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GZ BREED COLUMNSherdingPossibly the very worst thing youcan do to yourself is to stand facing thecamera squarely head-on. That positionis guaranteed to make you look wide asa whale. It should only be used by peoplewho can hide behind a broomstick.Instead, just take a quarter-turn to theright or left, and you’ll be in a threequarterview to the camera. You’llimmediately look slimmer. It also helpsif you remember to suck in yourtummy. What the camera doesn’t see, itcan’t photograph, and a three-quarterview shows less of you to the camera.Now, shift almost all your weight tothe foot farthest from the camera, andyou’ll get a better line to your hips andthighs. You can do just about anythingwith the weightless leg, within reasonand the bounds of propriety, and it’llstill look OK.Which brings us to the dreaded“legs-beneath-the-dog” syndrome. Ifyour Briard is tall enough and the coatis just the length to let your legs showbeneath it, be very observant if yourdog is posed on a stand with some sortof decor. In one unforgettable photo,part of the display consisted of twocactus plants that just happened to bepositioned in front of the handler. Itlooked as though she had green andprickly legs. This would be OK for theIncredible Hulk, but otherwise it wasless than attractive.Check out what’s in front of you.Slacks or long skirts make a nice backgroundfor your dog. Short skirts cansometimes present the distracting viewof two pink posts protruding from yourdog’s tummy. Dark stockings are lessnoticeable than light.Hands and arms are no problem.One hand will be controlling the lead(and don’t forget to gather the lead upso it’s not dangling and distracting). Ifyou don’t have a job for the other armand hand, let it hang naturally, slightlyaway from your body. Please don’t bendit at the elbow and hold your forearmbehind your back. It’s hard to say whysome folks do this. Maybe they don’tknow what else to do with it. But itmakes you appear as though you’reeither going to break into a very formalbow or scratch your back. Besides that,it adds the appearance of extra width toyour waistline. Not a good idea.Where should you look when thephoto is being taken? Annie RogersClark made a point of always lookingat the dog, thereby directing theviewer’s eyes to the dog. And that’s OKif you don’t have the makings of a doublechin. But if that’s the case, holdyour head up and stretch your neck. Aslight turn of the head will tighten upthe skin of the neck.Remember, the photographerthrows squeaky-toys for the dog towatch, not you. One exhibitor couldn’tseem to resist watching the squeaky flythrough the air. Consequently, he andhis dog were both looking in the samedirection, like mirror images. Only theexhibitor’s ears didn’t go up.As for expression? Hey, you’ve gotthe best dog in the world, and he’s awinner—so smile! —Alice Bixler,alicejb@att.net; Briard Club of Americawebsite: briardclubofamerica.orgCanaan Dogs“Dueling” Canaan DogsSome exhibitors feel that training aCanaan Dog solely for the breedring is stimulating enough, whileothers concentrate on a performancevenue as their training goal. Then thereare those for whom the term “crazy”would be justifiably applicable, as thesehardy folk train for both breed andperformance—and not just a singleevent for the latter. These are the dualor multi-ring Canaan Dog advocateswho can be seen hurrying from thebreed ring to an obedience, rally,and/or agility ring, or vice-versa,within a single day’s show.As mentioned in previous columns,Canaan Dogs are highly intelligent andjust as highly independent. Training canbe rapidly accomplished. However, itcan be a challenge at the same time.The advantage of training for multipleevents keeps the dog mentally stimulatedand less likely to “shut down” dueto boredom.Whether training for single or multiplevenues, the first step is simple basicobedience. Not only does this reinforcethe “alpha” role that the owner/handlermust exhibit when working with aCanaan Dog, it is also essential for theshow ring. A dog who cannot hold astand for exam in the breed or obediencering or maintain a stay at theagility start-line or in the herding arenais less likely to place or even qualify forthat event.The myth that you can’t simultaneouslytrain a dog for different events isjust that, a myth—especially withCanaan Dogs. This breed is very adaptable,and by the simple use of a differenttype of collar for each event, Canaansare smart enough to know what is askedof them when they step into any ring.Most multi-event Canaan exhibitorsuse body language in addition to differentcollar types to assist their dogs. Anexample of such is when coming to ahalt in front of the breed judge, the handlerwill turn his or her body slightlytowards or in front of the dog to signifythat the dog is to come to a standingstop rather than an automatic “obediencesit.” Training the multi-eventCanaan with hand signals and/or differentcommands for the same action indifferent situations is also beneficial. Thestandard stay obedience command canbecome pose in the breed ring, wait atthe agility start, and hold in the herdingarena.One factor in training for multipleevents that is not often mentioned isthe condition of both dog andexhibitor, both mentally and physically.At national specialties, it is not uncommonfor a Canaan Dog team to show inthe breed ring, exhibit in the rallyand/or obedience rings, run two ormore agility courses, and herd sheepduring an instinct test—all within aspace of several days. Canaans tend tobe tightly bonded with their owners, sohaving someone else who is more physicallyfit run a dog through an agilitycourse or herding trial does not alwayssucceed as it can with more biddablebreeds.A K C G A Z E T T E • 34 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2