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.
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
Louie
Our dog Louie is a black male standard poodle whom we have had since 8 weeks old, he is now 23 months old.
I first contacted Linnea and Gregor around March 2021 as I recognised Louie was not coping well with a number of things, dogs, traffic sounds and was super cautious of people. As a pup brought into the world during a pandemic we had struggled to socialise him with many every day experiences. Linnea and Gregor were fully booked with clients at that time so we carried on implementing training advice we picked up online and via other trainers etc…
Whilst we made some good progress when Louie hit 12 months of age we noticed his reactivity increase in severity, this followed a number of very difficult experiences with other dogs both on and off lead.
I reached out to Linnea and Gregor again and we had our first online consultation with Linnea in December 2021. By this point I was extremely anxious at the thought of walking Louie and the stress was impacting on me physically. I even contemplated re homing Louie via a charity as I felt I was not a good match for him.
We joined Level 1 classes in February of this year and 5 months on we have completed our first block of level 2, Louie and my husband has completed 2 blocks of Gregors running group and we participate in Linnea’s GRC Sporty Dog classes. Louie loves both of these activities. We continue with monthly 1:1s and Louie will have his first socialisation session with the day care gang next month
I now enjoy walking regularly with other clients and their dogs implementing Linnea and Gregors training and handling tips. Louie is blossoming into a more confident, calmer young dog.
We plan to continue working with Linnea & Gregor for the foreseeable and cannot thank them enough. I would have no hesitation in recommending their services.
-Brenda
Brodie
We got in touch with Linnea for help with our 15 month old neutered male Scottish Terrier. Walking him was becoming increasing stressful. He was desperate to speak to people and other dogs which resulted in him pulling and lunging when on leash, and not listening to commands when off leash.
We had some one to one sessions with Linnea where we worked initially on basic leash walking and obedience and then moved on to recall. After just a few sessions the difference was noticeable and walking him was so much more enjoyable. Since joining the group sessions this improvement has continued and he has become a lot calmer around other dogs. With Linnea's support our handling has also improved and we are able to identify and address triggers more confidently. It is lovely to see our dog having fun at the group classes and he just adores Linnea! We can't recommend her highly enough!
-Aileen
Arlo
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
Marv
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
Harris
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
Barley
As a livestock guardian dog cross, our Romanian rescue Barley is extremely independent, very serious, and not easy to motivate - he does his own thing at his own pace!
Before we started working with Linnea we were having difficulties with him lashing out at other dogs and jumping and biting at the lead and I felt like I was struggling to control him and we were constantly at odds.
Linnea took us right back to basics and gave us the tools we needed to start building engagement and trust so we could work as a team rather than battling to be in charge. We now attend the group classes every week and it's a joy to see him walking calmly in a group of other dogs and we're even making progress on his recall - something I never thought would happen!
I'm so grateful to have found Linnea and would absolutely recommend Walk and Train Edinburgh to anyone (and I frequently do!)
-Kate
Waggy Races Dog Walking and Training
As a professional dog trainer, behaviourist and walker I find Walk & Train an amazing business run by very knowledgeable and caring individuals. I have had 1-2-1 sessions with Linnea for my own dog as well as joining her classes and signing up for the shadow programme with Linnea and Gregor. Hugely valuable and I learn more every time I meet up with Linnea. Would definitely recommend, as I often do, walk & Train Edinburgh to everybody.
Becki
Rufus
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
Dugs Paws Adventures and Training
As a dog walker and trainer I am always looking to better myself and learn as much as possible.
I completed a shadow programme with Linnea and she was so welcoming and happy to help me and pass on lots of her valuable knowledge. She is fantastic at what she does and her sim is to help dog and owner live in harmony. I have learned so much from her and even got to use my own dog as a stooge dog.
I also went out with Gregor for the day on his adventure walk and he is so passionate about his dogs and owners too, he puts so much into his walking and the dogs are so lucky to have him. I also learned lots from him also.
