Please show me your WL gaiting! - Page 7

If they're not trotting what are they doing? Pacing? Camels and elephants pace when they "gait"....as do TW horses. Dogs trot when they gait.

I may as well get myself into trouble as usual - Most GSDs do not fully open their shoulder joints when they move. That includes working lines, and both showlines. They "lift", their feet do not move close to the ground, and the extended foreleg does not male a straight line with the highest point of the shoulder. it bends too much at the elbow.

Since Smiley has asked to see WL's move, I'm not going to post a photo here of an ASL GSD with a full opening shoulder joint. I have't seen many workinglines that could do that. In fact few ASL's can do it correctly either. Most that do open their shoulder joints joint have more reach that rear thrust so the movement isn't balanced.

This is a drawing from the GSD IS showing correct side gait in the breed. Reach and rear thrust is identical. It's very hard to produce a dog that can do that..

 

What's the difference between trotting and gaiting, Sitasmom?

http://www.acmecanine.com/blog/trotters-or-pacers-what-gait-can-tell-you-about-your-dog/

Thanks for that article, Blitzen. While I have always understood the difference between trotting and pacing, I have noticed the term "gaiting" often leaves a grey area in different people's perception.

I would venture to say that when one uses the term "gaiting" when talking about German Shepherds, it is describing a dog who is trotting more like the ideal posted in the diagram, that you also provided.

Interesting about certain diagnostics too, using a dog's movement for information. 

Beetree, there used to be an equine vet at New Bolton Center in PA who could diagnose many conditions in different animals by watching them amble, pace and trot and counting and listening to the sequence of the footfall. I imagine others are doing that today. One well known GSD breeder/judge counts footfall when he evaluates gait in the ring. Interesting stuff. For every action...........

 It is a natural looking stride where the front pad of one side lifts just before the rear pad of that same side lands.

This statement wouldn't apply to the AKC GSD. That breed standard allows for the rear pad to over-take the front foot by passing on either side as demonstrted in the sketch above.. In other breeds that would be a serious fault. One more way that makes this is a unique breed.

Blitzen, that article on gait and the tidbit about the vet and the judge are really fascinating. Thanks for teaching something new!

 

bravo22

Being an AKC dog nerd has a few pluses, bravo22. We quickly become movement obsessed .

My Dylan does that (Boy/Capri...not that surprising).  Capri does it alongside a bicycle, but not just around the yard. Aria does it constantly. I don't have Dylan or Aria here with me right now, but I will try to video Capri gaiting. The video Nadeem posted is not the best example, though I have seen that dog gait nicely. I will agree that he was just trotting in the vid. I don't put undue emphasis on gait, but I do tend to prefer to breed for a dog capable of a beautiful flying trot (IMO), though it's not an intentional focus on that so much as correct structure all around. 

TWHs should not pace, really. Many do, and they sometimes breed for that in padded performance arenas (aka Big Lick) so that when they add all that weight up front, it squares them up and they have a nice running walk, but ideally, a correct TWH with proper conformation and gait will do it naturally, barefoot. My oldest, of ooooollllllllllllllllddd foundation lines, does it perfectly. My other one who was a Big Lick horse for many years before I got him, tends to get pacey if you're not diligent in collection. 

@TWH, I've ridden a few who pace naturally and not for show, breeders in the hill country prefer the pace as it is ground covering and easier for novices to sit a pacing horse rather than a trotting horse, so they sell. TWH, Rocky mt horse and Missouri fox trotter, all come from the plantation horses, pacers. The TWH will pace naturally, so to keep them from breaking from the running walk to the pace, they do need to be collected. And very little difference between Paso Fino and natural TWH gait.
Anyway, my point is; walk, trot, pace, gallop.....all are gaits and can be named whatever depending on rate of speed or restraint (collection).

So if I understand gaiting correctly as per Blitzen's article, so far EVERY PIC on this thread has demonstrated the "pace"- all except ONE.

Joanro's first pic of her boy Koots demonstrates the more coveted "trot".

Correct?  A+?