Page 140 - ShowSight - September 2019

Form Follows Function: Part 9
BY STEPHANIE HEDGEPATH continued
The high stepping gait is faulty in all but a few breeds and in these breeds it is consid- ered a highly sought breed characteristic. As an example is the hackneyed movement of the Miniature Pinscher.
From the AKC Miniature Pinscher Standard: “The hackney-like action is a high-stepping, reaching, free and easy gait in which the front leg moves straight for- ward and in front of the body and the foot bends at the wrist. The dog drives smoothly and strongly from the rear. The head and tail are carried high.” (See Figure 5)
As with the desired lift in the action of the Italian Greyhound, this flashy action was developed to be pleasing to the eye of the beholder. Much as the flashy move- ment of the Hackney Pony or park horse was to draw the eye of the observer. The toy dogs were developed simply to bring joy to their owners. Such movement is glorious to observe in a beautifully formed, typey dog in breeds that did not have to sustain this gait all day in order to work for a living.
Here is a photo of a well balanced stride in a Border Collie. Please note the reach of the front paw out in front of the dog to the end of the nose, with all four feet close to the ground. The dog is moving with the head posture typical of the breed. The Stan- dard for the breed calls for “a balanced and free trot, with minimum lift of the feet. The head is carried level with or slightly below the withers. When shown, Border Collies should move on a loose lead and at moder- ate speed, never raced around the ring with the head held high.” (See Figure 6)
Here is the same photo with a skeleton overlay to give you a rough idea what is going on under the skin. (See Figure 7)
Once you have become comfortable knowing what is expected of the dog’s front feet when in motion from the side, next, start observing the rear feet. I told you this was going to take a good bit of observation.
I know that many people think that all this talk about structure and movement is no longer valid and very seldom needed in most breeds today. This is simply because the vast majority of dogs no longer have to work for their livelihood. But if we, as those who choose to breed and show our dogs, do not try to maintain the breed’s integrity, including the ability to still per- form the duties for which they were devel- oped, then who will? WE ARE OUR BREED’S ONLY KEEPERS—we are the only ones who can be responsible for main- taining our chosen breed’s innate qualities– the essence of the breed. It is up to us to
Figure 5. Highly Prized, High Stepping Action of the Miniature Pinscher
know our breed standards and understand those characteristics that make our breed unique in all the world. Type is the essence of every breed and movement is an integral part of type! Movement is the proof of the
dog’s structure. Type and movement cannot be separated!
If you have any comments or questions or to schedule a seminar contact me via jimanie@welshcorgi.com
Figure 6. Border Collie Trotting
Figure 7. Trotting Border Collie with Skeleton Overlay
138 • ShowSight Magazine, SepteMber 2019