Bonnyrigg & Lasswade · Midlothian · approx. 30 min from base

Expert Dog Training in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade, Midlothian

Clan Dog offers 1-2-1 dog training in Bonnyrigg and Lasswade, at your home and on your local route. Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI) works on fence-line reactivity in new-build estates, Hopefield Park recall and passing at Bonnyrigg Toll. Sessions from £190.

Book an In-Person Session See how in-person sessions work

Taught by Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI), 40+ years with dogs
Sessions at your home and on your own Bonnyrigg & Lasswade routes — approx. 30 min away
No e-collars and nothing that causes your dog harm
Rated 4.9/5 based on 39 reviews

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Why does dog training in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade need a local approach?

Bonnyrigg has grown fast, and much of that growth is new-build estates with small, closely packed rear gardens separated by low fences. That layout produces a very specific and very common problem: two dogs that can hear and half-see each other all day, patrolling opposite sides of a fence, rehearsing frustration for hours while their owners are at work. By the time they meet on the street, the reaction is already well practised.

The town centre adds the other half. Bonnyrigg Toll is a pinch point where pavements narrow at a busy junction, and dogs meet each other head-on with traffic alongside. A dog that has spent months barking at a fence line and then meets another dog at the Toll is being asked to do something it has never rehearsed calmly.

Where can you walk and train a dog in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade?

A dog is only as reliable as the hardest place you ask it to be reliable. Here is what each Bonnyrigg & Lasswade route actually demands.

Bonnyrigg and Lasswade: where the reactivity is actually learned
Location	What it throws at your dog	What we work on there
New-build rear garden	A dog on the other side of a low fence, all day	Breaking the patrol habit and changing what the garden means
Bonnyrigg Toll	Narrow pavement, busy junction, head-on meetings	Passing calmly where there is no room to arc around
Hopefield Park	Local park, familiar dogs, ball games	Recall away from play and settling near activity
Routes to Roslin Glen	Woodland, river, longer off-lead opportunities	Recall in cover and coming away from water

What problems does Allan see most often in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade?

Fence-line frustration is the signature problem of this area and it is badly underestimated.

Barking and running the fence for hours while the household is out
Reactivity at Bonnyrigg Toll that started in the back garden
Neighbour disputes about noise that make the owner anxious, which the dog reads
Recall in Hopefield Park that fails whenever a familiar dog appears
A second dog in the household joining in and amplifying the first

Fixing this usually means changing the garden routine before anything else. Training on the street while the fence-line rehearsal continues rarely holds.

Longer answers on the two most frequent problems live at reactive dog training in Edinburgh and dog behaviour training in Edinburgh. Also worth reading: why dog-to-dog reactivity is on the rise and what to do in an aggressive dog encounter.

How does an in-person session in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade work?

Allan drives out to Bonnyrigg & Lasswade, about 30 min away. Sessions in person are £190, dropping to £150 with membership, with travel included.

Bonnyrigg sessions almost always start in the back garden rather than on the street, because that is where the reactivity is being practised. Change what happens at the fence and the walk usually starts improving on its own. What you take away is a plan that fits your week, rather than a set of tricks.

Where a home visit is hard to schedule, an online consultation covers a great deal of the same ground. To get started, book a two-hour home visit.

What a session costs in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade, with and without membership
Session type	Standard	Member rate
At your home, two hours, in person	£190	£150
Two-hour Zoom consultation	£120	£90
One-hour Zoom consultation	£60	£45

Nearby areas Allan also covers

Neighbouring areas are covered on the same terms. The complete coverage list, with drive times, is on the areas we cover page.

Dog training in Dalkeith Dog training in Penicuik Dog training in Liberton & Gilmerton

Who will actually train your dog?

Your trainer is Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI), a Master Professional Dog Training Instructor who came to this through RAF dog handling and Police service rather than a short course.

Spotting the real cause rather than the visible symptom is what forty years buys you. In a new-build estate the visible symptom is on the pavement and the cause is at home. Ninety-nine per cent of dog training is about the human. That is the premise every Bonnyrigg & Lasswade session starts from. You can read more about Allan and how Clan Dog works.

“If I could give Allan 10 stars, 100 stars whatever the max is I would!”

Paul D — published Google review. Clan Dog is rated 4.9/5 based on 39 reviews.

Sources and further reading

External sources worth reading alongside this page if you walk a dog in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade:

Dog and puppy training advice — Dogs Trust
Being a responsible dog owner — Scottish Outdoor Access Code — NatureScot / Scottish Outdoor Access Code

Written by Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI), Master Professional Dog Training Instructor, Clan Dog. More than 40 years working with dogs, including service as an RAF dog handler and in the Police.

Reviewed by the Clan Dog Training Team — last reviewed 25 August 2026.

Dog training and behaviour guidance is educational and training-focused. Behaviour can have multiple causes, and where a medical or health issue may be involved, appropriate veterinary advice should be sought. Training results vary between dogs and depend on factors including the individual dog's behaviour, circumstances and the consistency of training.

Dog training in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade: your questions answered

My dog barks at the neighbour's dog through the fence all day. Does that matter?

It matters a great deal. Hours of unsupervised frustration at a fence line is practice, and dogs get better at what they practise. It is one of the most common root causes of on-lead reactivity in new-build estates, and it is usually where a session starts.

Can you help if my neighbours have complained about barking?

Yes. The first step is establishing what your dog is actually doing when you are out, usually by recording it. Boredom, distress and fence-line frustration look similar from outside but need different plans.

Are Bonnyrigg and Lasswade both covered?

Yes, as one area roughly 30 minutes from base with no travel surcharge. In-person sessions are £190 for approximately two hours, or £150 for Clan Dog members.

Will one session be enough?

That depends entirely on the dog and on what happens between sessions. Allan will give you an honest view at the end of the first session rather than committing you to a package up front.

Ready to get started in Bonnyrigg & Lasswade?

If your dog is fine until it sees another dog, it is worth finding out where that habit is actually being learned. For a stress-free life with your dog.

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