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.
Odan
My dog Odi joined Walk & Train in June and life has become much less stressful. Due to Odi’s tendency to resource guard , I felt I couldn’t ask friends to mind him when needed, the result was making me feel overwhelmed.
Odi now walks with Gregor twice a week. Gregor genuinely understands his personality and I feel absolutely at ease knowing he is so well cared for while I am at work.
We have also done some one to one training sessions with Gregor and I find these really motivational and guides me to strengthen my connection with Odi. Things are improving every day.
-Grainne
Frankie
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
Juno N.
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
Finn
We decided to use Walk & Train after our dog Finn was becoming more reactive around other dogs. We started by doing training with Linnea which was so so helpful and insightful. We learnt a lot more about why Finn reacts certain ways and got invaluable training that we still apply at home and when we are out with him(which he really enjoys).
We also moved to Gregor for dog Walking- again the best thing we have done. He was introduced slowly to ensure he got on well with the other dogs and we get lots of feedback on how He is getting on. I feel so confident that he is with someone who is very experienced, being looked after and getting long walks out of the city.
Highly recommend either of these services, and Gregor and Linnea! (Also great at answering any questions I have as a worried owner). Such a high level of experience and knowledge which is so hard to find!
- Emma
Harley
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
Luca
Late last summer I welcomed an Italian Greyhound puppy named Luca into my home. Luca was my first dog and I was really keen to make sure he (and I as a newbie dog owner) got off to the best start.
Walk and train (Linnea) has been fantastic at helping us get all the basics right. From general obedience training, to confidence building, to how to behave around other dogs and why he reacts (and how to deal with it), Luca and I have learned together. It’s of course so true that much of a dog's behaviour is influenced by it’s owner and Linnea has helped me understand how I can best help my little boy, working with and training me as much as the pup.
While there’s still work to be done he really is a good boy and our latest success is off lead walking - something I honestly thought we’d never achieve, and I would never have dreamed of attempting without the pre-work Linnea helped us put in.
I’d highly recommend Walk and Train to any new puppy owner - the 1:1 sessions are hugely valuable.
- Fiona
Wolfie
We have had such a positive experience working with Walk and Train Edinburgh. We own a lovely but unruly young Labrador, and have recently had a baby. We wanted to make sure that Wolfie (our lab) was gentle with our daughter and to try and calm some of his more boisterous behaviour.
We started with a 3 hour 1-2-1 session with Linnea where she worked on Wolfie’s behaviour in the house, especially his barking. The techniques she showed us really suited our style - they were gentle yet firm and Wolfie responded to this immediately. Linnea then took us for a walk where we worked on Wolfie’s behaviour on the lead. Again, her calm yet authoritative manner was really effective. Linnea followed up the session with detailed notes, and then checked in again a few weeks later. We were really delighted with this support.
Wolfie now walks with Gregor 3 days a week and absolutely loves this. He comes back well exercised and calm, and will settle easily in his crate once’s he has returned. We have also noticed that Wolfie is a lot calmer when we take him for walks ourselves. His recall has improved and he jumps significantly less. He is wonderful with our baby and treats her like his own child!
I would not hesitate to recommend Walk and Train, and we will absolutely continue to use their exceptional services.
- Alice & Andrew
Frankie
This is Frankie, fox terrier, looks cute doesn’t he? Don’t be fooled! We met Linnea a year ago after a recommendation and desperation. Frankie had started becoming reactive to other dogs, people with hats, young children almost everything in the outside world. He was making our lives a misery and we dreaded taking him for walks. He redirected on both myself and my son and at this low point considered rehoming! We had one to ones and then joined her pack walks. These were all so beneficial. We learned so much from these sessions and about Frankie. We now enjoy Frankie and our walks and know how to deal with difficult situations. We are all much more confident. There’s still work to do but we have come a long way and we wouldn’t dream of rehoming him and feel guilty that we had considered that.
