Winter is a special dog for a few reasons.
Firstly, he is our first import, he made the journey all the way from Italy!

Winter started his life in the loving care of Mario Gulli of D’Alkontres Kennels (https://www.dalkontres.it/) before starting his big adventure to Australian soil. We are forever grateful for the hard work and dedication Mario provided this dog in the months leading up to his arrival. Importing a dog to Australia takes so much time and effort from both parties, specifically with our strict Quarantine laws! It presented more than a few challenges but together, we made it happen!
Winter arrived to us a very stable dog. Confident, playful, fun. He really never stops smiling, it’s impossible not to feel joy around him. This was only the beginning of the opportunities he made possible for us.

Whilst Winter was a slow maturing dog, we had the time to wait and we are so glad we did!
Winter obtained his Australian Championship in his first year of showing, the pinnacle of his show career was winning BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP under Judge Mr E. Harwicke at the Dublin Kennel Club Inc Show on the 13/05/2023.

Whilst we were working towards these achievements Winter was also undergoing his health testing to go on to continue to reinforce the foundations of Polarhike.
We were very pleased with the following results

HD 0.4 | ED 0.0 | PN: CLEAR | CONE DEGENERATION: CLEAR | PCD: CLEAR | DM: CLEAR | Long Coat: NEGATIVE/CLEAR

Winter has sired 3 stunning litters for us since his arrival. He was worth his weight in gold with the temperaments he has produced for us here. They are stable companions, fantastic working dogs and structurally sound.
So far 2 of his progeny have received their Australian Champion titles.
4 are representing him in and excelling in work on the sledding and weight pull field. We suspect we will see their achievements continue to grow throughout their lives.
His progeny has also been given clean bills of health, to contribute further to our breeding program with high success.

Winter has already gained his first set of credentials in harness work. He’s showing a lot of promise on the weight pull field, which is a huge testament to him, as it does require strong mental resilience.
Winter gained his WWPDA with the following results -

933kgs - 23.32% W2W
ASTCV - 13/08/2023
Judge: D. Campbell

Winter success isn’t only through his kids. He has proven to be a wonderful working dog, the cherry on top for us who have a keen interest in preserving the working drive in this wonderful breed. He took to harness work like a duck to water. He inhibits a very strong pressure opposition, he was an eye opener for me to see such a natural and stable drive.

It’s really not surprising his progeny, Calcifer and Reasan, became the weight pull dogs they have. Moro’s desire to please and Winters pressure opposition was a match made in heaven.

We are aiming for Winter to see some time on the trails to hopefully begin gaining some kilometers towards his WTD title. Here’s hoping the universe aligns for a very exciting 2026 season.

Winter has been a huge asset to our lives. He provides daily entertainment, great companionship, and a calmness within him that is contagious. He’s everything we could have hoped for.
We are forever grateful to Mario for giving us the opportunity to share our lives with such an invaluable dog.
We hope to continue to make him proud by representing his kennel in the coming years from across the pond.