What makes great movement?

2GoodDogs

2GoodDogs

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Is it the shoulder or rear angulation? Level topline? What accounts for good reach and drive?



also... I am thinking of going to the Pat Hastings Puppy Puzzle seminar, did you attend and think it worthwhile?

I've always been interested in the parts and pieces under the flowing coat - but my hands are uneducated...
 
To get proper movement which is smooth and flowing, you have to have all the parts working together. You need long enough upper arm, correct shoulder layback...than you need, correct slope of croup, length of femur,angle of the stiffle and hock angle.

Now heres where it gets slightly controversial...Ive found the ones with a slightly longer body tend to move better, they seem to have that extra room under them to fully extend their reach and drive...
 
A dog who moves well has matching front and rear angulation, and enough body that the legs can get out of their own way. The angulation doesn't have to be fantastic, it just has to match.

Dogs who do not match front and rear (most of them) will have rolling or bouncy toplines.

The best moving dog (and only truly balanced dog)in my house is Miss Liesl. She has perfectly matching front and rear, and can get around sheep at a trot. Check out her movement photo here: http://www.clantyre.net/clip/Liesl.html (if the moderators object to the link, I can post the photo somewhere else and relink, but I am too lazy to change computers to do so right now).

Anyway, you can see that her front and rear legs make a mostly perfect "M" when viewed from the side. Her topline is level, and her tail is acting as a rudder, it's not over her back, but being used as a balance device. Her feet are meeting in the middle, and not crossing over (despite what glossy ads show you, crossing over is a fault in all but one breed).

Ironically, this dog also has a transitional vertebrae that causes her pelvis to tilt, and she kicks on leg out a little bit when viewed from the rear.
 
Thanks, I appreciate your replies. I found a notebook on the Sheltie Standard, a few years ago I attended Judges education class by Linda Churchill. I'll re read and try to go over as many shelties as I can to educate myself. I really think I need someone experienced though to point out the subtleties.

Thanks again!
 
Do you have any slow motion video of the gaiting from the side? Hmmm, I think I've given myself a project!
 
Go and watch the sporting breeds. It's easy to see structure, and easy to see bad structure. Learning "structure" as opposed to "sheltie" is more educational, I think.
 
ClantyreSheltie said:
you can see that her front and rear legs make a mostly perfect "M" when viewed from the side. Her topline is level, and her tail is acting as a rudder, it's not over her back, but being used as a balance device. Her feet are meeting in the middle, and not crossing over (despite what glossy ads show you, crossing over is a fault in all but one breed).

Ironically, this dog also has a transitional vertebrae that causes her pelvis to tilt, and she kicks on leg out a little bit when viewed from the rear.
Click to expand...

Wow...putting it like that (a perfect "M") REALLY makes it easily understood...thank you for breaking it down like that and putting a picture to go with it, beautiful dog btw...absolutely stunning.
 
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