How to teach your dog the show stance

 The first thing a dog is taught to participate in exhibitions is an exhibition stand. A special stance with a certain position of the hind limbs is characteristic of each breed. This element is extremely important so that the judges can correctly assess both the harmony of the dog as a whole and individual articles. Therefore, training in an exhibition stand is a task of paramount importance.  

How do you teach your dog the show stance?

If the puppy is trained to a collar and leash, put him on the floor (or, if he is the size of a cocker spaniel or smaller, on a table), give the “Work” and “Ring” commands. Then give the pet the desired position with your hands. Dogs of some breeds can be supported under the lower jaw and under the stomach to secure the rack. But there are breeds where a free stance is needed. If the puppy is excitable, it can be fixed on a piece of goodies or an interesting object. You stand in front of the dog, command “Ring” and hold the object at some distance from the puppy. It is important that the puppy stands still for at least 30 seconds. But, of course, this is not achieved immediately. First, the baby should take the desired position for a couple of seconds, be sure to vigorously praise him and treat him. At first, the dog is held by the collar, but if the stance is correct, the collar is released, while not allowing the puppy to budge.

Do not say unnecessary words, do not scold the puppy if he needs more time than you expected. Be persistent and patient.

 It is important that the team ends with execution, but not “slipshod”, but “purely”. The puppy must understand what you want from him. And if you decide that for now it will “get off”, and then “finish”, you will stretch the process of learning the exhibition stand for a long time. In addition, it is much more difficult to retrain than to teach correctly right away. Classes should be regular, daily (2 – 3 times a day), but short. For a puppy of 2 – 5 months, it is enough to stay in the exhibition rack for 3 – 5 seconds. Start training your dog in the show stance at home, and then train in other rooms or outdoors to teach the dog to work in the presence of stimuli.