The Balanced Dog: A Holistic, Evidence-Based Approach to Dog Behaviour and Training cuts through the noise of the dog training world's divisive debates to offer something rare: a genuinely dog-centred perspective.
Drawing on years of frontline experience in rescue work and behaviour consultation, Julia Langlands presents a comprehensive guide that treats dogs as complete beings, not training problems to be solved. From the gut-brain axis and hormonal influences to neurological development and the power of routine, this book explores the interconnected factors that shape canine behaviour. Readers will discover why a dog's diet might be fuelling aggression, how chronic stress rewires the brain, and why some dogs are labelled incorrectly. She explains how most dogs are actually crying out for balance.
Practical without being prescriptive, The Balanced Dog provides both dog owners and professionals with the knowledge to assess individual dogs holistically and create truly effective, ethical behaviour modification plans. This is the book for anyone who wants to understand dogs more deeply, and help them live happier, more balanced lives.
Julia Langlands has spent nearly three decades on the frontlines of canine behaviour, working directly with dogs and their owners to solve complex behaviour problems. As founder of Balance Behaviour and Senior Behaviour Tutor at the British College of Canine Studies, she bridges the gap between hands-on practice and professional education, training the next generation of dog behaviour specialists.Julia's approach is grounded in real-world experience: she has personally fostered and rehabilitated hundreds of dogs, working with everything from fearful rescues to dogs labelled as 'aggressive' or 'untrainable.' This extensive casework has given her insights that sit alongside, and are deepened by, the formal theory she has studied throughout her career.A member of the Canine and Feline Behaviour Association, Julia believes that real dogs are the best teachers. Every dog she has worked with has taught her something, and The Balanced Dog distils those collective lessons into a comprehensive guide that prioritises the individual dog over training ideology.Julia lives in Yorkshire with her husband and co-founder of Balance Behaviour, Steve, whose partnership - both personal and professional - has been central to everything the business has built. Together they share their home with a Rottweiler, Italian Mastiff, Poodle mix, Yorkshire Terrier, and Staffy crossbreed, a multi-dog household that embodies the balanced, holistic approach they advocate.