I always recommend them and will continue to do more shadow sessions to learn as much as possible. Thank you so much I appreciate all your help and advice
-Claire
Zebo
We got in touch with Linnea last summer after our whippet Zebo started to show signs of anxiety/aggressively during our walks. Nine months in and Zebo is a happier and more confident dog- it’s like his internal happy light has been turned back on!
Linnea arranged an initial discussion with us so that she could fully understand Zebo’s history, typical routine and the issues we were experiencing and put together a plan to address these issues.
Through our individual one-to-one training and the group classes on a Sunday, Linnea has helped us to “open back up the communication line” with him which has made the world of difference to us.
Zebo was not food driven at all so we were worried that the training would be difficult but from the start Linnea gave us tips on how to handle this (only feed him during his walks/using high quality salmon paté mixed in with his kibble which he loves), we also changed our lead to one that has given us more control yet a more relaxed walk for the dog. The group walks have also been so helpful- you meet other owners who are in the same situation as you and you can work together on the new ways you've learnt to handle situations.
Linnea’s been really great at explaining all the cues that we didn’t pick up on before and helped us massively in being active and involved dog owners who “get their dog”.
We are currently working on long line training with a view to having Zebo off lead for walks in the near future.
We’re all much happier (the dog and the owners) so thank you Linnea for making a fantastically positive impact on a massive part of our lives.
-Mark
Ollay
When we were walking our dog, we felt uneasy as we felt he was unpredictable. We wanted to learn how to manage his behaviour, how to reduce his stress, reduce our own stress and eventually work towards him becoming a dog who is neutral to his surroundings. For reference, our dog is a 2yr old male neutered Border Terrier.
We have struggled with frustration reactivity, which is sometimes fear based. Our dog has history to biting other dogs too and we felt embarrassed that our dog was behaving badly. Linnea has helped us see that actually our dog just doesn't understand what is expected of him, especially in a situation that makes him feel threatened.
Since we have been under the guidance of Walk & Train Edinburgh, we have felt fully supported, and confident in our technique to manage our dog's behaviour. Walk and Train helped us to create realistic expectations and improve our relationship with our dog. We see a vast improvement in him, and ourselves, particularly stress levels, and we know under Linnea's guidance, although a long road ahead, we will eventually reach a stage in which we know and can trust our dog will be able to make good choices all by himself. I hate to think about how much we would still be struggling if it weren't for Linnea!
-Elizabeth
Merlin
I first got in touch with Walk & Train for help with my 1.5 year old Cardigan corgi Merlin, after being recommended them by a friend.
Merlin used to overreact to everything. He wanted to say hello to every person he saw, play with every dog, bark at every noise near our flat, and eat literally anything within grabbing distance on the ground. All of this was making him really difficult to walk and I felt like I'd missed something in that he wasn't able to be calm like other dogs.
In our initial consultation and 1:1, Linnea opened my eyes to the fact that he was actually feeling frustrated, and there were things I could do to work towards keeping him within threshold.
Linnea truly treats each dog as an individual. She saw right away that Merlin is high-energy (a real party boy) so showed me lots of games to make things like recall training fun, and different styles of rewarding to keep things interesting.
We regularly attend group classes and I can already see such a difference in Merlin. As we've progressed through the levels the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place, from his basic lead walking and obedience to being calm around other dogs. I feel better equipped as a handler too, and am able to recognise and address triggers much earlier.
Another thing I love is the Walk & Train community. You are among likeminded people who want the best for their dogs, and are always ready to share a tip or meet up for some extra practise.
I honestly couldn't recommend enough, thank you!
-Bianca
Every Dog
As a professional dog walker, and owning my 2 dogs I felt I did have a fairly solid amount of canine knowledge so when I discovered Walk & Train on social media I was so impressed.
After a while I thought I would approach them to see if I could shadow them, and learn more - but I didn’t have anything specific in mind.
Linnea was so welcoming, so patient and so humble. Her outstanding level of knowledge and ability to adapt to suit every human client, not just dog is such a gift. Her goal is for each dog and their owner to thrive - not just manage undesired behaviours, which is so important.
I also spent 1 day shadowing Gregor on his group walk, and from that I have taken invaluable knowledge and applied it to my own work structure. The dogs absolutely thrive in his care, from the moment they leave their homes to the moment they return.
