Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer Action 4 Dogs Dog Training founded by Max Muir is based in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Maxwell covers all of Scotland by appointment. Puppy Training.

Dog Training focusing on pet gun dogs and sporting breeds. Personal 121 private Training Sessions in the following Skill sets:

Effective Dog Handling Skills & Proper Use of Equipment. Adolescent Dog Training-Coping With Your Teenager. Behaviour Training Solutions. Online Zoom Sessions, Telephone consultations & Private Discreet Service. Private lessons and home visits are designed to suit a clien

t’s needs and they can be arranged in the home or a location of your choosing. Private one to one training service also caters for puppy training, basic obedience training, and the teaching of handling skills. Training topics include:

Handling skills with the lead. Recall- Training Levels to your recall. Retriever Training. Gun Dog foundation Training. Training good manners, obedience, and greeting behaviours. Teaching dog’s to develop self control. Effective stimulation & enrichment to deal with those dogs with excess energy. Maxwell has hosted regular seminars, lectures and workshops and been guest speakers at many canine events. Maxwell is also available for you to host for presentations and workshops and virtual keynotes and presentations on a wide variety of dog related subjects. He is also open to appearing on podcasts. Visit www.action4dogs.co.uk

Learning Social Skills and Mixing TogetherDogs can often show over exuberant and intense behaviour when meeting each oth...
26/08/2026

Learning Social Skills and Mixing Together

Dogs can often show over exuberant and intense behaviour when meeting each other. The approach of some dogs can often unsettle the other…

In situations like that the human mire is the that not becomes unsettled themselves, struggles with the equipment against the dog’s power, and they give a variety of verbal communications that are mostly unheard, misunderstood, or just ignored by the dog…

The scenario is repeated when passing other dogs and the frustration builds to become an anticipated habit.

It may not be easy by I recommend making an effort to talk to the owners of the other dogs and arrange a walk together…

Get on the move, or ask if you can join them a short way on the walk, and if you can meet up regularly to do it…

This way the dogs get to know each other a little, they learn about each other, small communications are made, and social skills improve.

Before long some familiarity is established, meetings are less intense, and perhaps the move can be made to off lead play and interaction. This removes much of the stress and frustration and the dogs learn to be social with each other quite quickly.

Friendships are made, rules between the dogs are established, and management and response from your dog is much easier.

Dogs are social beings by nature and they get frustrated when they cannot indulge in that. Yes, things may be intense to begin with, but the dogs soon learn and relationships are made.

That’s a win, win for both owner and dog.

Create the Anticipation of PleasureConvince your dog you can put a variety of pleasurable things in its mouth…Then creat...
21/08/2026

Create the Anticipation of Pleasure

Convince your dog you can put a variety of pleasurable things in its mouth…

Then create several activities related to those pleasures….

Make your dog work for it…

Then ration it!

Anticipation will create the desire.

Labradors…I was once solely attracted to owning lupine type breeds. I had my share of shepherds, a Mali x, and some in b...
21/08/2026

Labradors…

I was once solely attracted to owning lupine type breeds. I had my share of shepherds, a Mali x, and some in betweens…

In 20 years of working in Labrador rescue this is the first dog that really won me over. It wasn’t easy but it was a discovery trip that produced a great and deeply trusting bond.

This is my late Jacques…and you can read some of his story here.

https://action4dogs.co.uk/maxwell-muir/

Ball or Dummy- Which is Best?A fine recent training session with this young Golden Retriever…I’ve nothing against using ...
14/08/2026

Ball or Dummy- Which is Best?

A fine recent training session with this young Golden Retriever…

I’ve nothing against using balls, most of the dogs I meet and work with love them.

However, it’s usually a first for many of them to experience a gundog dummy in their mouth…and how they feel about it is immediately transparent.

They love it also.

If your dog shows a desire to retrieve then there are hours of fun and useful exercises you can do even combining both ball and dummy tighter.

A typical game of fetch can be changed into something more useful and challenging for both human and dog.

I never use just one item to play with a dog. Dogs love variety and interesting things which peak their curiosity. They also love change and stimulating activities that get there brains to work in different ways, and when you do that you will find with many dogs that you have a greater concentration and focus on yourself and what you do together…as opposed to a dog’s intense interest in what else is out there, or just beyond the lead.

Give variety, use your creativity, create jobs, and get some teamwork going with your dog if you want a greater level of focus from it.

Contact me to learn how and give your dog walks a boost!
[email protected]

Long Line ThinkingLong lines are often thought of as restrictive, that they are solely used to control a dog because it ...
12/08/2026

Long Line Thinking

Long lines are often thought of as restrictive, that they are solely used to control a dog because it cannot be trusted off lead.

Long lines are much more than that and there are a wealth of activities you can do with your dog on a long line, lots of tasks which really interest the dog, jobs you can give it, as well as developing a good rapport through communication with it.

