Page 126 - ShowSight - October 2019
P. 126
Form Follows Function: Part 10 BY STEPHANIE HEDGEPATH continued
The working gait of the dog varies from group to group and even from breed to breed, depending upon the purpose for which the breed was developed. All breeds are evaluated at the trot, but for some, the gallop is their working gait. Single tracking or feet that nearly land on the centerline of the body is the most common form of the trot. But there is also the pace, the double track and the flying trot. Since pacing is a gait that can be seen in just about any breed of dog it is usually thought of as a faulty gait in the show ring. The pace can be used when the dog is fatigued or employed by a dog trying to avoid entanglement of the feet underneath the body which occurs at a fast trot, usually due to imbalance between front and rear or a short-coupled body on a leggy square dog. Double tracking is defined as a dog that should carry their legs straight forward, parallel to each other with the rear moving in the same way as the front. The footprints left by a single tracking dog in the sand would be a pattern of all four feet falling in a straight line. A double tracking dog would leave two ‘tracks’ of paw prints in the sand, parallel to each other.
The reason so many standards prize overall balance in the dog is that it helps the dog move more efficiently, with less expenditure of energy. Generally, a dog who is unbalanced in angulation takes more evasive actions with legs and body in order to keep the feet from interfering with each other and by doing so, expends a great deal of energy to overcome the problem.
Many things influence the movement of the dog, but the angulation of the fore and hind quarters plus the overall physi- cal condition of the dog are the major fac- tors. The heart or spirit/desire of the dog is another factor, but one which cannot be measured with a tool or the eye of the beholder. A dog with great heart will often overcome his physical limitations because of his intense desire to hunt or herd or track game, etc. Dogs with such spirit and good conformation are the super dogs who excel in all they attempt to do. On the other hand, dogs lacking in areas of conforma- tion with great heart get the job done, but sometimes at even greater expense to their body. A balanced dog, whether balanced in good or lack of angulation, may be tired at the end of the day but with rest will be up
to work another day. A dog with great heart that is lacking in balance may well perform brilliantly at its work, but have a shortened career when the lesser part (usually the front assembly) begins to break down. The majority of breeds do tend to single track, especially those from the sporting, hound, working and herding groups.
To observe side gait you not only watch the action of the feet and legs, but the motion of the body–both laterally and ver- tically. Movement over the topline can indi- cate several faults. When there is movement vertically (up and down) over the withers this is usually caused by steep shoulder blades (blades that point upwards rather than toward the rear of the dog). Upright shoulders cause either short, choppy steps or cause the dog’s rearing muscles in the hind- quarters to lift the front off of the ground in order to lengthen the stride. This causes an up and down motion over the withers and can be likened to watching a child’s rocking horse in motion. In coated dogs such faulty movement is pointed out by the bouncing up and down of the coat over the withers. When watching the topline ask yourself, does the dog’s back at the wither glide for- ward or bounce up and down? Often, a dog with steep shoulders also has a topline that slopes toward the rear. Even if the standard calls for a sloping topline it should not be attained due to a loss of shoulder layback.
The rolling of the front is one form of lateral instability and most often seen in a dog with a shortened upper arm who can- not get his legs underneath his body. A dog with a wide front and a rear that correctly reaches toward the center line causes the front to roll back and forth. The same force that causes a good Bulldog (and Pekingese) to exhibit the desired roll in the front is a fault in almost all other breeds. Bulldog: The style and carriage are peculiar, his gait being a loose-jointed, shuffling, sidewise motion, giv- ing the characteristic “roll.” The action must, however, be unrestrained, free and vigorous. Pekingese: It is unhurried, dignified, free and strong, with a slight roll over the shoulders. This motion is smooth and effortless and is as free as possible from bouncing, prancing or jarring. The rolling gait results from a com- bination of the bowed forelegs, well laid back shoulders, full broad chest and narrow light
rear, all of which produce adequate reach and moderate drive.
Lateral instability can also be evident when the body of the dog sways from side to side. This may be due to a too long, slack loin or poor muscle development through- out the dog’s body. Whatever the cause, the greater the roll in the dog, the more energy the dog expends to overcome the rolling motion and move the dog forward. The skeleton is the framework and support for the dog, but without well-toned muscles to make the skeleton move, there can be no locomotion. The dog has a center of gravity and in most breeds the legs converge toward the center line of the body when in motion– the faster the dog trots, the closer to the center line the legs move. This is to reduce lateral movement (rocking and rolling from side to side). In those wide fronted breeds with a lower center of gravity, a narrower skeletal rear structure helps to give stabil- ity to the wide stance in front. Think of the stability of a three legged stool. This par- ticular structure also keeps the legs clear of each other when in motion preventing the feet from interfering with each other.
There are breeds that double track and do so with a wider stance both front and rear. This gives stability to the movement with no rolling motion evident. These dogs generally have a wider skeletal structure with a broad front and a broad abdominal structure and a well developed loin. This combination provides more rigidity making ease of lateral and vertical movement more difficult. In addition to this wide double track, there are breeds that call for a more pendulum swing front action by carrying the forelimbs straight forward and paral- lel to each other with a matching action in the rear. (Smooth Fox Terrier: The Terrier’s legs should be carried straight forward while traveling, the forelegs hanging perpendicular and swinging parallel with the sides, like the pendulum of a clock. The principal propul- sive power is furnished by the hind legs, per- fection of action being found in the Terrier possessing long thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles, which admit of a strong forward thrust or “snatch” of the hocks. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation of the straight line of the front, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows.)
124 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019