Walk & Train Edinburgh

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 1-21 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. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

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. Love from Sprocket, Gill and Iain x More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Linnéa and Gregor are very devoted, patient and competent, doing a wonderful job! Your dog will be in the best of hands.

Reviewed on Facebook

Linnea and Gregor have incredible patience and love towards dogs to understand who they are. They spend time and walk dogs to guide them so that they can get balanced. Without trust, any training methods are useless, without relationship, any cleaver words are useless. They can gain the trust and can build the good relationship with dogs. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Ben is doing really well thanks to you guys. Getting compliments from other dog owners who knew the "old" Ben. He's really enjoying his walks as he is much calmer and I'm not tense wondering what's going to happen. He's also much calmer at home and I feel that we have a much closer connection. None of this would have been possible without all your help and advice. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Fantastic with dogs highly recommend walk and train after just 2 days of training our 7 month old gs has never been so peacfull and better on walks. Before he'd bark all the time for attention wouldn't settle, on walks he'd pull always run to other dogs to play and was so much work just to keep him by our sides such a difference now. Looking forward to try there out door classes :) More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Henry absolutely loves his Doggy Day Trips with Linnea and Gregor! As I work long shifts it's essential that Henry still gets plenty of time out of the house which is what makes Doggy Day Trips so ideal. I can leave the house content that soon he'll be picked up and taken to the gorgeous countryside, hills and beaches around Lothian and Borders and he'll have an amazing time walking, exploring and socialising with his new doggy friends. As a rescue dog, Linnea and Gregor have helped Henry with his anxieties, such as traveling in the car, 4 months ago he would shake and not settle, and within a short time I was amazed to see him happily jump into the car without a second thought! Henry is also learning how to be calm outdoors, he is walking nicely on a leash, he is learning many new things from socializing with his Day Care buddies and his manners have also improved greatly! Henry has clearly bonded with Linnea and Gregor, I cannot fault them at all, they have often gone out of their way to help me out and I trust them both 100% completely with Henry's safety and happiness :) More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I dogsit for friends and I have won a couple of bets with Linnéa's trick for teaching "stupid" dogs how to give paw. Many thanks!

Reviewed on Facebook

Basil joined Gregor and Linnea for their dog walks while I was at work. It's a good mixture of mental and physical exercise and some training too. He enjoys his time with them and we joined their group classes to fine tune his obedience. I have been very impressed with their patience and skill at reading dogs and have been trying to reinforce what they have taught me. I am completely at ease when Basil is in their care.
I cannot recommend them highly enough. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We were recommended to go to Linnea and Gregor at Walk and Train Edinburgh by Kylie from KCK9 in Fife to save us the 80 mile round trip to get the social walk we were looking for.

Our rescue GSDs are very different characters, Zack the older who has been with us longer is generally laid back and friends with everyone. He does however get excited at the start of an outing or when he sees other dogs who look like they would be up for a play, at these times he can be a bit vocal. Ted, on the other hand is an anxious dog, who was not socialised in his first 3 years of life, and was reactive to just about everything when we got him. The journey with Ted has involved behavioural consultations and obedience classes. By the time we hooked up with Linnea and Gregor he had reached a good level of obedience, and is generally relaxed around people and the environment. Ted however remains anxious around strange dogs, and although able to just about cope when out on his own with me, was still very reactive when encountering them out in company with Zack.

The group classes were a good way for Linnea and Gregor to verify that we had the basic building blocks of obedience in place, but the real benefit for us came from the social walk element of being amongst a pack of dogs but also encountering numerous different situations and on and off leash dogs while on a walk in the ‘real’ world. We gained so much from the advice that Linnea and Gregor could give us and their tips that arose from observing Ted in this way. After 3 months of weekly sessions Ted was coping well with new dogs being introduced to our group, and showing no reactions to them. He was also vastly improved on his encounters with strange dogs. By employing the techniques learned we were able to help him to not react in the vast majority of cases, and also to calm down quickly on the odd occasion where, for example, a boisterous off lead dog had just got too much for him. As a by-product, Zack’s lead walking is much improved too.

Linnea and Gregor have a sympathetic and supportive approach to both owners and dogs, they clearly draw on a great combination of personal experiences, and lessons learned from courses and other respected trainers. I like the fact that their solutions are tailored to individuals, and that they are both constantly listening and watching to find ways to help.

