Anyone else's dog run sideways?

Whenever I play ball with Charlie I've noticed that he runs kind of sideways. Meaning, he runs in a straight line but his body is a bit sideways. He has done it since he was a puppy, I guess it's just more obvious now that he's bigger. Is this weird? I tried to take a pic but I would have to take video for you to actually see what I'm talking about.

YES! My boy Chi, Jose` trots that way, diagonal body position but in a straight path, like a car that is severely out of alignment. When he breaks into a run, he straightens is body out so that it is in line with the path he is taking. I don't know what it is. I always thought it might be due to his bad patellas and his rotten rear conformation. But maybe not.

Dober - I have wondered the same thing about Charlie's knees and/or hips. He was a rescue from a puppymill so I would not be at all surprised to find out down the road that he has some problems. Didn't know if this might be an early sign of it????? Or if he's just a bit of a goof. The vet says it's too early to really do a good check on those things, wants to wait until he's a bit older, but says so far he appears to have good knee/hip health.

Mine doesn't, but a dog she plays with, a 7 month old male lab does. It's weird, but kind of cute.

When Daisy gets excited and wants to play she'll dart sideways and jump around. Its so cute.

I''ve heard it is a sign of bad hips but dunno how true it is. All I know is that my one mushng mentor will not breed or use a dog that runs sideways like that and usually ends up selling it to a pet home. *shrugs*

My APBT puppy and my AST male both do it when they are excited. I also have a pomeranian that like to use only two legs at a time. He either walks on his front legs after taking a pee but mostly hops around on the back legs lol

My guys do it during their retrieves.

At first we thought they were off but after a few times we noticed it's just how they run...

I think it's like savethebullies said, when they get excited it's kind of like a hop.

Roxy's had x-rays done, and our vet said she had mild HD, and the specialist said she didn't, just had a long hip...

They only do it when their "loping", or at half speed. When they open'er up they don't sidetrack at all.

I'm pretty sure what Charliesmom and I were describing....isn't the same thing as hopping to the side. It's a matter of the gait of the dog...going in a straight line, like when trotting along for a while and watching from behind, you see that their body is not straight or parallel with the track they're making. Their body is diagonal, but traveling in a straight line. When Jose breaks into a run, his body is no longer diagonal, but straight, in line with the path he is taking. He only does that weird out of alignment thing when trotting. And even then, sometimes he's not.

Yep, that's exactly what one of my dogs does. He hasn't had his hips x-rayed yet because he doesn't seem to be in any pain, but I'm going to do it soon just in case.

Yup Sasha does the side winding trot! With her ears flapping in the wind it is kinda cute. We had her checked and the vet said all is good. It's just the dog!

The only reason I put the word "hop" in there, is because in the upwards motion of the gait, it appears like they pop their hip out sideways.

*shrugs* Maybe I just used the wrong words, but my guys sidetrack at low speeds, mostly Roxy, sometimes Hades.

It's like having their feet in this order in straight lines:

Front left: Column 1
Front right and Back left: Column 2
Back right: Column 3

Cider sometimes runs like that.. But when I try to really study it she runs straight, lol.

When Hershey is happy he does it! lol, then he still gets accused of being gay, when he does it. lol

Charlie does it even when he is running at top speed. When I first got him I wondered if he didn't have some kind of neurological problem, but I have not seen any other evidence of it and the vet thinks he is fine. I have noticed that he is not a super-fast runner, for a German Shepherd. He doesn't keep up with the other dogs very well but he does not appear to be in any pain either. It does make me concerned about HD, especially since GSDs are prone to it.

yep, Oakley does this too. I posted a thread a while back claiming he needed his alignment checked

Its def more noticeable at a slow trot...his body will be diagonal, yet he is going straight...

I honestly could not say if it happens when he is going full speed...cause he runs SOOO freaking fast, and usually he isnt running in a straight line, but off to one side anyways...so yeah.

We brought it up to the vet, and he didnt seem too concerned...he was more concerned with Oakley's "bunny hops" where he will only run on three legs for a few strides.

I am concerned about HD as well, but honestly, i know this sounds terrible...i dont even want to know right now. Right now its not affecting him whatsoever. Oakley's absolute favorite thing to do is run...so to me, he is better off having more years to run his little heart out, and have him affected later on, than to restrict his running now...

Charliesmommy...i'm pretty sure we are talking about the same thing...and if its any consolation, Oakley is EXTREMELY fast...Charlie just might be a slower runner for other reasons that have nothing to do with it.

Herschel used to do that but not anymore!