Dog training · Musselburgh & East Lothian
Dog Training in Musselburgh & East Lothian
Tailored 1-2-1 dog training with Scott Blair — Crufts-winning trainer covering Musselburgh, Dalkeith, Haddington and the wider East Lothian area, as well as Edinburgh itself.
Local, one-to-one
Training that comes to you
You should not have to drive into the city and sit in a church hall with eight other dogs to get help. Family First Canine works one-to-one, in and around your own home and on the walks you actually do — the streets of Musselburgh, the local parks, the paths along the Esk and the open ground out towards the coast.
That matters more than it sounds. A dog who behaves beautifully in a training hall and then loses the plot the moment a spaniel appears on the riverside path has not really learned anything useful. Training in the places you go is what makes it stick.
What we cover
Every kind of dog, every kind of problem
Everyday Obedience
Loose-lead walking, reliable recall, sit, down and stay — the skills that make an ordinary walk through Musselburgh pleasant rather than a battle.
Puppy Foundations
Socialisation, toilet training and calm habits from the very first weeks, so you never have to undo them later.
Reactivity & Aggression
Structured 1-2-1 help for lunging, barking and aggression toward other dogs or people, worked on in real environments.
Calm Settling
A dog who can switch off at home, in a café or when visitors arrive, instead of pacing, barking or demanding attention.
Coastal & Park Recall
Recall proofed where East Lothian dogs actually run — open ground, beaches and busy paths full of distractions.
Family Protection Dogs
Stable, thoroughly obedient protection dogs that are safe around your family, trained to a serious standard.
Areas covered
Musselburgh and the wider Lothians
Sessions are available across East Lothian — Musselburgh, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Tranent, Dalkeith and Haddington — as well as Midlothian, West Lothian and Edinburgh itself. If you are not sure whether you are in range, get in touch and ask; we cover most of the region.
Just along the coast into the city, there are pages for Portobello and east Edinburgh, Leith and north Edinburgh, and Dalkeith and Midlothian.
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 just as much for a family pet in Musselburgh as it does for a competition dog: it means your dog is read, understood and taught by someone who has produced dogs at the very highest level.
Where to start
Pick the right starting point
For everyday manners — lead walking, recall, settling — start with obedience training. If your dog is still very young, puppy training builds the foundations that make everything after it easier.
If the difficulty is lunging, barking or aggression toward other dogs or people, reactive and aggressive dog training deals with the underlying emotion first. And if you are looking for a trained family or personal protection dog, that is handled separately and to a much higher standard of obedience.
Our dogs
Meet some of the dogs
Common questions
Musselburgh dog training FAQs
Do you cover Musselburgh and East Lothian?+
Yes. Family First Canine works across Edinburgh and the wider Lothians, and Musselburgh and the surrounding East Lothian towns are well within the area we cover. Get in touch to confirm your exact location.
Do I have to travel into Edinburgh for sessions?+
No. Sessions take place in and around your own home and in the real-world places you walk your dog — so for Musselburgh owners that usually means your street, the local parks and the paths along the coast, not a hall in the city.
What kind of training do you offer?+
One-to-one training across everyday obedience, puppy foundations, and reactive or aggressive behaviour, plus family and personal protection dogs. Every session is shaped around your dog and what you actually find difficult.
My dog barks and lunges at other dogs on the walk — can you help?+
Yes. That is one of the most common reasons owners get in touch. Reactivity is dealt with by addressing the underlying emotion first and building calm, reliable behaviour on top of it, rather than simply suppressing the barking.
How old does my dog need to be?+
Any age. Puppies from around eight weeks can start with gentle foundations, and adult and rescue dogs are perfectly capable of learning new skills — it simply takes a little more consistency to replace an established habit.
How do I book?+
Get in touch through the website or give us a call. We will talk through what is going on with your dog and arrange a first session that suits you.
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
Dog Obedience Training in Edinburgh
Lead walking, recall, settling and everyday manners — tailored 1-2-1 training for dogs of any age.
Learn more →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 →Separation Anxiety Dog Training
One-to-one help for dogs who cannot cope with being left alone — howling, destruction at doors and pre-departure panic.
Learn more →Resource Guarding Dog Training
One-to-one help for dogs who growl or stiffen over food, toys, beds, the sofa or people — without punishing the warning.
Learn more →Family & Personal Protection Dogs
Stable, obedient protection dogs that are safe with your family — trained across Scotland.
Learn more →Family Protection Dogs in Scotland
Train your own dog for family protection, or let Scott help you find and match a suitable, temperament-tested protection dog — across Scotland.
Learn more →Dog Training in Livingston & West Lothian
One-to-one training across Livingston, Linlithgow and the wider West Lothian area.
Learn more →Dog Training in Dalkeith & Midlothian
One-to-one training across Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Loanhead and the wider Midlothian area.
Learn more →Dog Training in Leith, Edinburgh
One-to-one training across Leith, the Shore, Newhaven and the north of Edinburgh — built around flat living and busy streets.
Learn more →Dog Training in Portobello, Edinburgh
One-to-one training across Portobello, Joppa, Duddingston and the east of Edinburgh — from the beach and the promenade to flat living without a garden.
Learn more →Dog Training in Corstorphine, Edinburgh
One-to-one training across Corstorphine, Murrayfield, Clermiston and the west of Edinburgh — from busy St John's Road to the woods on Corstorphine Hill.
Learn more →Dog Training in Morningside, Edinburgh
One-to-one training across Morningside, Bruntsfield, Comiston and the south of Edinburgh: from recall in the Hermitage of Braid to settling calmly in a café.
Learn more →Dog Training in South Queensferry
One-to-one training across South Queensferry, Dalmeny and Kirkliston: from the narrow High Street and busy waterfront to recall on the Dalmeny shore path.
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.