Please run some more of these social walks, we’ll be first in the queue, it is money well spent! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Gregor has been amazing with my dog Max. He didn't get on very well at Doggy day care and I was looking for a dog walker to help and who would understand my dogs behaviour. Max loves his walks with Gregor and his smaller group of dogs, and really knows how to handle him. Thanks for the wonderful service you offer. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

In August 2014, I adopted a dog, Flynn, from Edinburgh Dog & Cat home. I brought Flynn home unaware the behavioral problems that he had, such as crate and separation anxiety. It was very severe, in which, he would follow me from room to room and I could not leave him in the crate for more than a second before he started barking , peeing, and destroying the crate. I patiently worked with him for couple of months and we were progressing very slowly. Flynn got very ill and needed to be hospitalized for a week and reverted back to his original behavioral problems after returning from the veterinary hospital. A few weeks later, he escaped from the crate and got into ibufrophen and returned to the hospital, which made me decide to get some help. I did my research online and found Walk & Train Edinburgh. Since then, my life with Flynn has drastically changed. Linnea and Gregor were able to help me to identify Flynn’s issues. They gave me lots of ideas on how to fix Flynn’s anxiety issue and help me to become a confident owner. Now, I am able to leave home without worrying about whether or not Flynn has barked all day, peed in the crate, or broke the crate while I was away. Flynn has become more relaxed as well in the house and has become more attentive to me. He still has much to work on, but without Linnea and Gregor, I do not know if I would still have Flynn.

Linnea & Gregor provide a fabulous daycare service for Flynn. He is a very active dog, so the 4 hour walks are just what he needs when I am not home for the entire day. Every time he come home he is exhausted and will sleep for the entire night if he could. It also helps with his separation anxiety as well so he is not home alone for long periods of time. Linnea & Gregor do a fantastic job with the dogs and I know Flynn does enjoy his time with them. I would highly recommend Walk and Train Edinburgh for daycare trips. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Piggy loves both the doggy day trips and short walks that he's been going on with Gregor for the last four months. As soon as he's home he sleeps for the rest of the day, which we both couldn't be happier about! Having moved to Edinburgh in September I felt that it was important for Piggy to socialise with other dogs, particularly as he had become a bit weary after moving. Gregor and Linnea provide a wonderful service, I always know that Piggy is in really great hands and he couldn't be more happy to be with them. He's becoming more confident when walking around the city and has already seen more of Scotland than I have! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We have been using Walk and Train for over a year now and have found both Gregor and Linnea amazing to work with, they both have incredible patience. My Wife and I run our own business and find the walking service Gregor provides invaluable, I know both my Cocker Spaniels are in excellent hands, they seem to know when Gregor is at the front door to pick them up.

We use all the services on offer, Linnea’s training sessions are excellent, both dogs responded immediately to her calm demeanor and confident commands which we adopted after session one and are using each day, Linnea is always on hand to give advice should we need it.

When organising trips away its one less thing to worry about as they provide boarding facilities which give both Betty and Poppy a home from home. I would not hesitate in recommending Walk & Train they are first class. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

First got in touch with Linnea as we had reached the end of our tether with our 2 year old lad Dexter. He really struggled with walking on the lead and would constantly stop, put the brakes on and refuse to move. We had recently got another puppy, Daisy, and trying to walk them together was a nightmare. Linnea suggested we change them both to slip rope leads, and take charge of the dogs. Focus on where we were going and don't stop regardless!! Four months on and both dogs are walking perfectly on the leads. We also focused on eye contact and how important that was. The dogs are now really attentive and are good off lead. Daisy is a confident 10 months old now and Dexter has vastly improved in all areas. Linnea gave us great advice and lots of training tips to be going on with and is still in contact to see how the guys are doing. We can't thank her enough for her advice and time. We are now more relaxed and confident as owners too and I think the dogs really respond to that. We are really enjoying our beautiful dogs. Thank you so much Linnea. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We contacted Linnea and Gregor soon after adopting our lurcher Bella.

When Bella first arrived with us she was wary of new people, easily spooked and could become reactive towards dogs that wouldn't play on her terms. We also struggled to maintain her attention when outside, which sometimes made for stressful walks together.

We needed someone to help us get the best out of Bella and to provide her with exercise and stimulation while we were at work during the week.

It was obvious as soon as we met Gregor that he knew how to put the needs of Bella first and the regular updates on how she was integrating with the rest of the pack gave us confidence that she was in excellent hands. Bella returns tired and content after every walk and is excited to go again every morning! It is great knowing that she is getting to explore and socialise in a safe environment and that she has an outlet for her excess energy.

