Limb preference in the gallop of dogs and the half-bound of pikas on flat ground

TL;DR

This study investigates limb preference during fast gaits in dogs and pikas, revealing individual-specific preferences that are independent of species and running speed, with implications for understanding locomotor asymmetry.

Contribution

It demonstrates that limb preference in quadrupeds during asymmetrical gaits is individual-specific rather than species-specific or speed-dependent.

Findings

Dogs and pikas prefer one forelimb as trailing limb.

Limb preference varies among individuals.

Preference strength is unaffected by running speed.

Abstract

During fast locomotion - gallop, half bound - of quadruped mammals, the ground contact of the limbs in each pair do not alternate symmetrically. Animals using such asymmetrical gait thus choose whether the left or the right limb will contact the ground first, and this gives rise to limb preference. Here, we report that dogs (Mammalia, Carnivora) and pikas (Mammalia, Lagomorpha) prefer one forelimb as trailing limb and use it as such almost twice as often as the other. We also show that this choice depends on the individual and is not a characteristic of the species, and that the strength of the preference was not dependent on the animal's running speed.