Hi guys,

I'm hoping some of you ChampDogers can help :D i recently went on a course about canine massage/sports massage & i now have 4 weeks left on my externship to, i am having a complete & utter memory mind blank & feel like an idiot  :-(
I have to do some research on gait analysis, you know like a bulldog has a rolling gait, an english pointer has a hackney gait, i have single tracking dogs  ect, ect ...... i just wondered who has what & what type of gait they have & how you would describe it ?
I know this is kind of cheating, but my brain is now completely frazzled :-(
Please could anyone spend 5 mins to help ? :D
Thanks in advance from one very stressed CD'er lol

I have a GSP and wouldn't know how to describe her gait.  I am just curious as to what a Hackney gait is?

If i have this right which at the moment i am sweating buckets over pmsl :-) a GSP is a single tracking gait ( please be to god i have that one right pmsl or otherwise i have no idea what my dogs have & i will fail my externship :-( )
English pointers are also single trackers now i've lost it, but they also have a high rising front action i tihnk its described as daisy chopping/cutting actions ........... see this is exactly why i needs help :-(
Hmmm not sure if i should laugh or cry now :D :-(
Hhheelllllppppppppp

Expression is from the gait of a Hackney horse which has an exaggerated lift of the pasterns & front feet. It's asked for in some breeds, notably the Min Pin, but is actually not desirable in most as it's very uneconomic & tends to be present in dogs with upright shoulder angulation.
I think Daisy cutting is usually the opposite where dogs don't lift their feet very high off the ground at all - think its more common in Terriers (when they're not being strung up that is :eek )

Isn't daisy cutting a description of whippet movement?

Rough Collies move with front feet comparatively close together.
Have a look at The Kennel Club breed standards.  It tells you if the breed has a specific gait.

I don't know if your library can get you The New Dogsteps: Illustrated Gait at a Glance - by Rachel Page Elliott but it's brilliant at explaining canine anatomy, movement, structure etc.

Thanks Val, :-)
so far with traveling, time of work me & OH to look after kids, diesel, books ect its cost a fortune so far :-(  I think i'm getting myself into a state cos i know that if i dont pass it'll all be for nothing, i know how to do the massage & what i'm massaging but the gait is getting to me now lol
I will have a look for the book, thanks again for the suggestion :D

It's exceptional - I bought it for my daughter's 12th birthday!  She does a video as well which shows dogs with their bones highlighted with toothpaste and then put on a running machine, so that you can see exactly what bit moves where when they move!!  You can see how an upright shoulder, short upper arm, no bend of stifle etc affects movement - brilliant!!

Agree completely. Both the book and the video are excellent. Now if some Judges would just read/watch them ...... :)

:):):)

I know Boxers 'swagger' - right little show offs, swagging their rearend for england :D

My Labs definately Waddle :D

Yeah, my Cavs have a mad galloping gait!! Seriously, the Breed Standard says 'gait free flowing and elegant, forelegs and hindlegs moving in parallel' or something like that. The only thing I can remember about the Yankee gait is 'when in motion, merry tail action' which isn't much use!! :-D

Hi yourself,
I have a Golden 'Gas-Bucket' Retriever, not sure just what you would call his 'gait' other than Ungainly.
When he has his mad moments and charges around at full speed, gait seems to go out of the window, with his legs going, fur flying, ears flapping, all in different directions.  a most odd sight, but to me it is poetry in motion.
So, on your list of 'Gaits', for Golden Retrievers just put 'Ungainly'.
:rolleyes:
See you are almost there!

Harry C

You don't improve with age Harry ;););)

Val you've got a cheek!  Who said that I was 'ageing' and you can't improve on 'perfection'.
:p
Harry C.
P.S.   Good to see a slip of a lass such as you is still around.

I've got 2 Harry, bless you!! :D
4 if you count the other 2!!!!

