Testimonials
Read our clients’ stories.
Use the search bar to find stories of dogs with particular issues or of specific breeds. Click on the tag above the dog’s name to narrow it down by service or breed group.
Errol
These guys are brilliant dog trainers - Linnea took charge with our mini schnauzer who was reactive and helped us find the confidence and techniques to bring him back to being a happy and adventurous dog who is comfortable in all situations. She helped us really bond with our dog for training and make it a mutually rewarding experience. And she’s attentive to slips and changes in our training - is totally approachable and great.
-Laurence
Wombat
We’d worked with 7 trainers for help with our reactive border terrier before we found Walk and Train Edinburgh - all taught us something but we didn’t make any progress in terms of his reactivity to dogs. We were at the point we dreaded walks, regularly hiding in bushes and avoiding any dogs. Wombat would get so worked up that he would redirect on to us, we couldn’t leave him alone as that would cause him so much stress (once taking out a pane of glass to get to us). Linnea and Gregor understood who Wombat is and what he needs and have changed our lives and the relationship we have with our dog. It’s a work in progress but the difference from where we were a year ago is huge. From the 1:1 sessions, group classes, Wombat’s 6 week residential and follow up sessions and the GRC classes - the support and expertise from Linnea and Gregor has been, and continues to be, amazing as they help us learn the skills to help Wombat and us live our best lives together.
-Jen & Jon
Sadie
Linnea is absolutely amazing! I went through several different trainers / behaviourists before I found Walk & Train and I never looked back.
She’s great at gauging what your dog needs from you and making a plan which will help you to get the best out of your dog.
I’ve been working with her for a few years now, attending 1:1 classes and group classes and it’s incredible to watch her aproach every dog with such individuality depending on their breed & character.
Best trainers in Edinburgh!
-Anna
Otis
Our 3 year old WCS, Otis, was in need of training in recall and socialising with other dogs. We had done some training with Linnea before and decided between us that Otis should go for residential training.
The difference in Otis in the 4 weeks was incredible. Gregor and Linnea kept in touch throughout the time with progress videos and messages. This helped us miss him less. Despite knowing his progress I was still nervous when on our first training session together at the end of his stay Gregor let Otis off lead in the meadows. This is something I would never have done previously as he would have run off after birds, dogs, picnics, etc. Instead we played ball for ages and discussed the work Gregor and Otis had done together along with information on how to continue this at home. We had 3 further sessions and Gregor was available throughout this time to answer the many questions we had.
Now Otis has great recall, he loves to play ball or explore the woods and I am confident that he will stay in sight and come back when asked. As a family we now enjoy our walks with Otis - they are fun again.
Otis also benefited from his socialisation with the other dogs and now is part of the day care gang.
My only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner. Otis is living his best life 😊
-Anne Marie
Xitla
Our rescue dog Xitla, has some issues with reactivity, and we reached a point where our walks and even having people over was very stressful. We have been working with Linnea since 2019, and Xitla is like a different dog! Linnea's one-to-one sessions helped me understand Xitla's behaviour and helped us both develop confidence and communication skills. The Sunday group classes have also been fantastic. We've been able to improve on obedience and communication in a way that is fun and enjoyable for our dog. There is still a lot for us to learn and improve, but I'm delighted to say our walks are no longer stressful and Xitla is an absolute delight with our guests in our house.
-Marianna
Willow
Linnea (walk & train) was the 4th trainer we met during our dog’s difficult journey, after nearly 2 years of feeling stuck and frustrated with ineffective advice which didn’t seem to get to the crux of our dog’s difficulties. After our very first session with Linnea we felt better equipped, and in the space of a few months have made life-changing progress.
We have tried many of the top trainers in Edinburgh and Lothian and Linnea is the best for a challenging dog. The only one that truly understood our dog and how to manage behaviours. She knew exactly what to do in any given circumstance, excellent at what she does, literally a life saver! THE BEST
-Kris & Kerry
Ripley
Working with Linnea on group walks and 121 has helped us (and doggo) so much. We haven't always got our training right with our lovely, spirited Border Terrier but with Walk & Train we get clear, consistant advice and support and it's been the best thing we've tried for us (and we have tried a lot!). We had to wait a little while because it's very popular but it was so worth it! As an added bonus we have met many other friendly dog owners and feel a little less alone in our training journey.
