then the front leg on that same side. It next moves the other rear leg forward and then the front leg on that side. So, the pattern of footfall for the walk is RR, RF, LR, LF. When a dog is walking, there are either two or three feet on the ground at any given time. The walk is the only dog gait in which there are ever three feet on the ground, so if you ever see a photo or video showing a dog with three feet on the ground, you know it is walking. The Trot This is the most efficient gait for many breeds. Wolves have been known
The Gallop The gallop starts with the dog’s spine flexed and the two rear feet on the ground, one foot (the lead foot) slightly ahead of the other. The rear limbs and spine extend, creating a moment of suspension during which the front legs swing forward. The front feet then hit the ground, with one leg (the lead leg) slightly ahead of the other. As the front legs push against the ground, powering the dog forward, the dog experiences another moment of suspension while it flexes the spine and swings the rear legs forward to start the cycle again. The Amble – A Transitional Gait As a walking dog speeds up, each rear leg that swings forward is quickly followed by the front leg on the same side. Eventually, the two legs on the same side of the body are moving forward almost together. However, if you look closely or view with a slow-motion video, you will see that there still are moments with three feet on the ground. Thus, this gait is still a form of the walk—just a fast walk. Ambling dogs look very ungainly. The rear end sways from side to side, wasting energy that could be used to power the dog forward. In addition, the dog doesn’t lift the feet very high, often scuffling them along the ground. Further, an ambling dog often moves at the same speed as it could at an easy trot. The wasted horizontal energy of the amble is one reason why the amble is not a preferred gait and should be used only for short periods when transitioning from a walk to a trot or when a tired dog wants to rest its trotting muscles. The Pace – An Abnormal Gait Another reason why the amble is not a preferred gait 20
to cover 100 miles a day, mainly using the trot. When trotting, first two diagonally opposite front and rear legs swing forward (e.g., RF & LR). This is followed by a moment of suspension in the air, during which the other diagonally opposite front and rear legs swing forward and then bear the dog’s weight (e.g., LF & RR). That is followed by another moment of suspension, and the cycle repeats. The Canter The canter and gallop are the two gaits where the dog’s pattern of footfall is very different from that of horses. When dogs canter, first, one rear leg moves forward and bears the dog’s weight. Then the other rear leg and the front leg on that same side move forward and strike the ground almost together. This is followed by the remaining front leg. Therefore, the order of footfall is either RR, LR-LF, RF or LR, RR-RF, LF. This order of footfall results in a rotary canter. Of the two rear or the two front legs, the second one to strike the ground is called the lead leg, because it lands on the ground physically ahead of the opposite leg. So, in the first example above, the dog is using the left lead in the rear and the right lead in the front. (Note: lead legs only occur in the canter and gallop, not in the walk or trot.) In contrast to dogs, horses use a transverse canter in which they use the same lead in the front and the rear. Dogs use the transverse canter only about five percent of the time, usually when they are transitioning between gaits. The rotary canter allows dogs to turn very sharply and with greater power and drive from the rear. It is likely that horses’ relatively inflexible spines prevent them from taking advantage of the rotary canter.
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