“They should move as they stand” is an expression that may sound counterintuitive to someone new to dog shows. Once it is understood that gaiting a dog around a conformation ring simply serves to confirm what the judge has already felt with his or her hands in an individual exam, however, the expression makes perfect sense.

The phrase is a classic piece of breed shorthand; in full, it means that when a dog is stacked for evaluation, everything the judge detected in the individual examination – from angulation, the balance of angles, the length of upper arm, the topline, the head and tail carriage, etc. —should be confirmed when the dog moves. Dogs with a structural weakness often “fix” themselves in motion to stay balanced, and this can include paddling, crossing over, crabbing, or rolling. Judges with a good eye and experience recognize this and understand when a fault detected during the hands-on examination is being compensated for once the dog moves out. A correct dog doesn’t need to atone.

No official AKC breed standard or illustrated guide we know of contains the exact phrase “they should move as they stand,” but we did come across the phrase in a discussion about structure and movement as described in the Irish Setter standard. It appeared to be an explanatory teaching phrase rather than verbatim standard text. That said, the principle applies to nearly all purpose-bred dogs. In sighthounds, what is built for speed standing must deliver speed in motion.  With Pointers & Setters, balanced standing suggests endurance and reach in the field, and in working breeds, structure seen at rest must support efficient, powerful movement. Finally, standing angles must translate into sustained, correct gait in a herding breed.  In short, judges often summarize this universal concept as “good dogs don’t change when they move.” 

Photo by  Reimphoto of a Portuguese Water Dog in the ring at the Blekinge Kennelklubb international dog show in Ronneby, Sweden on July 05, 2014