Fig 1.
Body Weights of Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
The Border Collies in this study weighed significantly less than the Labrador Retrievers.
Fig 2.
Thoracic to Pelvic Limb Total Pressure Index Percentage Ratio (T/P TPI%) at the Walk and Trot in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
The Border Collies had significantly lower ratios of weight borne on the thoracic vs the pelvic limbs (T/P TPI%) than the Labrador Retrievers at the walk (p = 0.0007) and at the trot (p = 0.0003). There was no difference in the relative weight borne on the thoracic vs. pelvic limbs of the Border Collies at the walk and trot (p = 0.5990), whereas the Labrador Retrievers bore more weight on the thoracic vs. pelvic limbs at the trot as compared to the walk (p = 0.0037).
Table 1.
Mean Total Pressure Index Percentage (TPI%) at the Walk and Trot for Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
Fig 3.
Thoracic to Pelvic Limb Total Pressure Index Percentage Ratio (T/P TPI%) compared to Body Weight at the Walk and Trot in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
There was no relationship between the ratio of thoracic to pelvic TPI% (T/P TPI%) and body weight at the trot for either breed (bottom left and bottom right) or for the Border Collies at the walk (top left). However, there was a significant positive correlation (p = 0.0163) between the ratio of weight borne on the thoracic limbs vs the pelvic limbs and body weight in the Labrador Retrievers at the walk (top right).
Fig 4.
Stance Time as a Percentage of Gait Cycle (ST%) of the Thoracic and Pelvic Limbs at the Walk and Trot in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
Left. The Border Collies spent a significantly shorter proportion of the walking gait cycle with their thoracic and pelvic limbs in contact with the ground than the Labrador Retrievers (p < 0.0058 and p = 0.0003, respectively. Right. The Border Collies also spent a significantly shorter proportion of the trotting gait cycle with their thoracic and pelvic limbs in contact with the ground than the Labrador Retrievers (p < 0.0280 and p = 0.0448, respectively).
Fig 5.
Thoracic and Pelvic Limb Stance Time as a Percentage of Gait Cycle (ST%) compared to Body Weight in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
There was no relationship between body weight and stance time of the thoracic or pelvic limbs in the trotting Border Collies. In the trotting Labrador Retrievers, there was a significant positive relationship between body weight and thoracic limb stance time and a strong trend towards a significant relationship between body weight and pelvic limb stance time.
Fig 6.
Thoracic Limb Stance Time as a Percentage of Gait Cycle (ST%) compared to Stride Length in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
As the Labrador Retrievers increased their stride lengths when trotting, they spent less time with their thoracic limbs in contact with the ground (r = 0.7321, p = 0.0002). In contrast, the amount of time spent with the thoracic limbs in contact with the ground did not change with stride length in the Border Collies.
Fig 7.
Stride Time at the Walk and Trot in Border Collies and Labrador Retrievers.
There was no significant difference in the stride time between the two breeds at the walk. However, the Border Collies had a significantly lower stride time at the trot than the Labrador Retrievers.