Conformation

Gaiting, like stacking, is more involved than first meets the eye. The dog must move around the ring or up and down the mat. His attention must be on where he’s going, yet he must be aware at all times of where the handler is and how fast the handler is going.

Most people think a dog is “conformation trained” if she walks on a leash and doesn’t sit or bite the judge. The pros know that training a dog for the Specials ring is, in fact, as complicated as training a dog for Utility. The more a dog knows about how to do her job in the ring, the closer she is to that elusive “Ch” title.