# Stacking



## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

This boy of mine! We were working on a decent stack tonight. This is improved but I really feel like it could be better. How can I improve this? I feel like he had his head down a bit too much looking at a treat I threw. I realize he needs brushed and shouldn’t be wearing a collar for a stack photo.


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

Need the front feet moved forward about 2 inches but it’s a nice start


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

JerseyChris said:


> Need the front feet moved forward about 2 inches but it’s a nice start


I was going to say to move the back feet back a few inches lol


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

His rear is too far under him and it’s making his top line slope. The very front edge of his toes should be in a vertical line underneath his sitz bones. His rear feet need to be just ever so slightly wider than his body.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I think you need to fix the rear feet - it looks like his hocks are too close together. Also, probably want his head a smidge back/up a little like you yourself have observed.


General advice below - 

You need to practice in front of a mirror, because most dogs who are obedience trained first before everything else (but I think also in general) do that same slouch when put in a stay for a pic. All the more so if they don't do this very often and the dog doesn't have that muscle memory. Odds are if you stay where you would be if stacking for conf, you can get him to look better and get more of an alert look from his head when baiting forward...

You can leave the collar on, but bring it up under his jaw and smooth/brush down the bib. Or borrow a choke chain from somebody if you don't have one yourself. To set the head right, hold collar behind head and bait forward.

Topline/feet - thing to work on is adjust feet and check mirror to see what happens to that topline.

You should have a straight line down from ears to front feet, more or less. And then rear sometimes depends on the dog and how much rear they have, but generally rears are straight line from butt bone to fronts of back toes.

Front feet should be wide enough for a man's fist to fit between them and rears are set wider than front. Front legs and rear hocks you want straight up and down.

***feet and ears look fine + bib needs to just be brushed/smoothed down. Tail needs to be trimmed.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

There's not one foot that's even with the one next to it
There's a reason handlers get paid the big bucks!


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

ArkansasGold said:


> I was going to say to move the back feet back a few inches lol


the more I look at it now that I am on my desktop and not my phone I might split it and go an inch in both front and back


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

I was working on my own. Throwing a treat and telling him to wait halfway back. Kind of tricking him into it! Thank you all for your help! Back to work with him. I think I'm going to find a rug so he doesn't slide like an idiot.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Megora said:


> I think you need to fix the rear feet - it looks like his hocks are too close together. Also, probably want his head a smidge back/up a little like you yourself have observed.
> 
> 
> General advice below -
> ...


It feels better knowing I'm not alone with the issue! He can be so frustrating with this! I need to find myself a helper. I was alone while I was attempting this.


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

K9-Design said:


> There's not one foot that's even with the one next to it
> There's a reason handlers get paid the big bucks!


Right.... I am my own handler. I'm kind of surprised that he hasn't fired me yet!


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