Pet & obedience training · Edinburgh
Dog Obedience Training in Edinburgh
Tailored 1-2-1 obedience training with Scott Blair — Crufts-winning trainer based in Edinburgh. Lead walking, recall, settling and everyday manners that hold up in the real world, not just in the living room.
Training for everyday life
Obedience that works outside the kitchen
Most owners do not want a competition dog. They want a dog who walks nicely down Leith Walk, comes back on the Meadows, settles under the table in a café and does not launch at the postman. That is what obedience training is for.
Family First Canine works one-to-one with pet dogs of every age and breed across Edinburgh and the Lothians. Sessions are built around your dog, your home and the things you actually find difficult — not a fixed syllabus that treats every dog the same.
What's covered
The skills that make daily life easier
Loose-Lead Walking
Walks you actually look forward to — no pulling, no dragging, no sore shoulders, on Edinburgh pavements and out in the parks.
Reliable Recall
A come-back-when-called you can genuinely trust, built with engagement and structure rather than hope and a pocket of treats.
Sit, Down & Stay
The everyday positions, taught so they hold up around distractions rather than only in the quiet of your kitchen.
Calm Settling
A dog who can switch off — at home, in a café, or when visitors arrive — instead of pacing, barking or demanding attention.
Door & Greeting Manners
No barging through doorways and no jumping up at guests, children or people you pass in the street.
Real-World Reliability
Training taken out of the living room and into traffic, shops, cafes and busy paths, so it works where you actually need it.
How it works
One-to-one, in the places you actually go
Every session is one-to-one and shaped around your dog. You are involved throughout — a dog who only listens to the trainer is not much use to the family who lives with them.
We start where things are calm and manageable, then take the training out into the real world of Edinburgh’s streets, parks and cafes, so it holds up in the places you actually spend your time.
Why Scott
Crufts-winning, hands-on experience
Scott Blair is the founder of Family First Canine. His dogs have earned Best Puppy in Breed at Crufts 2020 and 1st Post Graduate Dog & Reserve CC at Crufts 2022, alongside a background in IGP and personal protection work.
That depth of experience matters even for a family pet: it means your dog is being read, understood and taught by someone who has produced dogs at the very highest level — then applied to the ordinary business of living with a dog well.
Where to start
Puppies and reactive dogs
If your dog is still very young, start with puppy training in Edinburgh — socialisation, toilet training and the foundations that make everything after it easier.
If the difficulty is lunging, barking or aggression toward other dogs or people, that needs a different approach: reactive and aggressive dog training deals with the underlying emotion first, with obedience built on top of it.
Areas covered
Edinburgh and the Lothians
Obedience training sessions are available across Edinburgh and the wider Lothians, including East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. Get in touch to check your area — we cover most of the region.
Our dogs
Meet some of the dogs
Common questions
Obedience training FAQs
What is obedience training and does my dog need it?+
Obedience training is simply teaching your dog the everyday skills that make life together easy — walking nicely on a lead, coming back when called, settling calmly at home and around other people. Almost every dog benefits, whether they are a young pup, a rescue settling in, or an adult dog who has picked up a few habits along the way.
How old does my dog need to be?+
Any age. Puppies from around eight weeks can start with gentle foundations, and adult dogs are perfectly capable of learning new skills — it simply takes a little more consistency to replace an established habit.
Is training one-to-one or in a group class?+
One-to-one, tailored to your dog and your home. Every dog is different, and progress is quicker when the training fits your family's routine rather than a fixed class syllabus.
How long does it take to see a difference?+
That depends on the dog, the goal and how much practice happens between sessions. Most owners notice a change in the first few sessions, but lasting obedience comes from the work you keep doing at home afterwards — which is why you are involved throughout.
What areas do you cover?+
Edinburgh and the wider Lothians — including East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. Sessions typically take place in and around your home and in real-world environments.
Ready to get started?
Get in touch with Scott to talk through your dog and how we can help. Based in Edinburgh, serving the Lothians and beyond.
Related services
Explore more of our training
Puppy Training in Edinburgh
Build good habits from the very first weeks — socialisation, toilet training, recall and calm lead walking.
Learn more →Reactive & Aggressive Dog Training
Calm, structured 1-2-1 help for lunging, barking, lead reactivity and aggression toward dogs or people.
Learn more →Family & Personal Protection Dogs
Stable, obedient protection dogs that are safe with your family — trained across Scotland.
Learn more →Or head back to the Family First Canine homepage.
Get in touch
Let's get started
Ready to transform your dog and strengthen your bond? Reach out and we'll find the perfect programme for you and your family in Edinburgh or the wider Lothians.
Contact details
Ready to book?
Use the form to tell us about your dog, or click below to go straight to the booking page. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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