I have not tried gloves of any kind yet. That's next on the practice list.
I have the springy foot. It is much better than no foot, but does seem a bit tight at some intesections. I need to play around to see if there is an adjustment.
I use the darning plate cover that come with my machine. It is a bit raised so the foot fits tighter. It never occured to me to not cover the dogs. I thought dropping or covering was required for FMQ.