|
Horses and many dogs
run at a gallop. Irish
Wolfhounds run with
what is called a double suspension
gallop.
It is called “double”
because the dog has all four feet off the
ground (in suspension) twice rather than
once per stride.
The Irish
Wolfhound is the
long-distance runner among hounds.
Special structure,
common to greyhound-bodied dogs, is the key
to both speed and stamina. The
Irish Wolfhound
must have well-laid-back shoulder blades,
space between the withers to aid in shock
absorption, and well-sprung ribs for
lung-power that allows endurance.
Of course he must have
a well-muscled body to achieve the double
suspension gallop.
In the double
suspension gallop, the dog takes off pushing
with its hind legs. This
is such a strong push that the dog is
airborne, in suspension, until his front
legs land. The front
legs again push off, but this time the dog
comes into a tucked position, again with all
four legs in the air at once.
This is the second
period of suspension. During
the tuck, the back legs come forward past
the front legs and will land first.
The dog, as at the
start, will push off with the back legs and
the sequence begins again. In
order to tuck properly, the Irish
Wolfhound has a gentle
arch in the spine over the flank. |
