Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

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Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

Professional Dog Trainer
Dog Training for Gun Dog, Sporting, & Working Line Pets

Confidence, Competence and Relationship Building! Puppy Training.

Steadiness and Obedience
Recall Training
Retrieve Training
Lead Training & Handling Skills
Behavior Consultations Action 4 Dogs Dog Training founded by Max Muir is based in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Maxwell covers all of Scotland by appointment. Dog Training focusing on pet gun dogs and sporting breeds. Personal 121 private Training Sessions in the following Skill sets:

Effective Dog Handling S

kills & 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 client’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

10/01/2025

Making Impressions With a New Puppy

When this young rogue first came into my home at 5 months of age he was a typical all-over-the-place puppy that had no introduction to training, a chancer and opportunist by nature, his impulses dictated all of his actions.

He saw and he did accordingly to his desires…

Sits…lasted barely a second or two…

Stay…forget it!

He jumped, counter-surfed, pulled on lead, and was out to get everything he could from life’s great and vast buffet.

I love the naturally mischievous nature in some dogs, mostly in males. He was a typical young and confident dog, he just hadn’t had a proper master or the guidance and education that comes with that.

We bonded, built our trust and relationship, and worked on providing a daily life of learning and harnessing all of that energy through training.

The more time I devoted to teaching what I wanted and spent quality time with my dog, as he grew through those early years we became better together.

He needed to grow up and I needed to show him the way while providing environmental experiences for him to satisfy those strong instincts.

Small steps, focusing on solutions, bonding through the early developmental periods, and being someone the dog truly is excited to spend its time with are what gets you there.

It’s a life journey and as an owner you will deal with a variety of characteristics and temperament in your dogs. Adjusting yourself accordingly in how you handle and own that particular dog will govern how it sees and grows with you over the long term.

06/01/2025

Having a pet dog is a great thing, a privilege...

Nurturing a dog through its early months and years is a journey as we walk, train, play with and bring on our dog's social and brain development.

Did you know that in us humans, the preforntal cortex which is responsible for higher function develops right into our mid twenties. The canine brain also carries on into beyond puppyhood and into the adolescent period. So even although a dog may be large and physically fully grown they may have some way to go before mental maturity.

Young adolescent dogs can be careless in their way, reckless, possess crude social skills, and lack self-control. Their decisions and choices are not always good ones and it is all part of the learning curves life throws at them.

I love to train...

Walk my dogs...

Play with them...

These are all things that form the glue that builds the relationship. They are social in nature and need emotional support with the life challenges they face...and we get and need that from them also. That relationship, that bond, stems from the main thing we want from our dogs...

Companionship!

The ability to share emotions is one of the strongest binding qualities we share with our dogs. A dog with a great companion thrives and gets through life more easily. A person who has a closely connected companionship with a dog, or dogs, knows how special that relationship is. It is that relationship that makes everything else work so well. It is an area that should be looked at deeply if one wants the best from their dog. No training in the world will surpass a deep connection on deep companionship level.

That involves devoting time outside of other daily dog activities to reach intimate contact with our dogs on a heart level. Many of you may think this is for sure and is a given, but there are many relationships that have gaps on that level and all the training doesn't fill it.

Spending time with dogs, sharing emotions without even breathing a word, being with them on a heartfelt level opens doors to a relationship and bond we dreamed of when we first thought of getting a dog. Making the time to relax and bond together links our brains together.

Sometimes that can get lost in the midst of our busy lives. Dogs need time to grow up and mature and time for the relationship to blossom through those early years so it stands them in good stead as we both grow older together.

06/01/2025

Apart from general foundation training in obedience which is beneficial to teach every dog, your dog also has deeply wired instinctive needs and traits.

Dogs are selectively bred to display these character traits to varying degree.

Your dog will display some of the following:

> Search and Scent
> Chase
> Cover ground quickly
> pick up objects and carry them
> Be attracted to wildlife
> Hunt, forage, flush, and scavenge

Utilizing these traits into your training will help your dog fulfill its purpose and learn to fully be the dog it is. Your training and education will benefit when you consider and provide outlets for these natural behaviours to be expressed.

