Balanced Canine

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Balanced Canine

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Jay Jennings
BCCS Certified Canine Behaviourist
1:1 training & behaviour, in person and online
Based in Axbridge, Somerset

30/10/2026

I'm a big believer in giving dogs as much freedom as possible. They should be able to run, sniff, explore and just generally be dogs! But freedom doesn't mean they get to do whatever they want, when they want.

There are some situations where I need my dogs right by my side, for example…

🐾 Walking along busy roads
🐾 Passing other dogs or people
🐾 Navigating busy or narrow pavements (hello Axbridge!)

And here's the thing: you should never assume that other people want your dog approaching them, or their dog. A well-trained dog should be able to pass others calmly without getting involved.
That's where “heel” comes in.

A proper heel means your dog walks right alongside you, matching your pace and staying focused. No pulling ahead, lagging behind or stopping to investigate every smell!

But here's what I think is important: HEEL IS NOT FOR THE ENTIRE WALK!

I don't want my dogs glued to my side for an hour. I want them to have their freedom, enjoy their surroundings and explore. Heel gives me control when I need it, while allowing them freedom when I don't.

Think of it as a little contract with your dog:
1️⃣ You get your freedom
2️⃣ But when I give you a command, you listen!

The goal isn't a dog that never leaves your side. It's a dog you can trust to come alongside you when you need them to.

👉 Would you like to teach your dog a reliable heel? Drop me a message and let's get started 🐾

28/10/2026

There's more to off-lead freedom than just hoping your dog will come back when you call!

Before unclipping that lead, ask yourself:

🐾 Reliable recall - Can I rely on my dog to come back when called?

🐾 Solid obedience - Can I ask my dog to stop or wait when I need them to?

🐾 Real-world reliability - Does my dog listen in exciting environments and around other dogs, or only in an empty park?

🐾 Road safety - Do they understand road boundaries and know never to step into the road without permission?

🐾 Impulse control - Can my dog resist the temptation to chase wildlife, approach other dogs or run up to people?

Freedom is fantastic, but it comes with responsibility ❤️

Your dog doesn't need to be perfect, but they do need the skills to make off-lead adventures safe and enjoyable for everyone. I help owners build reliable obedience, recall and real-world control so they can give their dogs more freedom with confidence.

🐾 Ready to take the next step towards off-lead freedom?

📩 Send me a message to find out how I can help you and your dog enjoy more freedom together.

16/10/2026

🚨 Does your dog turn into a different dog the moment you clip the lead on? Barking, lunging and carrying on at the sight of another dog? But off lead, they're absolutely fine?

Here's why 👇

The lead changes the dynamics of the situation.

When a dog is on lead, their freedom to move away, create distance or approach another dog naturally is restricted. If they feel uncomfortable, frustrated or threatened, they may resort to barking and lunging because their options are limited.

For some dogs, it's frustration. They’re desperate to get to the other dog. For others, it's fear or anxiety - they're trying to make the perceived threat go away.

Distracting your dog with treats or asking for an alternative behaviour rarely works. Many reactive dogs are already over their threshold when another dog comes close. Once the “red mist” has come down, they’re not going to take a treat or obey a command! And even if you catch them in time, you’re stuck with having to be hypervigilant - constantly on the lookout for other dogs so you can distract your dog. Not to mention that distraction doesn't address your dog’s underlying feelings or behaviour.

Dogs learn through consequences, so we teach them by attaching consequences to their behaviour - we make it good to be good, and bad to be bad. Once your dog realises reactivity is no longer an option, we then help them process the cause of their reactivity in positive ways - whether that’s fear, frustration or dominance. We don’t distract the dog or hide them in obedience - we actually resolve the reactivity. We teach them how to behave around other dogs - even in challenging situations, even when passing close by on the lead.

🐾 Ready to stop dreading every dog you meet on a walk?

📩 Get in touch to find out how we can help you tackle your dog's reactivity and start enjoying your walks again!

14/10/2026

Separation anxiety tends to happen when a dog has been treated more like a human than a dog 👀

If your dog struggles to cope without you, it’s likely that they’ve formed a very close bond with you and become anxious when alone. This can show up in various ways including barking, howling and destructive behaviour.

Creating some emotional distance is a really important part of treating separation anxiety. Although you’ll probably find it very challenging, reducing the amount of affection you give your dog will help to lessen their attachment to you and help them to be more content to be on their own.

As well as creating distance, here are 5 key steps to helping them cope calmly:

1. Flatten departures and arrivals 🚪 Keep comings and goings low-key. Avoid fuss, play, or any special rituals for 30 minutes before leaving. When you return, ignore your dog completely — no eye contact, talking, or petting for 15 minutes until your dog is fully calm.

2. De-predict your departure cues 📻 Doing certain things (like giving your dog a chew, or turning on the radio) ONLY when you head out can backfire by signaling that a long absence is about to happen. Use these enrichment tools at random, non-leaving times during the day too.

3. Practise short, unpredictable absences - build up gradually ⏱️ Break up the pattern of only leaving for long periods by practising short, planned evening absences 3–4 times a week. Start with just 5–10 minutes (like sitting in the car or walking around the block) and vary the length. Build up duration very gradually, always working below your dog’s threshold.

4. Add a pre-departure walk & settling downtime 𝄠 Take your dog on a dedicated, calm 1:1 walk focused on gentle sniffing. Follow the walk with 20 minutes of quiet downtime at home so your dog settles into a relaxed state before you leave.

5. Build daily resilience through enrichment 🧠 Boost overall coping skills with daily 5–10 minute obedience sessions, simple scent games, and a "work for it" rule (asking for a brief sit/stay before meals, walks, or opening garden doors).