They both look at the full picture of each dog and owner, their lifestyle, the dogs lifestyle and breed needs.
I never hesitate to recommend them, and only wish that more dog walkers and dog trainers would honour dogs in the same way they do.
-Robin
Archie
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
Flora
I am so grateful to Linnea of Walk & Train Edinburgh for giving me a better understanding of my sweet whippet Flo and her particular behaviours. She worked patiently with us, building our confidence and providing me with the ‘tools’ I needed to handle difficult situations when my dog was feeling unsure and frightened. She also helped me to gently modify some of my dog’s unwanted behaviours in our home. As a result, my dog is much more relaxed, confident and happy and I can definitely say the same for myself! Thank you Linnea!
-Elizabeth
Esk Valley Dog Training & Walking
Many many thanks to Linnea for your support in the last year. The guidance you gave has been so supportive to myself as a fellow Dog Trainer and Walker. I still have the advice you gave in place now and it gave me massive support and confidence in what I was doing and how I was going about the job. I really cannot thank you enough in supporting me with the success and I now enjoy. Thank you!
-Nick
Luna
We would highly recommend Linnea - both for the one to one sessions she offers and also the group dog classes. Our pomsky Luna was a lockdown puppy who was always desperate to meet every other dog that went past and with very selective hearing on certain commands (mainly on recall!). As first time dog owners we have benefited hugely from Linnea's help and guidance - initially with a number of one to one sessions to work on keeping Luna calmer and long line sessions to work on recall. Since group classes were able to resume in early 2021 we have been through a number of blocks for social dogs and we can certainly see further improvement in Luna - whilst still full of energy her responses to commands and ability to move past other dogs has improved enormously. Thank you Linnea for all your help!
-Mike
Walnut
Our cocker spaniel Walnut is an intact male, who often draws unprovoked negative/ aggressive attention from unfamiliar dogs on our walks. After getting attacked by an uncontrolled dog, I was extremely worried about potential negative impact it might have on his confidence and interactions with other dogs. Not to mention the anxiety I was feeling taking him on daily walks due to frequent negative interactions. I have contacted Linnea and Gregor to take him on their pawsome pack adventures twice a week. I knew that they specialised in reactive dogs, therefore I trusted their supervision of any occuring interactions. Since joining the Walk&Train pack, Walnut's confidence improved massively and I am often blown away by how well he now deals with (and quickly recovers from) difficult social situations. His social skill repertoire has expanded and I see him interact with other dogs in appropriate ways without escalating the situations unnecessarily and listening to any social cues the other dogs are demonstrating. This in turn gave myself a huge confidence boost and I feel less anxious taking him on walks. On the adventure days Walnut is often found sitting on the stairs and staring at the door to be picked up, so I am sure he enjoys the adventures very much! Upon dropoff, Gregor always takes time to update me on how Walnut is getting on, who his best buddies are and who he plays with. Linnea and Gregor also often upload Instagram stories with snapshots from the adventures, which I always enjoy and follow even on the days our dog is not joining in! I could not be more pleased with Walk&Train and I wish I'd contacted them sooner!
-Daumante
Rhum
I have a young, very exuberant Dobermann who has from day 1 struggled with calmness and anxiety in general, especially around other dogs manifesting in frustrated lunging/barking, separation anxiety - all the good stuff. Echoing all the other reviews - Linnea is fantastic, and has given me a lot of confidence in my handling. Rhum came to Walk & Train when she was at the beginning of her recovery from a pretty scary and ongoing health issue. Linnea has taken all of this in her stride, her knowledge and experience has really helped us. I feel safe knowing that Linnea truly cares about Rhum's wellbeing and is considerate of her health when designing our training plan, looking at the whole picture with regards to her behaviour. We are loving the classes we currently go to alongside the 1-2-1 sessions which are building together nicely. Linnea's training style and techniques are genuinely addressing the issues and aren't just managing them endlessly. I'm hoping that we will also be able to join the GRC sport classes at some point to take her training even further! It's like a family, no judgement amongst other class members and so much support. Thanks so much!!!
-Rosie
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