[Ahalvorsen]

Just out of curiosity... I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but kept forgetting to get video, I remembered today.

According to the AKC website on Doberman Standard:

Gait
Free, balanced, and vigorous, with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, there is strong rear-action drive. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. Back remains strong and firm. When moving at a fast trot, a properly built dog will single-track.


Ok, so Torque trots (usually not inline... but with his body at an angle), but most of the time he actually moves like this (sorry for the poor quality I took the video with my phone):

h2BBHSj3AiY

Is that what AKC means by "single-track"? or is my dog just weird?

 

[Herb2relax]

Thats what Kyrah does almost. Her's is a little different but not much. I think Kyrah might bounce more. When I am on leash I can get her to get it into a trot. It took me a long time to figure out what it was called. When I was exercising her on a ladder I accidentally taught her "walk it." Which means for her to switch from that pacing to a trot. I havent done it in a long time and not sure she would remember the command.

 

[melbrod]

What your dog is doing is pacing--both left feet (front and back) move forward together and then both right feet move forward.

He is also "side-winding"--his back end isn't in line with his front end, but is offset to one side or the other. If you look at his feet as he moves toward or away from you (when he is trotting), you will see that you can see all of his feet as they hit the ground, not just the ones closest to you (which would normally obscure your view of the feet behind).

Though actually, now that I look closer, he may just be heading from side to side in the road--in a sidewind, the dog is moving forward in a straight line, though his body is aligned with that straight line movement at an angle.

The trot is a diagonal beat--left front and right rear move forward at the same time, then right front and left rear move forward.

Single tracking is where the back foot falls into the footprint left by the front foot on the same side, and as the dog moves faster, the left and right legs actually slant inward until the feet are falling in a single line under the dog's body.

That was hard to describe and I don't think I said it quite right so.....

Take a look at this article on the DPCA website:

"Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) Judges Education"

A lot of these articles are interesting--take a look, especially if you're interested in doberman standards.

 

[Julie W]

Your dog is pacing, not trotting. Single tracking is when the legs converge toward the center line when the foot touches down.

 

[mmctaq]

What your dog does is called "side-winding"

Actually, what the dog is doing is pacing, not trotting... the front and back legs on each side move forward and back together. Pacing is an acceptable gait for some breeds of horse... not so much for dogs.

 

[mmctaq]

Your dog is pacing, not trotting. Single tracking is when the legs converge toward the center line when the foot touches down.

I HATE when I am typing at the same time someone else is already hitting "send" LOL!

 

[melbrod]

Actually, what the dog is doing is pacing, not trotting... the front and back legs on each side move forward and back together. Pacing is an acceptable gait for some breeds of horse... not so much for dogs.

I corrected my post apparently as you were typing. I gotta proofread better--before I post--and not let my fingers get ahead of themselves.

 

[Q734]

Ok so what causes pacing?

I've vhs of my 1st pacing quite a bit.

 

[Rosemary]

In some dogs, it's conformation, but it's also just an easier gait for a lot of dogs. For instance, Ilka will pace if we're going slow, but when we speed up, she trots. The faster she trots, the more she single tracks.

 

[melbrod]

Mine start to pace as they get tired--they start off at a brisk trot and then, switch over to that wibbly-wobbly, sway-back-and-forth pacing as the day gets longer.

 

[Dakotadobe]

Interesting thread...so is pacing bad? Does it have anything to do with poor conformation or is it just simply moving slower than a trot? I'm a noob

 

[2dobies]

That's exactly how my Ziva walks when we go on long walks....someone asked me once what was wrong with her gait, because her rear legs looked a little bit stiff-legged to him when he was behind her watching her. NOW I know what it's called.

 

[Ahalvorsen]

What your dog is doing is pacing--both left feet (front and back) move forward together and then both right feet move forward.

He is also "side-winding"--his back end isn't in line with his front end, but is offset to one side or the other. If you look at his feet as he moves toward or away from you (when he is trotting), you will see that you can see all of his feet as they hit the ground, not just the ones closest to you (which would normally obscure your view of the feet behind).

Though actually, now that I look closer, he may just be heading from side to side in the road--in a sidewind, the dog is moving forward in a straight line, though his body is aligned with that straight line movement at an angle.

The trot is a diagonal beat--left front and right rear move forward at the same time, then right front and left rear move forward.

Single tracking is where the back foot falls into the footprint left by the front foot on the same side, and as the dog moves faster, the left and right legs actually slant inward until the feet are falling in a single line under the dog's body.

That was hard to describe and I don't think I said it quite right so.....

Take a look at this article on the DPCA website:

"Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) Judges Education"

A lot of these articles are interesting--take a look, especially if you're interested in doberman standards.

Thanks for this! What you said does make sense. He does "side-wind" most times when he actually trots. He mostly paces when we are just going along, if I'm walking. The faster he goes the more likely he is to actually trot and the faster he trots the straighter he gets. He will switch back and forth between trotting and pacing. My question was because he does that all the time and I didn't know what "single track" meant. Now I do! I know its called pacing in horses but wasn't sure if it was called something else in dogs. That's what I was wondering.

I'm glad to know that Torque is not the only one who does it! I've never seen it in a dog before. So, its not ideal but happens even in other breeds apparently? Rosemary's Ilka is a mutt and does it. What breeds is Ilka a mix of, do you know? I wasn't sure if Torque was just "special" because he is from a BYB and it was some random quirk from not the greatest breeding. haha!

Anyways, thanks for the info and if anyone else might have any insight or thoughts on pacing I would love to hear it!

 

[AugustusMcCrae]

Hahaha Gus totally does this. Glad it's not too bad. I thought it could be hip issues

 

[Adara]

A dog who is single tracking will make one "row" or line of footprints in the sand. The feet converge in a straight line.

Here is a Vizsla not a Dobe. If you look as he comes at you on the turn, can you see the feet hitting in the same line

group after cut - YouTube

Better video but side angle with a handler vs me
hav move - YouTube

 

[Asmit]

Zeus does this as well. Almost looked identical to his version. As others said, he does this when he's tired, in the house or small area, or just trying 'trot' slower. However he has HD so it is sometimes more exaggerated.

 

[Dakotadobe]

Those Vizslas sure are gorgeous! I've only met one in person, he belonged to someone who lived in a complex where I used to do landscaping, and I totally fell in love with the breed because of him. Until of course hubby had his heart set on a dobe and we got Dakota...and now I wouldn't have it any other way.