Actually, of the handlers in this series, most are professional and, yes, they need to understand how to move the dogs so they are at optimum gait. The first dog (upper left) is GCH D'Oro Solido's Feliciano Uno (Lucky) is currently the #1 ranked Rottweiler in the country and he's handled by Michelle Scott who has won Westminster several times with other breeds. Lucky is an awesome dog who moves great at slow speeds -- as on the down & back -- or at full-tilt as you can see in the image here.

The Rottweiler ring is very competitive and virtually all of the top dogs are handled by professional handlers. That's why I became a photographer .