# Do your GSDs stack themselves?



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm just curious how many GSDs here commonly stand in a "stacked" position (with one back leg forward, the other back) without being coached? I was surprised by how often Bianca will stop and stand in a "stack" type position when just walking around.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

some of the best photos I have of my older male were taken when I did a running stand with him - he would always stop in a nice stack!!!

Lee


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## Doggydog (May 12, 2009)

then how come it's so hard to get them to do it for a photo? I just voted and mine has occasionally stacked on her own. But never ever with my help


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

Boss does all the time. Scout never does.


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## Rei (Oct 10, 2008)

Trent only free stacks when I do not have a camera on hand. When I do, he refuses to stand still, let alone be stacked/stack himself...


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## Ocean (May 3, 2004)

Depends on their structure. My best structured dog (DDR) stands in a natural stack about 75~80% of the time. The second best (WestGerWL) about 50% of the time. My most square dog (Czech) about 10% of the time (and curiously, its when his prey drive is working that he stacks naturally). None of them does an extreme stack like you see in photos of AKC show types. I would be curious to know from owners of AKC showlines if their dogs extreme stack naturally or those are just posed for pictures. The AKC lines that I have seen in natural settings like in herding training don't demonstrate any extreme stacks naturally.


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## andreddi (Feb 19, 2009)

Axle does it quite often. However, as soon as i tell him "nice stand" he moves...go figure. He never does it when the camera is ready and waiting


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

usually when he is waiting for me to throw the BALL


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I hear you Rei...Anna will do it and I'm like "Oh! I need a camera!" but when I have a camera, nothin. I'll catch her!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

That's so true about trying to get a photo...

This is the best I've gotten so far with Bianca, I happened to catch her standing still on a "playdate" but it's not very good--


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yep mine freestack a lot and yep, they look better than my stacks (even though both dogs are "show dogs"). It's because they stack naturally when they are alerting to something, so they pick their heads up, ears erect and forward. Sometimes when they are being placed they don't like being touched like that so they slouch, or they are bored so their head is down. So far the best stacks I get are when I tie Nikon's ball to the fence, put him on a lead about 5' away and stack him while he's antsy for the ball.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Ours do it all the time when something has caught their attention. Typically they look better than my attempts to stack them. Of course, do I ever have a camera handy when they strike perfect poses on their own? Nope!


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Morgan does, she has a long lovely floaty structure. Otto doesn't but probably becuase he's built like a coffee table.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

Both my dogs stack themselves all the time but Cody does it more often, almost 90% of the time, probably because he's half American. I am in LOVE with Cody' stack much more then Isa's, he just seems more balanced then her because his back is straight.


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