Storey’s Quick Guide to Conformation Handling
The Stack
There are two kinds: the formal and the baited or natural stack
Formal stack:
Makes the dog look his best. Formal stacking accentuates the neck and shoulder and firms up the topline. Formal stacking is used immediately on entering the ring and any time the judge is looking up and down the line preparing to make the pick.
Procedure for stacking the front:
With the dog on your left and the collar up VERY high on the neck (just behind the jaw on the bottom and just behind the ears on top), held with your left hand, look over the dog’s shoulders at the front legs. If the left front is straight and toes are pointing forward, use it as the guide to position the right front leg next to it. Use your right hand to move the right front and switch your hands on the collar to position the left front with your left hand. (The same will not hold for the rear legs).
Use the collar to keep moderate pressure up and forward on the dog which suggests he should stay put. Also use the "Stay" command. Practice moving forward several steps and then restacking the front until you can set the collar and stack the front in about 5 seconds. Lots of praise should accompany this activity to build the dog's confidence.
Stacking the rear:
This is a little like playing twister.
You have stacked the front and given the "Stay,” command, switch the collar to your right hand and maintain up and forward pressure. With your left hand, reach under the dog's belly and take hold of the left leg on the thigh joint (highest inside curve of the back leg) with your thumb on the inside and fingers on the outside. Lift the leg and position it straight behind, in-line with the hip and directly behind the left front. The hock joint should be perpendicular to the ground, neither stacked under or too far out, toes straight ahead. Set the two middle toes on the ground first, that will help set the leg straight.
Some dogs tend to fight setting the back legs a little. Steady with the collar and make jerk corrections or verbal corrections when needed. To set the right hind leg, use the same hand only your thumb is now on the outside and fingers on the inside.
Switch the collar back to the left hand and recheck the front. Many dogs move their front
while their rear is being set. Reset the front in comparison to the rear if needed. Front legs
must come straight from the shoulder to the ground.
Do not stack too far in front creating a "propped" or “A framed" stack. Do not stack the front or rear too wide. Hips and chests are roughly the same width and the front should be straight up and down viewed from either the side or front.
From the rear the back legs should be straight up and down and from the side the hocks should be perpendicular to the ground. The topline should look like a table-top till a few inches before the tail when it slopes off at the croup a bit. No dips or humps in the middle though. Some dogs dip when stacked too far out behind. Check the hocks for the
perpendicular angle. If the dog is set correctly in the rear, but the topline still dips a bit, lift up on the brisket just behind the front legs with your left hand while gently stretching the dog forward in their stance with your right hand. Dogs with toplines that appear rounded or roached may be stacked a bit far under in the rear. To correct this effect, check for the perpendicular angle at the hock. Get an observer to tell you if the stance is
too wide, too narrow, propped, stacked under, etc. until you have a feel for what a correct
stance looks like.
Baiting the Formal Stack:
Once the dog's legs are set, it is important to get some expression from the face as well as
a certain tenseness down the back - an anticipation energy. Of course praise is a big motivator, but for most dogs food is bigger. Once stacked give the "stay" command and take a step to the front. Not directly in front, but in front of the dog's right shoulder. It is easier to control the dog by getting down on the ground with them, with your left leg squatted and right knee on the ground. This position allows shifting back to the rear legs with just a hand change on the collar if the back feet move, and also allows getting a hand into the right hip pocket to get out bait just by straightening up on the right knee. This kneeling stance will also prevent you from baiting the dog's head up into the air which causes the topline to sway down and flips the ears back into a higher-than-desired set, a common fault seen in the ring.
So, now you're on the ground, left knee out to the side and right knee on the ground with the collar in your left hand and the leash tightly collected in your left palm, take the bait chunk firmly between your right thumb and first two fingers, expose the end and let the dog chew and tear off the end. After he tears off a piece pull the bait away, but be sure to balance the dog through the collar so he doesn't follow forward and break the stack. Praise and "stay" are liberally used. The praise should be quite but excited - "good dog, good boy, pretty boy."
You can play with the bait, tossing it in your hand, making it appear and disappear from your pocket, etc. Remember to give him the bait when he does as he is suppose to; the bait is his reward. Make him hold the stack for at least a minute while a "judge" walks up and back with a critical eye and occasionally steps in to run a hand down the topline or check the strength of the back end by pushing lightly on the croup. To strengthen his stance you want the dog to lean ever so slightly forward, pushing into the ground with the front and rocking onto the toes in the rear, the neck is supported through the collar - up and forward. This stance really shows off a lovely strong neck and shoulder with a great ear set to top it off. Use your bait to move his head toward the center of the ring so that a judge walking down the line will have a "two-eyed" view of his expression.
