Fifth Anniversary

Today (January 22, 2014), marks the fifth anniversary of when I kissed my beloved Sasha (BPIG Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN) farewell (Dec. 31, 1992 - January 22, 2008). 

Sasha, I thought of you with love today, 

but that is nothing new.  

I thought of you yesterday and days before that too.  

I think of you in silence but often say your name.  

All I have are memories and your picture in a frame.  

Your memory is my keepsake with which I'll never part.

Heaven has you in its keeping and I have you in my heart.
(borrowed from the Internet)

Loved and still dearly missed. 

'Til we meet again.

#15, #34 & #35

Title No. 15 for Tyro!

A new United Kennel Club Rally Obedience level 3 title = URO3 for Tyro along with a placement!  This is Tyro's 15th title.  He now exceeds my beloved Sasha who earned 14 titles in his lifetime.  And Tyro also earned 2 legs towards his UKC Companion Dog (CD) title this past weekend at the Grand River Kennel Club UKC shows & trials in Rockton, Ontario.

Tyro

Titles  No. 34 & No. 35 for Miska

And the all-time achiever, Mrs. Wonder Dog, a.k.a. Miska.  Miska earned titles #34 & #35 this past weekend by completing her UKC Companion Dog title (UCD) and her Rally Obedience level 3 title (URO2), both in three straight trials and with placements.

Miska

A couple of somewhat blurry pics of me and Tyro in rally taken by a fellow exhibitor. Thanks Ray!

Old girls rock!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILA!!!

Happy 14th Birthday to Mila (M-OTCH Szuni's Shooting Star UD FDX TD AGI AGDC AADC CGC)!  She was sired by my beloved Sasha (Am/Cdn Ch Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Cdn CDX, Am RAE, FDJ, CGC, CGN).  Her birthday was actually yesterday (July 25).  I am very pleased to report that many of Sasha's kids have lived well into their senior years (12+) and some have reached 13 and now 14!!!  I am hoping his longevity genes carry through to all of his offspring!! 

Happy Barkday Mila!!!  May you live long and be healthy for years to come!!!

Thanks to owner/breeder Susan Scobie of Szuni Reg'd Vizslas for the use of the video (below) and the pictures of Mila which were taken on her 14th birthday.

Below is a video showing Mila beating up her two-year old grandson, Galen, in Vancouver BC where they live.  Despite her senior years and almost white coat, Mila still can dish it out when needed!! Old girls rock!!

Happy Doggie Daddy Day & Happy Birthday!

Happy Doggie Daddy Day 

to the sires of three of our litters 

which are also celebrating birthdays today and tomorrow!

Happy Doggie Daddy Day to:

Ozzie: CH Hubertus Quality Control FDJ who is the father of our 2008 litter with Miska.

and to

Hudson: CH Kizmar Touch of Evil RA JH who is dad of our 2006 litter with Nova

and to our beloved

Sasha: Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN who sired three litters, including our 2003 litter with Nova which produced our wonderful Miska.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY!

Celebrating their fifth birthdays today, June 16, are:

Piper

Photo of Piper courtesy of C. Nielson

 Diva and Quest

Diva and Quest

 Blaze who himself is a daddy too.

Blaze - photo courtesy of B. Tanko

Andras who has sired two litters and is a daddy.

and Gunner (I don't have a current photo of Gunner.  This was taken in 2010.)

Smiles instead of tears

BPIG* Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CDX, FDJ, Am RE, Am RAE, TT, CGC, CGN

 December 31, 1992 - January 22, 2008 

6 weeks old

This day, five years ago, I said farewell to my beloved Sasha.  Hardly a day goes by when I don't think of him.  They say time heals all wounds and grief and they (whoever they are) are correct.  I can finally think about him with more smiles than tears - although I still shed some of those because I still miss him terribly.

Sasha was my heart dog.  He loved me unconditionally and so much that he would stress out so much if anyone else merely held his leash while I was elsewhere.  And I loved him back - unconditionally - because he could do no wrong.  He loved other dogs and was so good with all of them, especially puppies.  He never got into a fight and he remained intact until well into his old age.  And of course, he loved people too.  When Sasha was competing for his Rally titles in the US starting at the age of 12, he inspired others to get involved again with their senior dogs and that was a wonderful thing to know. His wonderful spirit lives on in his many kids, grandkids and great grandkids.

Here 's to over 15 years of wonderful memories with my Sasha. Gone but never forgotten.  Until we meet again at the other side of The Rainbow Bridge.

A look back at Sasha

* Best Puppy in Group

.

Farewell Kosmo

CH Szuni's Rising Star FD ADC CGC 

"Kosmo" 

Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CDX FDJ TT CGC ("Sasha") ex CH Pozsony Csongrad Lucy CDX FDX AGN CGC TD ("Lucy")

July 25, 1999 - January 12, 2013 

Beautiful Kosmo

Snippets of Kosmo's life

Owners Arlana and Lars Taylor and breeder Susan Scobie (Szuni Reg'd) of British Columbia said farewell to Kosmo yesterday in her 14th year.  Kosmo was a beautiful Vizsla sired by my Sasha.  My heart breaks for Kosmo's owners who were absolutely devoted to her and who are now devastated by her death. Thank you to Kosmo's owners for giving such great love and care to a Sasha-daughter.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”

― Milan Kundera

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of my puppy buyers, past and present and to all my Blog followers and visitors!  May you have a wonderful 2013 filled with love, happiness, prosperity and good health.  And if you're a dog - lots of treats, pats, walks, runs and qualifying scores and titles!