📹 Pro Tip: Set up a camera with audio to track barking and only increase absence durations when your dog copes comfortably.

🐾 Does your dog struggle to cope when left alone? You don’t have to tackle separation anxiety alone. Get in touch for tailored support to help your dog build confidence, independence and the ability to relax when you’re not around.

12/10/2026

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”

No-one told my 10-year-old Retriever… 🥹

Eli had never even heard the word “heel” in his life and look at him now…

The fact is that age doesn’t stop a dog from learning. An older dog can learn new commands, develop better habits, improve their behaviour and even overcome long-standing problems.

In fact, older dogs often have an advantage: they can have better focus, more life experience and a stronger understanding of how to work with their owner.

I was surprised at how much Eli enjoyed the training - it actually seemed to put a spring in his step!

With clear communication, consistency and the right training, you can teach an old dog plenty of new tricks ❤️

Need some training support for your older dog? Get in touch to find out how we can help 🐾

09/10/2026

When someone comes to the door, your dog may be feeling excited, anxious, territorial, frustrated — or simply unsure what to do.

And then the doorbell goes…

🔔 BARK! BARK! BARK!

Firstly to say - I don’t believe in bark shaming dogs. As a woman living on her own, I actually want my dogs to bark when someone approaches the house! But when I want them to stop, they need to stop.

Instead of simply telling them “quiet!”, I teach them what to do instead:

✅ A reliable Place command (no barking on Place!)
✅ Staying quietly on place while I answer the door
✅ Letting guests enter and settle
✅ Calm, controlled greetings when I give the release cue

The goal isn't to prevent barking. It’s to teach your dog when to stop - and how to behave when visitors arrive. And the more you practise those behaviours, the easier they become.

🐾 Want a calmer, more manageable dog when visitors arrive?
Get in touch to find out how we can help you build reliable behaviour that works in real life.

07/10/2026

Real world training = Real world freedom 🐾

Need help building reliable obedience where it matters? Get in touch to find out how we can help ❤️

www.balancedcanine.co.uk

05/10/2026

Distracting your dog with treats might interrupt a reaction — but interrupting a behaviour isn't the same as changing it.

By the time another dog is passing, many dogs are often already past the threshold and too aroused to even take a treat. And even if you DO manage to distract them, what have they actually learned? 👉 “When I see another dog, look away because my owner has food.”

The underlying reaction is still there. Not to mention that if you see another dog and you don’t happen to have a treat, you’re in trouble 👀

So, what actually changes reactivity? 🤔

Dogs are consequence-based learners. We need to reward them for the behaviour we DO want, while attaching negative consequences to behaviour we DON'T want.

That means:

🐾 Working at a distance where your dog can still think
🐾 Using movement to prevent fixation and help your dog stay regulated
🐾 Teaching focus, engagement and appropriate responses
🐾 Rewarding calm, desirable behaviour
🐾 Attaching consequences to unwanted behaviour
🐾 Gradually increasing the level of difficulty as your dog becomes more successful
🐾 Giving your dog a productive way to process the underlying emotions through obedience and play

The goal isn't to spend the rest of your dog's life frantically distracting them whenever another dog appears.

We want the dog to learn that reacting doesn’t pay — and that calm, appropriate behaviour does.

Distraction might (at best) prevent the explosion. But training changes the behaviour.

👉 Want 1:1 support to resolve your dog’s reactivity and help them live a calmer, happier life? Drop us a message to find out how we can help 🐾

02/10/2026

If I had a penny for every time I heard this 😂

Your dog being friendly doesn't give them permission to approach every dog they see... You don't know the circumstances of the other dog. They might be:

🐾 Nervous
🐾 Reactive
🐾 Elderly
🐾 Recovering from an injury
🐾 In training
🐾 Just not interested in saying hello!

And a friendly dog can still make another dog feel uncomfortable.
Imagine someone you don't know suddenly running up to you, getting in your face and demanding a hug 😳

That's essentially what an unexpected dog-to-dog greeting can feel like.

Instead, teach your dog: “See a dog → check in with me → wait for permission.”

That means YOU can choose whether an interaction is appropriate, rather than leaving your dog to decide.

And if you do meet someone who says, “Yes, they're friendly!” — great! Let the dogs meet if both dogs are comfortable.

Good social skills aren't about saying hello to everyone. They're about knowing when NOT to 🐕‍🦺

Because being friendly is great. Being respectful is even better 🐾

Want a dog who can calmly walk past other dogs? Drop me a message to find out how I can help you build calm, reliable behaviour around distractions.

30/09/2026

Because socks are basically the perfect dog toy!

They smell strongly of you, they’re fun to carry, and if you chase your dog around the house trying to get one back, you’ve just turned stealing into a brilliant game 😂

The more you chase them, the more fun the game is....

So, what should you do?

👉 Don’t turn it into a game of chase
👉 Teach a reliable “Leave it” or “Out” command
👉 Make the right choice MORE rewarding than stealing the sock

Practise “Leave it” and “Out” with your dog’s toys first, before moving on to socks. And reward them with lots of praise and a tasty treat for leaving or giving up the item!

The goal isn't simply to stop your dog stealing socks — it's to teach them that giving things up is more rewarding than running away with them 🐶

And if they grab a sock? Don't chase them around the house... Call them over, ask for your trained “Out”, and REWARD the behaviour you want!

Because good training isn't just about telling your dog what not to do. It's also about showing them exactly what you want them to do instead.

Tired of playing “catch me if you can” with your dog? Follow us for more practical training tips to help turn frustrating behaviours into calm, reliable ones 🐾

Address

Axbridge

Telephone

+447939555486

Website

http://www.balancedcanine.co.uk/, https://credsverse.com/credentials/1309c3b8-fd43-4f5c-85c9-62fad13c1621

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