Chows are always a great example to use as their gait is unique. The rear legs should literally move like a pendulum because they should have no angulation. The standard says "Short and stilted. Forelegs and hindlegs moving parallel to each other and straight forward." And there's nothing more to say than that other than you'd be surprised how fast and efficient that gait is - they can give the impression of just pottering along, but be three fields away in the blink of an eye without ever breaking from a trot!

Shar-Pei "Free, vigorous and balanced, rear single tracking is normal at a fast trot, stilted gait undesirable." What I always think of, depending on which shar-pei I am looking at, is a big cat. Think lion or leopard... yeah, I'm gonna get you flunked aren't I :D

Tibetan Mastiff  "Powerful and free, with purpose and agility. Measured and deliberate when walking. At speed will tend to single-track." They do tend to look ungainly when walking - especially at the rear. But once at a trot they're like a different dog - my pup appears to not even touch the ground when moving at a trot. You would never think such a large dog could move with such grace.

Spanish Water Dogs, single tracking dogs, movement is fairly close in a very straight line. They should NEVER hackney.  Pomeranian's also shouldn't hackney although I can't think right now re, their movement but boy do you see a lot of them hackney in the show ring!!

Bedlington Terriers, When standing (in the ring) front legs should be wider apart at the top and front feet close together (like an upside down horseshoe shape) they have a distinctive action when on the move, they move like no other terrier ;)

"Capable of galloping at high speed and have appearance of being able to do so. Action very distinctive, rather mincing, light and springy in slower paces and slight roll when in full stride. "   A Hackney gait (high stepping gait) would be penalised in the show ring ;)
Paddling would also be penalised as would legs too close behind.  Despite having their front feet close while standing they are not a single tracking breed ;)

I don't really know what single tracking or hackney means
but i have english bull terriors and the kennel club says this about thier Gait/Movement.

''When moving appears well knit, smoothly covering ground with free, easy strides and with a typical jaunty air. When trotting, movement parallel, front and back, only converging towards centre line at faster speeds, forelegs reaching out well and hindlegs moving smoothly at hip, flexing well at stifle and hock, with great thrust.''

Fantastic to watch for real
hope this helps you

donna

Hello, you describe single tracking in your post, its  when the legs converge into the centre, if you imagine them moving on sand at one pace youll see two rows of tracks where the back  and front legs land, at a different speed the  front legs converge into one  spot, reaching and coming down in the centre.

Yep - you'll see one line of paw tracks (hence it being called single tracking) instead of two parallel ones if that makes sense.

Not sure exactly what you need but this is the description of the Siberian Husky gait/movement:

Smooth and seemingly effortless. Quick and light on feet, gaited on a loose lead at a moderately fast trot, exhibiting good reach in forequarters and good drive in hindquarters. When walking, legs move in parallel but as speed increased, gradually angling inward to single track. As paw marks converge forelegs and hindlegs carried straight wither neither elbows nor stifles turning in or out, each hindleg moving in path of foreleg on same side. Topline of back remaining firm and level during gaiting.

Hope it helps! :)

A 'hackney' gait, would be one with high knee action as seen in hackney ponies, and much more commonly, in welsh cobs (where it is desireable).

I would expect in many dogs it is NOT desireable because if the dog is putting in lots of upwards knee action, its not propelling itself forward very efficiently.

Daisycutter is indeed the opposite, and should look like the dog is almost floating across the ground with very little effort and no flashy exaggerated upwards knee action. (in horses less desirable as although its more efficient movement, it also means the horse is far more likely to trip on anything but the flattest of ground).

Em

Just wanted to say you lot are GREAT :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D thanks for all your help, i'll be calling on you all again i'm sure as there are a few course's i'd love to do next year too, accupressure, miofasia release ( sp) & the advanced part of what i've already done .... well this is IF i can save up in time :-( lol .......... hhmmm now where did i see that millionaire go ? lol
Many thanks again  :D :D :D reading through all the posts have cheared me up from a pants kind of day too :D