Walks like a Bear? Or a Camel?

[jennifert9]

I took Duncan for a L O N G walk this evening since the weather was so nice and we are not doing well with the dog park.(He behaved poorly the other day but we're going to try again tomorrow Bright and Early!!) And frankly, I need the exercise after the long winter! While I was walking him, I remembered something that I thought you folks might find interesting and perhaps have some experience with yourselves :)
The Duncmonster and I used to walk at the local state park, about 3 miles, every morning. The law is a 6 foot leash max at the state park. Well, one day I noticed, while walking with a friend and her dog, that Duncan walks differently? When he is on the leash, he moves both legs on the same side at the same time. Now dogs naturally walk with opposite legs. For example, left front, right back and the opposite. My first thought was that there was something wrong with him and that gait was more comfortable. Well when he is off leash, he walks the "regular" way. I asked the vet and had her watch him walking, trotting, running. She said that he probably walks that way because with the leash on, it is more comfortable for him because it's slower. I walk fast but I can't keep up with him obviously! So he adjusts his walking method to make it more comfortable for him to slow down. Isn't that interesting!? I thought that was so neat. :) The vet also said that very few 4-legged animals walk this way. The only ones she could think of were bears, giraffes and camels. (Perhaps Duncan is part bear!!! That would certainly explain his aggressive behavior!!!! ;) Do any of you with larger dogs notice the same thing?

[Shelteez2]

That gait in the dog world is called pacing........Clipse will do it when he is really tired.

I think large cats do it too.....

[jennifert9]

That gait in the dog world is called pacing........Clipse will do it
when he is really tired.
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(I can't use the Quote function on my OLD computer...)
I guess I did know it was called pacing...My uncle rescues retired Standardbred horses. He lives in Saratoga and I'm sure many of you are familiar with the carriage horse tradition in Saratoga. (If not, they have a special tradition and quite an A-list of parades during the racing season in Saratoga of carriages, old and new) Anyway, some of his horses would break into a pace instead of a trot when driving and you had to urge them up into a trot.
I never heard of a dog doing it though. Duncan is NEVER tired it seems! We will walk for miles and he's still ready to play and run and frolic...:D And he does it from the outset so he can't possibly be tired! :)
But I am glad to hear that other dogs do it too! I was worried that Duncan was the only one because noone else has ever seen it before!!
I didn't know that about big cats! Maybe Duncan isn't part bear, but part jaguar!! :D ;)

[Bigyummydog]

nope, i've never noticed...but now i'll have to check that out :p

[Cincy'sMom]

Originally posted by Bigyummydog
nope, i've never noticed...but now i'll have to check that out :p

I was thinking the same thing!