M: In curling, is it better if the person who throws has better aim or more consistent throws in terms of distance? And is that what teams actually control for, or is it more biased towards aim just because that's how people work? And why do dogs run just a little bit crooked?
G:
image_group{"layout":"carousel","aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["curling delivery slide","curling sweeping close up","curling house target rings","curling skip calling shot"],"num_per_query":1}
TL;DR:
In curling, distance control (weight) is slightly more
fundamental than pure aim. Elite teams train for both, but they obsess
over repeatable weight because line can be corrected mid-shot;
weight cannot.
Curling shots have two main variables:
Here’s the key strategic difference:
If a rock is heavy, it’s gone.
If it’s light, it dies early.
Line has partial correction. Weight does not.
That makes consistent weight control the backbone skill.
At elite levels:
You’ll often hear curlers talk about “throwing the same weight every time” rather than “perfect aim.”
So no, it isn’t just human bias toward visual targeting. The game structurally rewards distance consistency.
It isn’t either/or at high levels.
Elite players:
In other words, once baseline competence is reached, the differentiator is often decision-making and communication, not raw aim or weight alone.
image_group{"layout":"carousel","aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["dog running toward camera slightly sideways","dog galloping profile slight curve","dog playful sprint turning slightly","dog asymmetrical gait running"],"num_per_query":1}
TL;DR:
Most dogs run slightly crooked because of natural asymmetry and
visual tracking, not dysfunction.
Dominant Side Bias Like humans being right- or left-handed, dogs often have:
Spinal Flexion in Gallop In full sprint, dogs use a double-suspension gallop. The spine flexes and extends asymmetrically. That produces slight lateral arc motion.
Head Tracking Dogs often run while:
Their body aligns with head direction slightly off-center.
Energy Efficiency Perfect straight lines aren’t always metabolically optimal in a flexible quadruped. Minor curvature can reduce corrective micro-movements.
If you see:
That suggests orthopedic or neurological issues.
But small playful crookedness? Normal.
日本語（にほんご）ミニ要約：
カーリングでは 距離（きょり） の 安定（あんてい） が より
重要（じゅうよう） — In curling, consistent weight is more
important.
犬（いぬ）は 体（からだ） の 左右差（さゆうさ） で 少（すこ）し
曲（ま）がって 走（はし）る — Dogs run slightly crooked due to
natural asymmetry.
[Attachment reference unresolved: file-of]
M: Yeah, with the dog, I was talking more about trotting than actually running. I was watching someone kind of jog along with their dog at that speed where it isn't really actually running, and realized that a couple others I had seen kind of had a angled approach, almost like something about their physique or mental structure led them to having their shoulder legs out of line with their hind legs. And I was just wondering, this isn't a concern about a particular dog, just an observation about all dogs when they're trotting, or at least most.
G: Good clarification. Trotting is different from sprinting.
image_group{"layout":"carousel","aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["dog trotting toward camera slightly angled","dog trot diagonal gait","dog front legs straight hind legs slightly offset","dog jogging beside owner side view"],"num_per_query":1}
TL;DR:
Most dogs naturally trot with a slight diagonal bias because of
gait mechanics + body geometry + lateral preference.
It’s usually normal.
A trot is a two-beat diagonal gait:
Because of this pairing, the spine rotates slightly with each step. That rotation alone can create the visual impression that:
It’s not misalignment — it’s torque.
Dogs generate most propulsion from the hindquarters.
If:
The front end may track slightly off center.
This is extremely common and not pathological.
Dogs show limb preference.
Studies show many favor one paw consistently.
That preference:
It’s comparable to humans who naturally veer when walking blindfolded.
Many breeds have:
That geometry means the rear feet may track slightly inside or outside the front feet.
This is called tracking pattern variation, and breed standards actually account for it.
When jogging beside a human:
Even off leash, they often orient slightly toward stimuli.
Red flags would be:
Absent those, mild angled trotting is typical.
日本語（にほんご）ミニ説明：
犬（いぬ）の トロット は 対角（たいかく） の 足（あし） を
同時（どうじ）に 使（つか）う 動（うご）き — A trot uses
diagonal leg pairs.
そのため 体（からだ）が 少（すこ）し ねじれて 見（み）える — So the body
can look slightly twisted.
If you want to go deeper, we can also look at breed-specific trot structure (working line vs show line vs sighthound vs herding), because the degree of “crookedness” varies quite a bit by build.