What Makes The Dog Look Better And Looks Better To The Judge?

[Whipitgood]

I have always free stacked my Whippets and they stand there beautifully, i have no need to kneel beside them and push on their rump or pull their head up. When i say free stack i mean i place them, then move in front with hands off the dog. I then stand in front to bait them forward (this doesnt always happen of course but 9 times out of 10 they will not move a foot).

But i notice there are some well known, big winning exhibitors who still kneel beside the dog after it has been placed. The main difference i have noticed is that they pull upwards on the lead and bait the dog forward and down slightly. I have recently done this with my new boy and i have to admit it does make his length of neck look nice. But with free stacking ive always left the lead loose around their neck, leaving them to look quite "relaxed" but still baited.

What are other peoples opinions on this?

I am now questioning whether i should free stack or kneel beside the dogs.

What makes the dogs look better and what looks better to the judge? I would have thought that not being behind the dog would give the judge a better impression of overall outline. I also thinks it looks "neater".

Thoughts?

[SparkyTansy]

I think it depends on the dog and the breed.

Setters i think look much nicer if you are kneeling behind for the final stack - you can keep the tail at the right height and hold them under the head which is IMO the best place for a setter.

Weimaraners I think it depends on the dog, but most exhibitors place and stand side on, holding the head under chin or collar up and tail up.

At one stage I was freestacking my weims front, placing her rear and baiting her forwards, because she did much better when i didn't touch her, pull her around etc. but now she has matured she is better if i stand next to her and hold her tail and head.

OES i place and stand behind, head up (tail *cough* tucked in!). they also do an excellent free stack if they are correctly proportioned.

Best thing to do with all your dogs to determine what is going to make them look their best is to film yourself or take photos of all the options and pick the one that brings out the best in your dog. you may end up with several different techniques for each individual, and you may end up changing as the dog grows and changes.

ETA for us, collar ALWAYS up behind ears... shows better neck into shoulder.

Edited January 18, 2010 by SparkyTansy

[ellz]

You do whatever makes the dog look best. But you do have to be BRUTALLY honest about assessing this.

Sometimes people assume that because a dog CAN free bait, that it looks good. The opposite quite often applies.

The other thing about stacking and staying beside your dog is that you are "in place" if slight corrections need to be made, or if your dog moves unexpectedly. If you're in front of your dog free baiting it, it can take major manouvering for you to get the dog back to rights whereas if you are right beside it, it may only take small subtle placements of a foot, or readjustment of a lead etc etc.

[Whipitgood]

Thanks Sparky. I have been stacking them up in front of the mirror since day dot, so i can see that im placing them correctly from when they are pups and ive been comparing the "free stack" style with "pulling head up with the lead style". But im still undecided what makes them look better!

I must get some opinions at the shows this weekend!

Thanks Ellz, yes you are right, on the odd occasion when one of them has moved a foot (and its usually just as the judge walks past for a look!! ) it is far less subtle to correct them again.

I have to admit, my boy looks good kneeling beside him pulling his head up (looks like im choking him which is why i never liked doing it), my girl ive never done it with but when i did it in front of the mirror today, she didnt have that usual "oh im bored can we go now" look, which she does when i free stack her Go figure!!

Edited January 18, 2010 by Whipitgood

[poodlefan]

Round here, everyone kneels for Whippets.

[Whipitgood]

Do they Poodlefan? It varies here but most of the time everyone stands in front. However in a challenge lineup, if one person kneels, the others will follow suit!

[poodlefan]

Do they Poodlefan? It varies here but most of the time everyone stands in front. However in a challenge lineup, if one person kneels, the others will follow suit!

People stand out in front at the end of the triangle then pretty much everyone kneels in the line ups.

[RoxyNHemi]

What Ellz said..

My Westie I thought looked brilliant freestood, but an exhibitor showed me other wise with some tricks of the trade how I can present him better kneeled beside.

I guess it depends on the dog, if a good neck is important in a whippet, I would be showing that off. Really you want to show off your dogs great traits!

[WreckitWhippet]

I kneel for my Whippet, it lengthens the neck , drops the head and creates a beautiful arch.

I see many who free bait and their dogs are looking up at them, it creates a horrible bend in the neck and they look all sqashed up.

Edited January 18, 2010 by SBT123

[Dogsfevr]

Doesnt matter what the breed is it,s what is best for that one dog & what as handler you find easier to do taking into consideration the scenario,s of how well trained the dog is & how well you deal with a dog that moves & above all how well you can read your dog on the day.

My dogs are trained for all scenarios, & to stack left or right.

Lead up,down,under over loose or slightly tight.

There is nothing wrong with being different providing it suits that dog.

having said that i started juniors with whippies & we always stacked & always stacked the Greyhounds

[OSoSwift]

I have to admit, my boy looks good kneeling beside him pulling his head up (looks like im choking him which is why i never liked doing it),

I was told when stacking my Dobe that the idea was to have the head at the height you would like, hold the collar up (not tight but firmly there) then allow the dog to drop it's chin slightly and stretch over the collar rather than pull the neck and head up.

If their head is at the height then the chin is dropped over the collar the neck should look long and there should be a nice smooth arch. You are not pulling against the neck, the neck/throat is resting on the collar.

If the head is pulled up it can end up looking bunchy around the neck, a stovepipe neck and an unhappy looking dog.

I was never the worlds best show handler as I didn't do it too often and got nervous, but when I wasn't under pressure it seemed to work.