The front assembly provides the "wheels" of the movement drive. The dog uses his or her front to steer, the front takes the brunt of the impact on turns, forward movement, or landings.

The shoulder blades are well laid back at an angle approximately forty-five (45) degrees to maximize efficent reach (the flatter the angle, the wider the range of motion) but also capitalize on the dog's turning ability (any flatter, and the dog would have a weak assembly for turns on a dime, required of a stock dog).

A dog with a straight front will have less wear and tear when trottting. The feet should not be totally parallel, but rather a tiny bit east-west to give more balance.