CC150: FUNctional Foundation Fitness

1.3 Texture and surface desensitisation

For some dogs, texture can make learning new equipment, or travelling over certain surfaces more challenging. You also need to consider that some dogs are MORE sensory sensitive than others. Sensory input, like texture through their paws can cause discomfort. 

Exposing dogs to different surface and textures in a fun way can be useful for many reasons, including: 

1. Desensitisation to textures
2. Increased proprioception (awareness and control of limbs in space)
3. Exposure to equipment that they will need later in life
4. Giving you information to if there are textures and surfaces that your dog finds challenging
5. Life! Dogs in an urban environment often have to be comfortable moving over surfaces that naturally they might find challenging, such as metal sidewalk grates, slippery floors etc. 
6. We can use this as an enrichment activity
7. Confidence boosting

My favourite way to desensitise, and safely expose dogs and puppies to different sensations, textures, and surface under their feet, and build proprioception and general body confidence is in proprioceptive pathways. 

In essence this is a series of equipment or items that we reinforce a dog for moving safely over. Here’s some information about setting this up, and some examples. 

Proprioception pathway set up

Ricky - proprioception pathway for confidence

Grid - scatters on different equipment and surfaces

Chace - older dog proprioception pathway

Grid

Tori and Tripp

Your mission: create a safe and appropriate proprioception pathway for your dog. 

• Decide how to make it safe and meet their needs: do you need to have a harness on them to keep them safe? Do you need to sprinkle treats first? Would reinforcing targeting or movements be useful? Maybe just reinforcing effort?

• Create, film and have a go, and evaluate! Was this useful? What was surprising? Do you need to try something different next time?