Balance Behaviour

11/12/2025

Tiny rant.

11/12/2025

By popular demand;
Raw Feeding for Health & Behaviour
If you feed raw or have ever looked deeply into feeding raw then you will know of some of the benefits, risks and myths surrounding a raw diet. I have always seen the effects of raw feeding on health and behaviour and just accepted that it is a natural way for a dog to eat but lately have been looking into the 'why' further. As many of my clients are aware I have a dislike for high protein kibble when it comes to some behaviour issues as it can often exacerbate existing nervousness, fear, aggression and sometimes hyperactivity, but for some reason raw feeding - although very high in protein (when compared dry weight to dry weight) - doesn't seem to have the same pitfalls. I wanted to find out why.
Did you know that 90% of serotonin is stored in the epithelium of the dogs gut? Along with dopamine, peptides and enzymes the gut lining is host to so many beneficial chemicals that are essential for health - both physical and mental. This part of the body also deals with vitamin conversion. This important role can only occur if the lining is healthy and this relies on beneficial bacteria. If the PH of the gut is at the correct level, and the gut is strong and flexible, then the healthy bacteria can flourish and there is no problem with pathogens and similar as the beneficial bacteria wipes out the nasties /unwanted bacteria as well as boosting immune function to an enormous degree.
Why is meat and bone so beneficial then? Basically because the dog is a carnivore, the gut is short and geared towards digesting meat at a low PH (acidic), the saliva contains no amylase (this breaks down carbohydrate) only the pancreas produces this enzyme. It should be noted that forcing the pancreas to continuously produce amylase as well as triggering the associated insulin ‘surges’ is no good thing – the dog’s body is not designed to deal with constant excesses of carbohydrate and our dogs organs can suffer as a result! Although adaptation towards scavenging has allowed them to tolerate carbohydrate to a large extent, the way that the dog is made physiologically is perfect for tearing off huge pieces of meat and swallowing them whole without much mechanical action or breaking down of the food in the mouth - this then leaves the stomach to do the majority of the hard work and to play a very important part in the digestive process. The stomach ‘grinds’ and releases acid in order to digest the contents - and this is how it should be! When we feed kibble the gut tends to get very 'out of practise' and can present as 'sensitive', the acid is not released in high quantities as it is not needed for digesting cooked carbohydrate so the PH of the body rises as a consequence along with the gut becoming weak. This means that the beneficial bacteria can be crowded out by the unwanted bacteria due to sub-optimal PH level, and that the gut lining can become very thin through lack of work and poor conditions. The villi that line the intestines don't regenerate as they should making a substandard place for the chemicals that influence health and mood to call home.
This also explains why many dogs that present as 'sensitive' or 'allergic' to certain foods do very well on a raw diet - even dogs with an 'allergy' to chicken can eat vast amounts of chicken in its raw state with no ill effect. The reason being that if the epithelium of the gut is very thin through consistent feeding of inappropriate feedstuffs then it can become 'leaky' which causes the immune system to respond in an attempt to remedy the situation.
So - much of the time when we focus on the pathogens and bad bacteria - and in doing so address them through antibiotics, steroids and an elimination diet we actually make the whole health and behaviour of the dog considerably worse. If we fed a natural diet the gut would be involved, strong and healthy, and we would likely have no issues whatsoever! As with all holistic intervention this targets the root cause rather than the symptoms and offers additional benefits too!
• Clean teeth and fresh breath – lower instance of dental disease and better oral health
• More energy that is balanced by better focus, self-control and therefore better trainability
• Soft springy coat and healthy skin
• Better endorphin production due to the mechanical action of chewing
• Better condition and weight maintenance for both overweight and underweight dogs
• Naturally hypo-allergenic
• Better immune function
• Manageable faeces
• Better mental health and behaviour
Where raw is concerned none of the nutrients can be broken down through heating as with complete dry food, and the source of minerals, vitamins and amino acids is presented in a completely bio-available form being from a natural source rather than a synthetic replica.
So after much searching I have at least in part answered the question; 'Why does high protein raw feeding not have the pitfalls of high protein complete?' The answer lies in the gut which plays host to so many beneficial bacteria and chemicals that are essential for self-control, energy, balance of mood, happiness and contentment - this can affect mood via the link between gut and brain rather than exclusively via the bloodstream. This two way feedback between gut and brain is not fully understood but we do know that mood is influenced dramatically by diet and gut health, and that raw meat and bones vastly improve the health of the dog’s gut.
Perhaps our dogs really are what they eat!
Julia Langlands