- Jane
Cassie
We called Walk & Train after two previous dog trainers had failed to help with our re-homed lurcher who had become reactive to dogs and people, and was generally out of control, making our walks hugely stressful. Linnea firstly came to our home for a 3-hour session and what struck me immediately was her ability to look at the whole dog and her routine and so get to the root of her problems (us!). Her insistence on putting our dog back on the lead and starting her training from scratch, as well as giving us the ‘tools’ to recognise and prevent her aggressive lunging and barking, helped us get back in control. It also felt like we were growing a new and better relationship/partnership with our dog. We started attending the brilliant weekly walks for reactive dogs and have seen Cassie’s behaviour improve hugely over the last year. Walk & Train clients form a little family of dog owners who are respectful of each other’s dogs and their issues and help each other out - it’s great to know you’re not alone! We have found Linnea and Gregor at W&T to be very professional, enthusiastic, caring, extremely hard working and hugely knowledgeable (Linnea is writing a PhD related to dog/human relationships) while at the same time being friendly, approachable and non-judgmental. I would highly recommend them on every level, and I honestly don’t think we’d still have our dog Cassie if if it wasn’t for them.
- Lindy
Roxy
I contacted Linnea from Walk & Train Edinburgh as after rehoming Roxy I started experiencing some problems with her behaviour. I thought that maybe some of it was also my fault and I wanted some guidance on how to handle her better on walks and I hoped I will be able to help her with her fears. I have noticed that she was very fearful of lots of things including: bin lorries, binned glass, children playing ball, motorbikes. She was also reactive to other dogs and I felt this was getting worst by the day. My only option was to work with her and try to establish if there was something that I was doing wrong which would impact on her behaviour. We had initial consultation with Linnea and she “prescribed” few very simple exercises which we were able to practice even at home. After one week I’ve noticed difference in Roxy’s behaviour! We started to go for meaningful walks during which we practiced various things. We then progressed to Level 1 reactive dogs classes and that is when things really started to change. I never ever imagined Roxy walking calmly next to other dogs! I started to be more firm with her, noticed when she was giving me “signs” of a distress or when she was ready to react. I also became more confident and relaxed when handling her during walks. Our walks are now a pleasure and not a cause of distress for both of us! It is a constant hard work but it is all worth it in the end! We are now in Level 2 group going for walks on a long lead together with other reactive dogs. We also attend socialisation classes with Linnea’s dogs. I do not expect Roxy to be a perfect dog but my relationship with her is so much better since I started our training with Linnea. She trust me more and constantly looks for my reassurance which I am now able to give her. Even my partner commented that Roxy is now “a different dog”. If you have any problems with your dog and enough persistence and patience to work on yourself and with your dog I can reassure you will not regret contacting Walk and Train Edinburgh!
- Gosia
Sprocket
It is fair to say that meeting Gregor and Linnea has been a blessing for both us as owners and for our dog, Sprocket. As first time dog owners, we were looking for a very special service, that we could be sure would 100% meet the needs of our dog..and we have gained this and so much more from Walk and Train Edinburgh. Sprocket has been lucky enough to go out every week with Gregor, walking in the hills each day with his lovely pack. Both he..and us unruly humans (!)...have also benefited from Linnea's training mastery during a 1-2-1 session. The combination of skills, knowledge and passion that Gregor and Linnea share between them mean that they are able to offer a truly unique service, which I do not believe exists anywhere else in Edinburgh in the same form.
We know that during his walks with Gregor, Sprocket is happy, motivated and safe with Gregor's pack. The level of commitment to training and holistic care during his day trips is second to none, and Sprocket comes home feeling relaxed, calm and content at the end of each day. He has grown in physical strength over the months and his confidence and obedience have also come along at the same time. Having a dog that is very sensitive and has specific dietary needs means that we really did feel we needed to work with someone who offered something outside of the normal dog-walking services. We have found this with Walk and Train Edinburgh.
After we began to work with Gregor, we went on to meet Linnea for a 1-2-1 session, so that we could continue to build on Sprocket's training at home, and so that we could get to understand and build the best possible relationship with our dog. After only a few minutes of meeting Linnea it was clear that she has an incredible ability to read both dogs and (maybe more importantly) their owners. It took very little time for her to highlight the areas that we needed to work on as owners, and to give us the confidence to move forward with our next steps. The follow up information that she provided was also fantastic.
I have gone on to recommend Walk and Train Edinburgh to many friends with dogs, and really do so because I believe so completely in what they do. It is absolutely not an exaggeration to say that meeting Gregor and Linnea has been a total ray of sunshine in our lives! Thank you so much for all you do for all of us that are lucky enough to meet and work with you.
