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

31/10/2025

From reaction to resonance: The power of co-regulation

Add an energetic layer with techniques you can practise at home.

Visualise a place where you feel safe, note the colours, any textures, sounds, smells or anything you can hear.

Focus on your breathing, try taking a slow calm breath in, to a count of 4, holding for 4, releasing for 4 and waiting for a count of 4 before your next breath. This technique known as 'Box-breathing' can help to reset your vagus nerve.

Rub 1 drop of vetiver or valerian essential oil (diluted in a carrier oil) onto your wrists, close your eyes and imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth. Imagine you and your dog surrounded by a soft golden light.

This isn’t 'woowoo', this is speaking to your nervous system and energetic alignment.

And the more consistently you show up regulated, the more your dog learns: 'We’re safe. I don’t need to guard. I can relax here'.

It’s a quiet transformation, and it starts with one breath. One moment. One choice to come back to calm.

You’re doing it and your dog is feeling it. Keep going, keeping letting your heart lead you. You're both learning how to be each other’s safe place.

27/09/2025

From reaction to resonance: The power of co-regulation.

We can help our dogs feel safe by regulating our own nervous system first or as Janet Finlay says, fitting our own oxygen mask first.

You know that feeling when someone walks into a room and you instantly feel calmer, without a word being spoken?

That’s energetic resonance. And your dog feels it from you too. So let’s reframe the script on reactivity:

Instead of trying to control your dog’s reaction… what if you focused on calming your own nervous system first?

Because here’s the amazing thing: Dogs can co-regulate with us.

When we ground, they can ground.
When we breathe, they feel that exhale ripple through the lead.

This doesn’t mean you have to be in a state of constant calm, (that would be unrealistic and completely unachievable)

It just means you can learn simple ways to shift your own energy, so your dog has a steady place to land when the world feels too much.

Before a walk or during a trigger moment, try this grounding practice:
Breathe in for 4 and breathe out for 7 and repeat several times until you feel yourself start to settle.
(Making your out-breath longer than your in-breath — turns on your parasympathetic nervous system which tells your body it’s safe.)

Next time I will share some more simple methods to promote co-regulation, as part of the 'Reflections on the Lead' Series.

10/09/2025

What if your animals are mirroring the pain you’re hiding?
Many of us live with silent struggles, chronic pain, stress, exhaustion, while still pouring all our love into our animals. But when we don’t tend to ourselves, they feel it too.

If you’ve ever noticed your companion reflecting your stress, anxiety, or low energy, it’s not your imagination. They’re emotional mirrors. And when we carry silent pain, physical or emotional, it can echo in them, too.

This September isn’t just Animal Pain Awareness Month, it’s also Human Pain Awareness Month. Both matter. Both deserve compassion.

This month, as we raise awareness for animals, let’s also raise it for the humans who love them. Because caring for ourselves isn’t selfish… it’s part of the circle of care.

Read the blog to explore how caring for ourselves is actually caring for them.
Link in the comments

08/09/2025

Stress makes pain worse, for humans and animals.

When the body feels unsafe or overwhelmed, the pain pathways become more sensitive.

That’s why creating a calm, supportive environment is just as important as any treatment.

Botanical self-selection with herbs and essential oils, Emotional Freedom Technique and ACE Free Work are some of the great ways to relieve stress.

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/arthritis-pain-awareness

06/09/2025

Cats can get arthritis too, but most cases go undiagnosed.

Over 30% of cats over 6 years old have some owner reported mobility issues and 90% of cats over 12 years old have evidence of arthritis on X-ray.

Cats are masters of disguise, so stiffness may show up as changes in grooming, avoiding the litter box, or hiding away more.

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/arthritis-pain-awareness

04/09/2025

Animals don’t always limp when they’re in pain.

Often, the first signs of arthritis are subtle shifts in behaviour — like sleeping more, slowing down on walks, or seeming a little grumpy or out of sorts.

Pain often whispers before it shouts.

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/arthritis-pain-awareness

01/09/2025

Knowledge is the bridge between suffering in silence… and living with comfort and dignity.

This September, in honour of Pain Awareness Month, I will be offering my new course Arthritis & Pain Awareness for People and Paws for half-price with the coupon code PAIN50

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/arthritis-pain-awareness 🐾

Together, we’ll explore the types of arthritis, allopathic treatments and holistic methods, the pain pathway and factors affecting pain perception, identifying stress factors for our animals, dog and cat body language, zoopharmacognosy and caregiver wellbeing.