Your direction in the process is a motivational channel for your dog to direct those instincts and form a training partnership bringing out the best for you both.

Working line pets thrive with foundation training that works those instincts and makes all the difference in raising a dog with strong working drives.

05/01/2025

The Look of Intent!

04/01/2025

The Reality of Puppy Life

When one commits to parenting whether it be children or animals they learn to put up and deal with demands on their time,
patience, and all those little inconveniences that come with it.

Animals are no more born trained and learned than any other living species. Puppies will be puprs, babies will be babies, and adolescence.....well, I'm sure you get the idea.

Your puppy will jump, nip, pull on lead, throw a tantrum, demand attention, eliminate on your floors, chew and scratch, yelp, hate to be alone and confined for long periods, and it will want to meet the world and everything in it.

Your children go to classes for the first 16 years of their lives before fully launching themselves at the world…

Puppy development is a good deal quicker and you’ll find you have an adolescent before you know it.

Therefore, organisation, plannning, and preparation along with realistic expectations makes parenting and dealing with those inconveniences a whole lot easier.

Once you know and anticipate what to expect it is half the battle.

Enjoy raising your puppy and keep in mind it’s just a pup..

01/01/2025

Here’s to the New Year ahead.

Our dogs have no concept of time in the way we do…

But they do recognise our attitude, vigour, intent, our sense of adventure and the spirit that we carry into our escapades with them.

Keep that spirit of enthusiasm alive in you to march towards newer and greater quality of life with your dogs.

As long as we do that, every day is a beautiful day and a life filled with purpose for them.

That’s where The Bond with them is secured!

Happy training and new adventures folks!

31/12/2024

Here are a few superb expressions of canine body language through play with these two familiar friends during one of my client sessions last week.

Once play had ended between the two I worked with the Golden Retriever and her owner on the differences between fetch and a structured retrieve.

Fetch is a great game and dogs love it. Owner finds it is an activity that keeps them focused when other distractions are on the horizon.

However, a focused retrieve adds so much more to the equation building both the handler’s skills as well as the dogs. It’s also a lot more tiring and satisfying for the dog as there is a greater deal of focus and concentration involved.

After Cora the retriever was sufficiently tired but being careful not to overdo it, she found her friend again and took off into another play session.

A great way to unwind after some brain work!

Tip: Make sure that play in one form or another is part of your training sessions, it’s a natural and great relief valve for the brain and powers up the learning process!

30/12/2024

Steady...Steady...Steady...

That most desirable quality we want in our dogs...

The great turning point in your dog training is once you have taught your dog to retrieve...to reach the level where you teach it not to retrieve.

Steadiness is for me the greatest exercise in teaching your dog to regulate its emotions and develop self control. I have several ways I like to do it. The focus skills you develop for your dog through the exercise is an excellent quality to add to your dog's training.

It creates that on and off switch in the dog which is vital once you venture with it into richer environments.

Is your dog always on or unable to control its excitement levels?

Teaching steadiness inserts an off switch into your training as your dog develops.

A steady dog is a dog you can rely on!

29/12/2024

Something a little different for a change…

I have a fondness for Northern Inuits and similar breeds of dog and I enjoy working with them.

They have extremely powerful senses and often sharp prey drives, and by nature be independent in their way.

No surprise when fitted with a harness they will get all of their natural power and almost full range of motion into that making relaxed and casual walking difficult for a handler.

This session focused on taking a good look at lead and collar equipment and what works best for both owner and dog, how to use it more effectively and sharpen up with smoother handling skills.

Isn’t he a beauty!!!

24/12/2024

‘A dog’s state of mind is something you largely create and influence with your own state of mind and how you handle a dog in each daily life situation and in how you approach your training and communicate with it.

Training is not so much about what you want the dog to do…

It’s about recognising and knowing what the dog wants to do and showing it how best to access those wants and needs.

If you really want to have a responsive dog and a team worker in life you’ll find a way to make them listen and shift their attentiveness to you…

That’s what The Bond is all about!’

Max Muir

22/12/2024

Puppy Problem Solving

Mental stimulation is frequently mentioned around puppy development and most forms of stimulation when a pup gets to a new home consists of chew toys, kongs or other food filled toys, and various items of different textures for them to explore with their mouths.

