Contented Canines with Jules Ballard

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Contented Canines with Jules Ballard

At Contented Canines, my mission is simple: to nurture calm, confident dogs and relaxed, supported humans through holistic methods.

Trauma Resolution, EFT, Essential Oils, Herbs, Acupoints, Chinese Herbs, Reflexology and other Energy Methods

14/02/2026

I share my life with Dakota, a GSD aged 4 and Millie, a Spitz/Husky aged 3, I treasure them both and appreciate their differences. Share what you love about your dog in the chat

11/02/2026

For a long time, I edited myself.

Not because animal communication wasn’t part of my work, but because I was aware of how easily it can be misunderstood. This year, I’ve stopped doing that.

Animal communication has always been woven through how I support dogs and cats, particularly during times of transition. It isn’t separate from my botanical or behavioural work, it informs it. I don’t ask for belief, just presence.

I’ve shared more about why I made this choice, and what it means for my work, in a longer piece on my blog. If it resonates, you’re very welcome to read it

10/02/2026

I always form a deep connection with my clients, and by clients, I mean the dog or cat and their human. Many go on to become friends. But every now and then, there’s one who stays with you, who shapes not only your work, but your life.

In this case, I was initially consulted for an elderly German Shepherd, Bertie, who had developed age-related fears. This was during lockdown, and we worked together virtually. Bertie responded beautifully to gentle botanical support, and his human was deeply devoted to helping him feel safe again.

What I didn’t expect was her cat. I had never seen Hamish. He wasn’t on screen. She hadn’t mentioned him during the discovery call, but even before our very first session, he began to communicate with me. He shared that he was grieving the younger version of Bertie, the dog he’d known for years and that he was feeling left out as his human understandably focused attention was on Bertie’s health and worries. Hamish was insistent that this was shared. I’ll be honest, it took a huge leap of faith to pass this on. I worried it might feel “too woo woo”. Instead, it was received with openness and recognition.

Over the years, Hamish and I had several of these conversations and then came the absolute joy of meeting both Bertie and Hamish in the flesh. Now, Hamish wasn’t a cuddler. He didn’t do strangers. He didn’t do handling. So, when he jumped straight into my arms, I knew without doubt that he recognised me.

This is what his human later shared:
“My cat has never gone to anyone but me, ever. So when he calmly moved into Jules’ arms, I honestly couldn’t believe it. What stood out wasn’t just her knowledge, but how she used gentle botanical support alongside her presence to help him feel safe. There was no rushing, no forcing, just a sense of calm that both my cat and my dog responded to immediately.”

Watching a sensitive cat and a fearful German Shepherd both settle so naturally reminded me, yet again, that this work goes far deeper than behaviour. It’s about coregulation, trust, being heard and the quiet power of botanicals used with deep intuition and understanding.

My work is, and always will be, about connection; creating a safe space where everyone involved is listened to, respected, and supported.

06/02/2026

How did I end up doing this work?

It’s a question I’m often asked and the answer isn’t a neat, straight line. It’s a story that begins with a childhood spent longing for animals, weaves through decades as a nurse and midwife, and includes a cat who chose me, an ex-Police dog who changed everything, and a deep belief in choice, healing, and emotional safety, for both animals and humans.

My journey shaped how I work today with anxious, reactive dogs and sensitive cats, using a truly holistic approach that supports the whole household, not just the behaviour.

I’ve shared the full story in my latest blog if you’d like to read more

31/01/2026

Did you know that sniffing lowers your dog's pulse even when they are walking, and the more they sniff, the more their pulse will lower.

If left to their own devices, and allowed to direct their own walk, studies have shown that over a 2 minute period, dogs will spend on average 37 seconds sniffing if on a short lead (1.5M), 103 seconds if on a long lead (5M) and 119 seconds if off lead.

This applied to dogs of all breeds, ages, gender and temperament and was unaffected by how often they were walked (dogfieldstudy.com).