- Gill & Iain
Piper
Let’s face it, it is difficult to put your trust in a stranger - especially with something as important as your dog. When we got our little terrier ‘Piper’, we did a lot of research and spoke to a number of different people but nothing felt right. Piper is a very active dog, and we were very keen to find someone who understood how terriers act in order to help her build her confidence. Having suffered from separation anxiety in the past, we realised that it was important to find someone who could help her feel safe but at the same time guide us with how to support her whenever she found situations a bit too overwhelming. We often say that contacting Walk and Train Edinburgh was one of the best things we ever did.
Piper had a very interactive initial consultation with the lovely Linnea, who gave us some invaluable day-to-day tips on how to overcome some of the difficulties we were facing at home. It was lovely to feel that this wasn’t just your average business focusing on profit - but rather a very personalised session on how to help dogs and their owners connect with each other better.
We were also very lucky to be able to enrol Piper in their Doggy Day Trips. Witnessing how much her confidence has grown since joining the walks has been a huge relief for us. Gregor comes across as a very responsible and knowledgeable individual, and we instantly felt comfortable with trusting him with Piper. It is wonderful to see how excited she is when Gregor comes and picks her up in the morning, but also how much more balanced and happy she seems in general. Utilising the advice from Linnea, he has worked with us on how to support Piper with any difficulties she might face. His updates gives you a real peace of mind, and seeing pictures of the dogs both training and playing around in fields and forests around the Pentlands really explains why you come home to a tired but happy dog.
Linnea and Gregor provide an outstanding service tailored to each dog’s needs, and we would definitely recommend them to any dog owners out there.
-Michaela & Jago
Iana
We adopted an ex-racing greyhound Iana, she's an amazing dog with the sweetest temperament but used to freeze constantly when walking - sometimes at dangerous times like when crossing the road. There were times we had to carry her home, not an easy feat, she weighs nearly 30kgs! Linnea taught us how to take charge and walk Iana well on a lead. She also gave us strategies for dealing with her freezes and prey drive. Our walks went from being a total nightmare to fun overnight. We later progressed to long-line and recall training and now even walk and play with her off-lead when in a safe environment. My morning walks with Iana have become the highlight of my day, I'm so grateful.
- Mia
Daisy
Since we got our rescue Doberman cross, Daisy, as a young puppy she has struggled reactivity towards people. After trying other training classes and behaviourists, we got in touch with Linnea soon after her anxiety also began to be directed towards other dogs. Without any judgement of ourselves or our much-loved dog, Linnea identified the fear and stress at the root of Daisy’s behaviour, and, from our very first consultation, has helped us to build a training framework that has really built Daisy’s confidence and ours as owners. With lots of hard work, her weekly classes, originally so stressful and tough for us, have become an absolute joy as Daisy learns to relax around the other dogs and owners, and the socialisations with the rest of the weekday walking “pack” have given us a chance to work on her stress around other dogs that I don’t think we could ever have had without Linnea’s amazing support. Daisy actually played with another dog for the first time in over a year and a half at our last one – it’s just wonderful getting to see her relax and grow into being the happy, playful dog that we know she is! Daisy has always been a very loving dog with her family, but the training ideas and videos which Linnea provides have helped us to mentally stimulate and fulfil her while building a bond and a trust with our girl that is just so lovely! The ongoing and consistent support provided by Walk and Train has been truly amazing, we can’t thank Linnea enough for the change it has made to our lives!
-Anna
Malcolm
Just thought we'd let you know Mal is doing well socially - slowly making more friends in the park. We have been able to make play dates with one dog and Mal is now able to either play with or ignore dogs, when they are next to him - not all of them of course, but the progress is super visible.
We have so much to thank Linnea for. Just got back from the beach, where Malcolm was so happy and good with other dogs approaching him he got set free for a while. The only criticism of his behaviour would be he was rude to other dogs, ignoring their attempts at playing with him!
We just want to say BIG THANK YOU for your help and notes, this has given us the knowledge and tools to improve his and our lives.
- Paulina
Munro
Gregor and Linnea are the dog whisperers! Munro is a 1 (and a bit) year old Border Terrier with a lot of energy and endless character. Munro is part of the day trip pack and heads out with Gregor for full day adventure walks a couple of times a week. Every time he comes back the most content and tired little guy. He gets to explore new places, spend time with other dogs (he especially likes being part of team terrier) and also tire out his little legs. It is great for us being at work all day as well, as we know he is being looked after and having the best time!
