Page 156 - ShowSight - January 2020

Form Follows
FUNCTION
PART 14
Evaluation of Movement—A Matter of Balance BY STEPHANIE HEDGEPATH
Nothing gives the breeder or judge a clearer picture of a dog’s structure than seeing a dog moving from the side. Who is not captivated by seeing a dog moving around the back yard or conformation ring with fluid movement, covering a lot of ground with seemingly effortless steps? They truly seem to glide across the floor. The answer lies in the standard for each breed.
Figure 1. Perfect balance in motion. Flat-coated Retriever
There are many trots—as many trotting styles as there are breeds of dog and there is often a wide range of trotting styles from dog to dog within the same breed. In previous articles we have painstakingly discussed the angulation and basic movement compo- nents, such as straight columns of support and flexibility of spinal column, etc.
Since this is a series of articles to help those who want to know how the basic mechan- ics of a dog in motion works, we have been addressing the movement of the ‘average’ dog. This dog is one who when seen in profile is slightly longer than tall, with 50/50 depth of chest and length of leg for overall height from withers to ground.
The one theme that seems to flow through the majority of standards is the call for balance in the dog. Whether it is balance of specific parts or overall balance of all parts or balance in motion, the word is usually somewhere in the standard. There are a few exceptions. As an example in the herding group, “balance” does not appear in either the standard of the Icelandic Sheepdog or the Norwegian Buhund, but if you read the standards in their entirety, the sum of it describes a balanced dog. Having said that, I know of no standard that calls for a dog to be unbalanced, (and I hope I never do!) so that speaks volumes, as well.
148 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020