𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐞𝐠 (𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲) 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞?
That is called pacing.
In a normal four-beat and two-beat gait, dogs will lift the opposing foreleg and hind leg when walking. See the photograph pictured below.
When pacing, a dog will lift the foreleg and hindlimb on the same side when walking or trotting. Typically the two legs on the left hand side will move at the same time, and when they are down, the two on the right side will move together.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞?
Dogs may pace if they are tense for whatever reason. This may include stress, anxiety, frustration. Once the dog relaxes, then they should reset in to more normal four-beat or two-beat gait and stop pacing.
Regular prolonged pacing could indicate a physical issue such as:
Pain, and musculoskeletal problems
Compensating for another issue elsewhere in the body, resulting in a significant adaptation in their gait
Tiredness and physical fatigue
If you notice regular pacing in your dog then I would recommend an assessment by an experienced canine physiotherapist.
Sally Lewis 2025
Know Your Dog 