09/12/2025

Rain #22
Getting all grown up! He's a bit more watchful in the dark (the work of a CC is protection and guarding, so this translates to mild scanning the environment and making sure everything is cool). Muddy dark walks, rain - which he is not fond of given his namesake is taken from outdoor living on a council estate in vile weather. Chilling and feeling Christmassy, he still fancies himself as a big baby and a lapdog (when off duty). That's not me humanising him - that's what he's like at the moment - on his back presenting his tummy and giving me dead legs when invited up, trying to lick me in the face at a weak moment, and basically being a sweetheart honestly.

09/12/2025

Dominance-submission dynamic explained objectively - again - for anyone that missed it ❤❤

Submissive behaviour and dominance go hand in hand – this is very misunderstood concept!! Dominance is often seen as bad or unpleasant or perhaps linked to aggression but this is not really the truth of it at all! Dominance and submission form a relationship dynamic between individuals in a fleeting moment rather than describing a ‘type of dog’. A single dog can show dominant behaviour in one context and submissive behaviour in another, and although some breeds are more predisposed towards showing dominance often, or conversely, showing submission often this does not dictate his constant state. Nor does it dictate fear or aggression.
Dominance and submission are like a dance and virtually all communal species have evolved to show this dynamic to some extent, even us! The dynamic is designed to maintain harmony and peaceful interaction in a family or social group, and it is a requirement for dogs - some more than others - to live together. When it's working well stress is low and it is virtually invisible unless you know what to look for.
Where one person or animal shows dominant body language the counterpart is much more likely to automatically show submissive body language, along with this comes hormonal fluctuations and something known as biofeedback which ensures that dominance increases in the dominant party with each interaction, and submission increases or is maintained in the submissive party too - thus widening the ‘gap’ between roles between a pair of social animals. In this way harmony is assured and encounters are predictable so both parties are happy and content with the security that this brings. This is more overt at first meetings and happens constantly – watch people on the news and you will see what I mean – where one person shows really large forward body language; hands on hips or open/forward stance, the other will present as more ‘closed in’ to compliment the energy - by clutching hands together or leaning their weight slightly perhaps. This is how we are able to get along in polite society – we complement each other’s energy to maintain peaceful interaction completely subconsciously.
If both parties are showing large body language, then there may be an altercation or some tension!
Whether our domestic dogs show dominance is always under scrutiny by laypeople and hobbyists, but we do know that many land, air and sea based species that are geared towards living in a large family group do use dominance submission as a survival tool to maintain harmony and avoid conflict. When we look at it this way it makes a lot of sense that our dogs would show this interaction too.
So what does this dance look like in dogs?
Dominant postures are upright, forward going and often controlling of a situation so we see upright stance, forward ears and direct eye contact whereas submissive postures are usually smaller, lower to the ground and show non- challenging language. Licking, looking up at the social partner, ears back, rolling onto the back and even sometimes urination can be seen, this is all a way of saying ‘I am no threat’ and this looks a lot like puppy behaviour. When your dog does that whole body wag? That's a clear sign of submissive greeting.
Sometimes a confident older dog will lay down and make themselves appear less threatening – this is usually to access social contact or elicit play with a less confident dog – this isn’t really submission though and we can see twinkling eyes and usually an open tail position and direct eye contact! It does however fulfil its aim of eliciting play as it will often put the other less confident dog at ease. Many people feel that this is a way to ‘reassure’ the other dog for the others benefit, but in reality I don’t think dogs think in this way, it is probably just a tactic to get what they want! At the end of the day pheromones and hormones can be easily read through scent so ‘acting’ or ‘bluffing’ through body language wouldn’t be of much benefit in close quarters, but clear communication would, and as what is successful is repeated it is entirely possible for a balanced dog to manipulate an interaction in this way. This is not to be confused with genuine submission however and this doesn’t (in my experience) occur where there is a genuine threat to safety from the counterpart dog – if it did this would go against self-preservation at a basic level.
Contrary to common belief there is no ‘better state’ to be in and although ‘dominance’ has been misused and misapplied through the years it is not negative or bad in any way where it is calm and confident in context. The same goes for submission – when shown without fear or stress this is a lovely gesture of trust and respect. It is a great relief to those nervous and often submissive dogs to have some solid guidance and leadership around, this allows them to relax into a low stress role, find clear boundaries and feel secure and cared for. Without an authority figure a naturally submissive dog can feel driven to take on a role of dominance and responsibility that they are really not prepared or suited for, and this is where we see stress levels rise with the pressure to ‘look after’ not only other members of the group, but themselves. This stress arises because dogs are social - they need a solid safe group with rules and structure as do all social species.
So the kindest thing to do for an insecure, fearful, ‘submissive type’ dog, an 'assertive dominant' type, an excitable or shut down dog, ANY dog living in this human world, is to make good decisions for them, clearly describe what you want, what you don't want, and set boundaries using binary feedback in a 'Yes' and 'No' way, so that he can learn to make good decisions for himself. This opens up lines of communication, explains the rules to live by in our social group and the wider world, and avoids conflict and danger.
We really need to take our responsibility for the life of our dogs seriously. Because we are responsible for them, their behaviour, and their happiness from the moment they arrive with us until the day they die. Accepting biofeedback and social structure as it is (not how we wish is was) is a true kindness and will boost confidence and relaxation no end! Dominance describes the decision making role that comes with leadership - and submission is freely given to those that are worthy of it. If you happy and problem-free relationship with your dog then you are probably oozing dominance whether you like it or not! It's just not what you thought...

