# Sticky  How to Stack?



## DHau

How do you stack a dog for critiquing? I would like to take a photo of my dog to send to my breeder so he can see how she turned out.


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## Jagenstadt

*Here are some pictures I took of my young female Fia some years ago.
I hope this can help you when not only stacking your dog, but also trying to get a good picture in the process.
First off let me say I am not a professional photographer, these pictures were taken with a Sony Cyber Shot 5 mega pixel camera.
I did the stacking, my son-in law took the pictures and my nephew called the dog to get her attention. Three people working together will help you to get the best picture.
I started by showing my son in law and nephew some pictures of some correctly stacked dogs in my Urma book. Neither one of them has any experience with, or knowledge of what the finished product should look like. (I shanghaied them into service at a family outing)








I tried to explain how important it was to try to be fairly level with the dog (not shooting down) and also to be positioned directly in the middle of the dog.
Some of the common mistakes (as you will see in my photo examples) are taking the pictures on grass that is too high. Naturally this hides the dogs feet, a freshly cut field works best. You should also try to have a large open field that’s nice and green and without to many background distractions.
The time of day and amount of sun light will also affect your pictures. I find that a little bit of an overcast sky is best. (It was very bright and sunny in my photos).

#1. Start by running your dog around a little to tire them out some and get their tongue hanging out for the pictures. Try walking your dog into a natural stance.

#2. Reach around the front of the dog and gently lift them up off the ground from under the chest a few inches and try to place them down with their front legs as straight and vertical under the shoulder as possible. Look down from the shoulder to see if they are straight. (The photographer can help guide you also) 










#3. While holding the dog from under the chest to try and keep the front legs straight, position your foot as a marker for where the dogs inside rear leg (closest to you) should be. Reach over and gently extend the rear outside leg to the point that the hock will be straight and vertical just like the front legs. This can be a bit tricky as all dogs will present themselves differently depending on how far back you pull the leg.
•It’s a good idea to practice in front of a mirror, not only to see if you’re doing it right, but also to see what position your dog looks best in.

#4. Slowly ease away from the dog and hope that they hold the position long enough for a few good pictures, as you can see Fia moved her front legs!


















#5. This is the best part…..just when you think you got it the dog will move!!!!
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Repeat steps 1 through 4 all over again!</span>









#6. If you’re lucky, after about an hour, and 100 pictures later, you wind up with a picture that’s a keeper (forgetting the bright sun light, the long grass and my knobby knees).


















I hope this helps, GOOD LUCK!







*


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## mkennels

that is a great description of stacking a dog with the photos for eact part, I really like that and a beautiful girl as well


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## GSDOwner2008

Wow, I've been stacking my 8 month and my 5 month old boys, and they have had decent stacks, but this post has really pointed out some helpfull things! Great post!


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## DHau

Andrew, thank you for the detailed description on how to stack a dog. It's ironic that you are the one who took the time to answer my question because you will be the recipient of the photo. lol. 

Why don't you just come up here and critique her in person? It would be sooo much easier for me because she rarely sits still outside. Ike is coming your way and I'm sure you need a place to evacuate to. We're only 9 hours away. lol. j/k 

I'll try to get some pictures done today because the yard was mowed yesterday.


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## Jagenstadt

Denise, I'd love to come up however I'll be evacuating to Germany for the Sieger Show in a couple of days!








I figured that if I was ever going to get any pictures of Tosca from you then I should do whatever possible to help you along!








I look forward to seeing how your beautiful girl has developed.


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## DHau

haha. I have lots of pictures. Now it's just how to get it off the digital camera and posting it. lol. The kids need to teach me how to do it.


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## Karla_Calderon

Super explanation and illustration. I might add a couple of things.... From a photographer's standpoint, one common mistake to avoid is the stacker wearing dark clothing (altho in these we have we "knobby knees"









And maybe the last thing when stacking, is to slightly push horizontally just above the base of the tail. I find it tends to "set" the dog if only for a minute. 

With small puppies, I find a whirl or two around in a circle in my arms is the secret for getting a very quick stack shot on a table. The only problem is I get a little dizzy myself...


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## Jagenstadt

> Quote: altho in these we have "knobby knees"


HEY...take it easy on me Karla, those knobby knees are my best feature!


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## amjrchamberlain

Terrific explanation and pictures!!







Very helpful!


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## Karla_Calderon

> Originally Posted By: Andrew1
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> Quote: altho in these we have "knobby knees"
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> HEY...take it easy on me Karla, those knobby knees are my best feature!
Click to expand...


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## UrSun

Mark for myself.








Thanks for sharing!


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## jacksonpuppers

Great info!


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## Xeph

Am I the only person that HATES the tongue hanging out pictures?

The puppy is lovely, I was just saying in general

One thing I disagree with is lifting the entire front of the dog though...it does funky things to the front, and IMO that's why so many pictures show dogs that are posting.

I place each foot individually, by the elbow.

I also hold the dog by the head (under the jaw). I've found if the dog can't move it's head, it's not as likely to "turn out" and move.

ETA: Just realized this shows how to stack a German dog....go me


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## Liesje

I think for Nikon, being lifted is more like a "hey, settle, we're stacking now..." and then I or his handler still places each leg by lifting the elbow.


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## WiscTiger

Jackie, with the tongue hanging out you can see how tight or droopy the lips are. 