These things are great, and they do provide a level of stimulation…

But during their waking hours puppy’s minds are active, and when they are bored or even over tired with all of the above common complaints are excessive puppy mouthing and an assortment of puppy antics.

The above normally arises from a need to use their brains in a different way. Pups are curious beings by nature and using that innate curiosity to help them solve problems not only stimulates them but it helps them develop concentration, how to cope with frustration, and helps them discover themselves in their ability to solve problems.

Simple beginner exercises including box work for search and discover activities satisfy those young puppy needs.

They are great to provide before downtime and an excellent outlet in generally calming a pup and creating a peaceful environment.

All an active pup wants is something to do…

When it can use its developing intelligence to achieve that the results are generally that they sleep and rest very well.

Help them use their senses for all they are worth!

22/12/2024

‘Where’s the moose?’

Hunting ain’t all birds and game!

The Degas loves a mouse hunt!

20/12/2024

A dog's play style can sometimes alarm its owner, or the owner of another dog when two dogs engage in play.

Play among dogs is rich and varied and breed types can have typical traits during play. I was raised with working sighthounds who love bursts of speed, and close contact where shoulders will rub and brush off each other.

Some dogs love to chase and be chased, other add to chase with running together, jaw sparring, growling, and air snapping.

Reciprocal play often includes taking turns at being on top or the bottom and exposing sensitive areas.

However, play can also begin as light and probing play but go to a different arousal level in one or both dogs very quickly. It can also become a one-way-street type of play.

Many dogs can play through non contact and have equally a great time.

Play is individual preference. Not all breeds mix together for play, as motives and instincts are aroused in different ways. Ideal play partners have established a repertoire of consensual play. Strange or unfamiliar dogs may also be just great communicators and have excellent social and play skills, with play only motives.

Knowing your dog, how it plays, how it responds to play, and how it affects them when play becomes something else, or moves to a different but perhaps more uncomfortable level is an important part of exposing your dog to other dogs.

The power of play has many great benefits, but it is also powerful in other ways in the experiences your dog gathers which shape its behaviour along the way.

I have always favoured a well tempered and older canine role model for young pups or adolescent dogs. Part of bringing any young dog up to enjoy play, and develop social skills is enhanced by having a good role model to help show it the way.

Pay attention to and observe your dog's play skills and preferences. You will learn a lot about your dog's behaviour and your dog will learn well from dogs who possess good social play skills. They are skills, and they are honed and developed through practise and experience.

19/12/2024

Stay Close…

I have made a habit since boyhood with my dogs when I am in a rich habitat of simply stopping, crouching, and waiting…

Waiting…

Without saying a word…

The dog at my side…

Before rising up and sending the dog on again.

It’s a very useful behaviour and goes a good way towards strengthening your dog’s attentiveness to you.

It contributes towards becoming a pair, a team, and a partner who works silently as the dog becomes aware of your movements and when you adopt such a position.

I used it with coursing lurchers as a boy, and saw it used as a boy by other handlers who wanted to stop and see the lay of the land while steadying up their dogs.

Adopting steadiness yourself helps the dog understand what you are doing and what you want while they learn to control their emotions and impulses.

I still do it to this day and it is also a great compliment and assister to recall work. The dog watches you and learns to come over, stop, and remain stopped while you are.

If you like to observe wildlife at a distance without disturbing them it is also a great aid for that was its primary use.

Try teaching your dog to be cautious when you are cautious…

To stay close to you…

To stop and remain with you…

And to go ahead at your prompt.

Happy training folks!

18/12/2024

Long, lean, and sleek is the hunter

My goodness can this young Labrador cover ground quickly. He takes off like a bullet and his prey drive ensures he covers an area thoroughly.

Rather than interesting him in straight mark retrieves and such I created some intriguing hunts for him to work on his focus.

He loved that and was able to use a mixture of ground scent and air scenting when the dummy caught on some scrub.

A perfect way to keep him working and tire him out…

He is kept as a pet dog but make no mistake the level of drive in this young lad is that of a full working stock Labrador.