08/12/2025

Christmas is positively speeding towards us! As always there are special considerations to 'Christmas & Winter-proof' our pooches. Nights are darker, walks are often shorter, dogs get into mischief...
Here are my top tips for keeping your dogs’ seasonally safe;
• Keep anti-freeze and screen-wash well away from dogs, and wash paws after walking in areas that have been gritted. This is important even for those dogs that are not usually chewers as anti-freeze, grit and screen-wash usually contains Ethylene Glycol which is very poisonous even in small amounts, and as it has a sweet taste a massive dose can be ingested before the bitter after taste becomes apparent. This can cause total organ failure and shut down very quickly (within four to five hours) so if there are signs of vomiting and diarrhoea, any wobbliness or poor coordination or excessive thirst and urination then get to the vets ASAP. Take a stool and urine sample if possible as it is important to move quickly.
• Monitor Christmas nibbles. Lots of foods are toxic to dogs and many of these come out at Christmas, this is particularly hazardous if drunken friends and family are feeding the dog(s) with abandon(!) so be vigilant. Grapes are extremely toxic to some dogs and not to others, the same goes for chocolate, so just because a dog you had as a child that ate grapes like they were dog treats this doesn’t mean that every dog will be able to tolerate them. I know of a 45kg male that ate around six grapes and was on fluids at the vets for four days fighting for his life, so Cheese boards up high or dogs in crates with chews during festivities! Let’s not forget Christmas cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding – these all contain grapes in the form of raisins so be careful! Alcohol is poisonous too - and not an amusing jape when given to dogs so watch your party guests and inform them of the rules re: food and drink.
• If you have an anxious dog, then create a safe place for when visitors drop by and spirits are high. A plastic kennel or a crate with a towel draped over the top that is easy to access can be a god send for our nervous dogs and it is so easy to think ahead and make a safe place in a quiet area. A cardboard box filled with pillows is another great haven. Chews also help bust stress so offering some irresistible chewable items when you have visitors coming over will not only allow the dog(s) to self-calm, but will also create a positive association with guests (easy behaviour modification with very little effort!). Another possible intervention for timid dogs may be a DAP diffuser to plug in near to his safe place (these work well for some and not for others). Why not suggest ‘bring a chew’ instead of ‘bring a bottle’!
• If planning a raucous drunken celebration then it may be best to take the dogs for a long walk, feed them a heavy meal and place the dogs in a bedroom with comfy beds and toys for the evening, place a sign on the door that reads ‘No Entry’. This will prevent escapees and random feeding of cheese straws that will result in explosive diarrhoea the next day…
• Christmas decorations and pine needles can also be hazardous so monitor chewers vigilantly over the Christmas period! Also be aware of ribbons, string, yarn, camera film and candles – because it may not just be your dog that gets damaged if candles are accessible!
• Cooked meat bones are not only irresistible but also highly likely to splinter and perforate a dog’s gut or cause a blockage.
Last but not least, don't forget to stick a high vis' on your night walking dogs and on yourself - especially if you live in a village with meagre pavements and rubbish street lighting.
With all of this in mind Christmas can be a great time for our dogs, it’s also a good opportunity to teach polite greetings 😉

