Action analysis: Quadruped Locomotion (secondary research)

I decided to focus mainly on dogs for this part of my action analysis, since I've always been interested in the differences between breeds' physiology and temperaments - and now, their movements.

I've found Vines to be an excellent source of animals in motion (the blog Actual Dog Vines is especially helpful), but I've also spotted a few interesting dogs on YouTube. Let's start with this slow-motion advert for root beer:

Look at the way the dog's flabby, loose skin trails behind him as he runs at 0:31! A perfect example of the animation principle known as drag.




Drag can also be seen in animals with long fur:

This dog's fur and tongue are both examples of overlapping action. She is an Afghan Hound, a member of the Sighthound group, like the Borzoi:

Sighthounds have extremely fluid, graceful runs, which is logical since they were bred to chase after prey while tracking it by sight (hence the long legs and forward-facing eyes). This dog's body ripples along as it runs, gradually straightening out as it slows into a walk.

Sighthounds run with what's known as a double-suspension gallop, as this video explains between the 0:25 and 1:38 marks. In a typical run, all four of the animal's feet leave the ground at one point - for a Sighthound, they leave the ground twice per cycle, stretching their bodies out and allowing them to cover more ground faster.

Now let's look at the opposite end of the dog spectrum:

This Pug only has to move its small legs a short distance in order to "shuffle" to the side, and its tail displays followthrough as it jiggles with the movement. I imagine a Whippet would have a harder time performing small movements like this (it'd just trip over its legs) despite excelling at broad, graceful movements.

Besides breed, there are other factors that affect a dog's movement: this Weimeraner has a docked tail, and while its movement is difficult to analyse due to the moving camera, we can clearly see how fast its short tail has to wag to maintain its balance. Also, it's carrying a log (obviously enough) - at the end of the loop, the dog stumbles just slightly with the weight.

It's interesting to observe an animal whose movement is inhibited in some way, be it by age, injury or human intervention - as is the case with this Boston Terrier. It lands from each jump rather ungracefully thanks to its shoes, and when it walks, it must swing each leg harder than it's used to to move the weight of the shoes.

Finally, this dog takes home first prize in both cuteness and fascinating movements! Nimble was born with legs one third of the length they should be, but she demonstrates animals' adaptability beautifully: watch her using her forelegs and the front of her body to get leverage and hop forward. While she's not as mobile as she would be with full legs, she still demonstrates a puppy's playfulness, and seems to be managing.

For more interesting dog movements, see my primary research on the subject.