Why do dogs "dog track"?

[hedgehog]

[HopeHoops]

1. Toiletpaper.

[KurtNYC]

2. one of 3 reasons

itching (possible food allergy, or foreign matter in GI tract))
expressing anal glands
Klingons

[hedgehog]

3. No , no - I'm talking about the way they walk at an angle - the hind quarters

are to the side of the front quarters if you're watching head on.

[douglas9]

4. Normal And Abnormal Gait

Most dogs stand squarely over their forelegs and hindlegs at rest; this is also true during walking, since the dog will support his body by three or more legs. However, as the animal increases its speed and changes gait, it has less support; therefore the legs move toward the center of mass, which is directly below the body. The gait pattern, called single tracking, is used to decrease the lateral oscillations of the body and provide continual support of the center of mass.(15) The degree of convergence of the limbs toward the center line under the middle of the body depends on both the speed of the animal and the conformation. Wide-set dogs with low centers of gravity, such as the bassett hound, do not single track. These dogs normally move with a pronounced lateral roll of the body that is considered abnormal in dogs with longer limbs. A guide to the conformation of the forelimbs and hindlimbs has been cited in the veterinary literature by Roy.(57)His ideal conformation of the front and rear limbs provides a general guideline for judging the effect of deviations from the norm. An angle greater than 45° for the layback of the scapula decreases the limb's extension while a smaller angle decreases efficiency of the movement. In the hindlimb, an angle of less than 45° from the pelvis affects movement of the hindlimbs and is observed in dogs with severe hip dysplasia. A slope of greater than 45° reduces the propulsive effect of the hindlimbs by decreasing the effectiveness of the spinal arching.(57)

http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/saortho/chapter_91/91mast.htm

[hedgehog]

5. Wow! There's been some serious thought about this. It does explain

I've read it over a couple times and I'm not sure if it addresses what I'm talking about. I think he's taking about a side to side rolling motion. I'm referring to the back legs being out of line with the front legs as the dog walks along. The tracks are at an angle to the direction of travel. Car mechanics use the term to refer to a car that is out of alignment.

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. The centerline of the body, fore to aft, is not parallel to the direction of travel.

Mechanics do use that term for a vehicle that tracks askew. A misalignment in the suspension or frame damage after an accident are two possible causations. A well trained mechanic can diagnose the cause and using precision tools and massive frame racks correct the problem to the level of a degree.

Why do dogs trot that way? Because dogs don't give a fuck about your perfect world, man.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Because they are not cats.

[dimbear]

7. It's the easiest place to get a bet down, ever since their poker party was raided. n/t