I have used the lift/drop on the front end and most of the time all I need is a slight movement of one of the front legs.


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## Xeph

Ah, see, everybody I know in the American ring claims the dog is relaxed....when they do it what I see is a stressed dog 

I've just never liked it because I think it ruins the outline of the head. I guess it's just my preference.


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## eyezik

very informative, thank you sir.


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## istie

i hate seeing pictures of a dog with its mouth closed
With mouth closed it shows how weak an underjaw the dog has.
I think it shows a better over all pic with the mouth open, not gaping and the tongue hanging like the dog has been working really hard, but a relaxed pose


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## Jessiewessie99

Tanner refuses to stack.lol


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## shilorio

do you train a gsd to "stack walk" or what ever you call it? cause my german shepherd has no slope to her back. i put her in the stack position all the time (she is great at staying) but doesnt walk with the slope. she never will, will she?


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## Andaka

No, probably not.


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## frillint1

Wow, that was great thanks! I never even knew what that word meant. I can't wait to try that with my new pup in 2012. What does stack walk mean?


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## VaBeachFamily

Anyone wanna just come do it for me? LOL. I actually figure Cullen will have to be shown in the SV style ring, trying to make it to NASS this year but looks like finances will keep me from doing that... But I want to take a few pics for the breeder also, and just for me!!!


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## omegastar

Excellent! I will be trying this when I get home from work.


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## Xeph

How to stack a dog:





First of all, when you take the picture, you want to be on the same level as the dog. Not below them, not above them. We're just talking general "let's see what the dog looks like!" Photography. This is not about making a dog look longer bodied, shorter bodied, taller, lower stationed, etc. It's JUST to view the dog.

You want both forelegs perpendicular to the ground, coming straight down from the shoulder blade. When viewed from the side, it should seem as though the dog only has one leg. This means you don't have one foot farther in front of the other.

If your dog has legs that are doing this--> / the dog is posting (some people call it bridging). Posting is bad. Posting completely distorts the front assembly and can make a good topline look....not good 

When setting the rear, the general rule of thumb is for the tips of the toes on the inside foot (always the right foot) to line up with the tip of the sheath on males. With females, you just pretend they have a penis to get positioning right. 

The outside leg (always the left) should be drawn back gently, and the hock should be perpendicular to the ground. You do not want to see any tilted hocks, and if the hock IS tilted, it should be minor.

It is common to try and over stretch a dog. When you do this, you lose the rear angles the dog has. The dog ends up looking unbalanced and weak. It can also distort the croup and the rest of the topline.

Head of the dog should be facing forward. I do not double my dogs to get ears up and the head forward. I just throw a piece of bait or another object (this is for pics only, not in the show ring). The head also needs to be UP! If you allow the dog to drop its head, a dog with a high wither ends up with an "ok" wither or a flat wither. A dog with a flat wither ends up with a dip in the wither.

Do NOT put your hands on the dog's chest or stick your feet behind the hock to keep the dog in place. You hide the dog's forechest when you do the former, and the latter is #1 unnecessary and #2 looks ridiculous  Your hands should be on the dog's collar, or holding the dog's jaw (on the right side), so you are as unobtrusive as possible. You want people to see your dog, not your body parts.

When you begin to set up a dog, the first thing you want control of is the dog's head. If the head can move around, the front can move around, and that's no good. You'll end up with a dog that is toeing out, has one foot too far forward, is posting, etc.

Take your hand and grab the dog gently but firmly by the jawline, up near the cheek. If your dog will not accept this (and some dogs just won't, and that's ok) hold the dog gently by the muzzle. The head must remain facing straight forward, in line with the dog's spine, or again, your front will set funky.

When setting the front, keep hold of the dog's head, with your right hand, and reach down with your left hand to set the left foreleg. Grab the dog by the *elbow* NOT the pastern (wrist)! If you grab by the pastern, you have no control over foot placement. It's like holding a slimy flopping fish. By grabbing the elbow, you have control of the entire leg and can place the foot where you want.

When the left side of the dog is set, repeat the action, but take your left hand and grab the dog by the jaw, using your right hand to set the right foreleg. Remember to be sure that your dog's legs are perpendicular to the ground, coming straight down from the shoulder blade.

Now comes the part that is tricky for many people. Setting the rear! Why is it tricky? Because you still have to hold on to your dog's face 

Continue to hold the dog's jawline/muzzle. Reach back and grab the right rear leg by the hock. Gently place it back, making sure to keep the hock perpendicular to the ground. Then grab the inside foot and set it forward, in line with the [pretend] penis. Be sure you don't over stretch your dog!

Be sure to flick the tail after setting the rear, to make sure it is not flipped over a hock, or tucked too far under the dog.

Once the rear feet are positioned, move back to the front of the dog, set your hands behind the ears, and pull up and forward gently but firmly. This forces the dog to lean forward and come up on its toes, eliminating the possibility of posting. If the dog moves any feet, just reposition.

Hold the dog by the collar or jaw, and keep yourself as much out of the way as possible!


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## carmspack

maybe its good that she moved , picture #6 is better than #4 -- good set - up , great illustrations


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## tolbert

Just find a squirrel on the ground.


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## zetti

tolbert said:


> Just find a squirrel on the ground.


Wow. What a stunner!


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