Learning to recognise subtle shifts in behaviour so we can step in with care, comfort and holistic support

Because pain doesn’t have to be a mystery.

31/08/2025

Caring for a loved animal (or human) in pain can be heartbreaking. 💔

We want to fix it, make it go away, take their discomfort onto our own shoulders.

That’s why my new course, Arthritis & Pain Awareness for People and Paws, includes not just animal care… but self-care and relaxation for you too.

Because, healing is always a partnership.💚

https://contented-canines.newzenler.com/courses/arthritis-pain-awareness currently 50% off listed price for pain awareness month, if you use the coupon PAIN50

30/08/2025

Have you noticed your dog slowing down on walks?
Are they hesitating before climbing stairs or getting out of the car?
Do they seem a little 'grumpy' when you touch or groom them?

It’s easy to chalk it up to 'just getting old'… but often, these are the early signs of arthritis or discomfort. 💔

In my new course, Arthritis & Pain Awareness for People and Paws, I’ll help you recognise these subtle body language cues and understand the science (and soul) of pain.

Because when we see it sooner, we can support them better. 💚

🐾 Imagine giving your dog the gift of comfort, mobility, and joy — even in their senior years. That’s what awareness creates.

29/08/2025

September is Animal & Human Pain Awareness Month.

Did you know arthritis is one of the most common yet overlooked conditions in both our beloved companion animals and us?

That’s why I've created a brand-new course: Arthritis & Pain Awareness for People and Paws.

Together, we’ll explore:
✨ The different types of arthritis
✨ The pain pathway (why pain feels the way it does)
✨ How stress and environment affect pain perception
✨ Allopathic + holistic treatment options
✨ Dog & cat body language that signals discomfort
✨ Zoopharmacognosy — giving animals choice in their healing
✨ And… self-care for you, the caregiver 🫶

Knowledge is power — and comfort. Let’s learn how to spot the whispers of pain before they become shouts 🐶🐱

Comment 🐾 if you would like to learn more

11/08/2025

🐾 'Reflections on the Lead' Series

Reactivity is loud, scary, embarrassing, and overwhelming. But, the truth is: Reactivity is a conversation, and our energy is a part of that dialogue.

Our dogs, just like us are saying they don't feel safe. And, as sensitive, emotional beings ourselves, we often have our own inner reactions before we even register our dog’s.

Our heart races.
Our chest tightens.
Our brain jumps to 'Oh no, here we go again…'

Without meaning to, we join the conversation in fear, not calm.

But here’s the beauty in that awareness: We can change our response. We can choose to listen instead of react. Start by softening your perspective: Instead of saying 'my dog’s being reactive again', try…

'My dog’s trying to tell me something'

This reframing brings curiosity. Compassion. Space to pause instead of panic.

🌿Essential oil support for emotional spaciousness:
Benzoin - Grounding and strengthening to ease overthinking and worry
Clary Sage – for clarity when emotions feel foggy
Cedarwood – stabilising, for holding you steady and safe when the world feels big
Ylang Ylang – to soothe the inner drama, ground the heart and help self-confidence

Inhale and let the oils shift your state. Feel into your body before responding to your dog’s.

Ask yourself:
'What might my dog need right now'?
'And what do I need, in this moment, to respond with presence'?

This isn’t about fixing. It’s about listening.
And often, the most healing thing we can offer is simply this:
'I hear you, I’ve got you'

You and your dog are learning each other’s language. That’s not failure — it’s partnership in progress. Keep going.

14/05/2025

Living with a reactive dog can feel incredibly isolating.
The altered walks. The apologies. The constant planning and explaining. The moments where you cry in the car because it was just so much again. You’re not imagining or exaggerating how hard this is.

You deserve support too.
Not just training tips or management strategies.
But emotional support....For you.

A space where your tears, your guilt, your love, and your efforts are all seen.
You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed.
You are not failing because your dog is still struggling.
You’re simply human — doing something really brave. 💚

Reach out for support. This group is full of people who understand what it is like.

All too often the focus is on what can be done to support your dog, but your wellbeing and energy shapes your dog’s healing, too.

This is at the heart of what I offer, holistic, compassionate support for both ends of the lead. Because you don’t have to carry this alone.

Address

Salisbury

Telephone

+447818942141

Website

http://contented-canines.newzenler.com/

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