A number of AKC breed standards call for a specific type of gait. Terms such as “rolling,” “lively,” “animated,” and “elastic” are shared by several breeds, but as of this writing, only one breed out of the AKC’s currently recognized 202 breeds uses the word, “shambling,” and it belongs to the Otterhound.

Dictionaries describe ‘shambling’ as an awkward, irregular gait, or walking with a slow dragging motion without lifting one’s feet, but this is not the case for very long in the Otterhound. In this breed,  a dog may start out with a slow walk (one might even call it a shuffle), the lackadaisical walk of a dog with no particular place to go, and certainly not with any urgency. They barely lift their feet off the ground because, well, it’s a lot of work, right?

This changes when things speed up.  This is now a dog revealing a loose, long striding gait that moves effortlessly, freely, and in full display of reach and drive. A sound Otterhound can maintain this gait for miles.  Should the dog break into a gallop, and just look at those long, ground covering strides. Though some might not think of the Otterhound as a “movement breed,” the Otterhound Club of America does and says as much in its Illustrated Standard. And why not?  This has been a working breed since the time of Henry II who maintained a Royal Master of Otterhounds. It was developed for a specific job that required strength, stamina and agility; a smooth, lithe gait was – and is – essential.

There usually isn’t enough room in a conformation ring at a dog show that allows an Otterhound to show the true gait of the breed, though the Otterhound ‘shuffle’ can be seen when the hound is first moved out in a slow walk. Some Otterhounds will even pace when starting to move, or have to walk in a small area, but this is a relaxing gait, and as long as they hit their stride when moving into a faster gait, they shouldn’t be penalized.

It was challenging to find a video that illustrated all of the above, and at best, we can share a bit from breed judging at Westminster last year.

Image: Edwin Henry Landseer – ‘Otterhounds’, 1838-44