This is something I have noticed in some pictures in the net...
I think it is a US thing but not sure...

I've seen pictures of various breeds where the dog is stood in show pose but there is a little platform under every paw !
Why is this done?!?
To train the dog to stand??
To get it stand in when the picture is taken??
It does seem the dogs in the pictures are young dogs...
Don't understand why this would be necessary...

And even more so how do they get the dogs up on these platforms?? and get them to stay on there...
The dog will obviously learn not to move its paws after falling few times but I just do not understand why you would want to do this?
(edited to add some of these platforms seem pretty high and I can imagine if the pup came down it could get seriously hurt with these platforms poking all around it!)

Never done it myself, don't know anyone who does but I imagine its to train the dog to stand in the correct positioning of the feet?
wouldn't do it myself, not with these big clumsy dogs LOL

Sadly these are now sold even at UK shows, I've seen them. :( Yes the dog learns to stand still in the right pose because otherwise it will fall off -so it basically works by fear......

I did think it was for something like that but just could not believe something like this would actaully be used!
I have never found it that hard to teach a pup to stand properly and still!

Do not like that idea at all!
I've seen some Great Danes on those and it did look scary, just imagined the dog falling off!!
It spoils the pictures of nice dogs too, I much prefer to see the dog standing on the ground!
The doggies had miserable faces on too, surely that will not be of benefit when in the ring?
Or maybe these dogs are so happy to stand on the level ground they will look happy when in a show

http://www.happylegs.com/

Oh my, I've never seen them before.  I won't be buying one:rolleyes:

As I am not a fan of stacking dogs in the Ring anyway I think they are awful  Any judge worth their salt should be able to judge a dog in it's natural stance and a foot slightly out of line should not be able to spoil a well constructed dogs stance.

A dog that is correctly made will naturally stand itself the correct way for it's balance.  Of course it's natural stance may show up faults in it's construction.  the rest is just training to ignore the pressure of the lead (many youngsters lean on or pull away).

I like to see a dog really on it's toes, which you just don't get when they are stacked.  To stack they have to relax totally and be manipulated.  this is not conducive in my opinion to show off alertness and character.

My own breed and dogs are fidgets, but surely a few seconds is all that is needed of static posing.

happy legs? how can they call them happy legs?!? well you wont be seeing me useing these they look awful, i would rather have a puppy behaving like a puppy in the ring that act like a robot and by the time its a year is taken out of the ring as it dosent see the fun side of showing and dosent show well, and to have a poor 8 week old pup on it :(

Fiona x

And is it just me or has that 8 week old puppy been clipped very short already??!!
I believe a good dog will free stand perfectly well by itself if it is correctly made. My breed is stacked, but my boy can free stand beautifully too and thats when I always get the best pictures of him.

What will they think of next?? :rolleyes:

Good point and if its going to be a shown terrier it certinally dosent look stripped to me, i dont no about terriers but with stripped breeds im used to if you strip them out to early it can mess the lay of the coat up!
Yes i agree if the conformation is there any dog will know how to stand.
I dred tot hink whats next! :rolleyes:

Good point and if its going to be a shown terrier it certinally dosent look stripped to me, i dont no about terriers but with stripped breeds im used to if you strip them out to early it can mess the lay of the coat up!
Yes i agree if the conformation is there any dog will know how to stand.
I dred to think whats next! :rolleyes:

looked at the Happylegs web site..... They look like obedience training dumb-bells stood on end with the dog balancing on them. As the Happylegs "dumb-bells" are patented does this mean all obedience people using a dumb-bell will have to pay to use the dog training toy??? lol

There again anyone buying such an "aid" has got one thing right...... It is "dumb"!!!!!! Only a lazy trainer uses such aids and if judges can't see past the stacked dog then really you have to ask "Should they be judging?"