SZIZLIN VIZSLAS
Dog
Shows In a Nutshell
STACK: BASICS
First
and foremost, remember a dog show is only a dog show. Relax and have fun!
There are a lot of nice dogs competing, and only one dog and one bitch can win
points on any given day. If you put a lot of pressure on yourself, your dog
will pick up on the nerves which will likely negatively impact the
performance. This is a sport and it is important to be a good sport and treat
your dog well. Do not get discouraged, especially if you are showing a puppy.
Puppies are not supposed to behave like little robots; the key is to make sure
your puppy is having as much fun showing as possible. An unhappy dog is not a
good show dog. Few puppies are mature enough at a young age to win
consistently over more mature dogs.
To stack
your dog, you can be standing or kneeling, whichever is easiest for you and
works best for your dog. Handling is a process of trial and error, as you try
to figure out the best way to present your dog. All handling tips included
herein should be modified to accommodate your dogs needs! Each dog is
different in personality and conformation, and different handling techniques
need to be used. Some dogs are jumping off the ceiling, others are falling
asleep in a stack, extremes which require very different methods of handling.
Different techniques also need to be used to minimize whatever faults your dog
happens to possess.
You must
have control of the dog's head. Either hold the head or position and hold the
lead to control the head. You can not stack a dog without having full control
of its head because the dog's body will follow wherever the head moves.
Since
most dogs do not love being overhandled, keep your handling to a minimum. Do
not fix what is already naturally set correctly. When taking a part of a dog's
body to set, take it gently and move slowly. Do not GRAB the dog's limbs or
make quick movements, because fast, rough handling not only looks bad, it
makes dogs not like handling and not stand still.
The
Stack
Your
dog's head is aimed toward your right. Set front feet first, then rear feet.
Front right leg is placed with the right hand. The other three legs are placed
with the left hand. Once the dog's feet are in position, you must PRESENT your
dog to the judge with confidence by finishing the picture:
- Dog is
up over the front feet, showing available arch of neck.
- Lips
are not caught on teeth. Extra skin on neck or wrinkle over shoulder is pulled
up/cleaned up.
-
Topline is level and straight.
- Tail
is straight out slightly below topline.
-
Handler is as inconspicuous as possible. Extra lead is balled up (or Zd up).
- Dog
looks alert and interested.
When you
come to your place in line, try and keep some space between you and the dog
ahead of you so that you have room to stack, and room to move if the dog
behind you moves up too close. If someone is crowding you, be sure to ask them
if they could please move back. Make sure that your dog is in line with the
dogs in the row, and not in a hole behind the line where you won't easily be
seen. Pay attention to where the judge is having dogs stack and the pattern (s)he
is using so that you will prepared when your turn comes.
Use
of Bait: Bait is the tasty treat you are using to keep your dog interested
in performing. You can use bait to make your vizsla look its best…e.g., to
gain expression, to maneuver the dog's feet, to help keep the dog holding in a
hard stack and to attain a great free stack. However, many judges do not like
to see a dog chomping on bait.
- Do not
feed your dog the bait just before you are moving around the ring. Chomping on
food does not look attractive, can affect the way the dog moves and can cause
choking and gagging all the way around the ring.
- Do not
feed your dog the bait just before the judge examines the bite.
Timing: The goal is to have your dog always looking its best whenever the
judge is looking at your dog. Therefore, timing is critical. With a dog just
learning to stack, there is an exact right time to start the stack so that you
have time to get the dog looking good before the judge looks. If you are too
late, the judge's first impression of your dog could be that it looks like a
pretzel! If you are too early, the dog may be breaking out of that lovely
stack just as the judge looks at him or her. Timing comes with practice, and
becomes less relevant as your dog becomes more reliable in holding a hard
stack. The other component of timing is a cardinal rule of handling: You
should know at all times where the judge is and what the judge is doing.
Handling
can be broken down into various components: To read more about a handling
topic just click on the link below.
Acronyms:
BOB
Best of Breed
BOS
Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed
WD
Winners Dog
RWD
Reserve Winners Dog
WB
Winners Bitch
RWB
Reserve Winners Bitch
BOW
Best of Winners
BIS
Best in Show
BISS
Best in Specialty Show
AOM
Award of Merit (aka JAM)