When Japanese dogs walk, they have four ways of walking if they are walking naturally. Walk (常足：Nami-ashi)・Trot (速足：Haya-ashi)・Canter (駈足：Kake-ashi)・Gallop (襲歩：Shu-ho)
They may also walk in a special way called Pace/Amble (側対歩：Soku-tai-ho).
The other three are described in this article.
Because this gait is rarely seen in the Shiba Inu, it will be illustrated with pictures of other animals.
Gallop (Shu-ho)
In a canter, there was a moment when one front leg and the opposite hind leg moved at the same time, but in a gallop, this disappears and it becomes a four-beat gait. There is a moment when the body completely floats in the air. It is the fastest way of walking, but it also consumes a lot of energy, so they cannot keep moving for a long time. Some animals have a double suspension gallop, which is a four-beat gait with two floats. They kick the ground with only
"their front legs"→"float"→"kick the ground with only their hind legs"→"float",
which is easy to understand if you look at how cheetahs run. It is said that some dog breeds use this gait when they run at full speed.
Pace/Amble (Soku-tai-ho)
When humans normally walk, they move their left hand forward when they move their right foot forward. However, as seen in Kabuki, a classical form of Japanese theatre that mixes dramatic performance with traditional dance, and other forms of traditional Japanese theater, it seems that ancient Japanese people walked by moving their right hand and right foot at the same time (this is called Nanba walking in Japanese). Dogs also do the same thing, moving their right front leg and right hind leg at the same time.
This way of walking is called Pace/Amble. It is a low-stress way of walking, so large animals and animals that walk for long periods of time (elephants, camels) often do it. There are also
some large dogs that do this gait. It is not a common way of walking for Japanese dogs, but there are some rare ones that do it. Also, old or injured dogs may do this gait. There are two types of Soku-tai-ho: pace and amble, but they are not very distinguished in Japanese, and both are called "Soku-ta-ho".
Pace
A type of Soku-tai-ho where "the right front and hind legs"→"left front and hind legs" move in a perfect two-beat gait. Old English Sheepdogs do this gait.
Amble
This type of Soku-tai-ho is almost the same as pace, but the hind legs land faster than the front legs, so it becomes a four-beat gait. It is a calm and durable way of walking. Elephants and camels that came up earlier do this gait.