About Bark Busters Rockland and South Orange Counties

Bark Busters Rockland and South Orange Counties is the local territory of a global in-home training franchise, run by Michelle McCarthy, who describes herself as a dog trainer and dog behavioral therapist with over 13 years in the role.

Everything happens at your house

The whole model is home-based: lessons are taught where the dog lives, on the grounds that this is where the dog feels most secure and where the behavior actually occurs. There is no premises to visit and no group class.

What it covers

The published services are home dog training, dog behavior training, puppy training and a child-focused dog safety program the brand calls Stand Rite No Bite. The behavior list on the territory's own pages is long and specific – aggression, excessive barking, compulsive behaviors, separation anxiety, reactivity and resource guarding, plus housebreaking, chewing, digging, jumping, leash pulling, marking, focus and listening, confidence building, and preparing a dog for a new baby.

The method, in the trainer's own words

The approach is described as based on how dogs communicate with each other, using respect, leadership and trust rather than bribes or punishment – and the trainer's own line is that she will not do anything to your dog that she would not do to her own, and nothing physical.

The ongoing support

The franchise's Life of Dog support guarantee is the commercial differentiator here: with the Gold Service, the same trainer stays reachable for the life of the dog at no extra cost. If you expect to need help again at eighteen months, or when a second dog arrives, that is the thing to price against a package of individual lessons elsewhere.

Where it works

The territory is Rockland and southern Orange counties, and the published client reviews come from Nyack, Nanuet, Suffern, Stony Point and Tomkins Cove. No town is claimed as a base, so treat it as a county-wide mobile practice.