We have been aware for sometime that sniffing helps a dog to calm and decompress, but this study showed the effects on the pulse.

20/01/2026

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘All behaviour is communication’.

Reactivity, anxiety, sudden changes in mood, scratching, chewing and destruction. Your animal isn’t being difficult, they’re trying to communicate something. But sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to know what they are trying to say. Zoopharmacognosy can help translate this for you.

Zoopharmacognosy allows animals to self-select botanicals like herbs and essential oils, giving us beautiful clues about what their body and emotions need.

I prefer to say: Behaviour is a clue, not a problem

When we stop trying to fix behaviour… and start listening to it… everything changes.

Botanical extracts can help restore balance. And when balance returns? Behaviour often shifts naturally.

Read the full blog to learn how to begin speaking your animal’s language.
https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/blog/all-behaviour-is-communication

19/01/2026

This is one of my favourite memories of Zeb doing the classic flirt/fool around of behavioural communication to try and avoid his bath, it still makes me laugh.

I would love to see some photos of your favourite dog memories.

11/01/2026

I recently presented a webinar on grief into our membership Holistic Haven which discussed human and animal grief, grief models, factors affecting grief and its impact, different types and holistic methods such as EFT, essential oils, herbs and crystals that can help. I wanted to make this webinar available free to everyone, in the hope it may help. Click link to enrol
https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/grief

Grief is a difficult subject to talk about and it is possible that this presentation may trigger thoughts, memories and emotions. Please reach out for help if this is the case.

07/01/2026

Some pain doesn't show up on X-rays, scans or tidy charts. It doesn't walk with a limp, bruise easily or wave a big flag.

It lives quietly in bodies that still get up, get dressed, still smile, make appointments, care for others and still show up. In nervous systems that are doing their absolute best to cope, whilst stuck in survival mode and in hearts that are tired of explaining.

Today is for those carrying pain no one can see; chronic pain, emotional pain, grief, trauma, exhaustion, illness, and the ache of simply holding it all together.

It’s also for the animals who share our homes and hearts, whose pain may show up as various types of 'behaviour', withdrawal, reactivity, clinginess, shut down or silence, because pain doesn’t always speak the language we expect.

A holistic lens reminds us:
Safety comes before healing
Regulation comes before resilience and
Gentle support can be profoundly powerful, simply, being met with compassion and without judgement.

Today is a reminder to slow down, don't feel the urge to explain, fix, or minimise.
May today wrap you (and your animals) in gentleness, understanding, and the quiet relief of being seen.

05/01/2026

Loyalty Through History: Ancient Stories With Modern Lessons

Egyptian royalty were guarded by dogs, the Romans honoured beloved companions with lavish tombstones, and Henry VIII had a corps of 400 soldiers who were dedicated to caring for his war dogs. Dogs weren’t just useful, they were cherished. Anubis himself was depicted as a dog or dog-headed figure, guiding souls with calm certainty and in Chinese history, Emperor Ling even appointed his dogs as senior court officials.

Numerous memorials to dogs and statues of famous dogs exist from Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh who held a 14-year vigil at his guardian’s grave, to Guy Gibson’s dog during the World War II, dogs have stood by humans in our darkest and bravest moments and this depth of loyalty goes both ways. In natural disasters, people have risked their lives, rather than leave their dogs behind.

Loyalty is not trained, it’s felt. Dogs bond most deeply with those whose presence feels safe, consistent and emotionally honest. When we regulate ourselves, communicate clearly, and honour our relationship, behaviour shifts without force, because their nervous system is wired to co-regulate with us.

There are lots of ways to offer your dog more emotional safety? Through routines, grounding practices, botanicals or simply slowing down together? In behaviour work, supporting the emotional system is just as essential as training cues.

To read this complete series on the human-canine bond, check out the blog below

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/blog/the-human-canine-bond-a-love-story-woven-through-time

Address

Salisbury

Telephone

+447818942141

Website

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/, https://holistichaven.newzenler.com/

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