After we brought our Labrador Max into our world at 14 months, we quickly realised that we needed some support working on his manners. He came to us with minimal training, and a lot of energy which was difficult to contain at times - especially around other dogs and squirrels! After googling dog trainers in Edinburgh, we were particularly taken by Linnea and Gregor’s approach to training and their enjoyment of the outdoors.

After just one Zoom call, we already had exercises to work on with Max and started to improve our communication with him. It wasn’t long until we got to meet Linnea in person - it was amazing to see her pick up on Max’s behaviour cues, which shows the amount of knowledge and experience Linnea has when it comes to understanding dogs.

We used to dread passing other dogs on walks as Max would lunge towards them, and we'd often have to battle severe cases of the zoomies! The socialisation classes run by Walk & Train Edinburgh have really helped with Max’s excitement levels around other dogs and sped up all of our learning. Max is now a much calmer dog, who’s easier to communicate with and we feel relaxed when taking him out and about. A lot of this is down to consistent work we put in, setting him up for success and not rewarding bad behaviour. Our relationship with Max would be nowhere near as positive had we not found Walk & Train Edinburgh.

We all really enjoy our sessions with Walk & Train Edinburgh, and are looking forward to taking Max to more advanced Sporty Dog classes this summer! Something we would never have thought possible before meeting Linnea just over a year ago.

Highly recommend! A rewarding experience all round.

-Will

Like many of you probably reading this review we were looking for some help with our reactive dog - a one year old Miniature Australian Labradoodle. She is a wonderfully bouncy and loving dog but this excitement had started to turn to lunging, growling and barking towards other dogs, cyclists and motorcycles whilst on lead.

After a few months of trying to remedy this ourselves using YouTube as a guide we were getting more and more stressed anytime we took her out on a walk. After some research we decided to contact Linnea to see if she could help.

It started with an initial home visit (pre covid) and short on lead walk. It didn't take long for Linnea to pinpoint that her reactivity was a manifestation of excitinment and frustration at not being allowed to do what she wanted. She immediately reassured us that her behaviour could be remedied and that it was a case of understanding Rhu's thoughts/feelings whilst being firmer when misbehaving. We went away with renewed hope that our walks could be made enjoyable again and within a matter of weeks Rhu had improved dramatically just after a single visit.

We have followed this up with multiple individual and group lessons and whilst Rhu is still a very excitable and playful girl we know how to manage this and make sure she stays level headed whilst out and about!

We can't speak highly enough about Linnea and her approach to helping us train Rhu. Like many of the reviews it is much more a case of her training the owners than training the dog and Linnea has blown us away with the difference she has made to Rhu and to ourselves. We couldn't recommend her enough!

-James

Linnea came to our house for initial meeting and a follow up. The rest of our sessions were at Inverleith Park.

Linnea developed a rapport with our Fergus right away. Her advice about the hiccups we have experienced as first time puppy mums have been so helpful. Not only is Fergus a happy calm boy but we are also happy calm parents.

The park and the long lead were a great experience for us. Fergus is so friendly he would go up to any dog or person. Linnea successfully trained us in what to do to help Fergus learn manners. Fergus now has great recall and although still friendly and joyful, knows when and how to approach other dogs.

She also helped us with feeding and barking issues at home.

I heartily recommend Walk & Train and Linnea’s approach.

-Val

I got in touch with Walk and Train on a recommendation. I was having problems with Nell's reactivity with other dogs, some people and especially children!! I had started my own training of sorts but was feeling deflated and just plain tired!! I met with Linnea and we discussed our problems.....I was on the right track but needed a confidence boost. One of the main things that Linnea said was that Nell was very sensitive and attending a doggie daycare three times a week was perhaps not in Nell’s best interest. I had often thought that myself, it just takes someone else to see outside the box. Linnea taught me the methods in which I could modify my own behaviour as well as Nell's. We both worked on our confidence and I started to "read" Nell's body language and worked on pre-empting any potential reaction with distraction. I took her out of daycare due to lockdown and we trained everyday and I have to say she is like a different dog!! She does have her off days where she falls back into her default mode so we continue to keep at it. So, I highly recommend Linnea at Walk and Train with anyone who is having any issues with their dog/s. We all need help from time to time and I'm so glad I got in touch when I did!!

