Edinburgh’s #1Holistic Dog Behaviourist

Specialising in rescue dogs from abroad and reactive dog training

Is life with your dog a far cry from what you imagined? Maybe you see other dogs strutting around town and wonder why on earth your dog is just soooo different.

Living in dog friendly Edinburgh, you probably had visions of strolling around the markets, hitting up a local cafe and enjoying long weekend walks – all with your dog by your side.

But instead of living the doggy dream, you might be

Struggling with a dog who overreacts?

Feeling helpless watching your dog who’s scared of everything?

Worried about whether you can help your dog overcome their fears?

No two dogs are the same. And whilst you might find yourself struggling with your rescue dog or outbursts of uncontrollable reactivity – you are not alone.

Overcome fear and welcome in confidence

I’ve helped many rescue dogs, reactive dogs, and their humans to soar in confidence.

And I’d love to help you and your dog to achieve the feeling of relief and peace that comes with getting the behaviour problems you’re facing under control.

Even if right now that feels like a bit of an impossible dream.

REACTIVE SUPPORT

1-2-1 Reactive Dog Training

Our 12 week reactive dog training programme taking your dog from RUUUUFF to UNRUFFLED.

RESCUE SUPPORT

1-2-1 Rescue Dog Training

Taking your rescue dog from fearful to flourishing by helping with confidence and trust.

ONLINE SUPPORT

Online Reactive Dog Course

A self-paced online course that helps you right now with your reactive dog.

Local areas covered:

Leith, Cousland, Straiton, Falkirk, Dalkeith, Broxburn, Grangemouth, Edinburgh, Cramond, Portobello, Bonnyrigg, Musselburgh, Penicuik, Tranent, Gorebridge, Kirkliston, Balerno, Linlithgow & Glasgow

Worldwide:

Online Reactive Dog Training Course, Posture and Gait Assessment

Trevor Owen
Trevor Owen
2022-10-17
I contacted Suzanne on the recommendation of a friend when my newly adopted Romanian rescue showed severe reactivity when out and about. She has been wonderful and Erin has been on such a journey with her. When they first met Erin would bark and jump on her, but with Suzanne's simple training techniques and her deep understanding of what makes rescue dogs tick, in a matter of months Erin is now a much happier and less reactive dog. Suzanne takes the time to work on the owner as much as the dog - my own anxiety was definitely feeding Erin's, and Suzanne helped me with this through support and techniques that changed my perspective and understanding of my dog. Suzanne also focused on potential pain Erin might be experiencing, which I have to confess was news to me. She undertook detailed work to ascertain where Erin's issues might be, which were accepted by the vet and as a result Erin is now getting the help she needs - less pain meaning a happier dog enjoying life more (and less reactivity!). Erin still had a road to travel and I plan to keep working with Suzanne going forward as she has been an absolutely godsend. If you have a reactive rescue and you're struggling please don't hesitate to reach out to Suzanne for help - it can lead to a happier dog (and human) and a much better quality of life for both of you.
Hannah Wright
Hannah Wright
2022-09-14
We contacted Suzanne to help with our foreign rescue dog, Fitz. From the first email, Suzanne was helpful and supportive. Her programme gave us new tools for supporting Fitz in his daily struggles with meeting dogs outdoors and scary people/objects. She also gave us a really comprehensive approach to having strangers in our home and we now feel equipped with the right information and tools (🍪) to be able to have people in our house in a way that doesn't overwhelm him. In fact we had a brand new person in recently without any barking or growling at all! Suzanne provides thorough notes after each session and I always felt I could ask follow-up questions. She supported me as much as she supported Fitz! If you have a foreign rescue dog or a reactive dog or if you're just struggling with a behavioural issue and you need support, I highly recommend reaching out to Suzanne.
Bob Dickson
Bob Dickson
2022-08-03
It was obvious from the very start that Suzanne has a remarkable empathy with the dogs she engages with. She and our Romanian rescue dog struck up a rapport before the end of the first session. At the start of subsequent sessions the dog was excited to see Suzanne and enthusiastic to work with her. We got the sense that she was really committed to and engaged with the dogs she's working with. But it's the responsibility of the dog owners to put in the effort needed to carry on with and practice the training techniques between sessions. I'm not sure we always worked as hard at this as we should have. But the end result has been good. The issues which we were having with our dog have been resolved and the additional training techniques which we've been taught have been very worthwhile. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Suzanne and Edinburgh Holistic Dogs.
Alicja
Alicja
2022-06-21
Suzanne was recommended to us by a trainer that worked at the rescue I got my harrier/beagle, Velma from. Velma has resource guarding issues and struggled with walking on and off the lead. Suzanne gave us the resources and support to work with Velma in a more appropriate way and really helped us build our confidence up with her. We would highly recommend Suzanne to anyone that requires extra support with their dogs behaviour and advice on how to interact with dogs in general. She was alsways available and had a great knowledge base. Training sessions were fun, for Velma and both of us. Thank you Suzanne!
Claire
Claire
2022-06-05
Suzanne helped us with our Romanian rescue who is reactive to dogs. We still have a long way to go but he's definitely calmer & we have more confidence on how to deal with different situations. The training techniques definitely work!
Daragh Payne
Daragh Payne
2022-05-23
We started with Suzanne because our Romanian rescue dog, Panda, was really struggling with reactivity with people and especially other dogs. Throughout our time with Suzanne Panda has improved a huge amount. We had tried other trainers who weren't equipped to deal with the complexity of what Panda presented with. What really makes Suzanne great is that she also worked on our confidence and helped us to not be as anxious when out with Panda. She is also available 24/7 for any and all questions in relation to Panda's training - she provided a really fantastic service that I can't recommend highly enough!
Kerry Rae
Kerry Rae
2022-04-28
We worked with Suzanne when we got our Romanian rescue pup, Oakley. We worked on a range of issues such as recall, walking on a lead, crate training and helping his (and our!) confidence. Suzanne was always a friendly and reassuring voice for us and she helped us to build a strong foundation of behaviour for Oakley. Suzanne gave us thorough notes at the end of every session and could be reached in between sessions for any questions that we had. She celebrated big and small wins with us and Oakley loved her from the first session! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Suzanne as a friendly and knowledgeable dog trainer.
Fiona Rose
Fiona Rose
2022-04-22
I got in touch with Suzanne 6 months or more after adopting my greyhound Murphy. He was sometimes nervous and reactive around other dogs and his recall wasn’t the best. I was lacking in confidence with him myself which definitely made matters worse. Suzanne gave me hundred of great little training tips and most importantly during our walks she was always very calm and reassuring which totally gave me confidence. Murphy now loves his walks off lead , completely happy around other dogs and I feel calm when out with him as I know his recall is now good. I can’t say enough great things about Suzanne and our last walk today with Suzanne and the lovely Erick was absolutely the best….. will definitely keep Suzanne in speed dial in case we need a top up. 😊
Euan Wishart
Euan Wishart
2022-02-23
We got in touch with Suzanne as our Romanian rescue (Bennie) was struggling to adapt to his new life. He was very aggressive with people and other dogs out on walks. Suzanne has helped enormously with Bennie’s behaviour improving, as well as training us. She is incredibly patient, always had a different approach up her sleeve if something wasn’t working and nothing was too much hassle. We still have a long way to go but we are far more hopeful than we initially were. Couldn’t recommend her expertise any more highly, worth every penny.
Dawn Spowart
Dawn Spowart
2022-01-20
We have just finished working with Suzanne and all i have to say is wow!! We got Hannah at 4 months old and to begin with she was amazing. For a rescue she was a delight and as the months past our loveable little puppy turned into an absolute nightmare. She was an excessive barker, (at everything) lunging at dogs and people, pulling on lead, recall non existent and started biting my youngest daughter. Several trainers later and i felt we had hit the end of the road and was on the verge of contacting the rescue company to take her away. Along came Suzanne as our last hope. Right a way I warmed to Suzannes kind, calm and caring nature. She was observant on walks and supported us 100% even when it was a random WhatsApp message or panic email. Suzanne was always there to offer advice and support. We had our 6 spaced out sessions and broke all training down and went back to basics from loose lead walking, recognising her name, lunging and the dreaded biting. What a difference. After every session we also got training notes which i still refer back to now. I am still working on recall but with Suzannes helpful advice and tips we can finally call Hannah back. 🙂 100% highly recommended to anyone who needs that little bit of help and support. I have a very happy dog and I'm a very happy and confident dog owner who is back to enjoying our doggy adventures. Suzanne Thank you for everything 🙂

