Top 5 Dog Trainers in Dalkeith

Before Buddy (my rescue dog) and I met Nick I was at a loss how to deal with Buddy's reactivity. He became more reactive to other dogs when on leash. I tried training on my own but that didn't seem to get any better. It was beginning not be a pleasure to walk him and I was running out of ideas. I saw a advert for Esk Valley dog training. I decided that I owed it to Buddy and his sister Molly to take a chance on Nick. It turned out to be my best decision ever. When I first spoke to Nick it was a phone call of around 30 minutes, in which I outlined a bit of the issues and Buddy's background. He asked lots of questions about Buddy and actually about me too. I made the decision to work with Nick, our next meeting took place at home. Buddy took to him instantly, even Molly who is much more reserved than Buddy, took to him (she's not fond too much of men). We went again over what I was looking to get out of Buddy's training. Before Nick left we had made a plan for Budd's first training session. Buddy's first session went well and later that day Nick sent me the training plan that we had been working on for me to continue with Buddy, which was invaluable to me and to him. I have been to some of Nick's training seminars in which I have learnt a lot about dog behaviours and what triggers to look out for. I also learnt that we have to work to Buddy's capabilities and this may not be a quick fix. Nick sent me a link to the owners WhatsApp group for reactive dogs which has given me a community of others going through the same things. Our monthly coaching calls are invaluable. Our in person training is going well and Buddy is coming on so well in fact yesterday we had our best walk in forever. Buddy saw another dog, closer than he usually lets them get and he managed not to start lunging and barking, in fact, he stopped, looked and then looked to me and then we walked on with no issues. I do have to say though that you have to be willing to put in the work out with training sessions with Nick or it just doesn't work as well as it could. Its a commitment which is absolutely worth it. Nick has helped and is helping my relationship with Buddy immensely and I cannot thank him enough

We started using Nick way back in 2020 with our cocker spaniel Pip ,, and this point he was starting his business as a dog walker. Pip absolutely loved him and although he wasn't there to train her , we saw a massive difference in her behaviour and also her recall and her reactivity to other dogs in a very short space of time . When Nick told us he was branching out into dog training we were not surprised in the slightest as it was very clearly something he excelled in, without even trying. Sadly Pip passed away last June and we made the decision to get our new cocker spaniel puppy Echo. Nick was the first person we contacted to train up our puppy as we trusted him beyond belief and knew he would do an amazing job with her. Echo was a very different dog to Pip and I was not enjoying walking her as she pulled like a train , barked and did not recall at all. Nick quickly helped us build a training plan for her and worked alongside us to get her to the standard we needed . Nick was very patient , knowledgeable, and extremely helpful with training Echo . Within only two training sessions her recall was amazing and she is an absolute dream to walk. I can't thank Nick enough for the work he done with echo and how much he helped us . Getting another dog was very scary for us after having a very well trained older dog , but he made it so easy for us. We would pay him four times over for the work he done with her and she absolutely loves him . Thank you so much for helping a heartbroken family train their new little puppy to a absolutely amazing standard ❤️💖

Freyja (3 year old boxer) and I started working with Nick in November last year. Freyja had started reacting to dogs and people when in enclosed spaces and when walking on lead that summer after a particularly difficult season (6 weeks of bleeding) and my older dog dying. I wanted to work on this as it was affecting my confidence in walking her and didn't want it getting worse. Freyja liked Nick from the start and after working with Nick for 7 months I can geniunely say that i am very confident in reading my dog and getting her out of situations where she feels she needs to react and her confidence has grown as well. I now feel fully prepared to handle any situation and can't thank Nick enough for his encouragement. Nick gives you the tools but you need to really put in the effort between sessions. The dynamic between every dog and person will be different and the initial level of reactivity will vary but I am so glad we met Nick and worked on our issues as Frey and me now feel like a real team. She is great with most dogs (she still doesn't like the ones that stare intensly at her but i can get her attention and walk past) and with most people (although she can still be a bit protective if i don't make it clear she can chill). I have come to realise that I am not perfect so why should I expect my dog to be? And we are so much happier for it! So thanks again Nick!

I reached out to Nick for some support regarding my black Labrador Dobson, who was struggling with some reactivity on walks around other dogs and with other people coming into the house. I wasn’t sure how best to deal with it but knew I needed some help and confidence building for both of us. We started sessions and from the get go, I learnt SO much - not just about my dog but about how I can support and build my own confidence when out and about with him. Nick takes the time to explain everything and clearly has so much knowledge and passion for what he does. The sessions are planned to build up some tools and skills to work towards your goals and broken down to they are easy to understand and implement. As a result of continued sessions and putting the learning into practice, both Dobson and I have grown in confidence. His response is so calm greeting visitors now and overall, he is a much happier and engaged dog. We will be continuing training and sessions to keep learning and ensuring good practice but lots of people have noticed the positive difference in Dobson and I’m so thankful to Nick for the ongoing support and encouragement.

Nick is brilliant! 2 weeks in and I have a completely different dog. Both my cocker spaniel and myself are really enjoying the training and reaping the benefits. I feel much more comfortable knowing I know how to react and handle my dog if she becomes too reactive. I'd highly recommend Nick's services.