Research reveals three-legged dogs’ movement strategies
Forelimb amputee dogs placed around 50 per cent of their bodyweight on their remaining front limb.
Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College have examined the two different movement strategies of three-legged dogs.
Using a 3D motion capture system and force plates in RVC’s Structure and Motion Laboratory, the team analysed how these dogs adapted their bodies to move at different speeds.
The study involved twelve dogs recruited from across the UK through the RVC’s social media channels. This included six dogs with forelimb amputations and six with hindlimb amputation.
When travelling at higher speeds, the three-legged dogs used a ‘gallop-like’ gait to propel themselves. This was similar to the movement of four-legged dogs.
However, when moving at a slower speed, there were two different movement strategies employed by the dogs.
The first movement strategy was simply a slowed down version of the gallop. Meanwhile the second strategy involved the pair of remaining limbs moving in a walking-style pattern. The single remaining limb contacted the ground more than once during each stride.
When analysing how force was applied to the limbs, researchers discovered that forelimb amputee dogs placed around 50 per cent of their bodyweight on their remaining front limb. Hindlimb amputee dogs, however, distributed their weight more evenly among the three remaining limbs.
While there have been many research projects into the movement of two-legged and four-legged dogs, there is less known about the adaptation to moving on three limbs. This is despite limb amputation being a relatively common procedure in dogs, often following severe injury or cancer.
By improving their understanding of how three-legged dogs move, researchers hope to provide a foundation for future work into rehabilitation and mobility support for canine amputees.
Zoe Davies, lead author of the study, said: "The focus of my postdoctoral research was in two-legged and four-legged locomotion, but I was inspired to look at three-legged locomotion when I started sharing an office with a canine amputee. The great thing about research is that you can often end up pursuing avenues you didn’t anticipate at the start.”
The study can be found in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Image © Jorn Cheney
Eligible members of BEVA will be able to vote for their Council team until Monday, 17 August 2026. Members will have received an election email on 17 July.