05/12/2025

Celebrating our 12th year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🥳 🙏🤗🎉🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

03/12/2025

Teamwork makes the dream work...

02/12/2025

The Greeting Ritual
Dogs shouldn’t be judged by human standards and greeting is no exception!
Dogs obtain a huge amount of information via scent – glands are located all over the body and these emit pheromones and scent that tell of age, hormonal status, diet, health, gender, mood and disposition. Dogs have amazing scenting ability and have around 220 million scent receptors as compared to our 5 million, but more than this they can discriminate between scents to an incredible extent too. For example, a dog can detect butyric acid (found in in sweat), so this is why they can be so good at tracking, it is estimated that the scent left in a shoe print is way above their threshold – so is a piece of cake….
When we consider that proportionally the area of a dogs’ brain devoted to interpreting and analysing scent is around 44 times larger than ours it is obvious that olfactory communication is extremely important to the dog, at least as important as sight is to us as humans. This is why dogs smell each other thoroughly – this is a way to obtain detailed information about their social counterpart.
Well before scent takes over dogs receive a vast amount of information at a distance through visual cues – tail, ears, body stance, muscle tension and eye contact are at play and give the social partner a good idea of the dog’s mood even before meeting. Dogs can visually read a territory (Gundogs are especially good at this) and read another dog instinctively and quickly – in fact dogs have also become very adept at reading human emotion through ‘left gaze bias’ which is only useful for reading human faces – dogs don’t need this to read each other’s emotional state but do use this technique on us just as we use it on each other - subconsciously.
The greeting between dogs is highly ritualised and between a balanced pair of dogs that have had adequate input from mother and siblings it looks like a dance, the more confident dog will sometimes approach the face first, but often id CALM and confident they just make the first move towards and then stand and allow themselves to be sniffed. Generally during a polite greeting dogs will approach laterally (side on), and sniff nose to tail (if there's high energy then they may circle whilst they do this) before moving on to other parts of the body and eventually the face if they are comfortable with what they discover.
In a good meeting ritual all parties are calm and focussed on ‘reading’ the others emotional and hormonal state, this dictates the outcome of the meeting; play, avoidance or even aggression may ensue after the ritual is complete. But dogs should never be forced to meet, first they need to have curiosity and to approach at their own pace.
Puppies can get away with more than adults, they have their ‘puppy license’ during the early weeks and adults will generally accept much more in the way of inappropriate ‘learning curve’ behaviour at this time, and will correct patiently during these early weeks, this is why it is so important to get puppies immersed into social learning and play well before this ‘puppy license’ runs out!
Unfortunately, many dogs that are brought to my attention as a behaviourist have not had adequate opportunity to learn and develop these skills – they may lack boundaries to excitement and/or aggression due to being separated from mum too soon, or due to Mum being non-punishing in her teachings, they may be afraid of other dogs due to a bad experience and a lack of exposure early on. It is these dogs that can come across as ‘rude’ or confrontational or send the wrong signals upon meeting. Perhaps because the dog is too excitable upon first meeting and they run in with too much enthusiasm with eye contact, or because they are feeling insecure, threatened or unsure and are producing cortisol – this is associated with stress and tension. All of these communications can be read through visual and scent signals. The counterpart dog cannot know that the dog is afraid of him, only that he is gearing up for fight or flight as his pheromones and scents describe, this can be a catalyst for an altercation.
This is where the handler can influence a greeting enormously! If we are tense and anxious or unsure about a meeting, if we tense up and tighten the lead and kick out clouds of cortisol and/or adrenaline – even before the dog approaches – then this can set the dog up for an unsuccessful meeting from the start. If we leave the house whilst the dog is very excited and anxious we can set him up to fail. The dog will take his lead from us, particularly if he lacks experience, so we must remain calm, relaxed and confident at all times – to tense up or anticipate conflict is almost ensuring that the meeting will not go well! He may become fearful, or may become aggressive in a bid to protect us or himself from this perceived threat. We can also make matters worse by staring at the dog to ‘see what he will do’ upon approach – this is a clear message to the dog that we are waiting for him to ‘deal’ with the situation – better to have eyes forward and remain relaxed and confident so that our dog will look to us as role model rather than us looking to him.
On the other side of the coin if we watch body language carefully (usually tension, ears forward and extended eye contact) and offer a quick verbal or lead correction to interrupt the escalation before it even begins, and encourage relaxation then we can ‘coach’ a poorly socialised dog through proper greeting behaviour and ensure a successful outcome that is the ultimate reward; social contact and play.
Parallel walking is a great way to introduce two dogs – this removes eye contact – which can be seen as threatening or confrontational – and allows them to share in a tiring, enjoyable bonding experience before they get up close and personal! This also gives owners time to chat and relax before the greeting ritual begins. In addition, where possible - calm balanced confident dogs can really help a less secure or inexperienced dog to learn through observation, so if an inexperienced dog accompanies a balanced dog everywhere then this will go a great way towards encouraging him to be curious about meeting other dogs and following both the balanced dogs example and that which we offer through our attitude and energy. 🙂
See what you think about the pictures - who's wearing their puppy license a bit thin? Who who shouldn't meet right now? Who's keeping an eye on proceedings just in case he needs to jump in, and who is feeling trapped on a lead and prefers distance from the new dogs he has recently started to integrate with? Watch your dog today and see what she is saying with body and movement, or try to spend a whole day silently watching and 'talking' to your dogs - communication may open up further than ever before!

