Bringing a new furry family member home is such an exciting milestone, but it definitely comes with its fair share of challenges. Maybe your pup is constantly pulling on the lead, or your sensitive rescue dog gets nervous around strangers during your morning walks. 

Training can provide a solution for these, but it can feel incredibly overwhelming when you are trying to figure it out all by yourself. That’s exactly why I set out to find the best dog trainers in Scotland to help you build a stronger, happier bond with your canine companion. 

And if you are planning a trip later, you can also look up local dog boarding homes to keep your pet safe while you travel.

1. The Collie Whisperer

Website: thecolliewhisperer.com

Address: Sir Walter Scott Dr., Inverness IV2 3BW

Contact: 07752176798 | [email protected]

If you’re struggling with a sensitive, overwhelmed, or reactive Border Collie, Yvonne at The Collie Whisperer offers a compassionate, trauma-informed approach that focuses on helping both dogs and their people feel safe, understood, and supported.

With over 30 years of experience working with rescue dogs and more than 25 years dedicated to Border Collies, including rescues and puppies, she has devoted her life to understanding the unique needs of this remarkable breed. Her mission is simple: to help Collies thrive in their homes and prevent them from ending up in rescue.

Rather than relying on quick fixes, Yvonne helps owners understand the emotions driving their dog’s behaviour, building trust, confidence, and a stronger bond through practical, force free training and behaviour support. Her clients receive personalised plans, ongoing guidance, video feedback, and direct support to help them navigate challenges every step of the way.

Owners often describe feeling more confident, more connected to their dogs, and finally understanding what their Collie has been trying to communicate all along.

100% recommend

I cannot recommend Yvonne enough she is absolutely amazing so knowledgeable !! I was struggling a lot with my 1 year old border collie when I got in touch and what a difference in just a few days I wish I found her sooner 🥰 Yvonne was so patient and kind when meeting Milo. She taught me so much about the breed and how to help Milo thought his stress ❤️ 100% recommend to anyone struggling with there fur baby ❤️❤️ I have 1 happy boy now ☺️☺️

• kelsie macleod Google Review

I couldn’t be more grateful

Yvonne is the nicest and most understanding person I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. She messages me back all times of the day with more help and advice for my reactive border collie. She has given me so many tools and advice to work with and I couldnt be more grateful. Even though it has been remote due to the distance, Yvonne has still helped me beyond measure xx

• Sparkles Google Review

2. Serenipaws Scotland

Website: https://www.serenipawsscotland.com  

Address: Field 5 Mollands Rd, Callander FK17 8JJ, United Kingdom

Contact: 07913656650; [email protected] 

Serenipaws Scotland presents a dog-focused service built around emotional support, calmness, and structured connection between people and dogs. Their dog trainer services are framed less as traditional obedience training and more as guided support through interaction with dogs.

At the core of their approach is the belief that dogs can support emotional healing and personal growth in a direct and grounding way. Rather than focusing only on commands or behavior correction, the training environment emphasizes regulation, safety, and emotional awareness.

Serenipaws Scotland structures its sessions around calm and predictable pacing to help reduce overwhelm for both the dog and the handler. This approach is especially centered on creating a safe space where learning feels accessible rather than stressful.

A key part of their dog trainer services is the use of clear steps and supportive guidance that prioritizes consistency over intensity. The goal is to help both humans and dogs build a connection through steady progress rather than make the service feel more like a guided support system than a traditional training school.

Another defining feature is the focus on tools that help both the owner and dog regulate together. This shared regulation concept is positioned as a way to strengthen trust and improve overall communication between handler and dog.

Overall, Serenipaws Scotland is positioned as a space where people can “breathe again” through structured calmness and dog-assisted emotional support. The dog trainer services reflect a holistic, emotionally aware approach rather than purely technical obedience training.

3. K9 Manhunt Scotland

Website: https://k9manhuntscotland.co.uk/

Address: The Depot, Poplar Road, Glenrothes, KY7 4AA

Contact: 07803 925099

Hours: Monday – Sunday 8 am – 9 pm

Dealing with a high-energy dog that constantly needs a job can leave you feeling completely exhausted at the end of the day. K9 Manhunt Scotland handles that energy by customizing their training to the exact personality of your pet rather than using rigid scripts. 

They bring serious real-world expertise from military and mountain rescue backgrounds to help you master advanced outdoor tracking.

Also, they offer amazing traveling workshops to bring their specialized scent work classes directly to your local neighborhood. 

On the flip side, commuting to Fife can be tough if you live far away, but their classes are brilliant for active dogs. 

For your energetic dog, you might also want to look into indoor dog play & socialisation centres to burn that energy during rainy days.

The difference in just one day is unbelievable

I had a 1-to-1 session with Simon yesterday after attending three puppy classes and feeling like I just wasn’t getting anywhere. Simon instantly helped me understand where I was going wrong and taught me how to be more assertive — my pup had definitely been taking the mick! Honestly, the difference in just one day is unbelievable. It turns out she wasn’t the problem… I was. I’m already seeing real progress and feel so much more confident moving forward. Highly recommend!

