Dog lifted up in standing position
This is not just a formal exercise for dog shows. Instead it is an exercise that will train your dog not to bite indiscriminately. Since there is no confusing similarity between the trainer's actions on the Sit-Stay and the Stand-for-Examination, the two exercises can be started at the same time.
Review previously learned exercises. Praise him for his automatic sit when you stop so that he will not take your action of putting him on the stand as disapproval. Adjust your left foot slightly in between the front and the back legs of the dog. The right foot securely forward for comfortable bal-ance as shown.
Change your grip so that your right hand is holding the leash close to the dog's neck. This will keep his front end from drifting about as you work
Lesson 8: Stand for Examination with his rear and at the same time prevent an accidental upward tug which would give your dog a cue to sit. The right hand pulls slightly forward
on the leash to control the dog's front end. Adjust your position so that you can extend your left arm across the small of the dog's back beneath his loin. Give a command such as "Stand" and gently raise your dog to a standing position. When he is standing, move your left hand from under him and gently stroke his side and his back in the area of his shoulders.
When he has stood for ten seconds, show your approval with praise as you heel him one step forward to where he should sit automatically. This is to discourage the dog from ever sitting back down on the spot where he was placed on the Stand for Examination. If he should try to sit before this terminating step, raises him back to a stand with a gentle tug forward with the leash close to his neck. If he makes 501 attempts to sit, raise him 502 times.
When he has worked on the exercise about fifteen times each day for seven days, your dog should hold a stand for half a minute as you lightly stroke his back.
By now you should begin conditioning him to the approach and touch
from all angles in preparation for later accustoming him to strangers. Begin the sixth day on the stand by placing your dog in the usual way. Let all
the leash, except for the grip, fall from your right hand. This is to make it impossible for you to accidentally tighten the leash as you begin to work your way around the dog. Give a stay command, and, with your left hand lightly stroking the dog near the shoulder, begin to sidestep around him in a counter-clockwise position. As you passed in front of him, change the leash grip to your left hand. The leash must remain on the right side. After you have passed behind the dog and are moving back along his right side toward the starting point, switch the leash grip back to the right hand.
At all times, make sure he does not break from the stand you have placed him. Practice your exercises, periodically repeating the standing and condi-tioning to touch routine at least ten times each day.
For the first two days, do a counter-clockwise circle around the dog while stroking the dog's withers. The next two days, continue to stroke the dog's withers while moving counter-clockwise around the dog twice. Increase
Lesson 8: Stand for Examination
Helper approached and touched dog in Stand-for-Exa mi nation
to move around three times on the fifth and sixth day. If the dog moves, a firm lift under the tummy and a jerk forward for the correction.
On the second week on the Stand for Examination, move around your dog at arm's length change the circling pattern to an oval that lets you move out to face him from a distance of three feet in front. On the sixth day of work on the Stand by placing him in the usual manner. Let the whole length of the leash except the grip fall from your right hand. Give a stay command, and with your left hand lightly stroking the dog near the shoul-der, begin to sidestep around him smoothly and confidently in a counter-clockwise pattern. After you've passed behind the dog and are moving back along his right side towards the starting point, you need to switch the leash grip back to the right hand. Immediately give a heel-command, take a step, straighten up and adjust to the proper leash grip-all in one motion.
Face the dog out in front for about five seconds, and then pass your leash to the left hand, which extends out at your side about chest level. Move
Lesson 8: Stand for Examination back toward him and continue on a casual walk that takes you past his left side, behind him, and around back to the heel position. Finish the exercise by heeling him one step forward.
Begin the third week on the Stand for Examination by placing your dog in the stand the usual way and give the stay command. Now as you have told
him to stay take 1 step out in front of him. Here the progression of 1 step out for the 1st and 2nd days for 10 seconds then 2 steps out on the 3rd and 4th days for 20 seconds then 3 steps out on the 5th and 6th days for 30 seconds.
Four days after you begin to face your dog from out in front, he should be ready to be introduced to the approach and touch part of the exercise. The person doing the touching can be a stranger or a friend as long as he will scrupulously follow your instructions. To prepare the dog for the Stand-for-Examination you can do the Sit-for Stand-for-Examination. Your dog by now have two weeks of work on the Sit-stay. A good preparation for the Stand for Examination is the Sit stay (for exam) where someone approaches and pats the dog on the head and the dog must hold regardless of his emotion. The person should neither be a timid, uncertain type, nor a know-it-all who will disregard your instructions. Tell your helper to stand quietly a few feet from the dog's right side until the dog has been placed on the stand and you have taken your position out in front. Without the appearance of reaching toward him, a hand should hang impersonally near the dog's nose so that a slight move of his head will allow the dog to sniff the hand. When his sniff shows that he is resigned to the helper's presence, the person
should touch the dog confidently on the head or neck, and immediately, turn and walk away. You should then walk around the dog and break him
loose in the usual way. When you are certain your helper will do as he is told, work a few of the stand-and-touch exercises into your practice pat-tern. Practice the exercise faithfully, having your helper touch the dog from
all angles. A disciplined dog will increase security for you and make any vet visits a lot more pleasant.