Hunter's Heart Kennels Ltd.

04/20/2025

BliZZard and Andrea are looking good in agility
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/12KXLb1sYBc/

04/15/2025

This is an excellent article about housetraining dogs who have learned to eliminate where they sleep and live. Sometimes going out every hour isn't enough. When retraining, we may need to go out every 15 minutes, on leash, and stand still while we wait to give rewards for pottying. Even then, it can be a long, difficult road, although worth the effort for a life-changing skill. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BQ7eywYrG/

I may, (paws crossed), have a happy story to tell you about a “need-to-be-rescued dog,” but I’ll wait on that until I have more to report. (Please cross your paws; and no, we won’t be the ones taking it!) Meanwhile, I’m thinking a lot the last few days about house training a dog who has [....

04/14/2025

2025 LITTER ANNOUNCEMENT - Excitedly expecting a ZZ x Gord litter of Brittany Spaniel puppies on May 28, 2025. The sire is GCH Fernhill's North Star FDJ JH, who was the ABC Western Futurity Dual Dog (see photos).
• OFA normal elbows, hips good.
• Owner: Wanda Hogg, Breeder: Anne Phillips.
He's a sweet, gentle, biddable boy who wants to please.

ZZ (the dam) is a healthy CHIC-certified professional bed bug detection dog who has produced outstanding offspring, including certified wildlife conservation detection dogs. Around home, she's our top snuggler.

We’re expecting athletic puppies who should be great companions for active homes that enjoy scent detection, hunting, agility, SAR, running, or playing dogsports. All of our puppies have intact tails and dewclaws. Reserve a puppy while there are a few spots left.

Application and info at https://scentdetection.huntersheart.com/brittany_puppies_hunters_heart_upcoming_litters

Photos by TripDog

04/03/2025

Congratulations to our recent Tracking, Mantrailing and Scent Detection graduates at the Beast Boutique! It's been a pleasure watching you sniff until you're tired and content!

03/07/2025

Interesting article suggests phantom pregnancies are very common and timing of the heat cycle should be considered when determining when to spay https://www.theiscp.com/post/what-you-should-know-about-phantom-pregnancies?fbclid=IwY2xjawI3CrhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWLE4JwCsWDkROQWSiey6pWnSt71oRxRruj-HSPXLM8JAu7KIe0MCKmuag_aem_VpOsPVysTJCR-JE_bmSSlg

It is estimated that around 80% of intact females experience phantom pregnancies, and yet there are so many misconceptions about how this condition manifests, how it impacts dogs and how it should be managed. This blog is going to examine some of the lesser-known facts regarding phantom pregnancies....

02/28/2025

Reactive dog? This free online conference might be helpful: https://barking-up-the-right-tree.newzenler.com/f/summit-24?fbclid=IwY2xjawIt4etleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZqMEHoptHXb8heg63lZC0KFXIUb305LJHK35N-xF7atMvgWJFoLqXfySg_aem_FIvkRSjia2dguBTApR2bLw

34 amazing experts on all aspects of dog reactivity, coming to you for FREE.

02/15/2025

Join Us for Scent Detection Class | Hunter's Heart

• All levels are welcome - No experience is needed for beginners.
• Advanced teams practice searches, try new skills & troubleshooting.
• Wednesdays 7 - 8 pm
• Class starts Feb. 19. Rolling enrollment: join on whatever Wed. is convenient for you.
• At the Beast Boutique, 4 – 6115 4 St SE, Calgary
• $275 + GST for 6-week class
• Choose your target odor, e.g. CKC nosework competition, handler scent, (lost items to find your phone or introduction to tracking)
• Instructor: Dr. Carla Simon, professional detection handler & nosework judge
• Learn using the same motivational techniques used to train certified wildlife conservation detection dogs, service dogs, and nosework champions.
• Maximum 6 students per class
• Classes must be prepaid and are non-refundable.
• Register (587) 317 – 5404 or [email protected]

02/11/2025

Seeker at the start of a trail with Jessica Tuomela & True North Discriminant Scent Trailing

02/06/2025

SCENT DETECTION HARNESSES 2025 REVIEW – The Neoprene Hero Harness by Red Line is one of my favourite harnesses for scent detection and tracking. Purchase from DogSportGear in BC, and it’s buying Canadian:
https://www.dogsportgear.ca/products/neoprene-hero-harness?_pos=11&_sid=13b592a52&_ss=r

While the attachment is Velcro, it’s about 6 inches of industrial-strength Velcro on each side of the dog. It’s never detached during hours of deployments for me. I’ve never needed to replace one yet. In comparison, I tried the Yurkiw leather harness with metal Cobra Buckle and it fell off while tracking, so I got rid of it in the first month.

For Service Dogs and SD’s in Training, opt for a harnesses with Velcro attachments and SDiT reflective labels instead.

If you have time to purchase internationally, my favorite for deployments working daily in extreme conditions is Non-stop Dogwear’s Line Harness Grip WD. I love the handle, metal buckles, padding for the dog’s comfort, and durability. Other solid harnesses by this manufacturer are the Line Harness 5.0, Line Harness 5.0 Rachel Pohl, and the Ramble Harness, which feature padding and plastic buckles. I own them and use them, but they don’t have quite the same durability so I wouldn’t use them on deployments. Non-stop Dogwear is in Europe, but I’ve found their service has been very fast delivering to Canada and USA. Another pain in the butt is their sizing. Their ranges are so huge, your dog could fall within multiple sizes, so it can be helpful to email them for recommendations if you’re unsure. Returns are very generous if you guess wrong. I also love their booties, t-shirt for dogs, hands-free belt, long-lines, safety collars, and leashes.

