pet on your terms - not theirs."
Reminding Epstein that dogs have a pack mentality and the human is supposed to be the pack leader in the eyes of their canine.
They have also been working with Epstein on desensitizing Lily when she hears troubling sounds.
"When the mailman would come and slip the mail through the mail slot she would freak," Epstein said adding that Lily doesn't have that particular behavior problem anymore.
Nor, Epstein said, does Lily follow her every step any more. She knows she can be a dog and does not have to be on duty all the time.
They have also been working on boundary issues with Lily such as not feeding her from the table and only feeding her in her food bowl so she doesn't think she can just eat from anyplace.
"We ignore her at the table now," Epstein said.
Epstein said she was happy with the training provided.
"I'm very happy with the way they train. It is nonphysical and they implement training with your normal routine in most cases," she said.
Bark Busters motto is "No breed is untrainable. No dog is too old to learn new tricks."
According to the Horowitzs the Bark Busters method is based on the way dogs communicate with each other and how they learn from older, more important dogs in the pack.
They believe in home training because that is where they live - with you in your home.
They said dogs learn by association.
Training in your home is a one-on-one system without the distraction of other dogs or the stress of being sent away for training at a kennel.
And of course they offer customized training as no two canines are alike.
The Bark Busters method does not include the use of big sticks, rolled newspapers or threats of any kind.
Nor do they use shock, spray or pronged collars.
And they teach you to use just your voice to control your dog.
Additionally they offer a lifetime written guarantee wherever you live.
A one-time fee is charged that covers as many sessions as it takes to rectify the problem
They said the first session will take two to three hours and you are required to practice 10 to 15 minutes a day four to five times a week. This will reinforce your dog's newly learned behavior.
We are committed to solving your dog's behavioral problems. We charge a one-time fee that covers as many sessions as you require to get the problems under control.
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Richard and Vicki didn't start off as dog trainers.Richard has held management positions including in a public utility company and as the vice president and chief operating officer for a nonprofit senior housing company.
Vicki has a degree in occupational therapy and has worked with school-aged children for many years.
The couple said they always wanted to be business owners and decided to combine their love of animals with a business they were sure they would enjoy.
"Our mission is to provide the means for all "family members" to live "peacefully" together. This will be accomplished through providing the appropriate resources that promote happiness, mutual respect, love, and quality of life for all members of the family," they said.
The Horowitz's can be reached at 203-687-0480 or by logging onto www.barkbusters.com.
Watch for their monthly columns.
