# horses, walk, trot, canter, gallop. dogs....?



## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

sorry if this is a dumb question, but i can't imagine a dog "canters or gallops".

what other less natural gaits like a horse lope does a dog have?

greyhound has a distinct gait to other breeds?

thanks any info.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

dogs walk - dogs trot and dogs gallop - same pattern/sequence as a horse - the dog can run slowly - canter, or faster - gallop....once in a way, you will see a dog pace too

Lee


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

really its called a canter & gallop? sounds...funny.

what is side-gaiting - different foor strike pattern to a trot?

i have seen dogs "canter" on back legs and trot on front - or the other way around, is that bad or just lazy?


a canter is not just a slow gallop, it is a different pattern/sequence??

thanks for info.


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## Alyalanna (May 28, 2011)

Not sure what the canter and gallop is called in dog. I just continue to use those terms.

Pace is 2 beat gait similar to the trot except both legs on one side move together instead of diagonal legs in a trot. My lab paces all the time which I still find weird.

You are right a canter is not just a slow gallop. Canter is a 3 beat gait versus the 4 beat to the gallop. Also, I am pretty sure a lope is the just the western term for a canter but is the same 3 beat gait. If so, a lope is a very natural gait for a horse and I am guessing for a dog as well.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If they are moving their front legs separately and their back legs together, then they call that bunny hopping. Puppies do that and it is something to keep an eye on. But if dogs are doing that, then it is probably best to get the hips checked. You cannot diagnose problems without x-rays, but the breed is supposed to trot, and if they aren't trotting or pacing, then they may be compensating for a structural problem that is causing pain.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

what about "canter" or trot sideways, i see it a bit when dogs get fatigued.

the outside front leg is the lead leg on a dog but the inside front leg is the leading leg on a horse?

the grey-hound, a distinct running gait?

what is a "side-gait", i hear the word used by show folks.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

One of the ASL people in my club told me that the GSD's side gate makes a virtual fence that will keep the sheep in a certain location, that's why it is so important. I think that it is not a specific gait, but it is what they call it when they judge the dog as it trots around the ring, looking at its movement from the side. They also look at the dog going and coming. But they put a lot of importance on the side-gait.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

yes but what exactly is it, in terms of the rythym of the foot striking the ground or is it just an exagerated/extended trot?


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## sunsets (Oct 25, 2012)

I think "side gait" is the equivalent to the "extended trot" in horses. Floaty, with a ton of "leg flinging". It should be a trot on the diagonal pairs. (not a pace) Now, in horses, a good extended trot also includes a lot of "sit" and powering from the hind end. I don't think the dogs do that. 

As mentioned above "lope" and "canter" = same thing, and are 3 beat gaits. The "lead" is whichever front foot hits the ground last in the sequence. If you are riding in a ring, it's usually the inside front. Fancy dressage horses are trained to switch leads every stride - that's why those horses in the Olympics look like they are "dancing" (it's a demonstration of balance and power). Even racehorses switch leads - watch the field at the last turn, most of them swap over for the last burst of speed. 

The gallop is the canter speeded up, so that there is a point where all 4 feet are off the ground and each foot hits the ground individually throughout the stride. 

All dogs should be able to trot, canter, and gallop. Lots of dogs pace. My guy does that when he's tired or when I'm walking too fast for a proper walk but too slow for him to shift to his fancy extended trot. You can tell it's a pace because his body "rolls" from side to side with the motion of his legs.

Not all horses are pacers, many harness racers are. In addition the "gaited" breeds of horses have walk, trot, canter, gallop, + added bonus gaits such as a "running walk" and a "rack". Sometimes called "singlefooting" these gaits are smooth to sit since the horses move the legs independently and you don't have the jarring motion of the pair-wise trot movement. Look up "speed racking" on YouTube if you want to see some extreme singlefooting action


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

selzer said:


> One of the ASL people in my club told me that the GSD's side gate makes a virtual fence that will keep the sheep in a certain location, that's why it is so important. I think that it is not a specific gait, but it is what they call it when they judge the dog as it trots around the ring, looking at its movement from the side. They also look at the dog going and coming. But they put a lot of importance on the side-gait.


that is a ton of baloney from the ASL person...sorry...not directed at you selzer..i know you're just the relaying the meat product...tending dogs will walk, trot, canter, pace, gallop, hop..sometimes just a stare...it is their presence that creates the virtual fence not a particular gait...hilarious


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

My dog paces at her slowest speed.
Trots at 3.5 to 10 miles per hour (approx)
Canters at 8 - 15 (approx)
then it's a run
When pacing or trotting she always hits the ground with 2 feet so if you were
to close your eyes and listen you would think she only has 2 feet.
She has always walked that way since 10 weeks, there was never a
'clumsy' period. She is ASL/GSL
Sorry, I think you were asking for dogs in general.........


