Dog galloping on rough terrain exhibits similar limb co-ordination patterns and gait variability to that on flat terrain.

Understanding how animals regulate their gait during locomotion can give biological insight and inspire controllers for robots. Why animals use the gallop at the highest speeds remains incompletely explained. Hypothesized reasons for galloping include that it enables recruitment of spinal musculoskeletal structures, that it minimizes energy losses as predicted by collisional theory, or that it provides extended flight phases with more time for leg placement and hence enhances or provides necessary maneuverability [Alexander 1988 Am.

Longitudinal quasi-static stability predicts changes in dog gait on rough terrain.

Legged animals utilize gait selection to move effectively and must recover from environmental perturbations. We show that on rough terrain, domestic dogs, , spend more time in longitudinal quasi-statically stable patterns of movement. Here, longitudinal refers to the rostro-caudal axis.