Should I Get My Dog's Gait Assessed?
(And Why Waiting Is Never the Answer!)
If you’re asking whether your dog needs a gait assessment, there’s usually a reason behind the question.
Maybe something has caught your eye on a walk, maybe a friend, groomer or a training class instructor has mentioned it. Or maybe, you just have a feeling that something isn’t quite right.
My straight answer is this: if you’re wondering, get it looked at.
Here’s how I think about canine gait assessments, what an evaluation involves, and why I don’t believe in waiting to see if things get worse.
Important note!
If your dog has an obvious limp right now, stop reading and call your vet.
Sudden or severe lameness, a leg held up and not bearing weight, or any other obvious sign of pain can’t wait for an assessment.
Those need veterinary attention straight away.
This blog post is about the subtler stuff: the skip, the stiffness, the feeling that something isn’t quite right.
The short answer: why wait?
When a guardian tells me their dog is “probably fine, but…”, my first question is, what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for it to get worse? That doesn’t seem fair or right.
The sooner we have information, the sooner we can act on it, and the sooner your dog can feel comfortable in their everyday life.
Would we do that for ourselves? Put up with a niggle and wait for it to become something bigger? Probably not. Our dogs deserve the same proactive care.
What prompted the question?
When someone asks me whether their dog should have a gait evaluation, I always want to know more about why they’re asking. Your answers and dog's history shape what follows.
Common reasons guardians seek a gait assessment include:
- A friend, groomer, or trainer mentions they noticed a subtle change in movement
- You’ve noticed something out on walks - a skip, bunny-hop, or uneven stride
- You think your dog is hesitating before getting up, navigating stairs, or jumping into the car
- You’re wondering if something changed suddenly, or crept up slowly.
Worth noting: vague feelings always count! You know your dog better than anyone, and that gut feeling is always worth following up.
The problem might not be where you think it is
Something I see time and again. People fixate on the part of the dog where the symptom appears.
A classic example is that weird skipping or hopping in the back legs. That issue may well be real, but when I look at the whole dog, I often find signs of discomfort in the front legs or spine too. Dogs are masters of compensation. When one area hurts, another area picks up the slack.
That’s why I evaluate the whole dog, and not just the spot you’re worried about. The place where you noticed the movement change and the place the problem actually starts aren’t always the same.
In fact, I now include gait assessments as a standard part of my behaviour assessments. When a dog comes to me for behavioural issues, I’m always considering whether hidden physical discomfort could be playing a role.
Read more about how hidden discomfort shows up as behaviour problems in dogs
Because I’m the one suggesting the assessment in those cases, guardians are often surprised by what turns up. They weren’t looking for it, so they hadn’t seen it.
What a Gait Assessment involves
An assessment doesn't need to be fancy, stressful, or require special equipment.
Where it happens
All we need is a flat, non-slip surface where I can watch your dog move naturally. That could be a flat driveway, short grass, a carpeted hallway, or your living room. We work with whatever space you have.
What I watch for
I watch and video your dog moving toward me, away from me and side-on - usually at a walk and a trot - with several repetitions of each so I can confirm a real pattern.
I also look at:
- Position changes - transitions from standing to sitting, sitting to standing, and standing to down and back to stand
- Posture - how your dog stands and sits and lies down, viewed from all angles
- Flexibility and weight shifting - moving in circles, both left and right
- Real world living - how your dog manages stairs, steps and furniture, if those are part of their life
- Movement at liberty - using ACE Free Work stations to see how they organise themselves when they aren’t on leash or being asked to walk alongside a person
I also take time to learn about your dog’s day-to-day habits, because some dogs move and behave differently when a new person is around.
Do you need to prepare?
No, not at all!
We keep things relaxed and work with what your dog gives us on the day; there’s always something useful to learn.
While I send simple instructions ahead of time, there is no need to rehearse.
Online video assessments
For dogs who feel anxious around strangers in their home, or for guardians living outside Wellington, I offer online gait and posture assessments using video footage you record at home.
What a Gait Assessment can’t do
I’m not a vet, and I do not diagnose medical conditions.
My assessments are observational. The report and video you receive are designed to support and guide further investigation with your vet, giving you more data to work with.
It’s also important to note that nothing observed is a criticism of your dog.
If a dog doesn’t stand square or has an uneven sit, it’s not a flaw! It’s simply data, and data is what helps us relieve their discomfort.
Clear x-rays are information, not necessarily an all-clear
X-rays are fantastic for assessing bones, but soft tissue issues (like muscular strain or ligament wear) aren’t well seen on a standard radiograph. By the time structural changes appear on an X-ray, the underlying issue has usually been present for a while.
A clear X-ray simply tells us there is no visible bone pathology right now. It doesn't mean there isn't a soft tissue problem, and it doesn’t necessarily tell us what’s causing an asymmetry or a movement problem we can see.
That’s still valuable information.
- It establishes a baseline.
- It redirects focus toward investigating other potential causes.
- It sets safe boundaries. Knowing knees or hips are clear allows us to build targeted strength exercises with confidence.
Either way, we’ve got information, and that’s got to be better than guessing, right?
If you’re still on the fence
If your dog seems mostly fine, but perhaps you're noticing slight stiffness in the morning or hesitation on walks, and you’re thinking you’ll wait and see...some points to keep in mind:
- You don’t need a clear limp to ask for help. Subtle movement changes happen long before obvious lameness.
- Both clear results and flagged findings give you a roadmap for care.
- Conditions like canine arthritis are difficult to manage and cannot be cured, which makes early detection and intervention essential.
- Changes in how a dog moves shouldn’t be dismissed as age or behaviour until we’ve checked whether there’s a physical reason
The sooner we know, the sooner we can act.
Ready to find out how your dog is moving?
Don't wait for a small niggle to turn into chronic discomfort.
Whether you are local to Wellington or looking for a remote evaluation, a posture and movement assessment gives you the answers your dog needs.
Book a Gait & Posture Analysis with Your Whole Dog today, or explore my holistic canine behaviour services to learn more about supporting your dog’s physical, behavioural and emotional well-being.