IRO Water Course in Austria
Five participants from four nations had come to Austria to train with their dogs in front of the beautiful scenery of the castle "Schloss Ort" in Gmunden.
Under the guidance of the experienced IRO Trainer Digna Schoonenboom from the Netherlands, the teams, consisting of dog handlers and dogs of different breeds and skill levels, worked for three days under changing weather conditions. The water work is great fun, but also demands a lot from the dogs. Swimming over a longer distance is exhausting, and in addition the dog must also follow the instructions of its handler and retrieve objects, jump from the boat into the water or rescue drowning persons and pull them ashore. The course participants received valuable input and coaching tailored to their dog's individual needs. Each team made good progress in training with the exercises offered.
We thank everyone involved for the exciting training weekend.
A special thanks goes to SVÖ Gmunden-Regau for the cooperation, the Austrian Water Rescue Federation - Gmunden for the provision of the boathouse including boats and training equipment as well as WakeandSki Traunsee for the active support.
