Slow motion movements of a Dalmatian running

This short video clip shows Lusi doing a recall in slow motion. I have found it fascinating to replay over and over just to watch how Lusi launches herself into a run from a stand: She bends her elbows and knees, by crouching slightly, and then drives herself forward like a coiled spring releasing the energy into forward motion. Her hind legs drive her forward and her front legs almost jump into action.

Puppy agility class: recall games and attention training games.

We have been practicing our "attention games" as part of our short indoor training routines that we initially learned at our puppy agility classes.

Puppy agility class: recall games and attention training

We do not have enough indoor space at home to practice the recalls like this though! We did, however, have a very dedicated recall on our walk on Saturday that required Lusi to either follow a U turn on the pathway or cut across the scrub and grass. I was really surprised when she chose the U-pathway. Her speed and focus were incredible. Her silhouette elongated and she took really long, even, effortless strides; just perfect balance and motion! Her focus on me meant that her head never moved  except in a direct horizontal plane.

I have only seen Lusi do this once before when she was about four months old and we had taken her out into the field with the horse so that she could get used to playing around him. As I held the horse on a lead line and let him graze, Lusi's playing had gradually taken her across the field from where we were standing, when she suddenly realized the distance between us and returned in a flat out run. Again her eyes never lost focus of her target! Her ears flapped as she moved but everything else about her body was precision movement.

This elongation of the body frame that a Dalmatian makes when running is one reason that it is not recommended for Dals to work on indoor treadmills for exercise. The treadmill is simply not designed to be long enough for the Dal's elongated stride.