Canine Gait Analysis
At Bone Ball Bark, I am proud to offer specialised canine gait analysis as I am a fully certified Dynamic Dogs practitioner.
Behaviour and movement are intimately connected — and without understanding both, we risk spinning our wheels in training. This is where canine gait analysis plays a vital role in identifying and pinpointing aspects of your dog’s movement that may be driving unwanted behaviours due to your dog feeling constant discomfort and pain when moving.
What is Canine Gait Analysis?
Canine gait analysis is the structured evaluation of how a dog moves, walks, trots, and shifts their weight during everyday locomotion. Dogs have a natural, efficient way of moving; when something disrupts that pattern—pain, injury, discomfort, muscle imbalance, or structural change—we can often see subtle alterations in their gait.
✅ Pet owners who feel something just isn’t right
✅ Behaviour professionals looking to rule out underlying physical causes
✅ Trainers seeking deeper insight into challenging cases
✅ Vets and care teams wanting objective movement data to support diagnostics
A gait analysis uses videos and photos of your dog performing different movements to observe posture, stride length, foot placement, pace, rhythm, and symmetry. I also evaluate how your dog transitions between different activities, such as sitting to standing, walking to trotting, or negotiating turns. This detailed biomechanics assessment helps to identify areas of discomfort, compensatory movement patterns, and potential underlying issues.
Did you know that these common behavioural signs can suggest pain or discomfort:
- Stalling or hesitation during walks
- Difficulty settling or resting
- Behaviour change slow despite training efforts
- Avoidance of stairs, car or harness
- Separation anxiety
- Noise sensitivity
- Fear, reactivity or unpredictability
- Pulling on leash or unusual movement patterns
- Resistance to handling or grooming
- Resource guarding
Why Movement Matters:
Shockingly, up to 80% of behavioural issues may have an underlying pain and discomfort element!
Dogs are amazing communicators — but they can’t tell us when something hurts. Often, what looks like a “behaviour problem” is actually a sign of hidden pain, discomfort, or physical compensation, and this can dramatically affect training outcomes and day-to-day life.
Just like humans, a dog’s posture and gait (how they stand and move) reflect how they feel. Subtle changes in movement can indicate pain or discomfort that doesn’t show up in routine veterinary exams or obvious signs like limping. When a dog is uncomfortable, they can compensate in ways that look like behavioural issues — such as reactivity, fear, avoidance, or unwillingness to participate in everyday activities.
Gait Analysis Process:
Deep Dive Consultation
This helps us understand the whole dog — not just what you see on the surface.
Data Gathering
Analysis and Report
Follow Up
Canine Gait Analysis costs £250 and takes approximately 4 weeks from first consult to the follow up.
Dogs are exceptionally good at masking discomfort, often compensating in ways that owners may not notice day to day. Gait analysis allows us to spot subtle signs of pain and physical stress:
- Uneven weight distribution
- Changes in weight-bearing or limb use
- Postural adaptations linked to discomfort
- Movement patterns that may influence behaviour
- Joint stiffness
- Subtle limping or intermittent skipping
- Difficulty rising or settling
- Subtle asymmetries or compensations
- Changes in posture
- Muscle imbalance or weakness
What are your qualifications?
I completed a 6 month intensive course with Dynamic Dogs to become a fully qualified practitioner. This involved multiple case studies and full education on how the musculoskeletal system impacts pain and behaviour.
How long does the gait analysis process take?
It depends on how quickly we can gather the required data (videos and photos). Mostly this takes clients 10 days to do well, and then it will take me 10-14 days to fully analyse and tweak.
Can you come and help me take the videos needed?
Yes, if you live within my in-person catchment area. This will cost an extra £150.
I am a training/behaviour consultant. Can I refer my client to you for a gait analysis?
Yes of course! Please email me jennifer@boneballbark.com to chat through this.
Not sure if gait analysis is right for you and your dog? Chat to me for FREE