Having a training session with Linnea gave us a clear plan of action to help Bella. Linnea's knowledge regarding canine behaviour is second to none and her friendly and patient approach made it easy to ask questions and understand how to make better choices for Bella. The notes and youtube videos provided allow us to refer back when we feel we need some more help and Linnea has always been available to answer one off questions when we've needed some extra support.

Most importantly it is clear that Bella thoroughly enjoys spending time with both Linnea and Gregor! Having a regular routine has made a huge difference to her behaviour and our confidence.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Walk and Train for training and doggy day care, in fact, we'd like to go on some of the walks ourselves!

Corinne and Peter More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I would like to say that the training sessions and the ongoing training I have been doing with Willow has taken our relationship to another level. The closeness that we have now has really cemented our relationship. This is all down to the advice and expertise of Linnea and Gregor.

Ebby More...

Reviewed on Facebook

We first contacted Linnea and Gregor for a consultation session to help with some behavioural issues we were having with our little rescue dog Wilson. Although he's always been very affectionate, he was reactive to certain dogs, becoming frustrated very quickly when denied interaction, and occasionally mouthing. Linnea worked with us on a number of training techniques, focusing on calm and controlled behaviour. We also attended their brilliant group training classes which really helped with his social skills.

Since starting Wilson's training programme with Walk and Train, we've noticed a huge difference in his state of mind during our daily walks. Rather than constantly running around, lunging and pulling towards other dogs, he walks calmly beside me, his recall has improved and because he's more focused and relaxed our walks are so much more enjoyable!

He's now progressed to joining the walk and train pack on their day trips and the transformation in his behaviour has been amazing, thanks to Linnea and Gregors hard work and patience. Wilson adores his walks and we now come home to a tired but very happy dog.
I can totally recommend Walk and Train Edinburgh for consultations, classes and dog walking. We were very lucky to find them. They do an amazing job and are 100% committed to all their dogs. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

I first met Linnea and Gregor at the start of 2015 after adopting a rescue Staffie, Esme. Although I had had dogs for over 16 years previously, I had little experience of the SBT breed and Esme presented behaviours I was not prepared for or able to handle initially.
Esme is actually quite chilled and relaxed indoors and lives in harmony with cats. She is super sweet, sooky, affectionate and cuddly; an absolute diamond with my friends and visitors to the house. However, she is reactive when meeting new dogs which can be problematic, alarming and even physically challenging for me as her handler!
Linnea took us back to basics. Basic commands, basic obedience. Getting Ez to focus on me and not external distractions. We had a few sessions working on this, moving on to taking Esme outside to meet Gregor with a very calm, passive greyhound. As I was very nervous, I found this 'set-up' encounter great for building my confidence handling Esme and after a couple of sessions, we were able to pass Gregor and his dog quite closely! What I feel I gained from working with Walk and Train was (a) a better understanding of doggy behaviour/body language (b) more confidence, by using proven successful strategies in certain situations (c) useful after-session notes/homework that Linnea sends out. On that note, it is very important to do Linnea's homework and be consistent to make true progress. I would recommend Walk and Train to anyone needing any behavioural support at all with their furry friends! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

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 very scary. However 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. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

This is quite an emotional story to write, now that I am thinking about it!

We decided to add a dog to our family and I spent a long time researching dogs which would not stimulate allergies which some of us have and would be a suitable temperament and size for the kids to walk. I had had dogs in my family all of my life so was keen my kids had the same experience. Having spoken to lots of breeders on the phone and spent hours reading up, we welcomed 9 week old Luath (a show cocker spaniel) into our home. She was great and was socialised with lots of people of all ages. When she was 12-13 weeks old she started showing anxiety and became reluctant to interact with new people or dogs.

Puppy classes were really stressful for her, she wanted to hide behind the chairs the whole hour and wouldn't go out for a walk for 2 days after each class. Visits to the vet were difficult and I was told to 'get on top of her behaviour'. Hmmm!! An animal behaviourist was recommended and on meeting Luath for an afternoon, informed me that I needed to do three things - cover over the windows in the living room so she couldn't see out; not let her near other dogs and not let the kids walk her on their own. By the time he left, I was fighting back the tears - our lovely dog so affectionate and loving with us and struggling with her fears which we couldn't really understand was condemned to a life of being unable to interact with anyone else but her close family (and had to stay in rooms she couldn't see out of!!) We tried reactive dog classes - no help.