I even recommend if your dog can be completely trusted off lead to include long line activities in your dog’s outdoor stimulation training.

It can learn to love it and you can experience some great things together as well as improving one’s handling skills.

That is the key, learning skilful handling of the line.

If you find yourself resorting to the use of a long line, get in touch and I’ll show you how to improve your time with your dog.

[email protected]

Total Obedience?It’s not my thing….Don’t get me wrong, of course I will teach my dogs good manners such as don’t jump an...
11/08/2026

Total Obedience?

It’s not my thing….

Don’t get me wrong, of course I will teach my dogs good manners such as don’t jump and grab food on the kitchen counters, how to greet people, how to respect the space of others, and a string of other rules and boundaries to live by.

These are things, depending on the character of your dog that take shape over the first couple of years of life. During puppyhood and adolescence, or just young days growing up, these behaviours can often be erratic or spontaneous.

What I am saying is, a dog may know what to do but have difficulty doing it, or just plain decide not to. It’s a work in process through their early development. The main thing is to teach them WHERE it is imperative that they learn to behave in such a way.

If a dog is not roguish, challenging, occasionally rebellious to commands, or just plain mischevious during puppy development or those young adult years then there is something wrong…it is normal.

And it is during those periods of development you gave most of your behaviour issues with lack of control right?

It’s not whether a dog will or won’t, or has difficult keeping a steady behaviour, it’s down to character, temperament, and your persistence in instilling the behaviour you want during the dog’s developmental years.

I prefer the term cooperation, where the dog has enough experience and maturity to know what you expect from it in any given situation. That is what you have been working towards throughout your dog’s early schooling and the foundation you have laid for it.

It’s when you can eventually say, through experience, exposure, and age, that a behaviour is reliable.

This is the way of life I coach my clients to approach with their young dogs.

Set aside the time to teach what you expect from your dog over those early first years while it soaks up what life has to offer.

In time, and with understanding you will teach a level in partnership where you have total cooperation as opposed to a rigid total obedience regime.

It’s a relationship you develop, a bond, and a way of living together. Isn’t that what was in our minds when we first decided to get a dog anyway…?

Training Your Dog’s RecallA recall is a work in progress…It is a series of ups and downs, of trials, testing, and discov...
08/08/2026

Training Your Dog’s Recall

A recall is a work in progress…

It is a series of ups and downs, of trials, testing, and discovery…

Never take it for granted, maintain it and keep training to keep it sharp…

Do this over the first 2-3 years of life while the dog’s instincts mature and it transitions from puppyhood, through adolescence, and on to maturity.

After that it’s maintenance of training and a strung bond in the relationship.

You are playing the long game.

Train with your whole heart and soul- Presence makes all the difference It may seem a simple enough concept but it reall...
06/08/2026

Train with your whole heart and soul- Presence makes all the difference

It may seem a simple enough concept but it really is important, and the effects it has on any training you do with your dog are tenfold.

You can have all the equipment, the tastiest of morsels, the toys and stimulants…but if your spirit and mind are not resent the dog will likely content itself or you will struggle to get and keep any attention when any sort of distractions appears.

Training, whether you are training a task, or dealing with sone problematic behaviours, involves bonding and the sharing of emotions to influence or change brain chemistry.

To do that we must be 100% present and in the moment. If you can do that you can also do very well without equipment, food, toys, and the like.

Communication, feedback, and sharing how you feel has magic in it.

And dogs get that and connect to it.

That’s your secret ingredient to effective training.

www.action4dogs.co.uk

Do You Have to Walk Your Dog on a Long Line?I have many clients come to me who feel they either have to keep their dog r...
02/08/2026

Do You Have to Walk Your Dog on a Long Line?

I have many clients come to me who feel they either have to keep their dog restricted to walking on a lead, or on a long line.

Here’s the thing…

I teach clients to use a long line with confidence, to improve both theirs and their dog’s experience on the line, and to process beyond it.

There are so many enriching exercises that can be used and enhanced to build and owner’s confidence, develop and rapport and teamwork between owner and dog, and to provide a satisfying and fulfilling experience for the dog…on a long line.

These exercises include retrieving, tracking, all kinds of trailing and search work, all activities the dog loves to do and learns to love once it is introduced.

For an owner the benefits are improved handling skills while they work on upskilling all other areas they would normally do in training their dog. In fact, for some owners, the long line can be the perfect start to their training.

It’s never too late no matter the age of the dog…

Do you really want to improve things…?

Do you want walks with your dog to be a greater pleasure and more purposeful for you both…?

Would you like to build the confidence that takes your training beyond use of a long line…?

Book your session with me for an assessment and take that 1st step now!

www.action4dogs.co.uk

Fond memories of Turid Rugaas’s visit to Edinburgh in 2008. It's an event that started me on my path to many canine adve...
30/07/2026

Fond memories of Turid Rugaas’s visit to Edinburgh in 2008. It's an event that started me on my path to many canine adventures.

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