Dog Movement

Here are some interesting links and info about dog movement. The reason I’m suggesting you review this is to give you food for thought about how dogs move and how they’ll move in concert with you. It’s a dance, and it can be a graceful and successful one if you know how to push and how to pull and how the dog will respond to those cues, based on his physiology/structure. I love the video of dog movement best of all, and my last section, “The Canter and Leads,” is what I was looking for when I started this research. will help you understand

General

https://petcentral.chewy.com/dog-physiology-how-dogs-move/
M. Christine Zink, DVM, Ph.D.,

 

Watch this!

Awesome video of dog movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=312&v=OOLdSG73eB8&feature=emb_logo

 

Dog gaits

https://www.rover.com/blog/dogs-walk-sideways/

… let’s consider how dogs move in general. Dogs have four main types of gaits, or patterns of limb movement (source):

  • Walk: the dog lifts each foot from the ground one at a time in regular sequence (first one rear foot, then the front foot on that same side, then the other rear foot, then the front foot on that side). Three legs are in support of the body at all times.
  • Trot: a two-beat diagonal gait in which the feet at diagonal opposite ends of the body strike the ground together; for example, front right with hind left, and front left with hind right. Between steps, their entire body is suspended in the air for a moment.
  • Canter: a three-beat gait that is a bit slower than a trot. In a rotary canter, dogs move their feet forward in a pattern of 1-2-1: hind foot, then opposite hind foot and its front diagonal, then the other front foot. The foot they start off with is known as the “leading foot.”
  • Gallop:a four-beat gait, and the speediest dog gait of all. While galloping, a dog starts with its spine flexed and two rear feet on the ground, the lead foot slightly ahead of the other. Next, the dog extends its spine, stretching its front feet forward, which hit the ground with one foot (the lead foot) slightly ahead of the other. The dog then flexes the spine to bring the rear feet forward to start the cycle again.

The Canter and “Leads”

from: http://vanat.cvm.umn.edu/gaits/canter.html

Canter

A canter (left lead) is shown in the graphic on the right. The step sequence of the canter is shown at the right. The canter (sustained gallop; slow gallop; middle gallop) is a three-beat gait that includes a period of suspension at fast speeds. The sequence of limb impact on the ground is 1-2-1: a hindlimb, then a diagonal, followed by a forelimb, and, when present, suspension.

The canter is an asymmetrical gait, i.e., limb patterns are different on the right and left sides. The dog is said to be “leading to the right/left” according to which forelimb is in the lead. The leading forelimb is the one that is not part of the diagonal (the one that lifts off just before suspension, at a fast canter). The leading limb bears weight for a longer period of time than the other forelimb.

When moving in a circular path, a quadruped nearly always leads with the forelimb closest to the center of the circle (otherwise it is more likely to trip). This is because the contralateral hindlimb shifts the animal’s center of gravity laterally (toward the center of the circle) as well as forward. On a straight path, a dog will normally shift leads to alleviate fatigue or in preparation for turning.

The canter is a preferred gait for cruising or loping easily across a field because it is not tiring and it provides good support. It is often slower than a trot but it can be easily shifted into the faster transverse gallop. Because of the even distribution of support (tripod involving hindlimb followed by tripod involving forelimb), the canter is suited for rough ground or where footing is uncertain.

 

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