We also take advantage of training opportunities with Gregor and Linnea! Munro had become a little bit reactive and frustrated while on the lead, barking at other dogs (trying to let everyone know he was top dog) and generally not being great with impulse control. After an initial one to one session we were armed with new techniques and strategies, mostly to do with us rather than the dog. It has been a few months of implementing this and going along to Sunday group classes and he (and we) have come on leaps and bounds. There is always room for improvement and one of the most important things I have learned is that it is a process and a journey! It has been a great learning experience for both us and Munro, and Linnea and Gregor are always there to answer questions or help with anything we need.
I honestly, couldn't recommend Walk & Train enough. Not only has being part of the pack been great for Munro in terms of his socialisation, fitness and overall happiness, I really appreciate all the help, support and guidance we get from Gregor and Linnea helping Munro be the happiest wee guy he can be!
- Yasemin
Elsie
Walk and Train Edinburgh have been nothing short of life savers. When we first contacted them for advice, we were having difficulty even on the shortest, simplest of walks with our 1 year old rescue dog. After the first consultation with Linnea, we already felt better. Instead of dreading going for a walk, we were given tools and advice that we could use to help calm and focus the dog (and us) when out and about and build trust between us all.
We had difficulty with our dog reacting to other dogs in the neighbourhood/in the park and also people she did not know, coming into the house or trying to talk with us in the street.
We joined these fantastic ‘reactive dog’ training classes and noticed a massive improvement in the dog but I think even more importantly, there was a difference in us. Walk and Train Edinburgh give you direct, non-nonsense advice, trying to explain how the dog is feeling and how you can work with them to provide a calm and confident environment.
Our dog has settled down a lot, she now knows how to deal with previously stressful situations and we know that we can all work together to make further improvements. This result has only come about through the caring ad clear advice that we have received from Linnea and Gregor. They are always on hand to offer advice, even though we now live too far away to attend the classes, and I would suggest anyone that is struggling with their dogs behaviour, should speak to these guys over anyone else. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without them!
-Maree
Flo
Our little Flo came into our lives at roughly 4-5months having been rescued from fairly dire upbringings in Romania.
We were super excited to bring Flo into our lives and believed it would enhance our lives; going for big long walks and having additional company and love around the home. Unfortunately we terribly underestimated just how much 'baggage' can come with having a rescue dog who we didn't truly know much about, and having had no dogs together previously, the task felt even bigger.
Flo proved very difficult in the first month. Continually putting it down to her being in new surroundings we tried to persevere. Flo seemed unpredictable and her behaviour somewhat chaotic and unexplainable to myself and partner.
I spent many testing days with Flo, crying inconsolably at her behaviour and what seemed nothing but aggressive; biting at me, barking, completely defiant and intense constantly.
At times I wanted to shut away from her and frankly felt that we had made a terrible mistake and that Flo just didn't 'like' us.
We sought the help of walk and train after the stress was really becoming too much for our relationship to handle. Gregor arrived for a 1-1 consultation and within the first half hour I felt this lightbulb switch turn on and suddenly everything made sense. No judgement on us at how badly behaved Flo seemed, no lecturing on everything that we were or weren't doing. A straightforward, simply to follow, positive approach that has totally altered how we view Flo and dog behaviour in general. After 2 sessions ( and ALOT of work, patience and perseverance!) we commenced walking groups with Flo.
I was incredibly apprehensive about this and worried how other dog owners would view us and Flo; fearing I'd be seen as an incompetent owner! But the complete opposite is found. Everyone is super supportive and understanding and respectful of each others dogs who all, to greater or lesser degrees require work and carry issues.
Flo has been attending walking groups for months now and has managed to move up to a more advanced group!
I never thought it possible way back at the start that Flo would ever be able to be around another dog and behave appropriately given her constant intense lunging and barking at every dog in sight when we first got her to now being in a walking group where a long line is an option and she can even socialise and play with family dogs!
I'm blown away by the dedication that Linnea and Gregor have for the work they do. Their passion and love for dogs shines in everything they do and offer, and the support they have given and continue to give us to provide the most positive life for Flo is second to none.
I absolutely love our dog, we both do...and I love walking her and being around her and I hands down believe that is absolutely thanks to walk and train, their support, simple approach, positivity, encouragement and knowledge.
To say that walk and train has transformed our lives and Flo's may sound strange to those without animals or who were blessed with 'perfect' dogs....but it's true!
