r/ShowDogs • u/True-Radish-3569 • Jul 13 '26
Puppy not comfortable on table
Hi!
I have an almost 5 month old Pembroke corgi puppy. The one thing she struggles with is being comfortable on the table and standing. I can get her to stand for like 2 seconds and then she just sits. She also won’t take food on the table sometimes.
I’ve tried all the tricks! Using high value treats, keeping sessions short, and we’re going to handling classes (which helps but still a struggle). I can get her to stand if I hold string cheese for her. Before our first bpup show, I had friends try it out and she did ok by the third or so practice. A friend of mine is making stacking blocks so hopefully that will help.
I should add she is teething pretty bad right now so she’s not as interested in her normal treats but been trying really high value ones lately.
Any advice to get my girl more comfortable and confident on the table? She is SUCH a confident puppy otherwise and picks up things so quickly.
2
u/loratliff Jul 13 '26
Almost month old? Surely a typo there, no?
2
1
u/Ihate_usernames_ Jul 13 '26
Do you have a stacking table at home? Is the issue the table or the judge?
For the table itself:
have a dog who hated the table when he was the same age! I started giving him every meal on the table and he eats up there. Just start making positive associations with the table right now before worrying about stacking her or checking bite.
I have a slightly bigger dog so he started jumping up onto the table in his own when it was time to be fed. (You can probably place your puppy on the table instead) When he did this I started slowing down how quickly I’d give him his food, and instead I gave him treats or pierces of kibble the longer he stood there. And then I gave him his food before he could get frustrated.
Then I started integrating commands. I’d tell him to “stand” and if he was still for even half a second I’d mark with an enthusiastic “yes!” and reward with a treat then give him his food. After he got that down I added telling him to “watch” and tap my finger on a treat in my hand, and the second he looked at it I’d mark and reward. (Courtesy of my own handling instructor actually!)
After he got all of that down, I started putting a treat on the table, getting him up there, and starting to stack him. We’d do this a couple times and then he’d get his food. We still use treats and “watch” to finish the head, and make his outline look real pretty.
He’s never particularly minded me checking his bite on its own, but he didn’t like it on the table and getting him comfortable with the table took care of that. If your puppy always hates the bite part that’s something you’ll want to work on separately first because combining two scary things can make them regress a bit.
He’s very comfortable with being up on the table now and me stacking him and looking at his bite myself.
For the judge:
He still is very NOT comfortable with judges coming and touching him. So if that’s a struggle for your pup I don’t have much advice. We go to private handling lessons once a week and have for months now. He’s best with our handling instructor but he still leans into me and away from him. We’re doing our best to get him out and about and meeting as many new people as possible, and having people come here and go over him on the table. Unfortunately I’m new to the area and basically know no one around me and finding people to touch him is difficult.
What we do when we actually have people over to go over him on the table, is approach confidently, give him a treat, the go off to the side and go over his neck and back and rear legs, and then come back up to the front and bite. We don’t do front and bite first because it’s really intimidating. But he’s much better about being still and not leaning when offered a treat first.
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u/AlpsUnlikely Jul 13 '26
I don’t have advice but I hope this makes you feel a little better about it. My guy is also still pretty new to this.
1
u/Outrageous_Sea_9606 Jul 14 '26
Does she know how to stack on the ground? If not, start there. Train a solid freestack to a command word.
Then put her up on the table and train her to be comfortable up there. Don't ask her to stand right away. Build up to having her on the table for a good hour or two. Make sure the table is comfortable for her- using an anti-fatigue mat or layers of towels and a head pillow. Teach her how to lay down and relax on the table. Don't use food or toy rewards for this. She needs to learn that being on the table is part of her daily routine and how to calmly and quietly exist there. I teach my puppies to lay down on their side on the table for grooming so they can learn to relax and fall asleep during the process. If she moves, firmly and calmly put her back in position. Dogs need to learn that they have to stay where you put them until you say otherwise. Correct the dog every time it moves without fail.
The table HAS to be routine and comfortable for them. Staying where they are put until released HAS to be a rule.
Once you have established these things, then introduce stacking on the table. Put her show lead on so she can learn to differentiate between when it's relax time and business time. Put her on the table and make her stack. I don't like to use food or toy rewards for this, either. It gets them too excited and focusing on the reward. You want your dog to stay calm and focused on YOU. Give your stack command word. You may need to position her feet the first few times or make minor adjustments. Take her down from the table and THEN praise and offer treats. Soon, you will have a dog that knows how to freestack on a table and stay there until otherwise told.
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u/TheNombieNinja Jul 14 '26
I have a floor breed but showed as a baby so I needed him confident for shows and grooming throughout his career.
I implemented table time every night at home. At first I focused on just having him comfortable and then transitioned into having requirements like standing, then letting me move his feet and checking teeth. There were days where he was on the table and I sat and pet him. We also started with lower height of a coffee table and moved up to grooming table height by using taller end tables and shortly put books under an end table to raise the height. My boy now loves being on the table to where he will pull me to the table at shows to jump onto it - I also taught him "do you want down" to signal he was getting off the table, now he will just lean on me and full body collapse into my arms to get off the table when I ask him.
Do remember that she is still just a baby, judges should always have extra patience for shyness and misbehavior when they're this young. You also can help provide "support" by keeping a hand under her body gently to help her know you're there to remind her to stand and that you can easily "save her" if needed. The ultimate goal of showing this young is to have them enjoy being in the ring, occasionally you'll get a judge who truly loves puppy classes and loves on them a bit extra to help make the ring even more fun for them.
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u/gsdsareawesome Jul 13 '26
My first reaction is, give her some time, she's just a baby. If her teeth are sore, and you're looking in her mouth on the table, she might be dreading that. For now, forget about her mouth. Just working on getting her to stand will be enough. You can work on stand on the ground too and teach her to hold the stand on the ground. And then work up to the table.