To satisfy and provide a channel for those powerful instincts we are working on introducing him to a mix of search, track, and retrieve work.

It’s a beautiful sight to see once we can bring it under focus. It is very early days but I’m going to enjoy watching this young athlete develop.

You may keep a sporting dog as a pet but they only know what they are and what they are driven to do. The term ‘pet’ is purely a human thing.

The dog is a dog as an individual and must behave as such.

Our challenge is not the dog so much fitting into our lives, but providing outlets for the dog to be the dog it is in our daily adventures and outings with the dog.

17/12/2024

‘When I take my dog out I try to keep to the quietest of places and streets as he pulls me all over the place. He is getting stronger and the walks are becoming more stressful.’

This is one of main challenges for pet dog owners.

Early foundation setting for this young dog’s training before strongly undesired habits become more powerful.

It is easy and quick for a habit to develop. Dogs that learn to pull strongly on the lead also tend to have shaky recalls and unsteady obedience.

Golden retrievers have in my experience their own unique stubborn trait of ignoring their owners which they can learn to do early, and going into a down position laying flat on the ground when they don’t want to do something or go somewhere…

With the right motivation, communication, and understanding how training works bad habits can be overturned. That also includes the owner changing their own habits in all of the above.

After some play, retrieve, and recall work we had a short break and worked on this young dog’s lead pulling habits.

It can often seem like only very simple adjustments in a few areas are needed to change a behaviour, and that when something works well one day, and in one area, it should automatically work well in others.

Different areas where the habits are strong often demand greater work than in other areas to strengthen the behaviour ‘in’ training and going through the process of establishing new habits to replace the old ones.

Pulling on lead is one of the most common complaints from dog owners, which is usually made stronger by going on walks and allowing the dog to pull in arousing and exciting areas.

As always, I try to reason and advise the client to not think about going on walks, but to pick 2-3 locations and go on training sessions where you can work on the behaviours you wish to improve. Each session provides learning curves for both human and dog and through the process you build the habits you want as you widen out and gradually turn those training sessions into more pleasurable walks.

13/12/2024

Labrador days…

Any captions are welcome folks, I’ve already thought of a few and would be curios to hear more of them.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your dogs!

11/12/2024

In a Rush to Train Your Dog

Small steps lead to greater things.

While teaching obedience and steady behaviours for example such as the Sit / Stay, don’t be in a hurry to create as much distance between you and dog in quick time.

Work more on duration…

Giving your dog different angles…

Creating your own distractions that help you keep on top of the behaviour by being close up and giving good feedback.

After you have gained some duration of different sorts then you can work on increasing distance for shorter durations and get the dog used to keeping a steady behaviour at that new distance and what you create around it.

Also, when training in new and different locations begin by starting small again and building the exercise like before.

Different scenarios give the dog experience in the behaviour…

They learn better when we don’t push the exercises but just build by adding a little at a time each time…

Unsteady behaviours often result from a too much too soon approach. It’s easier to go back a step if a dog’s ability to remain steady wavers than it is to start all over again.

Don’t rush, build delicately and once your dog grasps the full meaning of it wherever you are, and it has the experience and foundation to carry it out, the result will be a lot quicker for you both.

The slower you take it the quicker you will get there.

Happy training folks!

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A dog's play style can sometimes alarm its owner, or the owner of another dog when two dogs engage in play. Play among dogs is rich and varied and breed types can have typical traits during play. I was raised with working sighthounds who love bursts of speed, and close contact where shoulders will rub and brush off each other. Some dogs love to chase and be chased, other add to chase with running together, jaw sparring, growling, and air snapping. Reciprocal play often includes taking turns at being on top or the bottom and exposing sensitive areas. However, play can also begin as light and probing play but go to a different arousal level in one or both dogs very quickly. It can also become a one-way-street type of play. Many dogs can play through non contact and have equally a great time. Play is individual preference. Not all breeds mix together for play, as motives and instincts are aroused in different ways. Ideal play partners have established a repertoire of consensual play. Strange or unfamiliar dogs may also be just great communicators and have excellent social and play skills, with play only motives. Knowing your dog, how it plays, how it responds to play, and how it affects them when play becomes something else, or moves to a different but perhaps more uncomfortable level is an important part of exposing your dog to other dogs. The power of play has many great benefits, but it is also powerful in other ways in the experiences your dog gathers which shape its behaviour along the way. I have always favoured a well tempered and older canine role model for young pups or adolescent dogs. Part of bringing any young dog up to enjoy play, and develop social skills is enhanced by having a good role model to help show it the way. Pay attention to and observe your dog's play skills and preferences. You will learn a lot about your dog's behaviour and your dog will learn well from dogs who possess good social play skills. They are skills, and