In the Ring:
As you enter the ring, there is usually about 15 seconds to set up while the other dogs are
coming in. Take a quick measure of the number of dogs and make sure there is enough room for the dogs behind you to come in. Don't crowd up on the tail of the dog in front either. Give yourself working room and try to get set where you won't have to move because you're too close, didn't leave room for dogs behind, etc. No tail sniffing allowed! Keep noses from touching too! You want the dog stacked, with you down in front of him baiting, by the time the judge has finished marking the numbers of the entries present and is ready to take a first walk down the line to get an initial, general impression of the class. Some judges won't take a first walk; they move you around the ring almost immediately, preferring to look initially at movement. Be ready either way.
Adjust the collar again before you start out on the go round.
On the go-rounds use the mats, don't cut corners, and move briskly at a "working trot." If
the dog in front is faster -fine. Don't try to keep up and risk breaking gait. Move the dog on a loose lead with your lead hand down low, not flying above his head somewhere. Give jerk corrections where needed to guide him and keep from the tendency to try and catch the dog in front by cutting corners. Don't jerk while moving right in front of the judge on the go round as you will throw the dog off-stride. Remember, the mats are for the dog! You run on the outside edge and keep the dog in the middle. Talk happy -"Let's go! Good Boy." Not too loud though. The accepted courtesy rule is - you can do what you need to as long as you don't disturb the dogs around you. As you get around to the end of the ring where the judge has designated setting up, give the dog a hint, a light jerk and "Fido, stand," will slow him down and keep him standing when you stop. Give yourself about two feet from the dog in front and immediately go into the formal stack. The judge may begin individual examination at this point, but they may also
take a moment to watch all the dogs go-round, then, starting at the back, look up the line at stacked conformation. Don't be caught hanging over the back of your dog, stacking the rear when the judge is looking up or down the line - I've seen lots of points lost that way. Give the judge every opportunity to see your dog stacked, baited and ready.
Baited Stacking:
Once the judge begins the individual exams you can usually relax and work with baited stacks. You should keep the dog's attention for the most part. Use a slightly lifted right knee directed at the dog to get him to move back, then use your leash to guide him into a baited stack. Left hand on the leash, right hand in the bait pocket.
Some dogs tend to set their rears, then walk their
front feet out. This is OK, but many dogs will walk right into a propped stack if you don't use
the leash or your body to stop them. Train for a "stay" on a baited stack when the front is
correct. Keep the bait low, hip level or lower, or you'll get the swayed-back stack I mentioned earlier. Bring the bait toward the dog, don't let him walk to it. Occasionally toss the bait out in front of him five feet or so, but steady him with the leash first. This promotes an intense and longing expression. Never let the dog pick bait up off the ground.
As the judging goes on, use the time to work on the baited stack. If the class is exceptionally large, 10 or more dogs, work in play and relaxation times; let him jump up for a rib-rubbing, toss him some bait pieces to catch, let him look around -but no sitting and no visiting with other dogs.
During the Individual Examination:
When the dog in front of you is being examined, practice one last, quick and smooth formal stack. As the dog in front of you moves up to run his pattern (usually a down and back on the straight-away or on the diagonal, or a triangle) move into his place just off the judge’s left side. Set up and have your dog looking his best as the running dog turns to go-round to the end. The judge will usually take a few steps into the center of the ring to watch that dog’s last few steps of movement and then turn to get a big-picture view of your dog from the side. You should be out to the front baiting and providing the judge with an unobstructed view of the dog. If the dog moves, quickly put your bait on the mat and correct whichever foot moved. Remember to use the correct hand, switching collar hands where needed, then get back out in front. Repeat the "stay" if needed. Do not make a jerk correction at this point -- you will make the dog's expression drop. As the judge moves to approach the front of the dog, keep working the expression. If the judge examines the bite you will want to put the bait away and shift back to the dog’s side. Use your right hand (bait free!) to hold the dog by the collar under the chin. Use your left hand - with the leash stretching out to steady the flank. This action keeps the dog from pulling back or away from the judge and sitting down, and prevents walking forward as well.
If the judge asks you to show the bite, use your left hand on top of the muzzle and your right hand on the bottom lips to expose the teeth by lifting the front and side flews as if the dog is snarling. Give the judge time to see the bite then slide more of the side flew away to show the premolars and molars. Do one side, then tilt the head to show the other side. After examining the bite, the judge will move to the dog’s shoulders. This is your cue to move directly in front of the dog and take hold of the muzzle, lightly shifting the dog's balance forward as the judge’s hand's run down the ribs and topline. Begin adjusting your collar as the rear legs are examined and get back a baited expression the moment the judge is done with the hands on portion of their exam.
