A Dog's Stride Could Be An Early Sign Of Dementia, Study Says

Key TakeawaysChanges in an aging dog’s stride could indicate the onset of dementiaShorter stride in the front legs is linked to higher scores on a canine dementia indexFront leg stride also shortens in response to pain.MONDAY, June 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The way your aging dog walks could be an early sign of canine dementia, a new study says.The relative stride of a dog’s front legs appears to be linked to their brain health, researchers reported June 24 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.“Here we show that the length of front leg stride taken by dogs decreases with age, but even more importantly, decreases with a cognitive impairment,” said lead researcher Dr. Natasha Olby, a professor of veterinary neurology and neurosurgery at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.“In fact, we found that the effect of cognitive decline is larger than the effect of age by itself,” Olby said in a news release.This is similar to humans, as some older folks start walking more slowly and with a shorter, uneven gait years before they display any loss in memory, researchers said.For the new study, researchers analyzed 88 senior dogs enrolled in a study of dog brain aging. The canines enrolled in the study after they reached 75% of the life expectancy for their size and breed, corresponding to about 13 years old on average.The dogs underwent a comprehensive battery of physical and neurological tests, and their owners filled out questionnaires assessing their brain health on the Canine Dementia Scale (CADES).Filmed assessments of the dog’s gait speed and stride also were part of this testing, with dogs walking at their own pace along a 16-foot walkway while on a slack leash.Results showed that the relative stride length of the front legs tended to decrease across visits.This was linked to worsening dementia scores, researchers said. On average, a 10-point increase in CADES score translated into about a 1% reduction in the relative stride length of the front legs.However, the stride of the hind legs did not significantly change over time.Olby said it is fascinating to see that cognitive decline affects front and hind legs differently.“In dogs, the hind legs are important for moving forwards, while the front legs also change direction and initiate braking,” she said.“The cerebral cortex integrates more sensory information into the neuronal circuits which produce steps in the front legs, and so loss of high-level sensorimotor integration affects them differently,” Olby added.The stride of the front legs also decreased with higher scores on a pain index.“If owners notice that their dog's front leg stride is becoming shorter, they should visit their vet, for there are possible alternative causes such as arthritic pain or neck issues that can be treated,” Olby said. “If a diagnosis of cognitive decline is made, there are likewise several lifestyle interventions than can be made, even if there is currently no cure.”More informationThe American Kennel Club has more on canine dementia.SOURCE: Frontiers, news release, June 25, 2026 .What This Means For YouPeople who notice a change in their dog’s stride should have them evaluated by a veterinarian..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

A Dog's Stride Could Be An Early Sign Of Dementia, Study Says

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