Do NOT use a harness with a tightening portion for scent work. For example, the Freedom No Pull Harness is a better fit for obedience. When you use the front clip, so the dog is pulled to the side when it reaches the end of the leash: https://www.amazon.ca/Hounds-Design-Freedom-No-Pull-Training/dp/B005OPZXZ8/ref=sr_1_5?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8WbhTEC7aQ4i0v7M_7GUSDoFIxGhEV2VPxiUeMePlbNmm3WoqyV1379YhW6yzACfIk1fpcGeoP1cqqM8LPhhnsFF32G1diMbZ2mQAJ0N62oGDujQnVFUei583AEEETOAXzg-u_pNm7Wzu-lWEpCg2KA2r9nicrooOi9C-TUpcB8pS6KgZx8_yvqdt8OODndpdH3rfg5pz2oO7Q7q8xDAe_2FoNOvlw78KVlYxWDCeAjOAxcCbYACSAW_sgyitn0kOJkr3A_MMdhgpWqdwur6u24Bn9yyNvkZYRnoG9NLVQxQjuTj4_574wV74_Le9VJ5LMhnBFDLUpaiKArH6zCYU9dTV7kRR9XtlDspAeBCtrsfeqX0A0GXFkuidIC1NcOm3_vBHoHkEM4r8Sf09uC96XP8peNHUAX9h3jCKrwNObBn1Ck-k-aaDR4zsP_XffvM.Pj28idBiU1ZYxL1NARt_5HZ07n6853OUH5SwUPsMu4M&dib_tag=se&hvadid=670871484188&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001310&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14808502710390911254&hvtargid=kwd-298742832650&hydadcr=3431_13701893&keywords=freedom%2Bno%2Bpull%2Bharness&qid=1738881477&sr=8-5&th=1

If you purchase the matching leash with clips on both ends, you can attach one clip at the chest, and the other at the dog’s back. Then you steer the dog much like a horse.

Note: these are NOT affiliate links.

02/02/2025

Feeling proud of Sheila Churchill and Tintin for earning their CDSA DS1 Expert Nosework title. Well done!

01/26/2025

TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR OUR PLANNED ZZ 2025 LITTER.

These pups should be excellent candidates for scent detection, hunting, agility, dogsports and pets for active families. Learn more: https://scentdetection.huntersheart.com/brittany_puppies_hunters_heart_upcoming_litters

The photo shows ZZ's 2024 litter on a field trip to our vet. After a long play session, they chose to go to sleep in the crate. We leave toys and beds inside the crate with the door open, so it's a fun, low-stress place to rest. When they go to new homes, they travel with a piece of cloth that smells like their dam and littermates.

01/23/2025

Looking Back on 2024 | Hunter’s Heart – Part 4

Gary travelled across the country with our 3 puppies, Binesi, Fen, and Willow. Those lucky dogs got to experience all the best Northern Ontario offers. They stayed at the cottage and swam every day in the lovely, warm water, with a sandy bottom and lots of retrieving modelled by older dogs. By the end of the summer, they were jumping in by themselves for a swim. That’s beneficial, since the swamp smells of frogs. At least there were no porcupine encounters this year. They ate berries, tried boating, all-terrain vehicles, fishing competitions and lots of snuggles from everyone they met. Local children cried when the puppies left. Since then, all pups except Binesi went to their new homes, and we love the reports and photos of their adventures. It’s my hope that our 2025 litter will have as much fun as they are.

Goodbye 2024, and hello to a new beginning.

01/22/2025

Boo photos

CH HuntersHeart RedDevil Fantome FDJ CGN AN SGDC SDS-SP TOG MN EV EC EI, “Boo” passed away in 2024, just before his 15th birthday.

Learn more about our Brittanys at https://scentdetection.huntersheart.com/about-our-sniffer-dogs

01/22/2025

Boo passed away in 2024, leaving an empty hole in our home and life. While most Brittanys are friendly, Boo was my most extroverted. One of my favourite memories was taking him to a barbecue in Lethbridge. I was mingling, and when I looked over, Boo was playing with a young boy in the pool. I never met the boy, but they didn’t need my help to enjoy spending time together. Boo made more friends than I ever did. He was an eager bed bug detection dog for a decade. He was a hunter, excelled at gamblers in agility, and was a show champion. He was a high-drive dog with energy to spare! One time I was at a scent detection competition in the Kootenays with Boo. I left him in a crate in my tent to attend the judge’s briefing. He literally crashed the briefing by getting out of his crate and crashing through the tent to find me. Boo could always find me. Just the other night, I had a nightmare of an event at Spruce Meadows, where somebody was leading Boo away. He was so far ahead of me; all I could see was his rear end. I knew if I called him, he’d come back to me. Then I woke up and remembered he is gone forever. Gone, but not forgotten. Now he lives on in our hearts and in his grandkids.

01/20/2025

We finally got confirmation of Rickard’s TD (CKC field tracking) and UTD (urban tracking) titles. Rickard's day job is scent detection, but he loves to run tracks! Here's a short video of tracking through a corner at a sports complex: https://vimeo.com/huntersheart/trackingacutecorner?share=copy

01/19/2025

HuntersHeart Andre Degrasse is a certified wildlife conservation detection dog, searching for bats and birds on windfarms to help reduce the environmental impact on species at risk. Learn more at https://scentdetection.huntersheart.com/about-our-sniffer-dogs

01/19/2025

Bros at the end of the day