Bark to Basics
Ladera Ranch, California
(21)
Ladera Ranch, California
(21)
21 customer reviews
Melissa C.
I hired Melissa to help me train my 4 month old puppy. She was so quick in responding to emails and calls. She helped train my dog and answers emails when I have questions regarding training. I also loved how she would write down all the notes after our meeting so I didn't have to remember everything taught in class. My puppy still needs training and is continuing training, but she helped set a foundation to start with. I do feel her fees were a little pricey, but worth the money to have her come to my house and meet at parks for a different environment. Thanks Melissa! More...
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Katie F.
We had Melissa come help teach our 4 month old puppy some of the basic commands as well as help teach us how to best deal with some issues like jumping up and other little things. Melissa was extremely nice, helpful and extremely knowledgeable. When we had troubles with some of the commands she always had a few alternative suggestions to help reach our goal. We would highly recommend Melissa for all your doggy training needs. More...
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Nonna Bob
We highly recommend Bark to Basics. Melissa is so easy to work with. Her directions are very clear which makes the training easy to duplicate. She connected with our puppy right away. He really listened to her. The leash training was especially effective. Baxter is doing much better using Melissa’s tips. More...
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Jennifer Hernandez Cristina
We love Melissa from Bark to Basics! After losing his sister, my pup started getting major anxiety. Melissa has been a life saver! We are only 5 months into the training and my dog has already had his medication cut in half, his anxiety is way down and he will finally relax in his crate while we are away. Melissa has helped me understand my pup which helps me help him. She's given me great advice as well. I would highly recommend her and Bark to Basics to anyone. More...
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Randy R.
I called Melissa to help train my six month old German Shepherd/ Husky. He looks Shepherd but has the attitude of a Husky. Most people will tell you not to even try till they get older but I wanted a base for the future with him. Melissa had to train me also but with three lessons my pup was sitting staying even with me walking away and coming when called. Loki will sit at the door and wait for me to tell him it's ok to come out. Taking Loki on a walk now is easy before I would need to ice the arm from playing tug a war for three or so miles. I will be using Melissa again in a few months to get Loki trained to do other things after I take the knowledge she gave me and apply it even more to Loki's training. Melissa is great and you can tell she loves dogs and does all training with positive reinforcement. More...
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Trisha L.
We have a 1 year old Goldendoodle that needed help with a few basics. Melissa was an absolute pleasure to work with. We tackled the issues by priority. Jumping and nipping was #1 on our list. She provided us with tools to help our dog with these problems. In a short period of time, with consistent practice, our hyper dog is able to contain himself when guests arrive. If you are looking for quality in home training, definitely give Melissa a try. She is skilled, knowledgeable and professional. More...
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Terra S.
Melissa was great. We started out with a large list of things to work on and ended up narrowing it down a bit & focusing on a few things over a series of sessions. By the end of it we felt confident we had the tools to continue working with our dog & have already seen tons of improvement. It has been so great. A little pricey but hard to find any other trainers for less in the OC area. More...
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Doug B.
We have very small dogs, with ages from 4 to 10 years. None have ever had even one hour of formal training. Barking, running, lousy with knowing the difference between knowing a living room from a back yard all coming to a head one day with the realization we need help! We tried one trainer who traumatized one dog and both of us!Then we found Melissa! With her rewards and affection based training, three sessions later we are well on our way to having perfect animals who respect us more, have calmed down tremendously and oddly enough really seem to love the affectionate discipline.Cannot recommend her enough! More...
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Nick G.
Melissa was an amazing resource as we got Gus ready for his AKC test. We did a 3 meeting package and worked through several of his more challenging issues. Will definitely be working with Melissa again in the future! More...
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Michelle M.
Melissa really did wonders for our two little dogs. They love to bark and were not big on focusing long enough to stay still. After a few sessions, their manners have greatly improved. Walks are more enjoyable since they are quiet and now rarely tug on the leash. We covered the basics (sit, stay, come, quiet, leave it) and I no longer have to chase Casper to get my socks back or a paper before he shreds it. :) She also helped with transitioning Hazel from puppy pads to doing her business outside only. If the need arises, I will definitely go back to her for future training sessions. More...
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Jerilyn G.
Melissa is just wonderful! Â We recently adopted two young Maltese rescue dogs (3-years old boy and girl). While our girl is fairly friendly to other dogs, our boy is very afraid of them. When he would see another dog while out on a walk, it was quite a scene of reactive fear (barking, growling, lunging, etc). Â We contacted Melissa because of her great credentials and her experience with this type of problem, and we couldn't be more pleased that we did.She showed us exactly how to handle the problem when it occurs and it has really helped! Â I am truly amazed at how much better my sweet pup is doing now. She also helped us with other training (sit, come, etc). Â It's so rewarding to be able to really be able to communicate with your dog. :-)Melissa is so very helpful, professional and kind. Â She truly loves dogs and pets and wants to help! We highly recommend her for any type of training you need. Â She's the best! More...
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Lisa K.