-Jane
Lottie & Maisie
We have a very nervous and reactive miniature schnauzer. Gregor just seemed able to make her relax and be calmer from the first time he met her. After a few sessions she was able to meet his other day care dogs and in time go on to join one of the Walk and Train walkers. He taught us so much about helping Lottie to be calmer and to make good decisions so we could all start to enjoy her walks. We still have work to do but the difference he made was amazing. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
Norma
We love the walks & love knowing that our dog Norma gets a good few hours out & about in doggie company. Becks is absolutely awesome & we all love her, especially Norma of course! Becks sends us photos & always lets us know how the day has been & we really couldn’t be happier.
I would highly recommend walk & train for absolutely anything doggie related but especially the doggie day trips/walking service. They are professional, friendly & a good price. We are so pleased we signed up.
-Maria
Luna
I adopted Luna, a little black dog, around 10 months ago. She was 2 when she came to me and had stayed in a couple of homes while looking for a forever home. We have been having one to one sessions with Gregor and she spent over two weeks with Linnea and Gregor as a boarder while I was on a pre-planned holiday. The sessions with Gregor have really helped with her walking on the lead and recall. She is social dog and loves the long walks with Becks which again have really helped with her recall and socialisation. I’m so pleased I found Walk & Train and would highly recommend the training and walks.
-Alison
Cassie
We are the owners of a very sensitive Border Collie who can struggle with dogs, people and certain environments. We had got so far with her with our previous trainers help. Our gut feeling was Cass still had potential in growing her confidence, but we’d need to look for something specific to help push her and us on. It turns out this does exist, it’s just we would have to go to the other side of the country for it, and we are so glad we did.
With Linnea and Gregor it never felt like training, it felt like hanging out with your friends that love your dogs as much as you do. What’s more Linnea didn’t stop with Cass, she worked on all our dogs as a group. We were struggling with not making our training mechanical and were beginning to lose the relationship aspect. We don’t know how Linnea does it, but she tunes you into your dog, so that you can support them so much better. Working with them is holistic, no stone is left unturned, working as much on our day-to-day interactions within the house as those behaviours outside.
We also had the privilege to join Gregor on a social walk with Cass. This was invaluable! His ability to work with so many dogs, all with differing personalities and bring balance to the group is an art. Seeing him integrate Cass into the group was so useful. He read her perfectly, and proved with the right support she has so much more potential if nudged in the right way.
So how good are they? Well we have done two holidays to Scotland to work with them. That’s how good they are! We will continue with everything Linnea and Gregor can throw at us. We just need to move to Scotland!
-Zoe
Tali
We’ve had Tali, our fox red lab since she was 8 weeks old and though she was fearful from day 1, at around 5 months old she started to become reactive to both people and dogs. We got in touch with Linnea for some help when Tali was 9 months old as we felt we’d stopped making progress with our training, and had a few bad encounters with other dogs that had shaken us and made us anxious to take her for a walk. Things started to turn around for us straight after the online consultation, as Linnea’s suggestions for changes to our daily routine already reduced some of Tali’s anxiety and reactivity. One on one sessions helped us to get to grips with our handling and how to manage Tali in challenging situations, and now we’ve made it to Level 2 of the group classes and are thrilled with the changes we’ve seen in Tali. She’s a much happier dog, that looks to us more for guidance, and we’re now able to go on walks without panicking about how busy they might be or what other dog owners might do to make things tricky. We’re now able to enjoy the high energy, boisterous, affectionate dog that Tali is to the full and that makes us so happy! In short, working with Linnea has changed our life for the better and we’re now simply excited to see where we can get to with Tali in the future. Thanks so much Linnea!
-Charlotte
Angus
We have a two year old mixed breed (Springer Spaniel X Border Collie X Australian Kelpie) dog Angus, who we have had since he was 9 weeks old. As well as being super active, at the age of about 5 / 6 months we noticed that he started to struggle with interactions with unfamiliar dogs, occasionally resorting to aggression when overwhelmed or really frustrated (particularly walking on a lead). We also noticed he was struggling at meeting new people, often barking when strangers entered the house or if we spoke to people he didn’t know when out and about.
We were very active with Angus’s training from the get go - having taken him to a couple of puppy and training classes and groups, as well as some 1-1 sessions with some other really excellent trainers in Edinburgh. He knew loads of party tricks, and his recall was really good (especially if there was a ball involved). However, we still felt useless at handling situations where he became overstimulated or overwhelmed and we were struggling to build his confidence in such situations in a controlled way.
