Not Walking 'Square'

[SaddlePsych'D]

I have noticed that Ivy (greyhound) doesn't walk squarely. Not sure if that's the right word - her hind legs don't follow behind her front legs. Is this normal for dogs?!

I don't want to make something of nothing and she doesn't need to be racing fit as she's happily retired but I am wondering whether physio (via vet referral?) is something to think about to avoid problems when she is older.

She is walked mainly on a Y fronted harness but very rarely with any lead tension in it. We could switch to martingale collar if that's likely to be a factor, I just like the security of the harness.

 

[skinnydipper]

"Have you ever met a dog that appears to “walk sideways,” or with its body curved or at an angle? They move forward in a straight line, but it looks like their back legs are a bit off to the side from their front legs.

This unusual-looking walk can surprise people who haven’t seen it before, but it’s actually quite common. So common, in fact, that there’s a specific word for it: crabbing.


Any dog with long legs may be prone to “crabbing,” which helps them avoid tripping over their own feet. The body twists slightly to allow the back feet to pass to one side of the front feet. Dogs who “walk sideways” are actually moving forward and laterally at the same time."

https://www.rover.com/uk/blog/why-do-dogs-walk-sideways/

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Ah interesting! Thank you for sending that over, I had no idea it was a 'thing' to stop them tripping over their own feet. The long legs bit definitely applies to her and there doesn't seem to be any other quirks/stiffness to her moving. Over-worried owner strikes again!

 

[Hackback]

Two of our dogs walk like a horse - 4 beat - and one often paces, so can go from walk to trot speed. I've seen plenty of other dogs pacing too, always wondered why some do and some don't.

 

[sbloom]

Any 4 legged animal can crab, our Dane did, then had a brilliant McTim treatment about 6 months before doing his cruciate...next time I would treat as a horse and try and effectively do groundwork to improve it, possibly with bodywork. It may not be related but...

I also wonder if, like horses, tripping over the front feet and crabbing to avoid it is fixable, getting the dog to be less "on the forehand" - I've seen the Canine Conditioning Academy which looks really interesting, and I know a very good saddle fitter has been the first to do their equine course so am imagining it must be based on similar principles.

 

[Dexter]

One of my leggy lurchers moves in a straight line but very close behind, its just his conformation. The other is square. I've seen both crab on occasion though. Unless its always I wouldn't be worried.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

It's fairly subtle, almost on three tracks with one hind behind the opposite fore. I'll keep an eye on her and try to see if she does it when she trots. Any faster will be tricky to see I think! We haven't been walking out with other sighthound for ages otherwise I'd be looking to compare. All her legs seem to move nice and freely, and she does her downward and upward facing dogs regularly to stretch it all out so hopefully a sign there's no soreness or pain.

 

[fiwen30]

Two of our dogs walk like a horse - 4 beat - and one often paces, so can go from walk to trot speed. I've seen plenty of other dogs pacing too, always wondered why some do and some don't.

Dogs have 6 gaits! Walk, amble, pace, trot, canter, and gallop.

My short-legged, long-bodied lad prefers trot as his natural gait, but it’s important for his well-being that he is kept to a quality 4-beat walk for some of his exercise, so he’s not just trotting. We use walk, amble, and trot interchangeably during his exercise, to benefit different muscles and warm up/cool down - just like exercising a horse in-hand.

 

[Hackback]

Dogs have 6 gaits! Walk, amble, pace, trot, canter, and gallop.

My short-legged, long-bodied lad prefers trot as his natural gait, but it’s important for his well-being that he is kept to a quality 4-beat walk for some of his exercise, so he’s not just trotting. We use walk, amble, and trot interchangeably during his exercise, to benefit different muscles and warm up/cool down - just like exercising a horse in-hand.

Our dog that paces has long legs and he does trip a lot when he's walking normally, I think because he catches a forepaw with a hind. Before reading this thread I'd never thought too much about it but now realise that pacing will alleviate that problem! I'm going to watch out for an amble too ...

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Mitch crabs and was very lame as a small puppy so had x rays and loads of checks. He is not elegant. He’s much taller than Goose, his brother, who is very compact/square. Mitch’s natural gait is trot, Goose prefers flat out flashing round a gallop.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Ivy had a short racing career and the sheer speeds she can get up to make me think about her movement. I try not to encourage too much full-on running for fear of injury. Our recall work is paying off so we are building up her off lead time, which she mostly spends trotting and sniffing, maybe a little canter. Higher speed for recall, interesting when she's running right at you!

 

[Dexter]

If mine didnt get several flat out runs a day they would be wild! I've never had one get an injury yet, frantically touches wood!

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve always felt with mine that pacing is a sign of something not right, arthritis or whatever. Not being straight isn’t something you see in lab’s generally but I can see why long dogs might.

 

[SadKen]

My old GSD boy has always paced. Now he’s getting on he doesn’t do it very much but until he was around 10 it was his standard method of locomotion, I think it must have been faster or less effort or something. He may have had something wrong, but I’m darned if I could find it. He trots now, crabbing. I think he’s always crabbed but it’s hard to see in pacing.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

If mine didnt get several flat out runs a day they would be wild! I've never had one get an injury yet, frantically touches wood!

You are very lucky! Brig ripped a stopper pad clean off, then he opened up several layers of skin on his belly, Bear cut a pad almost in half on a flint, I think, in the snow! Bloke following us was like ‘You know your dog’s bleeding, yeah?’ I was like ‘Yeah, I can’t carry 26kg back to the carpark’. ?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Ivy manages to get scratches quite easily, not that this is a reason for her not to have off-lead time. It's repeated quick stopping/sharp turning when she's full speed which worry me.

The wonky walk is ever so slight and trotting she looks straight. Our whistle recall practice is paying off and we found another suitable off-lead spot locally (exciting!) so she got a really good run yesterday and no signs of problems moving. Although she picked up a minor injury on her pad - a small cut. Doesn't appear to be anything stuck in it thank goodness.

She showed off her speed by racing a local train passing the length of the field. And won