Melissa is fabulous and truly a life saver! Â We adopted an 11 month old basset hound puppy that clearly had no training previously and was out of control. Â From the first session of our 6 sessions, Melissa knew exactly how to tackle the issues, give us the tools to work with our puppy and get us working on improvements. Â Our older basset loved having Melissa come over too and even learned new behaviors. Â It is so helpful to have this training done in our own home so specific issues could be addressed in real life situations. Melissa got us through a very stressful and challenging transition. Â Our pups are now much better behaved, getting along wonderfully and we couldn't be happier! Â We could go on and on about how wonderfully effective Melissa is, but all you need is 5 minutes with her to see this for yourself. More...
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Deanna M.
Thanks to Melissa, we have a well mannered 10 month old Golden Retriever puppy! Melissa not only trained our puppy, but she trained us as well! We now have the tools to maintain & continue our pups path to being the well behaved dog that we want for our family. Â Thank you Melissa! More...
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Bonnie C.
Melissa was hired to train our severely damaged Pit Bull rescue. He is terrified and frightened beyond anything I had ever seen. She is gentle and effective. On day one she was able to get him to respond to a few commands. He is terrified of everyone but wasn't afraid of Melissa. I highly recommend her for dog training and she comes to your home More...
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Mardell W.
Wow Melissa saved our rescue.  Affenpincher, which is quite a lot to handle and told he was 1 or 2 when in fact 4 with  some real issues problems.  'Aggressive behavior and apparently allowed to do whatever he wanted.Had 6 sessions with Melissa and each visit she gave us "Homework".  All of which turned out to be very valuable.Today instead of turning him back into the shelter he is becoming a valuable member of our family.You do need to do the homework to get the results so do not fool your self there is no magic but great instruction and we did the homework,  Oliver went from being a returned with probably no hope of again being adopted due to behavior problems to a loved animal. More...
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Jennifer C.
We love Melissa from Bark to Basics! After losing his sister, my pup started getting major anxiety. After starting medication our vet recommended getting some training to help deal with the anxiety. Melissa has been a life saver! We are only 5 months into the training and my dog has already had his medication cut in half, his anxiety is way down and he will finally relax in his crate while we are away. Melissa has helped me understand my pup which helps me help him. I would highly recommend her and Bark to Basics to anyone. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Yvonne H.
We have used the services of Bark to Basics for the past 2 years with our very active Sheltie, starting when he was a puppy. Â Melissa and her team have provided everything from training, to boarding, to dog walking, and we have always been very happy with the quality of services provided; they go out of their way to accommodate our schedule and our (and our dog's) needs. Â Our Sheltie is treated well and comes home happy from any time spent with the Bark to Basics staff. Â I highly recommend them! More...
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Jill M.
Bark to basics boarding is my dogs (babies) home away from home! I have no worries when traveling that my they are well cared for and happy! Melissa takes care of just as if they were home with me & I know my they love because as soon as we turn the corner to arrive they chatter all the way down the block & continue until Melissa opens the door! Thank you for keeping my babies safe & very happy!!! More...
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Julie B.
Melissa has been wonderful in helping us with our new Labradoodle puppy. He was our very first dog and is extremely energetic. .. Chews through anything too. Having never trained a dog before, he was proving himself to be quite a handful... Jumping over furniture, grabbing household objects and running, and not listening to any command were everyday occurrences until Melissa started working with us. Now, at 9 months of age, he is becoming much more manageable. He is listening and responding to us regularly and learning to become a more considerate member of our household. Melissa was very knowledgable about all aspects of his training and gave us some valuable tips with regards to his diet and very sensitive stomach. We are on a much saner and happier path now. Thanks Melissa for all your work with us!! More...
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joanne s.
Bark to Basics did wonders for me and my dog!Melissa successfully dealt  with aggression issues our dog was experiencing. She made us realize, it  was human behavior as a catalyst to our dog's  aggressive behavior .With appropriate behavior modification techniques our dog (and we) responded well.Bark to Basics does not use "TV drama techniques" but a well balanced approach to understanding why the behavior occurs -triggers, and how to progressively avoid or eliminate  behaviors.Its amazing how well my dog responded to the right reward provided at the right time.Melissa illustrated  how and when  to  respond to our dog.It has been two years and we have had no issues with our beloved hound! More...
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Kelsey T.
Melissa with Bark To Basics did wonders to our pups ! We've always had golden retrievers and it is a breeze to train them because they aim to please but then we adopted two basset hounds both around 5 years of age with no previous training and stubborn as can be. Â We were overwhelmed with them going to the bathroom in the house as well as bolting out the door when it was opened, major food aggression issues, and of course chewing.We were hesitant to pay someone to help at first, but then after hundreds of dollars of shoes ruined, carpet cleaners purchased, and new rugs we thought it was well worth it.Needless to say they don't chew, fight over food, go past the front door rug, or use the bathroom in the house (few occasional slip ups) anymore !! Â Also loved that it was super quick as well .. We tackled one problem a week !She is super helpful and gets back to you super quick and even follows up with you! Definitely will be coming back if ever needed ! More...
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