Workingline work time - Page 2

 Quote: no tracking due to cold and snow.

That is some interesting tracking. You should go out and try it. Of course if the snow is 4 feet deep, it is probably silly, but less than a foot you should try. It can be pretty tough, so if the dog is not far enough along, then maybe a really short track or not at all. Crusty snow is interesting to track in.

Seasons Greetings to you Elliott, sadly this messageboard is no longer a place for genuine, reasonable people. Though it was nice to see you are still around and kicking!! All my best wishes to you for a happy, healthy New Year 2011.
Kind Regards
Sue b  

 Jeff, I get a lot of different views and opinions on tracking in snow. The biggest no-no I have heard from serious trainers is that dogs get to rely on their eyes too much when following foot-steps in deep snow. Then come spring with the snow gone, they still want to try and use their eyes: a lot less work than tracking by their nose. A member from another club was saying that one year, their whole club decided to track through the winter snow, and it messed up the tracking for all the dogs and will never track in snow again. I know that some people do it (tracking in snow) without problem, but I would rather take a winter break from tracking than to teach bad habits that I will have to later un-teach.

I know the dogs can do it. I've seen my mixed breed rescue, who has a TR1, track another dog foot-step to foot-step on hard-packed snow, on the road, in -20C weather. Never missed a beat. 

And I'm in Northern BC, the snow does get a tad deep, and the weather a tad cold, and the days a tad short. 

Yeah Spring!