2026-Jan-17 - Heizelwood Winter, IGP1, BH, CD, NTD, BST, ADRK BSE, Ztp - preparing for IGP2 tracking

I am so very fortunate where I live. It is one of the most beautiful areas of Canada. We are the only part of Canada where it rarely snows and rarely gets below freezing level. We just get lots and lots of rain in the winter. Our economy is tourism. Today I took Heizelwood Winter tracking at a field that has a really busy path along it is a field that he has never tracked at. It is about 2 km from my house and right by the ocean. I had Winter pose so I could get a background pictures as it was such a pretty scene.
This video is for people I am trying to help in tracking (both at my schutzhund club and long distance). This track was very hard for Winter but he made it through the track so success!!!! It for sure was not a “feel good” track. Always, always, always, the dog must finish the track is what I think so that he can ALWAYS be rewarded no matter how bad the track was. The “bad” tracks like this one was are “learning” tracks. If my dog does perfect on a track then I am not happy because it meant my dog did not learn anything. The only time I want my dog to track perfectly is trial day.
• heavy disractions - people walking, riding bikes, lots of dogs and little kids. Winter kept his focus on the track
• it was wet. This area has received heavy rain the past month and water pools on the ground as so much water. Winter had to down in water. He did it.
• pee bushes. In tracking, in training one must find pee bushes in order to train the dog it is not ok to pee. This was the first time I used the 10 metre line with Winter so I was too far away when he peed. Next track I will be looking for an area with lots of pee bushes and I will have a short line and he will get a physical correction if he tries to pee on a bush.
Thanks Theresia Vikstrom for this wonderful dog. He loves his life with me in Canada and I love him.