Bunny Hopping - Working GSD lines - Page 2

when the dog gallops he/she does not separate the hind feet in the stride.  They hop behind with both feet together.. like a rabbit. 

When a dog gallops iun a normal stride he is either on the right of left lead.  A dog on the right lead pushes off with his left hind foot, then the right hind and left front move together floowed by the right front (lead foot).  

Take a look at "Animals in Motion," Eward Muybridge. 

Bunny hopping is not always because of a hip problem. It can also be caused by a back affliction. Likewise, not all h/ d dogs bunny hop.

Thanks Rass I got it

A bitch I had used to have a really high Score: UK KC/BVA 29:31;  although she came from generations of scored stock with good low Xray results, and she had siblings who were fine (except one younger half-sister, also high).  She never showed any pain and lived to a ripe old age of 14, only getting a bit weak in the rear, right at the end.  She was also quite a successful
Show Dog in her youth, with rather a good flowing gait.
She nonetheless did occasionally bunny-hop when running free.  From which I have always assumed the two (HD and bunny-
hopping) do not automatically go together in one dog. Only environmental factor I can think of with her was that her breeder
eventually rightly or wrongly concluded she might have had too much exercise while a puppy (but actually I started walking
her at 7 months, then she was shown 'cos she hadn't been up till then as breeder was concentrating on showing her litter-
brother)  and I sincerely do not think she had been over-exercised up to that point.