Julie,
I think having a great baiter is as important as having a good person behind the camera. At shows, I'm fortunate enough to know most of the top handlers and they are willing to help out in the baiting for others since they know the favor is always returned. It makes all the difference in the world because all I have to do is concentrate on that moment when the dog's head is exactly right.

Conformation dogs are trained to stand; working dogs are trained to sit. Like yours, my dogs are trained to do both. It makes a diffence in this type of shooting as opposed to portraits where you want the dog to sit or down/stay. Of course, in many cases the dogs you want to down/stay haven't been trained to do anything!!! That's when SuperGlue comes in handy .

It's amazing what little owners know about "baiting" their own dogs. I'll ask them to call the dog and they simply look at it. So I'll tell them "call his name" and they whisper it. Go figure.

Knowing a breed and knowing how they are "supposed" to look is key to this type of shooting. As an owner of this breed, you have that knowledge. Now, all you have to do is get just as knowledgeable on the other 130 breeds! Good luck.

Jim