The basis of describing movement is the gait. The term gait simply refers to the pattern of footsteps at different speeds. Each gate is distinguished by a specific pattern of footfall and rhythm.
Dogs have four main gaits. From slowest to fastest, they are the walk, trot, canter and gallop. Between the walk and trot is a transitional gate called the amble.
Let’s start by describing the slowest gait and work our way up to the fastest.