Written By Amber All; - Soigne Chihuahuas

Because every toy show dog must be taught to stand properly on the table for examination by a judge, the following information is intended to aid the novice handler in overcoming some common problems that may be encountered during this process.

The puppy or older dog that has never been on a table may first exhibit stacking problems for several reasons. One possibility is fear, another being that the dog does not yet understand what you expect of them. As the handler you must be sure to overcome both these obstacles before you can reasonably expect the dog to do as you ask. What you do with your dog on the table can have many effects. The most desirable effect being that you remove the fear while teaching the dog what you expect. The earlier you begin working with a dog the easier the process will be. Older dogs are just as capable as younger ones but it has been my experience the process may take a little longer and requires more patience with an older dog.

Once you are sure your dog is not afraid on the table and you are certain the dog understands what you are asking him to do, if you are still experienceing problems, there is another possibility to consider. Is your dog physically able to do what you are asking? As a handler it is your responsibility to know enough about proper canine structure that you recognize when you are asking them to do something that is beyond their capability or that puts undue physical strain on their bodies. Most dogs want desperately to please you and will make every effort to do as you ask. So it is up to you to recognize when structural faults are the root of a problem. If so, you must explore ways to work around them.

As you begin to work with a dog that has never been on the table it's likely you will experience one or more of several common problems. While no solution will work for every dog, some tried and true methods are a good starting point in working through certain situations. When trying these methods always keep a firm hold on an inexperienced dog to avoid accidents. Also, keep in mind that most of these techniques assume you are woking with a dog that is structurally sound and capable of doing what you ask.

Common Problems and Possible Solutions

*My dog wants to squat in the rear when I put him on the table.

Leaving the front legs in place, with one hand firmly under the jaw bone and the other between the rear legs, try lifting the rear a few inches off the table. Lifting the rear will often cause the dog to stretch his back legs in an attempt to locate the table.

With males be sure you do not put pressure on the testicles. As you slowly place the rear legs back onto the table the dog should no longer be “squatty” in the rear. Don't get discouraged if, in a matter of minutes, he becomes “squatty” again. Simply repeat the process. It may take several repetitions for him to comprehend what you want. With praise, he should eventually come to understand.

*My dog pushes back with the front legs when I place him on the table.

Using the same hand placement above, stabilize the rear and lift the front legs a few inches off the table. Be very careful that you do not apply pressure to the throat which will be extremely uncomfortable and will cause him to adamently resist. You should only be lifting the dog with your hand under the jaw bone, not clenched tightly around the throat. What you hope to see is that the dog straightens the front legs in an attempt to locate the table beneath him. When you place the front legs onto the table, they should be nice and straight with no pushing back. It may be necessary to repeat the process several times in succession or over a period of several days. Short repetitive sessions and praise are key to success.

*My dog leans into me when he is on the table.

Many times a dog will twist his body or stand with his abdomen leaning into the handler.

Take a finger and slightly apply pressure gently pushing the dog toward you. Do not knock the dog off his feet. This only requires an ever so slight push and it will encourage the dog to resist the force by pushing against your finger with his abdomen in an effort to gain stability. When you release the pressure by removing your finger he should have straightened out and stand without leaning into you. If not, try again with a little more pressure taking care not to make him fall. After a few tries he should come to understand that it is not a good idea to lean into you.

*My dog tries to back up when he is on the table.

When a dog tries to walk backwards it can be an indication he is unaware there is limited table beneath his feet. If not made aware of this he could indeed back completely off the table and fall to the floor. One way to make it clear to him that the table does end is to drag his rear feet backward across the table and make a dipping/falling gesture at the point where the table ends. Be sure to have him grasped firmly in your hands as stated above- under the jaw bone and in males apply no pressure on the testicles. He will feel the table beneath his feet as you gently drag him backward and he will feel the table disappear under his feet. As you dip him slightly downward, he should come to understand that he could fall off the table. A few backward sweeps is usually enough to deter future attempts to walk backward.

*My dog will not put his ears up on the table.

This can often be attributed to the dog's lack of confidence and is something that needs to be addressed on an individual basis. Many times dogs are shown before they have gained the confidence to put their ears up voluntarily. If this is the case, a temporary solution is to touch the dog at the base of the ears as they are being presented to the judge. Some dogs will still hold the ears back but many do respond by putting the ears up.

*My dog stands with his front feet turned out when I place him on the table.

When working with a dog that does this be sure the dog has his front feet placed far enough apart that he has sufficient balance. If you think his balance is good and he continues to stand with his feet pointed outward you can manually turn the feet to a more correct position by grasping the front legs near the elbows, one in each hand, and turn them slightly inward until they are properly placed. This is a very slight and gently turn of the legs. With feet that are badly turned outward, this will offer only slight correction. Too much correction here will cause the dog to appear out at the elbows.

*My dog tries to lie down on the table

Placing an object under the dog will prevent him being able to lie down.

*My dog pulls his rear legs under him when I stack him.

This too can be a confidence issue-which again needs to be addressed on an individual basis. If you are certain it's not a confidence issue be sure you are not placing the rear legs too closely together when manually placing the feet. Feet set too closely together will make the dog feel off balance and will cause him to re-set his feet.

If a dog continually re-sets his rear feet/legs by pulling one or both under him, it's possible there is a rear structural issue. With structural issues you must work around them and avoid forcing the dog to do what is not comfortable. If the dog seems unable to place his rear legs as far back as you would like, work with him placing the feet back in small increments to find out exactly how far you can place them without the dog re-setting himself. Once you establish this comfort limit, that is the angle of rear foot placement you should use from that moment forward.

Slipped hocks are one structural issue to consider in a dog that continuously re-sets his rear by pulling one or both feet forward. Slipped hocks are hocks that collapse forward when the feet are placed too far back. A dog with slipped hocks is likely uncomfortable. Some dogs will not display discomfort despite a collapsed hock but forcing the “perfect” stack in a dog with this structural weakness can cause further damage over time. For this reason it's imperative you recognize the issue and not force the dog to place his feet to the point of hock collapse.

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Certainly there are other problems that you might encounter as you begin working with an inexperienced dog. Hopefully these tips will help get you moving in a positive direction.

The dog I used as illustration, was over a year old when I began seriously working with him on the table. In the beginning he displayed several of the issues I have discussed here. Using the same methods I have described, in approximately 2 weeks (every other night for 15 minutes each night) of working with him he now gives as nice a stack as I can expect. They often learn quickly with repetition and praise in a quiet and relaxed environment. I did not use bait, and have not discussed its use here because some dogs do not respond to it but many dogs do and it can be a very useful tool.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun and be sure your dog is having fun! Working with these small dogs on the table is a wonderful bonding opportunity and with patience it is usually very rewarding.