Importance of Proprioception

Proprioception is the ability of an organism to know the exact position of the different parts of the body in every moment.

Question: Have you ever approached or touched your dog from behind? Did they jump away from you? Did that make them feel nervous or uncomfortable? Dogs that do not have awareness of their own body can be dangerous to themselves and to others.

Proprioception is very important for the correct development of a dog and is most likely the main cause of Behavioral issues.

Is your dog …

• Insecure or afraid
• Destructive or self injurious
• Bored or reactive

At Diamond in the Ruff Pet Retreat, we are dedicated to finding the best options to help your pet develop fully. We take pride in improving our guests stay here at the kennel,  but we also strive to improve their confidence and stability which will improve life at home as well.

Answer:  If you answered “YES” to the above question, then you can imagine the importance of teaching Proprioception to your dog. When your dog has a good understanding of where its body is and is confident in its functions and movement, they will portray confidence when entering a playgroup or other new situation. They will ADD to the growth, bonding, and enjoyment of all of their dog/pack friends.

For us, it is very important to offer our clients options that can help in the mental and physical growth and development of our pets. Anxiety or bad behavior in dogs is due to a lack of confidence. Here at Diamond, we can help your pet realize life’s full potential for mind and body. Most of our pets will benefit from daycare on some level, but to access all the positive parts of daycare we may need to show them how.  For those that need more of a personal (or non-group) program, we also have lots to offer.

A simple example for a better understanding of proprioception

 I was a mobile groomer who worked alone and I had a client with a Saint Bernard who wanted the dog’s nails done. The dog was vicious at the vets and required 4 people to restrain and I needed to accomplish this task safely on my own. I took my time and slowly coaxed the dog to place each foot on the table. This needed calm  communication and encouragement. It involved touching or gesturing to its feet until he could figure out how to get up there. Once on the table, the dog then happily let me do my job.

The client was impressed and that led to the next question. This client said each day she would come home to her living room tossed upside down. Couch lamps, tables, etc would be everywhere. She suspected the dog had lost its ball under the couch.  She had seen him push his way behind there, but she didn’t know why the couch and everything else would end up upside down. The dog was young, but already close to 200 lbs and I suspected that it could push its way behind the couch, but couldn’t figure out how to back out again. I figured he would then panic and toss the furniture.

As a simple solution, I recommended that she put a tensor wrap around her dog.  The stretchy wraps you put around a sore wrist or ankle. I instructed her to loosely loop up and around his chest, front legs, belly and back legs. She wrapped him and gave him treats as he walked around the house. This simple exercise allows a dog to feel where its bum is. As he moved his front legs he could feel the gentle pull all the way to his bum and as he moved around the house he learned where his back legs were.  One session like this resulted in him figuring how to walk backwards and never tossing the furniture in the living room again.

Janice Hunter

 Proprioception allows dogs to make coordinated movements, maintain balance in different tasks and be aware of their entire body position, from the nose to the tip of their tail.

Not just about Movement

Proprioception will be essential for a dog to be able to develop with total maturity both physically, emotionally, and behaviorally.

• On a physical level: When a dog is aware of its body, it is more capable of performing different coordinated and balanced movements.
• On an emotional level: A dog that is not aware of its body will be insecure and lack self-confidence. Since they’re not confident in their body’s position or placement, they will  be unable to enter a group of people or pets confidently. This lack of confidence will be portrayed and often misread as aggression.
• At a behavioral level: The dog’s personality will be affected by its degree of security and self-awareness, therefore, a dog with poor proprioception is more likely to be an insecure dog and show fearful behavior. If not corrected early, this can quickly develop into aggression issues.

There are many dogs that have not had the opportunity to work on proprioception in the puppy stage for whatever reasons: due to an owner’s unfamiliarity with the needs of the breed or individual pet, or because we do not know the pets’ past experiences due to life in a shelter, etc. It is even more important to give these dogs the opportunity to work on proprioception so that they can fully develop as adults.

Ideal Development of Proprioception

To become a mature and balanced adult, dogs have to go through all stages of development. The ideal proprioception stage occurs in puppies between 4.5 months and 6 months of age. This is a stage in which the puppies begin to be a little more independent from the mother. They are already comfortable with their immediate environment, so they are ready to go further and challenge themselves more.

Ideally in nature, puppies begin to learn the limits of their own body. This happens naturally thanks to playing with litter and pack mates of other ages. By playing with other dogs they learn to properly communicate with body language and begin to explore the limits of their balance and coordination. This natural exploration allows for a safe place to make mistakes and test boundaries with natural teaching.

Important! If the puppies have not been able to meet their needs before this stage of proprioception, they will not be prepared to build on it. We need to go back and focus on the previous foundation to progress properly.

Benefits

Proprioception can benefit dogs in multiple ways and covers very different aspects of the development of a dog.

Physical Benefits

Perhaps they are the most obvious. Proprioception is necessary to have better coordination, balance, work on stability, precision of movements, and strengthen muscles.