-Kathleen

We had tried other trainers before Walk & Train Edinburgh but none had what seemed like an instinctive ability which Linnea showed from the instant she met our dog.

Ten minutes into our first meeting it was clear she had a better understanding of our dog than we did.

Subtle changes in our dog’s body language and facial expressions, which we had never even noticed in the months we had her since she was a puppy, provided clear messages to Linnea that our dog didn’t understand what we were trying to tell her.

This instinct has no doubt been learnt and refined over many years. When we first met her, Linnea was completing her PhD in dog behaviour. I can’t think of any dog trainers who are both experts at what they do and have reached the same high level of academic study to back it up.

We feel very confident during our training sessions with Linnea. She is highly perceptive, noticing the tiniest reaction of a dog to any outside stimuli, especially the owner’s behaviour. She has provided good sound, practical advice which we have gone away and practised on a daily basis.

Linnea is able to explain to us both the why and the how to fix it. Quite often, if not most of the time, any dog behavioural issues lie with us the owners. So be prepared to take on board lots of good advice about what you are doing wrong and how to correct it.

Training sessions with Linnea are always different and great fun. On group walks we enjoy meeting the other people and dogs who Linnea also trains and who are part of Gregor’s dog walking pack.

You will pick up lots of great information about how to train yourself and your dog. But you absolutely have to go away and practise it between sessions if you really want things to get better.

With Linnea we know we are in capable hands – outside our own direct family she is the only person I would trust to leave our dog with for any length of time. Our dog likes and respects her and is always so excited to see her.

I’m impressed with how Linnea and Gregor promote and communicate their company. No day goes by without an eye catching post on Instagram or Facebook which always includes a beautiful picture of happy looking dogs out walking and enjoying each others’ company in a scenic spot. Linnea posts regular training videos, which are a great resource when you are back home working with your dog and need a reminder on how to do things.

She has come up with some great ideas - Sporty Dogs spring to mind – to keep dogs moving forwards in their training.

On my own daily walks I regularly meet people who are struggling with their dogs. I instantly find myself saying, “I know the exact person who can help you fix that.”

-Rob

Linnea has been an absolute godsend for us. She came for a training consultation for our 6 month old Cockapoo puppy. Previously, it had been difficult to walk Frankie as she was so easily overstimulated but Linnea showed us invaluable ways to manage this which helped so much and we continued with periodic training sessions as Frankie got older. We feel very lucky to have found Walk and Train and even though we now live outside Edinburgh we will still come to Linnea when we get our 2nd dog. :)

-Sinead

Linnea has an almost spooky way of communicating with dogs (and people) who appear to understand her and immediately respond to her command. Linnea is also able to transfer some of that magic through the 1-2-1 training sessions that have allowed us to understand our dog's (Juno) personality and communicate with her in a healthy way. Linnea has led us to have much more insight into how Juno is motivated and ultimately has allowed us to train her to be safe in a positive joyous way that has led her to grow up (so far) well adjusted. Linnea's approach to meet at intervals in the dog's first year has been highly effective and lots of fun. We have been able to learn from Linnea about how to respond as Juno changes and how we can respond to those changes to keep Juno interested and playful. We have already and would always highly recommend Walk & Train for help with new puppies and older animals alike.

- Paul & Mia

Harley has been fantastic. The difference in her is incredible. I no longer dread taking her along the street!

She is so good at making eye contact with me and looking for instruction as to what to do when a dog approaches. I have been practicing turning her round and sitting down and rewarding her when the dog walks past her with no reaction. What a result!

I am now able to walk past dogs ( still with some space for Harley) without any reaction by getting her to look at me and focus.

She is so clever that now when she meets and greets a dog politely on a walk or if she sees a dog in the street she will nudge me for a treat as a reward for no reaction. Clever girl.

We are still practicing so see if we can maybe get a little closer to a dog in the street than we have been. There are still times where she is a little anxious on the lead but all a working progress. She is now walking through the Hermitage with no reaction at all to cyclists, joggers or people with big bags or unusual objects.

Thank you so much for your help.

- Sarah