Gaiting means moving, in a trot, at the correct speed and in the correct position. Much of what you do in the show ring is gaiting and frankly, it is the part that many dogs seem to enjoy the most.
It is important to understand that many judges judge dogs almost solely on their movement. Good handlers can “stack out” structural issues, meaning that they can simply reposition the dog to create the picture or outline that they want to create. You can’t fake movement. The dog either can move correctly or not. This is why it is so critical that our gaiting training is done correctly and that we train the dog to move properly with intention and understanding of the behavior and what is expected.
Perhaps most importantly, we are going to train your dog to gait in a way that teaches him to enjoy it. We want the dog to be able to move out confidently and for that, we need to train with enthusiasm attached to the behavior.
UNDERSTAND YOUR BREED’S GAIT
It is important that you understand how your breed is supposed to move and why. Read (and reread and reread) the GAITING section of your breed standard. This will help you to understand not only how the breed moves, but also canine anatomy that you will see in written breed standards.
Watch some judging of your breed online and focus on movement. Check out YouTube, the Westminster Kennel Club website and national club websites for judging videos for your breed. Check out this video on how to watch past Westminster breed judging videos.
Complete the Training Gaiting for the Show Ring online course.
This course will teach you how to train gaiting from the ground up. You will train and develop a strong foundation and will be able to problem solve any issues you are having.
Avoid wanting to rush through the course or skip over parts. Go through it completely and honestly so that your dog has a clear understanding of what you are trying to train.
Watch Mastering Your Dog’s Zoom Workshop/Webinar.
The webinar contains similar information to the online course, but the different learning platform can be helpful as you are working through the course. View the Mastering Your Dog’s Movement webinar here.
The gaiting goals are:
- That you can move your dog at a trot at the correct speed and in the correct position
- That you can move your dog in large circles to the left
- That you can move your dog in the 3 most common patterns
- Down and back
- Diagonal
- Triangle
- You can turn smoothly with your dog both into and away from your dog
- You can smoothly go from a walk to a trot if trotting is necessary in your breed
- That your dog can gait properly on both your left and right sides
HOMEWORK
- Read the gaiting section of your breed standard
- Watch your breed’s past Westminster judging video
- Complete the Training Gaiting for the Show Ring Online Course
- Watch the Mastering Your Dog’s Movement Zoom Workshop/webinar if you’d like
- As your work towards the goals listed above bring any questions you have to the Roadmap Facebook group.