Many judges step back at this point for another big-picture look so it is important to have
maintained the stack. The judge will then indicate the pattern to run. You will have observed many other dogs being turned in a circle in front of the judge before starting down the mat. This action straightens the dog out if done right. It is not usually done right!
Cross in front of the judge and turn the dog even with the judge's right shoulder. As the dog passes the judge's side heading down the mat he will be already in a trot and nearly straight. A little jerk will pop the dog into a trot and avoid the tendency to pace halfway down the mat while gaining speed to break into the trot. Most handlers will be a quarter of the way down the mat while still completing the turn, the dog pacing and the hind end swung to the side. Not a pretty sight!
If you are sent down and back on the straight-a-way the dog will likely anticipate making a turn around to the left as if doing a go-round. Prevent this by light jerks about half way and 3/4 of the way down, talk to the dog to keep his attention toward you -though you do not actually want his head toward you while moving as this will throw out the back end and also cause front end cross-over. Light jerks will not appreciably throw the dog off stride. Slow going away speed shows the dog's correct movement. Fast going away tends to bring the dog's hind legs closer together giving an impression of being narrow in the rear or moving close behind - both faults. At the end of the mat talk to the dog to prepare him for the turn back to the right. Take long strides to encourage your dog to extend his stride without really increasing speed. Try to maintain the dog at a trot through the turn and a steady speed both down and back.
Before you start back make sure you have visually found the judge so that you move in a straight line toward him, (this is especially important in outdoor shows) with the dog on the middle of the mat. Begin slowing down 2/3 of the way there and stop five feet or so from the judge. Walk the dog into a baited stack and hold. You can toss the bait out away from the dog here, but try to get it out of the ring or at least to the side. Pick up any big chunks of bait you throw in the ring after the judging is over or before you move to the end of the line if you can do it unobtrusively. The judge usually looks for expression and correctness in the front and will then walk around to check out topline and rear leg alignment. It is OK to have one leg stacked a little under but NO German Shepherd stacks!
As the judge walks around you can move the dog forward to set the rear end a little better. You will then be asked to go to the end of the line. Trot easily around to the end. Do not try to impress with speed -be smooth instead. Bait stack at the end. If the judge likes the dog they will usually follow the dog's movement visually until you stop, so you'll want to stop with the dog looking good. As the last dog is being individually examined and gaited, get your dog back into his best formal stack and be ready for a line walk from the judge to check expression or toplines once again. The judge may at that point begin pulling and placing in the preferred order or may ask for all to go-round together before placing. If the judge is a go-round type then be ready to get the best baited stack at the end or even a formal stack if it is clear you won't be in first place, but may still be a ribbon contender. Be fast! Be good! You can lose everything at this moment.
In the Running to Win:
If you are pulled, move to the indicated area and set up in a formal stack. After the
pulls the judge will usually move the class one last time. If you are in the lead be animated, but smooth; this is your show and you are in control of the class. If you are second, third, fourth, and even fifth --this is your last chance to move up in the ribbons. Give your very best in smoothness and presentation. The judge will usually point out the placements on this last go-round and you need to be watching. If you are in third, he may skip the second place-dog, give you second and go back to give the formerly second place dog third. That is an opportunity you don’t want to miss out on by not paying attention.
After the placement go to your assigned spot, indicated by the placement numbers hanging on the ring gates, to receive the ribbon. Take the ribbon from the judge’s hand and say "thank you" regardless of the placement. Leave the ring quickly. Congratulate the winner outside the ring. If you took second, always hang around for the winner's dog class. If the dog who beat you wins the points, you will be REQUIRED to re-enter the ring to compete for reserve winner's dog.
Along with the details to pay attention to on your dog, you must also watch the judge or you will miss opportunities to be competitive. I have already mentioned not hanging over the dog and being quick at stacking. You must also watch the judge when they walk the line and on the go-rounds. If the judge knows you are watching and they are hesitating between you and another pick, you will get the pointing finger! Always check your dog first with a quick glance to make sure he is stacked right or moving straight and smooth then look up at the judge.
Look down, look up, look down, look up - SMILE. Coming back on the straight a-way, bait stack, and when the dog looks good, look up at the judge. Many judges use hand gestures to indicate where you should go next and are irritated if you are not watching them, but don't expect much eye contact from them until it's ribbon time.
Each show is different. If you go to a three day show and the first two days the open blue
dog wins the points and you are third out of five dogs in your class, it doesn't mean on day three, the same thing will happen. Always try to be competitive. After the points are awarded and you're stuck competing for reserve winner's - give it all you've got. A purple and white ribbon is still better than a blue ribbon alone.