01/12/2025

New year new behaviour plan?
Got some dates in January if anyone has some issues to overcome within an hour's drive of HD8.

Now taking applications for student accompanied behaviour and training visits - all the expertise, much lower price!
So, if you are having dog behaviour problems, and are happy for a student to shadow and support then pop me an email and I will pop you on the list!
[email protected] Subject line: 'Student Visits'
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26/11/2025

Anyone else looking forward to a festive turkey feast from Butternut Box this year??
Add some BB to the bowl!
www.butternutbox.com/balancebehaviour50
If you haven't tried it yet, and want to stick it in a Kong to sweeten the deal when visitors come calling, top off the kibble/raw bowl or fatten up your picky eater with a warm temptation, then you can take 50% off your first two boxes when you follow our link; www.butternutbox.com/balancebehaviour50
Fresh, minimally processed food delivered to your door quick as a flash - treat your dogs this Christmas and join the Butternut Club (becoming a butternutter may prove addictive)
My lot are spoilt with raw food, but Christmas means toasty warm Christmas dinner with a butternut box side (+ extra sprouts for Ava)❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

24/11/2025

Don't forget your Butternut Box this Christmas!
A special treat for the doggos? A distraction from the visitors and parcel deliveries? Or maybe you are desperately into teaching separation confidence so you can leave for social events over the Christmas period? If so you can't beat this versatile delicious minimally cooked food. You can warm it up for Christmas dinner (along with the leftovers) like we do, or add it to the rotation of foraging treats.
To save you money and time here's a link to a special offer; www.butternutbox.com/balancebehaviour50
(for when you forget to defrost raw and wake up with a hangover - it's party season after all!).