• All Dogs– Proprioception exercises help develop and strengthen the musculoskeletal system, which will allow them to feel more confident with movement.
• Sports dogs: Proprioception can be a very important part of developing the muscular system awareness and strength. This is even more important with jobs like tracking, agility etc. Investment in its proper development will aid in preventing possible injuries and lengthening functionality.
• Senior dogs: Carefully designed Proprioception activities are important in slowing deterioration of the musculoskeletal system. Efforts will help delay mental atrophy as well as retain as much physical mobility as possible. We are experienced at creating an exercise program taking into account age and physical limitations.

⚠️ It is important to note that all these benefits (physical and emotional) will only be achieved when we perform proprioception exercises adapted to the capabilities and limitations of the individual themselves.

Emotional Benefits

There is a less obvious, but crucial benefit from  proprioception training. In discovering one’s own body there is an added benefit resulting in emotional stability and  behavior improvement. Working on proprioception will help dogs become more aware of their body and therefore increase their confidence and security.  It is a very important tool for preventing long-term fears that can result in aggression and anxiety.

Proprioception exercises may be especially helpful for dogs who identify with the following conditions:

• Fearful dogs often carry with them a series of insecurities which often results in low self-esteem. Proprioception exercises can benefit them because they improve their awareness of their body placement, which will in turn allow them to overcome confidence challenges.
• Puppies: As we have mentioned before, proprioception is a vital stage in the correct development of a puppy. Therefore, this stage must be covered so that your pet  can develop into a mature adult without problems.

Proprioception Exercises at Home

Actively getting your dog exposed to different locations, life experiences, and handlers is important. If you are seeing each new setting or experience as building your dog’s confidence, you are on the right track!

Proprioception can be worked on directly and indirectly. Both pathways are viable, as long as they are adapted to the needs and abilities of the dog. Remember, in the dog world, less is almost always more. Sometimes the solution can be very simple,

At Diamond we will offer your pet the opportunity of “working” on different types of surfaces (sandy, gravel and/or rocky, aquatic, grass, as well as slippery or uneven ground) with the intention of improving proprioception.

We are experienced in creating an environment that will give your pet the possibility of achieving full emotional, physical and behavioral development.

Daycare

Daycare is one of the services we offer to achieve our goal of happy and tired pets; who are excited to come back and play next time! Often daycare is the perfect option to meet the physical, mental and developmental needs of our four-legged friends. However, sometimes due to breed drive, anxiety, or lack of confidence, daycare by itself may not be an immediate solution. Often a dog’s life experience or unstructured development from the beginning can make daycare not possible.

Every pet is different and here at Diamond we have developed strategies to teach our pets how to get the most out of life, even if daycare is not initially suitable.

Evaluation

Proper evaluation of canine proprioception is key to an effective solution.

Our dog’s motor and cognitive skills, such as their ability to move and respond to their environment, depend largely on their proprioception. So how can we evaluate this ability in our four-legged friends? Let’s look at the techniques and tests used by experienced professional dog trainers.

Detailed Observation

By observing how dogs move and adapt in their natural environment, trainers can detect potential proprioceptive problems. If a dog appears unsteady or experiences difficulty while performing specific tasks that require balance and coordination, such as jumping over obstacles or walking on uneven surfaces, it could indicate a proprioception problem.

Walking Tests

By having a dog walk on various surfaces and conditions, you can evaluate how their proprioceptive system adapts. A confident and balanced gait pattern on varied surfaces demonstrates healthy proprioception. Instability or difficulty adjusting to different terrain can be a warning sign.

Flexibility Tests

The dog is evaluated while performing specific movements, such as turning or raising a paw, its ability to perceive and respond to stimuli related to the movement and position of its body is analyzed.

Strength tests

Assessing a dog’s muscle strength is essential, as healthy proprioception requires good muscle tone. A dog that can perform movements requiring effortless strength and balance demonstrates good proprioception.

With a proper assessment, we can work to improve your dog’s proprioception, strengthen their physical and mental health, and ensure they can explore their world with the confidence and joy that all dogs deserve.

In summary, proprioception is essential for balance, coordination, and the ability to perform daily activities in dogs. Proprioception exercises can help improve a dog’s body perception and balance, and may be beneficial for injury recovery and prevention. However, it is important to remember that these exercises should be appropriate for the dog’s fitness and skill level.

Behavioural

Confident curiosity is ideal. Flying into an unknown situation without caution is a symptom of a busy and overwhelmed brain. Some dogs are happy and trusting, but have no idea what to expect and what is expected of them in new situations. A little understanding on how to slow their minds and bodies can make a much more comfortable pet. A pet that is showing signs of stress like cowering, hiding behind a pet-parent, barking or lunging toward unfamiliar people or situations are examples that also point to a need to work on proprioception.

Here at Diamond in the Ruff we understand that behavioral issues are the main reason for concern in pet parents. Their destructive or difficult behaviour is sometimes the first symptom that makes clients aware that they need help.  Sometimes our pets are wonderful at home but in other situations they are struggling.

Please ask for help.  We offer both consultation appointments which can point you in the right direction at home and full training experiences for behaviour intervention involving proprioception exercises, scenting, tracking agility or obedience.