Each year on this day, I always remember our first litter as it was born on December 31, 1992.  It produced my 'heart' dog - Sasha who was with me for over 15 years.  He would have been 20 years old today.   He and his brothers Jiggs, Jazz, Marco and sisters Zoe and Kat are still deeply missed by their owners.  Happy Birthday Sasha!

Sasha at 14 years old

 

Mom Nekah with her six babies.

L-R Sasha, sire Buster and Jiggs

Sasha

Older sisters

These two lovely lady Vizslas are Miska's older half-sisters.  They share the same father - our wonderful Sasha (BPIG* Am/Can CH Varazs Kiraly Sassy Sasha Am/Can CDX, FDJ, RE, RAE, TT, CGC, CGN).  They are: Mila (L) aka M-OTCH Szuni's Shooting Star UD FDX TD AGI AGDC AADC CGC and Kosmo (R) aka CH Szuni's Rising Star FD ADC CGC.  These girls turned 13 on July 25 and this photo was taken this fall.  Thanks to breeder Susan Scobie of Szuni Reg'd Vizslas for sharing this photo with me.

L-R: Mila and Kosmo

Where's the water gone?

Our local conservation area, Burns, has a small lake and a 2 KM trail where I often walk our dogs since it's so close to our home.  We've been visiting this conservation area for over 25 years and lived near it for 24 years.  I avoided it this summer largely due to the mosquitoes (despite the fact that we had a drought, there were still plenty of mosquitoes).  Now that it's turned cool(er), I ventured there with Miska, Tyro and Diva yesterday and was shocked to see what remains of the lake which might be better called a puddle or mudflats.   The water level is down at least 5 feet, which in a small lake, makes a huge difference.  I have pictures here going back 7 years and this is the lowest water level I ever recall seeing in 25+ years.

Burns Lake, October 6, 2012

No dock diving for the dogs!! The water is usually right up to the grassy area to the R of the boardwalk

Dogs started barking at the tree stumps since they (dogs) aren't used to seeing them there

Contrast this with the similar view (below) in 2008

Overflow channel; water in spring is usually up to the top of this structure

Tree stumps now visible in the middle of the lake.

View looking back at the dock area; all this mud is usually covered with water

The 'mud flats'

 Burns Lake, May 2005

The water table is always higher in spring due to melting snow and spring rain although it wasn't as high in May as some years,

Sasha in Burns Lake, May 31, 2005

 Burns Lake, October 2, 2008 (below)

These were taken 4 years ago, at almost the exact time of year as this fall.  Notice how much water there is in the lake four years ago.

Diva & Miska

Normal water levels in fall.

Burns Lake, November 6, 2011 (below)

The lake was filled with water when we took the Varazs Vizsla family for a walk almost one year ago.

Old dog, old & new tricks

Everyone knows it's a myth that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.  Of course you can - if you are a good teacher/trainer that is and take into account the physical condition of the dog.  It's not that the  dog can't learn; the human often simply doesn't have the right skills to train a dog - and it's NOT using Cesar Milan's methods!!!!

Anyway, old dogs LOVE performing their old tricks as well as learning new ones. Here are a couple of photos of Kosmo (CH Szuni's Rising Star FD ADC CGC), who is a daughter of our Sasha and bred by Susan Scobie of Szuni Reg'd Vizslas in Vancouver, BC. Kosmo was born in July 1999. These photos were taken last June (2011) at agility trials in BC just before Kosmo's 12th birthday.  Because Kosmo had such a great time competing, her owner, Arlana Taylor, decided she wasn't ready to retire and so the decision was made to enter Agility Assoc. of Canada agility trails later this month in the Okanagan area of BC at Dog-o-Pogo trials. I am so thrilled that this happening!! I didn't ever retire Sasha and he lived into his 16th year and it was one of the best decisions I ever made for a dog.

So here's to senior dogs and all the wonderful things they are still able to accomplish and have fun doing!

Pointing styles - adult dogs

In the dog world, seeing a Vizsla on point doing what's been bred to do is such a thrill.  There's nothing I can do to train a dog to point,  This comes naturally or innately.  Here are some photos of a number of our adult dogs pointing.  In some of these photos they are pointing game, in others they are honoring another dog on point so the intensity of the tail sometimes indicate whether they are pointing real game or not!

Diva being exposed to game as a young dog

Miska, an experienced hunting dog, on point at game

Nova pointing game

Miska honoring

Honoring the pack leader - Miska

Quest on point

Tasha on pojnt

Tyro pointing and honoring a dog

More 2003 litter "birthday" pics

The 2003 litter one of my favourites largely because of the wonderful sire, my beloved Sasha, and my lovely dam Nova.  They were among two of my favourite Vizslas and Sasha is my all-time fav male.  The ten puppies (yes!) in this litter all have exceptional temperaments, fantastic abilities, are very intelligent and have lovely conformation.  So far, all 10 puppies from this litter, which recently turned 9 years old, are alive and very healthy.   Here are recent (within a year) photos of 3 more from the litter: Hudson, Zsofi and Rachel.

HUDSON

Ch Varazs Kiralyi Fiu Am RN CGN

Hudson at the cottage (Summer 2011), age 8

ZSOFI

Ch Varazs Kiralyi Szofia FDJ NAVHDA NA PRIZE II

Zsofi and her owner Jill

Zsofi catching some ZZZzzzz's, age almost 9

RACHEL

Varazs Kiralyi Szepseg CGC

Rachel summer of 2011, age 8

Rachel enjoying the cottage