Canine Gait Analysis
At Bone Ball Bark, we are proud to offer specialised canine gait analysis carried out by Jennifer Billot, a fully certified Dynamic Dogs practitioner.
Jennifer has completed intensive, science-led education and practical assessment to qualify in professional gait evaluation, ensuring every dog receives a skilled, evidence-based inspection of their movement patterns, underpinned by the qualifications and education which are a mark of excellence; a must for you when dealing with the physical wellbeing of your dog.
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. Every dog has 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
During a professional gait analysis session, we observes your dog’s posture, stride length, foot placement, pace, rhythm, and symmetry. We 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 long before they become more serious.
Why Movement matters!
Did you know that 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.
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.
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 the early signs of pain or physical stress, including:
- Uneven weight distribution
- Subtle asymmetries or compensations
- Changes in weight-bearing or limb use
- Postural adaptations linked to discomfort
- Movement patterns that may influence behaviour
- Subtle limping or skipping
- Difficulty rising or settling
- Changes in posture
- Muscle imbalance or weakness
- Joint stiffness
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
Common “behavioural” signs we look for that suggest pain
Behaviour change despite training efforts
Stalling or hesitation during walks
Difficulty settling or resting
Avoidance of stairs, car, or harness
Pulling on leash or unusual movement patterns
Fear, reactivity, or unpredictability
Resistance to handling or grooming
Ultimately, Canine Gait Analysis is the study of how dogs move, with a particular focus on their stride, posture, and weight distribution during walking, trotting, running, or other locomotive patterns. It is a valuable tool used by veterinarians, physiotherapists, sports medicine specialists, and canine trainers to assess a dog’s musculoskeletal health, detect lameness, and monitor recovery from injury.
A dog’s gait provides insights into the function of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and the nervous system. By analysing gait, subtle asymmetries or irregularities can be detected that may not be visible to the naked eye. Gait analysis can be carried out visually by trained professionals or through advanced technology such as force plates, pressure mats, and high-speed motion capture systems.
Understanding gait is essential not only for identifying injuries and orthopaedic conditions but also for optimising performance in working dogs, sporting dogs, and canine athletes. It also plays a role in ensuring overall welfare and quality of life for pet dogs.
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