Meet your trainer

I’m Suzanne, and this is Flash. Flash was the dog who started it all. I adopted him at aged one and my god was he stubborn! He was 35kgs stubborn.

And so we began our training journey, and I haven’t stopped learning since. Flash went from whirling around on the end of his lead and dragging me everywhere to becoming a fully fledged therapy dog – visiting care homes and bringing joy to many.

I know exactly what it’s like to share your life with a dog who won’t listen, who freaks out, and who delivers you challenges you never dreamed you’d face. And luckily, I now know exactly how to turn it around.

5 star review

"She understood us"

My Romanian rescue dog, Dexter, had a lot of anxiety and I was feeling overwhelmed. Suzanne was absolutely brilliant – not only did she understand where I was coming from, she, more importantly, understood where Dexter was coming from.

Suzanne has helped him build his confidence and he is now up for lots of adventures (when he first arrived, he would barely leave the house), has friends everywhere, and loves humans and dogs alike.

Suzanne has given us the tools to continue helping him be the awesome Dexter that he truly is.

Lizzie and Dexter

Joining the dots between dog behaviour and pain

Did you know that around 80% of dogs with behaviour problems have some form of undiagnosed pain?

Yet more often than not a vet visit doesn’t get to the root of what’s going on. In a very short veterinary consultation with a tense and stressed out pooch, it can be very hard for your vet to get an accurate reading of your dog’s physical health.

As Scotland’s first accredited Dynamic Dog Practitioner, I can assess your dog’s gaits and posture in a relaxed environment and gather the data your vet needs to find out what’s really going on.

behaviour changes ie reactivity

posture changes

reluctant to go for walks or play

depressed or irritable

sound sensitive

altering how they walk, trot or run

licking or chewing joints

moving away from being touched or groomed

Reading your reactive dog

Reading your reactive dog

Grab your free guide and discover how to ‘Read’ your dog.
Learning some of your reactive dog’s body language will improve your life together.