My lovely Cocker bitch is coming up to 10 months now, she is fine in the ring apart from on the table, when the judge approaches she just goes ga ga , try as I might I cannot get her to stand still to be gone over. I love that she enjoys herself but I really need to find a happy medium,we practise all the time and she goes to ringcraft twice a week and she's been to quite a few shows now but it's just the same every time. I know she's just a baby but the other Cockers that I've seen all stand so beautifully on the table.
If anyone has any tips I would be ever so grateful.
x

I allowed mine to say 'Hi' to the judge and would then say 'Stand' again.  I hold a tripe stick in my 'head hand'.  It's special enough to hold my dog's attention, but clean and easy enough to slip in my pocket or hide in my hand when necessary.  I hold around her chest with my right hand and support the rear end with my left hand as the judge goes over her head.  I then allow her to chew the end of the tripe stick as the judge goes over her body.  As the judge stands back to look at the overall shape, I hide it in my hand and by concealing it, that allows me to keep her head in the correct position.  I hope that you can understand that!! :)

Im sorry I dont have much of a suggestion other than keep trying but your post did make me smile as I have EXACTLY the same problem with a 9 month cocker bitch!!

She just loves everybody and life so much that once the bum starts to wag all her feet move and when judges go over her chest she thinks they are picking her up so launches herself off all 4's. Luckily judges and other exhibitors are giving us the grace of 'just a puppy' and many tell me it is better to have a naughty puppy than a robotic one as they are likely to go stale before reaching full maturity. Puppies should have a naughty spirit and it is definately a cocker trait!

It's so nice to know I'm not alone!! Took her to ringcraft last night and she was just the same, everyone says one day it'll just 'click' so I'm holding on to that thought. Going to try obedience on Friday, the trainer at ringcraft suggested giving her an additional focus might help so we'll see how that one goes, don't think they know what they're letting themselves in for!!
Thanks for your ideas Westcoast I tried it last night and was a bit all over the place but with more practice it could well work, need to work on my slight of hand!

Brilliant.  It just takes co-ordination and practice! 
I'd been showing free standing floor dogs for 25+ years before getting a toy table dog so I had a lot to learn and struggled for quite a while! :)  I knew the theory but to actually do it proved much harder than I imagined!  I did allow her to retain her personality and to greet the judge but she knew that when I said 'stand' then it meant calming down for a few minutes.  Once we'd moved and got back to our place, she was allowed to do her Zebedee impression and clown around before I said 'stand' again. :)