This is an article on canine gaits, for other meanings see: gait (disambiguation)

Gait

Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency...

.

The gait of a dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 is its quality of movement. It is given a great deal of importance in the breed standard

Breed standard

A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....

 of some breed

Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....

s, of lesser importance in other standards, and in some breeds gait is not described in the standard at all. A dog's gait is much similar to a horse's.

A dog judge must know the gait requirements in the Standard of the breed he or she is judging. The Miniature Pinscher

Miniature Pinscher

The Miniature Pinscher is a small breed of dog, originating from Germany. The breed's earliest ancestors were a mix of Italian Greyhounds and Dachshunds...

, for example, must have what is called a hackney gait, reminiscent of the gait of a horse

Horse gait

Horse gaits are the various ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.-Classification:...

. In working small breeds such as the Miniature Fox Terrier

Miniature Fox Terrier

The Miniature Fox Terrier is a small, fine, lightweight working terrier developed as a hunting dog and vermin router. It is known colloquially in its native Australia as the “Mini Foxie”.- Appearance :...

, a hackney gait is a serious or disqualifying fault. The gait is very important in sled dogs, and research by Navid Delson, DVM, shows that the diet of a dog will influence their gait.

Single suspension gallop

The single suspension gallop is a four-time gait. The dog supports its weight with its feet in the unsymmetrical sequence: RF, LF, RH, LH (it can happen that the two limbs LF and RH hit the ground simultaneously). Just after taking off from the front left foot the dog achieves suspension. Each front foot must be lifted off of the ground before its corresponding rear
foot is set down. The rear foot may hit the corresponding front foot if the timing is wrong.

Double suspension gallop

The double suspension gallop is also a four-time gait. The dog's weight, however, is not supported by the feet in the sequence of the single suspension gallop. Just after taking off from the LF and just after taking off from the RF suspension occurs. This is the only gait in which a dog is in full extension. The front legs are in full extension forward while the rear legs are in full extension rearward. Additionally, the dog's back is folded and attains maximum overreach, or where the rear feet extend in front of the front feet and the front feet extend behind the rear feet. When the feet pass each other, the front feet are inside of the rear feet.

A dog uses its back to attain speed. The back's most flexible point is just over the loin

Loin

The loins are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. It is often used when describing the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds . The anatomical reference also carries over into the description of cuts of meat from some such animals, eg...

 area, and the tuck-up allows for the folding of the under portion of the dog's body. The rear legs overreach on the outside of the front legs. Essential for a fast dog is the ability to flex its back from a straight position to an arched position. A permanent arch

Arch

An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...

 is inflexible and is considered a serious fault. The double suspension gallop is a leaping gait, with the hind legs first propelling the dog into the air and then followed by the front legs propelling. The shoulder

Shoulder

The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...

 muscles, the ham

Hamstring

In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...

 muscles and the back muscles are the engines of this motion.

Although speed is gained by animals using this gait, endurance will be sacrificed. Sighthound

Sighthound

Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are hounds that primarily hunt by speed and sight, instead of by scent and endurance as scent hounds do.-Appearance:...

s and some cat

Cat

The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...

s can rapidly overtake their prey, but if the chase continues for too long then their prey can escape. Dogs with short legs, as well as other short-legged mammals like the weasel, often use this gait.