We first approached Linnea at Walk & Train after a recommendation from one of her other clients. After an initial ZOOM consultation, where we talked through our situation, Linnea helped us come up with a new structure / routine to help Angus change his mindset - creating a foundation to better prepare him for these challenging situations out on walks. From here we have had several 1-2-1 lessons to work on our leash handling, general communication and long line work. We have also attended weekly group walks directed by Linnea, with other owners going through a similar process. Through this process, we have been given loads of feedback on how to handle Angus around other dogs in different environments and get a weekly opportunity to practice our skills and see how Angus copes with both the dogs in the classes, and all the other dogs we see out and about. This exposure has been invaluable to Angus, but also to us, to build on our own confidence week on week. Getting to meet and work with a group of dogs and owners who are having similar experiences to us, and learning and discussing experiences has also been a massive positive for us.
In little under a year of working with Linnea and Walk and Train, we can now confidently take Angus to busy places in city centres, bars, cafes, hikes with other dogs, all activities which we found unmanageable before Walk & Train. We are partaking in the Level 2 Sunday classes, and have recently just started GRC training with Linnea, and cannot wait for Angus' confidence (and ours) continue to grow. We could not recommend Walk & Train more highly.
-Sean
Charlie
Our 2.5 year old dog Charlie is a lurcher (saluki x) who has been struggling with dog interactions from about 7months old, when his social over-excitement and intensity turned into reactivity towards stranger dogs. He gets quickly overwhelmed and unsure in new social interactions.
We had Charlie on a chemical castration implant to assess whether hormones were a factor. While we had made good progress with training Charlie in that time, when we initially approached Walk & Train, we were missing opportunities to regularly practice dog neutrality, get feedback on our handling and be supported in real-life scenarios. In all the intense dog reactivity training work we no longer enjoyed walking our dog and walks were a source of dread. We were frustrated, and he was frustrated!
After a year with Linnea, Charlie is more balanced, our bond and communication has improved, and we both get over set backs much quicker. Going for walks is fun! Now, we were even able to go travelling with him for 6 weeks to Norway and back and everyone had a great time! 😊Through Linnea’s training we have gained a deeper understanding of our dog and can meet him where he’s at, rather than projecting our own feelings onto him.
Being part of a group of people who ‘get it’ has also been really beneficial - Walk & Train is such a supportive community!
I would highly recommend Linnea and Walk & Train ❤️
-Selma
Max
We contacted Walk & Train to help with our collie x lab who became reactive to new people and dogs about a year old. Linnea has changed our lives. We couldn’t walk along the street. Now Max happily walks along busy pavements and sits in cafes while people step over him. The big difference between Linnea and other trainers we have worked with is that she is training me, not Max - and that’s the key. She expertly spotted where we were going wrong and taught us what we needed to do. And the group classes are fantastic. Seems so simple to provide the chance to be neutral around other dogs in a structured way, but it works. Thank you!
-Gillian
Max
Max, a cockapoo, came to join us when he was 5 months old. He was a lockdown pup and I soon realised he had lots of issues. Inside the house he would bark at myself or my husband if Max deemed we were doing something "out of the ordinary". He would bark at the TV, a hat (I had put it in a different place), if we moved quickly, anything he saw when he looked out the windows. Outside on walks he would react to just about everything. He would lunge and bark at anything fast and or noisy, especially cars and other dogs. It was a stressful time for me and I actually wondered if I had done the right thing in getting him.
Luckily Walk & Train was mentioned to me and Linnea was a godsend! We had our first on-line meeting and she advised us how to tackle the issues inside the house and then we worked on the outside issues. I've had 1-1 sessions with Linnea and with her support my handling has improved and I'm now able to identify Max's triggers and deal with them. Linnea gives you confidence and the "tools" to work with. I've seen a huge difference in Max and I'm hopeful with Linnea's support he will continue to improve.
We also attend the weekly group classes and Max is now on level 2 and he walks, off-leash with a group of various dogs! It's also great to walk with people who know what it's like to have a reactive dog.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Linnea and Walk and Train services.
Debbie
Billy
When we first got our dog Billy he barked at every dog he saw, near and far! We went to a local dog trainer who got us to a point of him not barking at EVERY dog however we definitely reached a point where we couldn’t get any further with the same trainer as it was a bit of a one size fits all approach. Walk and train offers up a tailored strategy for each individual dog and does not discriminate on breed, we have a pomchi and Linnea has all the time in the world for him. Walks used to be a lot more stressful
and now us and Billy are a lot more capable and confident of handling walks while encountering lots of different obstacles. Not only have we come on leaps and bounds in a short space of time but we have been able to meet so many like minded angels who love their dogs. I don’t ever want to stop going to the group classes and private sessions as they’re always such a pleasure. I’ve encountered quite a few dog trainers over my life time but none as caring and lovely as walk and train. They have created a community of people who can lean on each other and share their experiences to keep moving and growing with their dogs. This is just such a great and professional training experience I can’t recommend enough. Thank you lots!!!
