Propricoception

Last week I attended a week long course about proprioception training for dogs. I am now more in love with the whole concept than ever! Sam Turner from Paws 4 Dogs (Netherlands) guided me and  the other students through very simple yet effective exercises to assess dogs and improve their balance, co-ordination, strength and body awareness.

Propriception is your awareness of your body in relation to the environment. Your muscles, tendons and joints have proprioceptive receptors that respond to stimuli within the body. If you injure yourself, your proprioception diminishes, hence the popularity of Physio guided Pilates classes and Yoga these days!

So what does this mean for you and your dog? We do know that a dog with good proprioception skills is less likely to injure themselves and is very aware of their body language (good communicators).

Where do you start? Here are some very simple ideas for you:

• Be observant of your dog’s movement and keep notes if necessary. Does your dog walk, pace, trot or canter as their preference? Do they always lie on the same side, do they sit flopped over onto one side? Establish a baseline for your dog and reassess on a monthly basis.
• Walk in areas where the ground surface changes regularly (bush land areas rather than parks) so that your dog can experience different sensations under their paws, but also go up and down small hills and through sand then short vegetation. This will ensure that the proprioceptors in their paws and lower limbs are stimulated to keep them balanced and upright.
• Invest in a well fitted harness (my fave is Haqihana) and a 5 metre lead. Normal six foot leads are too short, especially if your dog has no time off lead. Contact us if you would like advice on the best equipment.
• Teach them to put their front and back paws on fallen logs and hold that position (lower than elbow height please, especially on young dogs and seniors). Try not to lure, they are more likely to trip or fall if they are focusing on food. Gesture or target them close to the log, feed them for any effort towards the log and work at it every time you go out walking. Pay them handsomely with their favourite treats. Once they are happy to put paws up, keep rewarding them for staying up and then gesture that they hop down slowly and with some control.
• Enrol in a proprioception class (watch this space) or a beginners agility class to teach your dog to move their body with control. It takes more effort and strength to move with purpose and control than flat out with speed. The best example I can think of is when I attempt ab crunches. I have weak abs so I use my neck, back and momentum to get through. Obviously this is not a good idea and can lead to injury! Dogs do the same.
• Massage your dog and get to know their body (with their consent of course). If you find areas where the skin is hot, there is inflammation present. If that is common for your dog and doesn’t clear on its own, get in touch for some Bowen Therapy for your dog.

Thanks for reading!