Top Tip #33
Once your dog has learnt to stand, teach it to hold the position by regularly putting their legs into the correct position and getting them to hold the pose, starting with a short time and building up. The idea is your dog should never move, so don’t ask for too long, too soon.
Even with my large breed dogs, I like to practise this on the table, as well as the floor.
Don’t forget to always end on a high and ensure your dog gets a high value reward or game at the end.
Stacking your dog
If you have a stacked breed, consider how you pick up your dogs legs; below are some do’s and don’ts of placing your dogs legs.
Do…
…place your dogs legs one at a time
…gently place your dogs feet on the ground
…pick your dogs leg up from the centre of the leg
…stay calm and take your time
…keep the stacking calm and rythmatic (one foot, two foot, 3 foot, 4 foot, head, tail, present)
…remind them of the command
Do not…
…pick your dog up from the under-carriage
…drop your dogs legs from height
…be rough with your dog
…use jerky movement
…throw your dog off balance
Remember to stand your dog in front of a mirror so you can see how you have stacked them to make sure that they are correct or ask your trainer to watch how you do it and give any advice to improve if needed.
Have a look at some more advice of stacking your dogs on the blog post Standing your dog – part I