Faulty Front End - Page 1

I've known for a long time that there was something a bit screwy with Star's front end, but NO ONE has ever been able to explain to me exactly what to call it or what the problem is..

You'll see below that as a pup, her chest and legs look normal. She does not look pigeon-toed, or narrow chested. But, when you take a look at her gaiting, you will see that the front legs actually cross over each other!

That's Fred Lanting holding the leash, and his one criticism (that I remember) was she 'flips her front feet'.

I know what flipping the feet looks like, but there's more going on here than that! Because of this weird gait, her front claws wear faster on the inside than the outside.

Sorry, I don't have any better pictures of her gaiting, as I've never bothered showing her in conformation. But I think the one with Fred shows the problem well enough.

Oh, yeah, one of the reasons I'm doing this is because of the "Respect" thread, where someone said people who whine about others being disrespectful think their dogs are 'perfect'!    Um, no. Tell me my dog has something wrong with her front end, and I won't have a problem with that. Tell me my dog is a total POS - and yes, that HAS happened! - and I'm going to get mad!

The other reason is I REALLY want to know just WHAT is wrong with her front that causes her to do this!

12 weeks -LOOK at that lovely broad chest and erect ears!

Adult front end

Stacked view

Just looking at a still shot, this abnormality would be called "crossing over".  When seeing the dog in movement, if she swings her free foot out and around the support foot before crossing over, that would be considered weaving or plaiting. 

Hope that helps!

What causes it, though? Must be something to do with her structure...but what?

Sunsilver, just a thought coming from experience a friend of mine had.
Her bitch moved exactly like that and it was because she was compensating for the pain she was experiencing in the elbows due to ED.  I am not saying this is what your girl has nor am I asking you. I am am just sharing that info with you.  Of course if she has been xrayed, you know that isn't what it is. Hope this helps and you can find your answer. 

Good Luck.

Star is happily doing both the jumps and the A-frame at training, so really doubt she's in pain! Her elbows weren't x-rayed, though.

Don't know if you are interested in what I see, but I can tell you I have seen the same thing in horses. What I see, from the puppy picture and the other two of her sitting and standing, is that her elbows are under her. In other words, too tight into her body.......the side view looks like the elbows are below the chest, a shallow chest. When moving, she must swing her legs to clear the chest; that momentum throws them across the center line so they crisscross in front of her. When horses do this, they "paddle", also causing more wear on inner surface of hoof. Nothing to do about it, its just the way she's put together.

 

The wide front in the case of Sunny's dog is, I think, because of elbows too close to body. Figure 8 does not depict accurately the lift of the foot in the posterior aspect of the stride....the foot will have the weight roll over the inside toes, not the outside.

Joan, I think you've nailed it. Fred DID say something about her elbows, but afterwards I  couldn't remember if he said they were too tight to her body, or too loose! It was a structure and movement seminar, so there was no written critique given.

I don't see her chest as being shallow, though. If it came down any further, she would look really short-legged. It's just the positioning of her elbows. 

I also notice she tracks rather close behind. She is NOT cowhocked, but the legs turn in from the lower thigh, and both the hocks and the lower legs travel more closely together than I see in some other dogs. This may be the rear-leg equivalent of what's going on with the front legs. Her stride, as seen from the front, most closely resembles Figure 5.

If she were a horse, I'd probably have to buy her a pair of brush boots....

Edit: You can see it in this picture, too. The leg is coming too far under the body, and too close to the centre line, both in the front and the rear.

Agree with Joan.