Category: Conformation ¤
  Author: Sue Ailsby ¤
   Title: Free Stacking ¤

The way I teach free stacking is this:

First get control of the head.  C/t for attention, and work it up till
it's on cue.  

Second, get control of the centre of gravity.  Teach the dog to target
your hand with his nose, and get that very firmly on cue.

Third, teach the dog to anchor the back legs and mobilize the front legs.
Get the back legs in a position you like, and then have the dog target
your hand as you move his head from SIDE TO SIDE (**not** forward) until
you have enough control to move ONE front leg, or TWO front legs, or THREE
or FOUR front legs without the dog moving his back legs.  If one back leg
moves, just say "wrong" and start again.  If one back leg moves
frequently, you are not moving his head from side to side, but asking him
(too early) to stretch forward, or else you are not being subtle enough
in your side to side motions and he's jumping instead of just moving his
head. Forward motion will virtually always start with a back leg.  When
you can predict which front leg will move, start putting this on cue by
naming the front legs (I call them "one" and "two"). 

Fourth, teach the dog to anchor his front legs and mobilize the rear legs.
Use the hand targetting to tuck his nose down onto his throat, throwing
his weight backwards, and shape him into moving one back foot or the other
BACKWARDS.  Don't get his head twisted over one shoulder - again, the
motions are subtle.  Note, however, that by having his nose slightly to
the right or left of the centre line, you can get the left or right back
leg to move.  When you can easily move ONE back leg, and can predict which
one it will be, put this one cue by naming the back legs (I call them
"three" and "four").

Fifth, go back to anchoring the back legs and mobilizing the front legs.
In the process of moving the dog's head sideways, name the appropriate
front leg and move his head forward a bit, causing the front leg to move
forward WITHOUT THE BACK LEGS MOVING.  If a back leg moves forward, you
either aren't ready for this maneuver, or your motion was not subtle
enough.  When he can move his front legs forward successfully, you can
start saying "wrong" when he moves them TOO far forward, and usually the
dog will simply put the offending foot back into the correct position.  

Sixth (not necessarily in order, but anytime at all), c/t for just 
standing comfortably, and/or lifting the butt off the ground.  Centre of
gravity won't be right, foot placement won't be right, head won't be
right, don't worry about it.  Get "stand" on cue.

Seventh, get the dog all lined up, back feet, front feet, head squared,
c/t a million times in this position so the dog's body will start falling
naturally into this position.

When the dog understands the "seventh position", hold your target hand a
little further from his nose and ask him to touch.  If a foot moves,
"wrong".  If his nose leans toward it and the feet stay still, c/t. Work
on this stretching forward until you've got what you need, then put it on
cue ("lookin' good" or "pretty" or "show off" or whatever).

Finally, teach the dog to ignore the bait when it's tucked in the last
three fingers of your hand.  First make sure the dog understands the "off"
cue (don't go near my hand even if there IS food in it).  Then put the
food between your pointer finger and your thumb and c/t.  Then show him
the next piece between your pointer finger and your thumb ("c/t
position"), then immediately shift it into your last three fingers leaving
your pointer and thumb empty, and cue "off".  When he gets off,
elaborately shift the bait back into c/t position, c/t.  Repeat this until
he understands that when the bait is tucked against your palm in your last
three fingers, it has disappeared off the planet, and won't re-appear
until it's back in c/t position.  Now you can show his teeth, fix his
ears, brush his ruff up, place his feet if you want to, all with the bait
in your hand, without the dog frantically lunging for the bait.  The cue
to ignore the bait is you shifting the bait into the last three fingers.

Do all THAT, and you have a Specials quality freestacking dog - and, as so
many people have said to me over the years - "Wow, are you ever lucky to
have a dog that naturally self stacks!!"  ;-)

Sue eh?
Mind to Mind Training
Dragonair Giant Schnauzers and Portuguese Water Dog
Dragonfly Llamas