This study investigates the impact of visual input and aging on postural stability (PS) in dogs by analyzing center-of-pressure (COP) parameters during static posturography under sighted (EO) and blindfolded (EC) conditions. Twenty adult (75% of fractional lifespan) dogs, free from orthopedic, neurological, or visual impairments, were assessed using a pressure measurement plate. While no significant differences were found between adult and senior dogs under standard EO conditions, blindfolding revealed age-related disparities. Senior dogs exhibited significantly higher craniocaudal displacement and support surface values compared to adult dogs, indicating a greater reliance on visual input for sagittal stability. Conversely, adult dogs exhibited a reduction in postural sway during EC conditions, indicating an adaptive shift toward greater reliance on somatosensory input. These findings highlight diminished sensory integration and adaptability in senior dogs, correlating with aging-related declines in proprioception and sensory processing. This research underscores the critical role of vision in canine PS, particularly in older individuals, and emphasizes the need for targeted interventions, such as balance training, to enhance sensory integration and mitigate fall risk in aging dogs. Future studies should explore dynamic and multimodal challenges to further elucidate compensatory mechanisms.

This article investigates the determination of the optimal cutoff frequency of smoothing filters for motion data based on kinetic energy. The underlying hypothesis is that an upper limit of kinetic energy can serve as a basis for setting the cutoff frequency. To illustrate this, postural sway in standing dogs was analyzed based on the movement of their center of pressure (COP). The method was tested on 12 clinically healthy dogs that met specific inclusion criteria. The results show that a cutoff frequency of 6 Hz, derived from an individual kinetic energy calculated from the COP velocity of 5 cm/s, provides the best representation of postural sway, while 10 Hz filtered data was sufficient in only 6 of 12 dogs, and unfiltered data unsuitable in 12 of 12 dogs. The study highlights that the choice of cutoff frequency is crucial for data quality and proposes a biologically motivated method based on kinetic energy. This method could lead to more precise and meaningful results in motion analysis.