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## Jelpy (Nov 8, 2009)

I think it depends on the the dog. Tasker Trots and lopes but rarely flat out runs. Sweep usually slinks hesitently. Big Ole' Lycan Bumbles and Galumphs. Allie strolls. Grendel Ambles. Ya know. 

Jelpy


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

GSD tending sheep





Beauce tending sheep





observe the different gaits used by the dogs....I bet these dogs did more sheep tending in one minute than that ASL person has done in a lifetime.....so much for the side gait myth ;-)


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

show GSD bred for "sheep herding" gait....compare to above


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

selzer said:


> You cannot diagnose problems without x-rays, but the breed is supposed to trot, and if they aren't trotting or pacing, then they may be compensating for a structural problem that is causing pain.


They are going to break a trot to "get there faster" like when they are chasing a ball. The trot is an efficient gait and covers a lot of ground and can be done for hours, with the GSD but they still canter and gallop and that does not mean something is wrong. Bunny Hopping, yes but a wide open gallop no.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Of course they bound and gallop, but if they are consistently moving the back legs different than what the front legs are doing, which is what I was reading from one of the posts, it can indicate issues.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

If someone has a fast shutter speed type camera, I highly recommend taking a ton of pictures of their dog's movements. It really is interesting what the eye fails to catch.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I took a bunch of pictures one day of Ninja and Milla, and going through them, I realised that Ninja is a trotter, while Milla is a pacer. 

I am surprised no one has mentioned single-tracking. A GSD is supposed to single track, and I don't think that is possible when pacing, but I'm not a hundred percent sure of that.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Ocean's offering of the ASL in motion
-- I wouldn't have that dog run an AD test. Long sagging back , loose ligaments with pasterns that hit the ground (collapse)

pacing by it's nature is not single track . 

Lillie -- there is a series of GSD in motion frame by frame that Linda Shaw did which should be out in the near future .


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Ocean said:


> that is a ton of baloney from the ASL person...sorry...not directed at you selzer..i know you're just the relaying the meat product...tending dogs will walk, trot, canter, pace, gallop, hop..sometimes just a stare...it is their presence that creates the virtual fence not a particular gait...hilarious



You beat me to it! LOL LOL LOL I have heard alot of ridiculous things coming out of show people (both ASL and WG) This is as stupid as not feeding lamb dog food because it will turn them into sheep killers (someone who bred and showed a bunch of AKC champions) And that buying a working line dog would get a customer sued when it attacked their neighbors kids....that was a WGSL breeder - trying to sell a puppy to someone I had been talking to....

Lee


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

wolfstraum said:


> You beat me to it! LOL LOL LOL I have heard alot of ridiculous things coming out of show people (both ASL and WG) This is as stupid as not feeding lamb dog food because it will turn them into sheep killers (someone who bred and showed a bunch of AKC champions) And that buying a working line dog would get a customer sued when it attacked their neighbors kids....that was a WGSL breeder - trying to sell a puppy to someone I had been talking to....
> 
> Lee


LOL, notice that I wouldn't take credit for that gem. But that is what at least some of them believe. 

I am sure though, that some people selling working line puppies have told their customers a few lies too, like how only working line dogs are suitable for police work, or herding, or SAR, and show line dogs all have weak nerves, and so much more. Maybe they actually believe that crap. I don't know. Personally, I think there is room for all the lines, and the bickering and slights about different lines says more about the speaker than the dogs.


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

Ocean said:


> that is a ton of baloney from the ASL person...sorry...not directed at you selzer..i know you're just the relaying the meat product...tending dogs will walk, trot, canter, pace, gallop, hop..sometimes just a stare...it is their presence that creates the virtual fence not a particular gait...hilarious


Maybe that's why they call it a 'side gate' instead of a 'side gait'

hehehe


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yeah, I know I misspelled it on the first line, and spelled it right further down. Go ahead and rub it in. hehehe


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I thought this sequence taken by a professional photographer of a flat out run was very interesting........










This is a trot that I took









My own observations playing ball is Gallop to get to ball, canter back until tired then when really tired he starts to trot back and that is when I call the game.


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