How to Train Show Dogs - Whole Dog Journal Article
Here is an article on stacking. There are also you tube videos on the subject.
The command I use is Stand - then Stay. In obedience work your dog must stand and stay for the judges examination - so I use the same commands for the show ring.
The hand commands that go with it - Palm up sliding from dogs nose forward. Stay is Fingers down palm into nose with a quick push back motion.
For toys breeds depending on the size of your lap - as puppies I like to first stack on my own legs. Very gently with muzzle cradled between my thumb and forefinger and I set the muzzle parallel to the ground. My back hand - INdex and middle finger is set between their rear legs to either side of the testes. My palm rests on their buttocks.
Start with just 10 seconds or so. And reward with treats and kisses.
How far apart should the front legs be from the back legs? Well that depends on the length of the dog. Essentially you place the front feet so that the leg bones stand straight up and down and are apart the width of the chest. Toes point directly forward.
The back legs are placed so that the toes are underneath the rear pelvis or ischium. Again toes face forwards.
I am going to tell you the method that is safe and works for all dogs of all sizes.
To adjust the legs either the front or the back, do not adjust at the feet. Instead bring one hand up to where the leg comes into the chest, gently pick up and either turn inward or outward depending on if the feet are pointed naturally out or in.
At the rear same idea but here you come up high into the groin and upper leg area and do the same adjustment.
Teaching Crawl backwards. I started Magic learning this after he learnt heel backwards. I use the command BACK - for crawling backwards and BACK HEEL for the heeling command.
So to the crawl. Place dog in the down position. Stand in front of your dog and as you confidently step forward to the dog, say BACK - even two crawls back reward immediately. Also train first on non slippery surface. Try to build up to a continual 10 feet crawl back.