A Real Lapdog! #dogantics #dogfun

Building a Dog’s Confidence With retrieving. Teaching your dog to work with you and retrieve has limitless potential in where and how you can challenge your dog in the variety retrieving offers. It is not only a very potent way to develop teamwork between owner and dog, but it is a superb outlet for confidence building in you both, in each other, and in boosting self-confidence. Labrador Retriever Flossie comes straight out of a nervy and cautious state to one of purpose and intent when we switch her into work mode. Retrieving is a life tool for both owner and dog. Would gun dog retriever training help your pet? Contact me for further details! #action4dogs #dogtraining #dogtrainer #retrieveroftheday #retrievertraining #gundogtraining #dogtrainingtips #glencorsedogtrainer #scottishdogtrainer #trainyourdog #edinburghdogs

Back in the day! My young Labrador Jacques within a few days of giving him a home, attempts to bond and entice my old Shepherd Malek to play. Jacques is now at 13 years an old boy himself. #dogplaying #dogplay

The pleasure in watching your dog do what it does! #dogs #lovedogs #labradorretriever #labrador #gundogtraining

A little early morning practise at Thrumster… The weather looks promising.

Old dog still loves to play!

A burst of magic watching my old boy generate some play in the forest… He was even chasing the ducks upstream a few moments before.

Our neighboring terrier’s pool routine…

It’s a privilege to have a fantastic range of working line pet dogs for training with me today. #retrievertraining #dogtraining #action4dogs

The Curiosity of Pups! A lovely day to finish the training sessions yesterday with this German Shepherd puppy. I love to observe curiosity in a pup. It is a healthy sign in my opinion. I worked with this dog’s owner years ago with her previous dog when they came to visit me, and now life presents this new puppy to her. Emotional development, social confidence, instincts in relation to behaviour, early training foundations, and gradual exposure to the world were all topics of discussion. I kept shepherds of my own for many years and it was so lovely to work with a young shepherd puppy again. I do have a soft spot for the breed…and all that they are. Understanding their developing instincts, behaviour, and being all things to them: Parent, Teacher, and Leader, provides them with a sound structure to live by. I look forward to watching this beautiful young dog develop, Those ears….! #action4dogs #dogtrainer

Running Free, Living the Dream

Just a guy enjoying watching his dog run free in paradise!

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Our Story

Action 4 Dogs Dog Training founded by me, Max Muir. I am based in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

I am proud to be Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland Scio Behaviour Consultant & Trainer for the past 17 years.

I cover all of Scotland and the north of England by appointment.

Personal Training Sessions Empowering You With Amazing Skills Effective Handling Skills & Use of Equipment Puppy Training & The Ultimate Start-Up Guide Adolescent Training-Coping With Your Teenager Behaviour Modification & Problem Solving Solutions Online / Telephone consultations Private & Discreet Service Mentoring-Supervision & Guidance to bring the best trainer out in you! Private lessons and home visits are designed to suit your individual needs and they can be arranged in your home or a location of your choosing. Private coaching training service also caters for puppy training, basic obedience and response training, and the teaching of handling skills. Training topics include: Recall Training Specialist Obedience Training Training Impulse Control / Steadiness, and Self Control Daily Stimulation & Enrichment Canine Handling Skills and Use of Equipment I hosts regular seminars and workshops with guest speakers which are held throughout the year. A am also available for you to host for presentations and workshops on a wide variety of dog related subjects. Give me a call or please visit my website www.action4dogs.co.uk

Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

10/01/2025

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Old dog still loves to play!

Running Free, Living the Dream

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