# Practicing our Gaiting and Freestackin



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

This is hard stuff ! How do you teach her not to look at you ? It seems she’s getting better on the last video, for gaiting.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Dechi said:


> This is hard stuff ! How do you teach her not to look at you ? It seems she’s getting better on the last video, for gaiting.


Thanks dechi! It is hard! I wish i knew exactly how to teach her not to look at me. She loves to look up at me which is great for obedience stuff but not for conformation. Right now i am just clicking for head straight but I may have to start using a lure (think donkey with a carrot dangling from a string just out of reach) or possibly throwing bait out in front. I wish it wasn’t such a big deal but they do look so much nicer when they look forward and the gait is nicer. The standard judge at PCA was upset that a lot of the dogs were looking at the handlers instead of straight ahead. I guess I’m glad I’m not the only one with this problem lol.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I loved watching Luna's gait - she's gorgeous moving. Are you taking classes in conformation? Maybe your trainer or mentor has suggestions on how to lure her head into position.

It was interesting to watch you free stacking.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Thank you Skylar! No classes right now (though we have in the past) but I am begging some local dog friends to start practicing conformation with us once a week. Hopefully they will have some tips, or maybe the practice will help her. 

As to the stacking, she used to just naturally go into a stack but now I am having to tell her to “fix it” much more often, and even then she isn’t fixing it on her own so then I am having to tap her toes to remind her. Hoping that by practicing regularly we can get back to it!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I've always been curious about how they teach dogs to stack. 

Babykins was with the professional handler getting ready to be shown - when I got her she stacked all the time - she still tends to stack. People who do conformation point it out to me all the time. I think that as you work on it, eventually it will become Luna's normal stance as well.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Skylar that is very cool about Babykins still stacking herself for you! I have worked with Luna on stacking from the time she was small, however stacking a puppy (and having them hold still while stacked) is one of the most difficult things I can think of teaching lol. That’s just because I am not a pro trainer and do not have a lot of experience training dogs. So she is probably far behind what an experience show person would have trained by now, but we are going to kick it into gear to be prepared for the shows in a couple of months and hopefully she will be ready. She is much better about holding still now so that is a relief!!


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

She has very nice movement. Better movement than my dog has.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Oh thank you Mysticrealm - I think that is the kindest complement I have ever received about her. She is a big mover. Just gotta fix her head and my own movement because I have a hard time keeping up with her.


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## kjgendreau (Oct 20, 2015)

Sorry, am late to the game on this thread. But I have some ideas for you to get her to stop looking up at you and throwing off her front. 

I've been beat up by both my mentor (who was a junior handler who went to Westminster) and more than one conformation class instructor about my looking down at my boy who then feels he has to look up at me. It's very very hard to not even as much glance down at him (is he pacing? Is he sidewinding? Is his head up?). I also have a tendency to not travel in a straight line either when I'm not looking at where I'm going. Eventually (per all the guidance I'm getting) my boy will eventually quit looking for me and keep his head looking straight ahead. (God I hope so). You could try target training but beware she may want to reach her head forward and you'll lose the carriage that poodles are so known for. Gaiting on a loose lead will also keep the head up and forward. 


(Edited to Add: I'm short and short legged and I have also been told to lengthen my stride to keep up with my boy. it feels funny but if I don't do that I also cause my boy to short step and not move out)


JUST DON'T LOOK DOWN!!! :act-up:

Hope this helps.

Kirsten 

"Solo" GCH UCH UR02 Musique Moonlight Concerto CD, PCD, BN, RA, CGC SPOT-ON

"Tango" Musique Moonlight Tango (Major Pointed)


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

kjgendreau said:


> Sorry, am late to the game on this thread. But I have some ideas for you to get her to stop looking up at you and throwing off her front.
> 
> I've been beat up by both my mentor (who was a junior handler who went to Westminster) and more than one conformation class instructor about my looking down at my boy who then feels he has to look up at me. It's very very hard to not even as much glance down at him (is he pacing? Is he sidewinding? Is his head up?). I also have a tendency to not travel in a straight line either when I'm not looking at where I'm going. Eventually (per all the guidance I'm getting) my boy will eventually quit looking for me and keep his head looking straight ahead. (God I hope so). You could try target training but beware she may want to reach her head forward and you'll lose the carriage that poodles are so known for. Gaiting on a loose lead will also keep the head up and forward.
> 
> ...


Kirsten thank you for all of the great advice!!! I have heard that too - not to look down! As you know it is so hard not to, but I definitely need to work on that! I need some sort of hat with rear view mirrors attached so I can look straight ahead but still see her hahaha. I am very glad that you took the time to comment and good luck with your boy also!!


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