Dogs Who Pace Instead Of Trot

[jesomil]

My friend has a Lab who paces instead of trots. I know that Labs are not a naturally pacing breed so I was wondering what it is that makes some of them pace.

Is it the way the hindquarter angulation is set up? This dog seems to be a bit rolly in the hips as well.

Is it a sign that the dog may have issues going on?

Or is it just one of those things?

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I heard that pacing is a sign of dodgy joints - but I don't know if that's true and can't point you at any published studies. It doesn't apply to pacing horses - I think they're trained that way.

[Bisart Dobes]

In our breed it is normally the square bodied dogs who pace alot - though I have seen one long male recently who paces consistently. It also seems to be a something they fall into when they are feeling lazy, tired, preoccupied with a scent or needing to go to the toilet.

Not sure that it is a sign of bad joints - is the dog a shorter bodied dog perhaps ?

[dasha]

Pacing horses are a naturally pacing animal. Other horses trot.

Pacing is actually a more energy efficient gait and so it can be done for long periods of time. Some breeds of dogs do it naturally more frequently than others. Personally I think dogs are actually a gaited species, but depending on their rate/mode of travel would determine their need to use it.

Like Bisart Dobes said, dogs may do it when tired, lazy or sometimes because the speed they are travelling at that point may suit a pace more than a forward trot maybe.

I guess each individual dog has a reason for doing it. Maybe your friends dog has bad hips, maybe its lazy. Who knows

[Danois]

Might be information in here about why: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/226156-how-to-stop-dog-pacing-in-the-show-ring/

[espinay2]

Pacing can be cause by a variety of things. For example:

Structure: Dogs with a squarer construction in particular may sometimes pace as the gait can be more comfortable for them - their hind leg is not passing/hitting the front leg with a pace as the legs on the same side move.

Energy saving: Some breeds/dogs will pace at slow speeds in particular as it is an energy saving gait. For example my breed the Pyrenean is know for its energy saving pacing at slow speeds.

Speed: if you are walking with the dog on lead and you are not going fast enough for them to trot comfortably, but too fast for a comfortable walk, they may learn to pace as an 'in between' gait.

Injury: some dogs may find it easier to pace if they are injured in some way.

Edited September 23, 2011 by espinay2

[sas]

Pacing is a gait which is most comfortable for a dog longer distance, some lazy dogs pace short distance.

If a Dog is pacing it would be a good idea to have it to the Chiro/Muscle Man to see if there is a reason for it.

My Dane started pacing a short time before we found out he had Osteoarthritis.

[Hunny]

My old girl (staffy/kelpie) usually always paced when I took her walking. I think it was as some others here have said, it was the gait most suited, most comfortable to her for longer distances..and we didn't slouch along either. She always trotted when she was running about by herself though.

[Bullbreedlover]

Pacing can be cause by a variety of things. For example:

Structure: Dogs with a squarer construction in particular may sometimes pace as the gait can be more comfortable for them - their hind leg is not passing/hitting the front leg with a pace as the legs on the same side move.

Energy saving: Some breeds/dogs will pace at slow speeds in particular as it is an energy saving gait. For example my breed the Pyrenean is know for its energy saving pacing at slow speeds.

Speed: if you are walking with the dog on lead and you are not going fast enough for them to trot comfortably, but too fast for a comfortable walk, they may learn to pace as an 'in between' gait.

Injury: some dogs may find it easier to pace if they are injured in some way.

Pacing is a gait which is the most energy efficient.

I had a Bullmastiff who was quite laid back when walking and would therefore pace. Heck if he didnt need to use extra energy he wouldnt. Yet as soon as you got him to a trot he would gait perfectly. No health issues at all.

None of our other Bm's will pace though.

Our Kelpie would gait to save energy.Once again he knew it was an easier pace for him. Yet when he worked it was full on trot or run.

[Staranais]

Speed: if you are walking with the dog on lead and you are not going fast enough for them to trot comfortably, but too fast for a comfortable walk, they may learn to pace as an 'in between' gait.

Yes. I had this question a while ago, since my malinois often paces when I walk her, and I wondered if it was a structural issue.

I found a study they'd done where they measured stride length/speed/gait in malinois. All dogs they used walked at the lowest treadmill speed, paced at higher speeds, trotted at higher speeds, and then galloped at the highest speed.

Like the dogs in the study, if I bike with my dog instead of walking with her, she speeds up into a trot.