Dog Movement Terminology

Whether you are a professional dog groomer, a breeder or simply a dog owner, knowing basic terminology is always a good thing.

We’ve come across miles of terminology with regards to our canine friends and have been sharing it in smaller, more targeted batches.

If you haven’t already, go check out basic, head & face & dog hair terminology.

Action
Movement of the animal.

Close Behind
Movement of the hind end with the hocks very close together.

Crabbing
Side-stepping.

Crossing-over
As seen from directly in front of the animal, when the legs converge beyond the midline.

Drive
Thrusting from the hind end.

Gait
A specific way of movement.

Hackney
A high-stepping movement of the front end.

Loose Movement
Erratic movement with bad steps, often due to poor development of muscles.

Lumbering
Unwieldy and heavy movement.

Pacing
A gait in which the animal moves both legs the same side of the body at the same time.

Pounding
A movement of the front end in which the feet hit the ground with a jarring action.

Reach
The length of the forward stride.

Single Tracking
As seen from directly in front of or behind the animal, when the legs converge towards the center line of balance during the trot.

Sound
A solid movement as seen from directly in front of or behind the animal.

Trotting
A gait in which the animal moves both legs on diagonal sides at the same time.

Enough For Today

We’re all termed out, but there is more to come so keep checking back. Until then be sure to brush up on some other dog terminology: basics | head & face | dog hair.