After a period of feeling quite sad, I decided to have another try for help. I was looking for another dog trainer closer to where we live and with experience of anxiety and reactiveness when I found LInnea and Gregor's website.
The first time Linnea came round, I immediately felt that she understood the issues we had and had a sensible approach to managing them by looking at the emotions behind the behaviour rather than the behaviour itself. Initially, she and Luath had a 'tussle' on either end of the lead but after 2 hours, Luath had learned an automatic sit, dog parkour and was walking beside Linnea and taking treats from her!! It was magical to watch and be part of.

We have had 1:1 sessions at home and in the Meadows as well as play sessions in our garden with some of the daycare dogs. All of these have taught my family and I how to manage Luath in different situations and allowed her to gain confidence.
The Sunday morning social walks have given Luath the chance to gain trust with other dogs - all of whom have their own issues. She has learned that nothing awful is necessarily going to happen with other people and dogs around. She will now walk and play with the others - even giving one larger, boisterous dog a kiss on the ear last week!! She will approach the owners too now and does not have a meltdown if something happens which she was not expecting.
I read Walk & Train reviews before contacting them but did not really believe that our dog would achieve so much that I would ever be writing this!! Luath still has lots to learn - so do we - but she is able to enjoy being a dog now which wouldn't have happened without Linnea and Gregor's support and knowledge.
Oh yes and if anyone says 'Linnea' in the house, Luath runs to the window, tail wagging and looks for Linnea!! Positive conditioned response, I think they call it! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

When I first met Linnea and Gregor I had already been to several dog trainers. Ruby was always well behaved in training classes and could easily manage all of the ‘tricks’ but was becoming increasingly reactive towards other dogs on our walks. She had been in a few fights at that time and would bark and lunge towards any dog. Walking her, especially with two kids in tow, was incredibly stressful. We were all worried that she’d really injure another dog.

Over the past year Walk and Train have supported me to build a relationship with my dog. I’ve learnt how to keep her calm in situations and to look to me for guidance. We’ve had one to one sessions in the park, group classes with other reactive dogs and play sessions with their own walking pack. Throughout it all Linnea and Gregor’s knowledgeable and gentle approach has taught me so much about how to manage her behavior and keep us both calm. It’s not a quick fix and she’s definitely not the perfect dog but I’m pretty proud of how far we’ve both come. Thank you both. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Basil joins "Walk and Train" twice a week and has experience of both the doggy day trip and the shorter walk. I am fully at ease when Basil is in their care and completely trust Gregor and Linnea. He comes back happy, content and tired. I know that while Basil is enjoying the walk they are also working on behaviour and positive social skills with other dogs. With the training as part of the walk I have noticed he is calmer when he returns. He is both mentally and physically stimulated.It is well priced for the length of walk and the extra bonus of training. They are very reliable and helpful. I highly recommend "Walk and Train". More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

I highly recommend Walk and Train. Rafa - a border collie - goes on Doggie Day Trips three time a week and I'm certain he loves it. He is always thrilled to see Gregor and Linnea! He has also been benefitting from their training expertise as his behaviour has improved loads. The service is convenient and reliable and I'm very pleased to have it. I also love seeing photos of their adventures on Facebook and Instagram :) Just wish I could join them! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Gregor and Linnea have been walking Dougal for a few months now for several days a week while I'm at work. He may be a small dog but he's got lots of energy and I know that when he's out with them he's getting great exercise in all sorts of interesting places. I love knowing he's out on a substantial walk in the countryside, off the lead and sniffing around. It's also great to know he's socialising with a lovely pack of dogs, while being looked after by a safe pair of hands. I do hate to leave him through the day while I go to work but it's a huge help to know he's out having fun and being looked after.The full day is particularly reassuring and he's always happily knackered and hungry after being out all day Wednesdays with them.All this comes after behaviour training from Linnea, and which I know is ongoing every time he's out, which has made a world of difference to Dougal's life, and mine. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

We have been using Walk and Train for over a year now and have found both Gregor and Linnea amazing to work with, they both have incredible patience. My Wife and I run our own business and find the walking service Gregor provides invaluable, I know both my Cocker Spaniels are in excellent hands, they seem to know when Gregor is at the front door to pick them up. We use all the services on offer, Linnea’s training sessions are excellent, both dogs responded immediately to her calm demeanor and confident commands which we adopted after session one and are using each day, Linnea is always on hand to give advice should we need it.When organising trips away its one less thing to worry about as they provide boarding facilities which give both Betty and Poppy a home from home. I would not hesitate in recommending Walk & Train they are first class. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps