One of the most rewarding aspects of schutzhund is tracking. It can also be quite demanding and frustrating, and is often a solitary experience. Most trainers do not have to be coaxed into showing up for protection work, but try to get them to show up at seven in the morning on a Sunday to go tracking and it can be a whole other story. Tracking, like any other phase of the sport, requires dedication, knowledge and patience to succeed. The best place to learn about tracking is from an experienced handler, one who can be with you , show you the ropes and provide timely critiques. There are several excellent books available that outline different methods to teach your dog in the absence of such help. There are also videos. This website, however, is an attempt to provide trainers with another option.
The bulk of material presented here comes from many years in the sport and the ideas, techniques and methods can be attributed to no one individual. I've borrowed some, inovated a bit and owe a debt to trainers everywhere for their help. And while this site is geared toward the novice, I hope those with more experience will find it useful as well. I have tried to use the Internet as the kind of tool I think it should be. An educational venue that not only allows for a multimedia experience, but also creates the opportunity for an interactive one.
I have tried to set up a simple format, foregoing fancy graphics in favor of a user friendly interface that makes navigation simple and efficient, while at the same time prividing useful content.
One last note - although you will not see any under construction signs, the site will be incomplete for quite some time, probably until early summer. Winter is not the best time for getting videos in New Hampshire, so there are many that will not be up until later, when the weather breaks and the ground is not covered with snow. The text on many pages has been posted in draft form and will change from time to time. In the interim, if you find any problems on the website at all, please report them to me via the Contact link.
I will try to answer any tracking questions you may have and post them on a separate page (names withheld on request), thereby adding to the sites interactivity. Forms for submitting comments or questions appear throughout the website. In the future, if there is a demand -- I may put up a section with critiques of user tracking videos. Thank you for your patience and thanks to my many sportfriends who have helped make this project possible.
Use the Q&A link for any questions you may have regarding tracking or this website, and the Contact link for all other inquiries.
Please sign the Webguestbook. I do appreciate it.
Enjoy.
Preston Heller