- Cally
Brodie
Brodie is a fox red Labrador, from a long line of working gun dogs. He was 'an accident' in that he and his 11 litter mates were not planned, his mother being 8 years old when they were born, by emergency ceasarian. After checking they were all ok, she rejected them. The sire of the litter was still involved, teaching them all the wild things daddy dogs do.
He was very cute, lively and interested, we were advised
'He is the cleverest of the bunch, you will have trouble!'
We have had dogs for 30 years, we knew what we were doing, there would be no trouble. HAH!
After working with a couple of trainers, i sent Linnéa a begging letter in June 2017, Brodie was nearly 7 months old.
At the time, our main problem was how easily he became over excited, therefore, difficult to manage. Being around other dogs could be a nightmare. Pulling, barking, jumping up and generally being a nuisance to all around. If he was loose, he would jump up on strangers.
On her first visit, Linnéa assessed the problem ......us! Our interactions with Brodie were a huge part of the difficulty we were having. So, our training began with a carefully worked out plan prepared by Linnéa. Progress was slow, one step forward, two back. The situation became 'critical' when our grandson arrived. Brodie veered between curiosity, 'jealousy' and seeing the baby as a toy (he is very destructive with his toys).
Linnéa was asked back and we began again (or so it felt.)
In April 2018, he at last got a place with Gregor and began his walks, twice a week. With this input and the training plan, progress was faster.
As a result, we are seeing just what he is capable of. We are in a place with him we did not imagine we could reach.
He is, as are we, a work in progress but now life with Brodie is a joy.
Thank you Linnéa and Gregor for this wonderful gift.
- Linda & Philip
Keeva
After 20 months of following the CARE protocol we’d made a lot of steady progress with Keeva, our reactive adopted staffordshire bull terrier. She hadn’t been properly socialised as a puppy and came to us with a number of issues. We dealt with these through training, and I became a training geek in the process, doing a number of courses with the IMDT. Our greatest challenge, however, was addressing her fear aggression towards other dogs. She would lunge, rear up on her hind legs and pull to try to get to the dog to scare it away. This was not only embarrassing but scary but we realised how frightened she was and as owners just wanted her to be happy.
In the early stages, a behaviourist told us we would always have to muzzle her and walk her on a lead outside. We didn’t want a lifetime of control & management but actually wanted to tackle it. Luckily I’d the time and motivation to do it.
In the summer of 2017, I’d reached a point in training, where Keeva was comfortable and interested in meeting calm, well-mannered dogs. However, she still reacted to excitable, nervous and/or unpredictable ones. I realised I needed help with this, as I couldn’t find anyone who was willing to work with us.
It took me a while to find a suitable trainer – who really understands the breed and the issues unsocialised staffies face – and who would help us work on changing her emotional response to excitable, anxious and unpredictable dogs. After Gregor visited us and assessed Keeva, in our home and on one of her walks, we were accepted to join the Group Walks. Gregor later emailed me a report and some really helpful notes, which I still refer to. With each group walk, we could see Keeva growing in confidence and so did we as owners.
I practised the techniques we were taught on all our walks, and as my confidence grew I began venturing further afield and walking in different places. Instead of walking in quiet areas at times when there weren’t many dog walkers about, we ventured into ones where there were lots of off-lead dogs, using a long line (like we used on the group walks).
In each new location, we worked at proofing our training. We practised focus work, general commands, played recall games, hide and seek in the woods, and scent work. Empty childrens playparks were great for agility practise too. Our walks were becoming fun. The point soon came when I felt confident enough to start letting her off lead. I’d do some parallel walking with an unsuspecting dog owner first and when I was comfortable, with the body language of both dogs, I’d let her off.
I was so pleased with her progress that I entered Keeva’s story in a competition run by Reactive Dogs (UK) a facebook group I’m a member of. Members voted for their favourite and guess what…. Keeva won! She is their Reactive Dog of the Year 2018.
I couldn’t have achieved this without Linnea and Gregor’s help. They helped me in the final stages of Keeva’s training when others wouldn’t and we’re incredibly grateful .
I am so proud of Keeva and what she’s achieved. I now have her on a variable programme to phase out treats for ignoring reactive/fear aggressive dogs and returning to me. She is a really happy dog now and that’s all we ever wanted for her.
The person who said “the best thing for that dog is a bullet” all those months ago, should hang their head in shame.
- Lorna
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