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

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

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

We have a 4 year old Sprocker Spaniel called Arlo who was a very ”bubbly” and anxious boy. We first contacted Linnea to get some support as Arlo can be anxious and very shouty in certain circumstances demanding attention & not knowing how to control his own frustrations. This also made me feel anxious and nervous and In all honestly it had got to the stage where I totally dreaded walking him in case he barked or lunged at other dogs.

We have been attending 1-1 sessions and he has been progressing through the group classes and due to start level two in the autumn. Before his training there was no way I could have dreamed of taking him to busy parks, walking parallel with other dogs or even being able to stop and have a conversation whilst out walking. Linnea’s support and advise has been outstanding and she has been very patient and has a huge understanding of all dogs needs.

Arlos walks are now much happier and relaxing and we are able to walk past dogs normally, his recall on a long line has improved and he has been learning to engage his mind whilst walking. Although Arlo is still a work in progress he is progressing amazingly and we are so thrilled to have met Linnea! Couldn’t recommend her more.

-Emma

Our lives have completely changed since we got in contact with Linnéa. Before, walks with Marv, our 2 year old labrador pointer mix (and our other 2 dogs) were super stressful and unenjoyable. The walks were spent on edge nervously avoiding other dogs as much as we could. In the last 6-8 months we have made so much progress! We started out with some private lessons focusing on Marvs reactivity and ways to help him in certain situations he found difficult. From then, we decided to start group classes! These were probably the most beneficial as we had access to loads of lovely dogs and owners who were also feeling the same way. Over the weeks, Marvs confidence and ours dramatically improved. We're enjoying walks again and really trying to use our new skills that Linnéa has taught us to make our days run a little smoother. Honestly, Linnéa has helped us so much and we could not recommend her enough! We love Linnéa and school! Excited to continue our journey.

-Aisling

We got in touch with Linnea when our working cocker spaniel Harris started showing some signs of resource guarding and anxiety around other dogs. Linnea immediately knew how to help us, giving us clear tasks to work on improving our relationship with Harris, teaching us how to understand his body language and how to make him feel more comfortable out on walks with other dogs around.

The group classes were exactly what he needed for learning that he can be in the company of other dogs who are calm and considerate. He also really benefitted from socialisation sessions at Linnea’s house. This was when Linnea’s knowledge of dog psychology and behaviour really shone. Her ability to read the dogs’ body language and predict what is going to happen was very impressive and made us realise we were in good hands.

The result is a happier, calmer dog who listens to us more and has learnt his manners around other dogs. We are so glad we found Walk & Train Edinburgh and would highly recommend their services for anyone who needs help.

-Alice

I got in touch with Linnea at Walk & Train Edinburgh for some help and guidance with my cockapoo, Rufus. When I got in touch for training, there were a few issues I was experiencing when walking Rufus, including him pulling on the leash, him getting overexcited and biting on the leash / lunging at me, stopping in his tracks when another dog approached and reacting to people walking towards us. All of which didn’t make for pleasant walking. However this has all changed and I can’t believe the improvement in Rufus since having completed our training sessions. Rufus now walks on a loose lead which is so much more pleasant, he checks in with me rather than other dogs / people when they approach and I have the tools to get his attention on me to walk by distractions. Not only that, but he can now be walked off the lead in environments where he never would have been before. I feel confident I can get Rufus’ attention away from distractions should they arise and he remains engaged with me on our walks. It has really changed the walks we now go on together. Not only this, but I feel due to the training, Rufus’ behaviour in other situations such as at home has improved and our relationship has improved.

I could not recommend their training enough!

-Rachel

Before contacting Walk & Train my walks with my 3 year old cockapoo Archie were STRESSFULL! He would lunge and bark at people, dogs and at times even his own shadow.

In my head I thought Archie was being aggressive towards everything which was rapidly changed after my initial consultation with Linnea. She helped me understand that Archie was coming from a place of fear, frustration and anxiety which then allowed us to put in place the right tools and techniques to try and reduce these elements.

We proceeded with follow up 1:1 sessions, working on distractions, building confidence (for both Archie and ME!), introducing fun interactions with nature and ultimately being able to read his behaviour so I could distract/correct before something becomes a trigger.

We also joined the group walk sessions which were an absolute dream and allowed me opportunities to put all the hard work into practice in a setting were other dog owners were understanding of owning a reactive dog.

Walks with my Archie are now a much better experience. He no longer reacts to people and I’m able to offer him reassurance if he’s showing signs of anxiety when passing other dogs. He’s now a much more relaxed boy both inside and outside and it’s all thanks to Linnea and her extensive knowledge and patience. Thank you from the both of us!

-Natalie

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