Does anybody have the answer to stop my 2 year old bitch from pacing in the show ring ? The number of times she has throw away good places just because she won't get her act together and move without pacing. She is so versatile and can pace at just about any speed. The only speed she can't do it is the gallop ! She is getting to be such an expert at it and it's driving me crazy. I know she can move without pacing and is a lovely mover when she does get it right, but more often than not she gets it wrong. Any help would be just magic. Thanks in advance.

MArgaret

Pacing can sometimes be linked to HD. I well remember a Shepherd belonging to a friend. In obedience competition, when the command to turn was given, if the dog was on the wrong foot it could only go straight on!!!

Leaving HD out of it, a lot of dogs will pace. Usually speeding the gait up a bit will get the dog moving correctly. Watching a dog in class who will slip into pacing, we find that getting up to speed as quickly as possible helps. A steady acceleration allows the dog to start pacing and once started it's difficult if not impossible for the dog to change without stopping.

Regards, John

That would be my way to John, get the dog into its trot from a standing start, rather than slowly, if it breaks into a pace, stop and start off again at a slightly faster speed than you would normally use.

Sometimes a quick reminder with lead, not really a jerk but a reminder will bring the head up and stop the pacing

If you turn a circle and start ot trot IMMEDIATELY the dog shouldn't pace(worked for me).Think it works because the dog is slightly unbalanced coming out of the turn.I would do this in training and use a specific word (e.g. move on)( I click at mine!! ) and praise her when she gets it right-try to keep her going for a fair way.After a while she should understand what you mean by the command and you won't need to turn the circle.
Archer
P.S. Pacing can be an energy saving gait-I had a GSD with a hip score of 10 who paced regularly

Thanks everybody and we're off to start practising right now ! So if anybody should see a great dane whizzing past them with me yelling good girl, good girl thats the way to do it, you'll know we cracked the problem, but she can be rather stubborn and want to do it her way - just like most of us women !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Margaret

I was told that if a dog is too square in outline this can cause it to pace as the back legs can't fall into the path the front ones leave causing the dog to pace instead of trot. Also I know of a dog who paced regularly and his hip score was 2 in total! But he was VERY square!

Turning a circle is the method I have seen employed by various handlers at the beginning of a triangle and also at the triangle's "points".

Sorry I'm fascinated, what do you mean by pacing??

How does this differ from trotting or walking at speed around the ring??

Is it only the dogs that are trotted that pace or can the slower breeds pace too??

TIA and apologies for being an ignoramous.

Regards
Dill

can you remmber the wooden tops, and the dalmation on it, it moved both right legs-then both left, it gives an ugly stilted monement!!!
i usually put the collar up high, and chuck the dog under its chin as i start off, this unbalances it and if you keep the speed up normally works, ive handled a few dogs for others that had this habit---its really not nice to watch, but very economical for the dog,

My second oldest bitch is a habitual pacer. I had to teach her that it wasn't allowed in the ring as Dizzy said. Was very funny when I sent her to be mated, and the stud owner told me that she had never seen her do this before, but that she paced the whole time there.

I find they all do it at some time, especially when lead walked, as inevitably my speed is just not quite fast enough to trot comfortably, but too fast for their walking speed.

Don't know if being a square breed is anything to so with it, it seems to be a lazy but efficient habit. Kooks horible!!!

Pacing is a normal gait for dogs, sometimes you will see a whole team of huskies doing it. To us it look wrong, like a person marching and swinging the same arm as leg, ungainly and off balance. How to correct, like most things, different things will work on different dogs. But if the changing of speed is not working then turning the dog round quite fast and then trotting straight, repeat the turn on each corner of the triangle. The other thing that I have found to work is a tug to the side on the lead, pull the dog a bit of balance. If all that fails, try having the dog in the right hand and doing things in the other direction, that one will sometimes work on dogs that is crabbing too.

Well we have been out practising and trying ever so hard. We seem to be making some progress - no make that a lot but I could be just kidding myself on !!!! I have found the speed at which she doesn't pace at, but it's way too fast for any show ring (and me !!). What we have found is that by taking her lead and shortening it and slipping my hand under her chin as we move off and keeping it there and a whole lot of encouragement, so far seems to be doing the trick. We will continue to practice 3 times a day (only for a short space of time). At present she does enjoy herself when she gets it right and gets loads of praise and treats. We have Blackpool this week-end so will keep you informed of her progress and many thanks for all the reponses.

Margaret

that sounds like progress to me Margaret Best of Luck at Blackpool.

I must admit I have found that lifting the angle of their head does seem to help, maybe thats because pacing is more of a loping stride and they need to lower their heads to get into it.

Jayne

Or maybe like the elkies they do it so that they can get those noses down to sniff comfortably :D

Who cares about comfort Barbara, find mine can force their heads to the floor against my best efforts to stop them, their necks are stronger than my arms.

Best of luck with your training Margaret, hope Blackpool goes well, getting her to move well should be pleasure enough, to get a place, well forget the car, you can fly home.

All the best, Jackie

Amazingly strong those grey necks, LOL!

We went to the Blackpool Champ Show and we got 2nd in our class (mid Limit) and yes the wee so and so still managed to do a bit of pacing. I will use the excuse it was very warm and she was trying to save her energy for when we got back home so she could run amock up the hill ! I will not give up just yet ! Ask me that question after the next Champ Show !!!!!!!!

Margaret