-Aileen
Frank
Last year we were joined by Frank our 8 week old Border Terrier puppy. Having had a Border Terrier before we knew what to expect and he didn't disappoint. Plenty of energy, lots of sass and a face that would have us right where he wanted us if we gave him half a chance. I had high expectations of this dog - we are retired and keen this time round to have what I call a 'portable' dog we can take anywhere and introduce to anyone without worrying he would take over or behave inappropriately. Since we had our last dog there has been a huge increase in the number of places that welcome pets and I wanted to make full use of that this time round. Having looked at all the trainers and walkers online I felt that Linnea and Gregor stood out in offering a 'whole dog' solution and that they appeared to really know their stuff. And so I contacted them very early on in the process and asked them to help us bring out Frank's full potential and enjoy the full dog owning experience to the max. It was a VERY good decision!
Linnea called us early in 2022 when Frank was just 6 months old for an online consultation. The appointment was for an hour and a half and I couldn't imagine why I would need that long - I thought we'd be done in 20 minutes. Boy was I wrong! Linnea asked key questions to get a really good understanding of what we were looking for and also where we were currently heading - and she recommended some small but really important adjustments to make sure we brought Frank into alignment with what we were ultimately aiming for. It was a revelation and I still use some of those key tips today.
That was 8 months ago and since then Linnea, Frank and I have had 5 one to one sessions - including a wonderful afternoon at the W&T premises where he met the walking pack and learned a few manners at 'dog school'. If you want to see what Linnea is about you just need to watch her control 12 dogs of different sizes and temperaments without raising her voice or any leash or collars to help - it's a revelation.
We have also attended two rounds of the Group Level 1 classes and are now embarking on Level 2 - walking with around 10 other dogs in a controlled manner and learning a number of key skills such as down stay with distractions, dogs on logs and a very entertaining 'strip the willow' recall exercise which amuses me greatly even in the pouring rain.
Building on these classes Frank and I are now embarking on the Sporty Dog sessions - and whilst we've only attended one so far I think these will be key in helping him develop his control and reduce his terrier frustrations a little more as well as being good fun - and in time I hope to enrol him as a therapet - with Linnea's help obviously.
What I really want to stress is that we didn't have a real 'need' for behavioural help - Frank is by and large a sociable, obedient and contented little chap but I'm so glad we did approach Linnea because with her help I am confident we are going to get the very best out of him and the most fun we can have.
-Penny
Ted
I first got in touch with Linnea 12 months ago for help with our 1 year old cockapoo Ted.
Ted was a very anxious, reactive boy and had very recently been started on anxiety medication by his vet. He was barking overnight, at the door, on leaving the house, in the car not to mention reacting to most other dogs and people on our walks. He was pulling at the lead and walks in general were a very stressful experience for us all.
What a difference a year makes! Very quickly, after starting our individual sessions with Linnea, we began to see improvements. We initially started by reducing Ted’s overall excitement levels and getting him to relax. We worked on loose lead walking and getting Ted to check in with us. Through our individual sessions and group work Ted has improved so much that we were able to stop his medication 6 months ago.
Walks are now relaxed and enjoyable. I feel I have the tools to engage Ted and focus his attention away from distractions when encountered out and about. Linnea has also taught me to advocate for my dog, helping me to pick up early when he his uncomfortable and avoid unnecessary stresses. Ted is overall a happier, calmer dog. Training is ongoing but I am thrilled with Ted’s process. Linnea’s teaching and support has been amazing. I am so grateful for having found her and couldn’t recommend more highly. Thank you Linnea!
-Julie
Kaos
Having a highly dog reactive GSD, I got in touch with Linnea seeking help and I'm extremely glad I did. While we're not at that stage where he doesn't react at all, Linnea has helped me tremendously with management and things I can work on to counter condition my best friend when there are other dogs around.
You're not alone when you take Linnea on as your trainer as she is very accessible and communicates her thoughts and ideas clearly and in language anyone can understand.
You and your dog couldn't ask for a better trainer and friend. Thank you Linnea, Gregor and Ida.
-Khaled
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