After reading the thread about whether to or when to "hard" stack a dog, I thought I'd weigh in with my opinion if anyone is interested.

Because this is a "competition", we really need to look for every advantage possible when showing our own dogs. If you aren't out there to win, then why are you there?

All-breed shows are different in a sense from specialty shows because the judges are on a much stricter time schedule. They really do have only 2 minutes or so to judge your dog. A good handler can have their dog stacked in a matter of seconds and looking at it's best when the judge glances down the line. When the judge is going through that final line up, they are comparing the dogs to one another. It makes it easier for that judge to compare dogs IF they are all standing lined up in the same direction in the same type of stack. If you are not a competent handler, then you should practice stacking your dog in front of a mirror over and over again until you can just feel when the dog is standing right. But if you are attempting to free bait your dog in a class where most of the others are holding a good stack, you will look out of place and if your dog decides to sniff the ground, jump up for bait, etc when the judge is trying to compare it with the rest of the class, you may not get that second look.

Specialty shows are a lot more relaxed. The judging schedule is not as tight and the judges are usually breeder/judges who are more forgiving/patient of a moving Lab because they already know what they are looking at and what they've seen. But still many times, I've watched these judges as they've tried to compare free baiting dogs and they've had to wait a few minutes for dogs to move into a better stack or move a foot up, get out of hole, stop sniffing the ground, etc.

My rule of thumb:

All-breed judges, hand stack! Some judges do want to see the dog free bait at some time during the exam and I've had them tell me to "let them stand on their own" when you return from a down and back. This is to see how their feet land.

Specialty shows, free bait and have fun, eventhough it is helpful to have the dog know how to stand/stay for exam and you should stack them for that.

Just remember though not all handlers are equal, some are more talented or more experienced than others! Being able to hand stack a dog well is not only a learned skill, but some possess more natural ability than others. Free baiting is the same for dogs, it's a learned skill but some dogs possess the natural ability for it as well and consequently like their handlers, some are just better at than others! Just don't get frustrated, work harder, practice more. It all boils down to just how badly you want that advantage of showing your dog off to it's best!