• Kim Cameron Google Review

Well worth the journey

I would say these guys are a good few levels up from your usual dog trainers. A very professional service with excellent facilities and a friendly layed back atmosphere. Booked 121 training with Simon for most of the day and learned loads about the breed I’ve just rescued(Malinois) he gave me great advice on the breed and went through obedience, impulse control and finished of doing some scent work. We had a great day and well worth the journey. I would highly recommend them for anything to do with dogs.

• Neil Gibson Google Review

4. K9-Kind Limited | Dog Training in Perth, Scotland

Website: https://www.k9-kind.com/

Address: Fernlea, Balnaguard, Pitlochry, PH9 0PY

Contact: 07704 616306 | [email protected]

If you’re worried about judgment because your dog struggles with severe separation anxiety, Aileen Hodgson of K9-Kind Limited provides a wonderful, science-backed refuge. She adheres strictly to a force-free philosophy that completely bans scary or painful training gear. 

When I tried her private home consultation, her incredibly empathetic coaching style instantly made me feel like an empowered partner instead of a failing pet parent. She focuses on building real-life communication solutions that fit naturally into your daily routine. 

You do have to be mindful of her strict 48-hour cancellation policy to avoid unexpected fees. But the peace of mind you get from her accredited expertise is absolutely worth it.

Research-backed learning

Aileen was incredible at training both us as owners and our puppy. Very insightful and approachable, with not only the techniques, but the research behind the learning. Highly recommended, a valuable investment to build our confidence and relationship with our puppy, Bramble. Thank you.

• Lucy & Scott Ferrier Google Review

Kind and sensible approach

We have just completed Aileen’s puppy course and found it extremely helpful. As first time dog owners we felt Aileen’s kind and sensible approach really helped us learn how to teach our puppy what we expected of her. We will be in touch to book more training sessions, thank you Aileen.

• Jennifer Gilbert Google Review

5. Pet Behaviour Scotland

Website: https://www.petbehaviourscotland.co.uk/

Address: Smithy Cottage, 363 Greengairs Rd, Greengairs Airdrie, ML6 7TE

Contact: 0739 512 6634 | [email protected]

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am–6:15 pm

Navigating severe behavioral issues like aggression or destructive chewing requires an expert who truly understands complex animal psychology. Lynn Allardyce of Pet Behaviour Scotland brings over two decades of professional companion pet experience, using modern clicker training instead of harsh corrections. 

She provides an incredible spectrum of care that tackles everything from early puppy socialization to intense behavioral intervention.

Plus, her deep knowledge extends to specialized breeds and even feline behavior assessments. 

That said, because she doesn’t work with legally banned breeds, some owners will need to look elsewhere for help.

Recommended

We couldn’t recommend Lynn enough – our pup completed the six week puppy course and has learned a lot of fundamentals as well as great socialisation in a safe space.

We’ve also had 1:1 sessions prior to the class to get our puppy training started prior to being fully vaccinated.

• Jamie Hammond Google review

Super beneficial and fun

Highly recommend Lynn, we got our pup Callie a little late and she was showing some behavioural problems, after a phone call with Lynn we booked into a 1 on 1 right start session and with the advice and tips on her eating and sleeping habits we saw massive changes in Callie’s behaviour and she started taking on training so well. We have now started the novice puppy course and after one session we found it super beneficial and fun! We can’t wait to see how she progresses and it’s all thanks to Lynn

• Jodie Macmillan Google Review

6. Clan Dog

Website: https://www.clandog.co.uk/

Address: HOLYLEE ESTATE, Walkerburn EH43 6BD

Contact: +441896870612 | [email protected]

Hours: Available 24/7

If you want to learn how to communicate clearly so you can fix behavioral issues alongside your pet, Allan Ritchie of Clan Dog offers a brilliant approach. He focuses heavily on coaching the human handler, drawing on his forty years of experience as a former Royal Air Force (RAF) and police dog specialist. 

He teaches you how to become a loving leader using strictly non-aversive methods to build trust.

On top of that, he provides an incredibly budget-friendly monthly membership model that gives you ongoing access to instructional videos and live support. 

However, you should note that he doesn’t run a dedicated training facility, so sessions happen in public spaces or at home. But having his trained assistant dog help socialise reactive pups is a spectacular benefit.

I think he is secretly a magician!

I had no specific issues that needed sorting, but as we had never had our own pup before I wanted to make sure we started out on the right foot. Had a 121 with Allan and it was really beneficial. Allan gave really good pointers and advice on the early stages of puppy training. I think he is secretly a magician as Flo had never been so well behaved in his presence. Nice to get reassurance from such an expert and I’m sure I will have a lot more questions. Thanks Allan for yesterday, it really was great!

• Nicola McLellan Google Review

A happier dog with happier owners

Can’t recommend Clan Dog highly enough, Allan is a brilliant dog (and dog owner) trainer and helped us a lot with our crazy lock down pup Gem. They have a lot of free videos and help to get started then if you find it useful you can buy access to courses or join the Clan and get access to years of training videos, recordings of zoom sessions etc. If you need help in person he also offers 1-2-1 consultations which helped us with her issues and she’s a happier dog with happier owners.

• Stewart Smith Google Review