Bark Busters teaches dogs to sit back and relax

Date AddedOctober 02, 2009 08:03:47 AM

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Doug Rountree of Bark Busters stands over Hayley and softly growls "bahhh!" Suddenly, the frisky 6-year-old Norfolk terrier assumes a passive position, her head, ears and tail all down. Rountree pats her head and says, soothingly, "Good dog, good Hayley."
Hayley is on her way from a pattern of annoying behavior - barking at mailmen, jumping at cars, chasing squirrels, tugging at her leash - to becoming a peaceful little pet.
Many dog owners spend much of their time saying, "get down ... don't do that ... stop barking" to little or no effect. Rountree, owner of the East Louisville franchise of Bark Busters (an international organization), specializes in changing dogs' behavior, calming them down, getting rid of irritating habits.
But Rountree - who bills himself as a behavioral therapist as well as trainer - points out that frequently his first challenge is changing the human owners' behavior.
"We too often treat our dogs as humans," he said, "and expect human responses in return."
Bark Busters shows clients what dogs really value and care about.
"Mostly, they want boundaries and limits and to know that you're in control of their lives," he said. "Convince a dog that you're in charge, and it will sit back and relax."
It's not as easy, of course, as simply growling "bahhh!" Once the seeds for behavioral change have been planted, owners must constantly reinforce and reward. Dogs respond to their owners' growl, said Rountree, but they also respond to body language and affection.
The Bark Busters concept was started in Australia in 1989 by dog trainers Sylvia and Danny Wilson. Rountree, a former IT engineer who always owned and loved dogs, opened the East Louisville franchise in 2006.
"Wilson ran a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter and was tired of seeing dogs put down for issues that could be corrected," Rountree said. "She created a method that concentrates on consistent signals, body language and voice control rather than physical touching, treats or obedience devices."
Bark Busters' fees are based on the number of dogs and the nature of the problem. But it offers a written lifetime service guarantee.Rountree insists that the system works regardless of the dog's breed, age or background.
"People think of shelter dogs as bad apples," he said, "but that's absolutely not the case. Every dog has tremendous potential as long as its caregivers know how to meet its basic needs."
Bark Busters can be reached at (877) 500-BARK or barkbusters.com.