Testimonials
Carolyne Poulton BEM
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Max Muir for over 20 years via my work in Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland Scio. Max has many commendable qualities as a Dog Trainer and Behaviourist. Firstly not only is Max a dog person, but he is also a people person which is an absolute must in dog training in my opinion. Max communicates so well not only with the dogs but with the owners too which is a huge advantage to the dogs. Max’s very presence puts owners at ease with his lovely, friendly, easy-going manner, not to mention the dogs.
Max has worked tirelessly to help many Labradors over the last twenty odd years. In fact he is the only Behaviourist I am prepared to use for the Rescue.
Max has helped so many Labradors and owners resolve their issues with dog training. Many Labradors who would have been given up by their owners were and are able to keep them through Max’s guidance and expertise. Many Labradors who were very difficult to rehome were successfully rehomed after dog training sessions with him.
There are many qualities about Max that I admire, his knowledge, experience, his talent in communicating with people and their dogs, his integrity and his honesty.
Max treats every single Labrador as being unique, no textbook style dog training, as he says .... every dog is different so one rule does not fit all.
I applaud Max for his dedication to Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland and for all the work he does with our Labradors. He is the only Dog Trainer and Behaviourist I know who will drop everything, even on Christmas Day, to help a Labrador when I call him. It doesn’t surprise me he’s called The Labrador Man.
Head of Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland Scio
SANDY MAXWELL-FORBES & SARAH MCLEAN
Citidogs Creche Edinburgh
We invited Max to work with us to assist in realising our ambition, which was to establish the criterion we would use as a benchmark for the exceptional care we commit to delivering to the dogs entrusted in our care. We examined many trainers available and concluded that Max not only enjoyed great success with proven results but also had a lot in common with our own personal beliefs, which is to create an enjoyable world for dogs with adherence to a natural and kind approach. We were delighted with the programme Max created delivering outstanding results in an enjoyable and relaxed setting. Our team of 14 now work with proficient consistency and enjoy a greater awareness. The continued relationship we have with Max is something we hold with high regard, and his admirable skills and knowledge have been invaluable. Having Max as a ‘champion’ is of great worth to Citidogs and we fully endorse his methods and approach.
Angela
Dog Owner, Newtongrange
On acquiring my Bulldog puppy’, Shiloh, at six months I found her to be very aggressive with other dogs. I also could not get her attention and she was basically doing what she liked. Shiloh responded immediately to the sound and rewards methods you advised us to implement. actually within the space of one day she was coming to recall, sitting and even taught her to give a paw in three ten minute training sessions, also her lead pulling was stopped instantly with your advised change of leash technique.Her dog to dog aggression was our main concern as she was snarling and pulling if any strange dogs came close to her and i was very worried that I would never be able to let her off the lead in public. We worked for a week on the advice you gave us and I am so delighted to say that yesterday my lovely puppy was in the park off lead and playing with Spaniels, Labradors, Greyhounds etc..Shiloh and I cannot thank you enough for understanding her issues and giving us the advice to overcome the problem.
Rhona
Dog Owner Edinburgh
Max came to the house and after talking about Toby he explained to me that Toby had never learned to deal with situations he found stressful and couldn’t cope. I also learned that I had made the situation worse by using techniques that I had been advised to use from another source. We went out for a walk and Max taught me how to use a sound, response and treat technique to get Toby’s attention and also how to gain Toby’s trust and respect, allowing me to take the lead in a calm manner and get Toby out of situations he found stressful. The session went so quickly but in that time Max taught me how to recognise Toby’s signals and to understand things from Toby’s perspective. I found the session very informative, Max explains things in a clear manner and also follows up with a report and an action plan. It will not be a quick fix with Toby but already I see a difference in him and now we have an even stronger bond. He is a lot calmer out on walks and I feel confident that with using the techniques that Max has taught me we will go from strength to strength. I also know that Max is at the end of the phone if I am unsure about anything. I highly recommend Max, by the end of the session he had a fantastic bond with Toby and it is plain to see that he is there because he genuinely cares about helping you to help your dog.
Gordon and Linda Lansley
Dog Owners, Penicuik
We have a one year old Black Labrador called Rogan. A typical Lab full of energy and excitement. We were wary when out on walks. If Rogan saw a dog in the distance he would ignore any command and run to the other dog. We would like to say a huge thank you Max, after one session you have shown us how to keep Rogan’s attention on us to the point where he can ignore the presence of other dogs. You also showed us how to stop him from pulling on the lead. Rogan would also like to say thank you, he has lots more fun now when he is out, he gets to use all that energy with his favourite game FETCH!!!
Stuart & Amanda
Dog Owners, Bonnyrigg
Max was recommended to us as we were having problems walking our one year old Maltese Terrier Dog. Whenever Mackay encountered another dog on a walk he would go berserk, barking and snapping uncontrollably to the point that we lost all confidence in taking him out. After a couple of sessions with Max we were able to understand the cause of his behaviour and Max has shown us how to handle and correct this in a calm and effective manner. We are now a lot more relaxed and enjoying walks with Mackay and wish that we had contacted Max much sooner as he has shown a genuine interest in helping us and has been so thorough in his work with Mackay.
Alan & Mary
Dog Owners, Eskbank
Bonnie came to us via North West English Springer Spaniel Rescue. She had lived with six other dogs, she was neglected, very thin and nervous. We felt that we needed to do something to help her socialise with people and other dogs and give her more self confidence. Walking on the lead was becoming difficult, she pulled hard and almost had me off my feet a couple of times. So, we contacted Max. Two days later we can hardly believe the difference in Bonnie. We all went out for a walk and Max showed us that by pulling Bonnie back was entirely the wrong way to deal with her, by using a long leash and a combination of treats and praise we worked wonders, in fact by the evening we noticed she was calmer altogether. The next day we put the new training methods into practice, they are so simple but make so much sense, the difference in Bonnie is amazing and lead walking is easy now, all of us are less stressed and Bonnie is growing in confidence.