The analysis of canine locomotion is essential for veterinarians to diagnose, treat, and ensure proper rehabilitation of canine locomotor disorders.
What are the different aspects of canine locomotion analysis? What are the complementarities between static and dynamic data?
Postural analysis of the dog in a static position
Static analysis focuses on assessing the dog when it is standing still. This allows for the detection of postural abnormalities and uneven weight distribution. Compensation patterns can then be identified, where the animal adjusts its posture to relieve a painful area or a limb with functional impairment (muscle weakness, joint stiffness, etc.).

Tools like the Stance Analyzer (Companion Animal Health) allow for visualizing and evaluating weight distribution and abnormal postural patterns in a stationary animal.
Typical postural patterns of pathologies may be adopted.
For example, in cases of anterior cruciate ligament rupture: weight shift to the contralateral hind limb as well as the diagonal forelimb.
Sometimes, the animal may retain a compensatory postural pattern out of habit or apprehension even after the pathology has been treated and pain is no longer present.
Dynamic analysis of dog locomotion
Unlike static analysis, dynamic analysis focuses on examining the dog in motion.
The Tendiboots™ Canine tool stands out by providing precise data on the dog’s dynamic locomotion.
This analysis is crucial for identifying pain and abnormalities that may not be detectable when the animal is stationary.
Indeed, some pain is generated by movement and may not be visible when the animal is in a static position. This is especially true for tendon and muscle injuries.
Similarly, some load-bearing pain is amplified during locomotion.

Monitoring the dog during rehabilitation: Improvement in gait vs weight distribution in static position
When a dog is undergoing rehabilitation, it is crucial to monitor both its improvement in movement and the distribution of its weight in a static position.
A dog may show visible improvement in gait but continue to display uneven weight distribution when stationary. This is common and is due to the poor posture habits the animal developed while it was in pain. Even with visible improvement in dynamic locomotion, the dog may tend to maintain a poor postural pattern at rest, simply out of habit.
Conversely, a dog might show correct weight distribution in a static position but exhibit gait abnormalities when walking and/or trotting. This is less common but possible, such as in cases of pathologies causing pain when a joint is mobilized. In such cases, the dog is pain-free when not moving but shows visible pain during movement.

“At the clinic, we are equipped with the Stance Analyzer and Tendiboots™.
Whenever possible, I try to use both tools in my rehabilitation treatments.
In the vast majority of cases, I have observed a correlation between static and dynamic analysis.
And when monitoring a dog in rehabilitation, I often see a significant improvement in gait earlier than what is observed statically.
Indeed, we know that correcting compensations often takes longer in a static position. This is true for dogs, but it’s also a common phenomenon for humans: for example, after a knee surgery, it takes several months to achieve symmetrical weight distribution between both legs while standing still.
Tendiboots™ Canine and the Stance Analyzer prove to be complementary tools in monitoring dogs in rehabilitation.”
- Static data (weight distribution across the 4 limbs)
- Identification of load-bearing pain
- Detection of support defects due to functional impairment (joint stiffness, muscle weakness)
- Characterization of compensatory postural patterns
- Not suitable for animals that do not remain calmly stationary
- Dynamic data (impact forces, stride lengths, stride phase times)
- Highlights load-bearing pain
- Reveals pain related to movement (myotendinous system function or joint mobilization)
- Identifies lameness due to functional impairment (joint stiffness, muscle weakness)
- Characterizes compensatory motor patterns
- Not compatible with animals that do not walk calmly, and animals that do not tolerate being touched (for the placement of sensors)