Barker Behavior

Unfortunately, I feel most of the good reviews are because the people had fun or are friends of hers, not because the training actually worked. Brandi the trainer is nice and was prompt and profesional, but the training was a huge waste of money. more

Dewey the coonhound pup, at 5 months, is a big, crazy, puppy. We needed some help to direct him and teach him basic commands, while helping him learn good puppy social graces. After researching online and reading reviews, we had a great experience with Lisa and Barker Behavior Puppy I class. In our grumpy old age, I had forgotten just how energetic and curious puppies can be, but what amazed me is just how quickly these little guys pick up new information -- they are like little sponges! With help, we (the two-leggers) have learned a lot about communicating w/ Dewey, who very quickly picked up the basic commands + several very cute tricks. We felt right at home in the small group class, everyone was friendly and enjoyed watching all the pups learn and grow over the weeks. more

Gnarly and I started with Puppy I when he was only about 6 months old. The transformation from the beginning of class to 7 weeks later was astounding. Lisa's patience and demonstrations by example were a huge help in taking my pup from a hyper little guy that won't even look when you say his name to a much better behaved dog that is fun to be around. Puppy I taught us the basics of getting our dog to pay attention to us and cues such as ""sit"" and ""down"" and ""touch."" It was a great way to build a bond with your puppy and show them who is in charge. Pros: Class size, days & times of class, the instructors, parking more

I signed up for Citysearch today specifically to talk about how great Barker Behavior is! As a recent graduate of the Puppy 1 class, my terrier is more attentive and responsive than I could have imagined seven weeks ago. He actually SITS when he sees other dogs he wants to play with because he knows he only gets rewarded for good behavior. That's what Brandi and the other instructors will teach you - how to reward at just the right moment so your dog will learn to behave without being asked. Pros: Special attention, other dogs to socialize with, TONS of knowledge! Cons: The Stay: A Modern Dog Hotel store is closed at night when we have class. more

Hi, my name?s Winnie. I?m a one-year-old beagle mix and a big fan of Barker Behavior. I was recently rescued by my new parents who quickly realized I had picked up some bad habits on the streets and at the pound. They took me straight to Brandi Barker?s behavior class where I got to hang out with other dogs and learn how to act like a good beagle should. Brandi taught me how to sit, lie down, walk on a leash, stay, come, drop, and greet other dogs nicely. Needless to say I graduated with honors and even got an official certificate (proudly displayed on the refrigerator), photo in my cap and gown, and a graduation gift bag full of goodies. I recommend Barker Behavior to all my dog friends. I give Barker Behavior two paws up! My parents agree with me. more

My new dog Baxter and I took training classes with Brandi a few months ago at Wiggleyville. Baxter is 7 and was abused for much of his life, so besides having many fears of normal activities, he is very sensitive to discipline and wants to quit listening very quickly. Despite these challenges, Brandi's training class was such a success for him! Brandi worked on getting the most out of Baxter in a short amount of time by helping him succeed quickly at each training exercise. Another challenging aspect was that 1/2 of our small class were young, strong puppies and 1/2 were older, quieter dogs. Brandi did not let that situation take away from our learning experience, and helped keep the focus of our dogs away from the puppy ruckus :) She was also able to use a different training technique as needed by each dog. In a world of many different dog trainers out there, I highly recommend Brandi! more

We took our yellow lab, Molly, to puppy classes this winter. We always looked forward to Saturday mornings when we would commute all the way from the suburbs to Chicago to attend the class- and it was well worth it! I highly recommend Brandi's puppy class to anyone with a new dog. The classes were informative. Each class had a different focus- sitting, walking, etc., and Brandi sent a follow up email that explained everything we went over in class and what to work on for the next week. We especially liked that the dogs were able to interact with each other and run around- this helped release some of their puppy energy and taught them how to act socially. Dog owners were encouraged to pet and pick up puppies other than their own. Brandi also stayed after class to answer our questions. Great experience! more