Gunner - Mr Black

On November 23/08, we joined Eileen Wilkes who is Nova's breeder and the owner of Bowsers Beds, and other Vizsla owners, for a walk. Joining us was Gunner and his humans. Gunner was Mr Black from our June 2009 breeding between Miska (Am/Cdn CH Varazs Kiralyi Kedvesem Am/Cn CD, FD, JH, Am RE, Cdn RA, NAVHDA NA Prize III, CGN) and Ozzie (CH Hubertus Quality Control FDJ). Mr Black was the fearless puppy who was so curious to meet our older males, Chili and Tyro. Chili didn't feel the same way and was quite scared of the puppies. Anyway, Gunner is turning out to be a very nice looking boy!

More rally-o news!

It was another great weekend for 2 dogs out of our kennel. Milo (pictured right) and his owner Corrine Sellars, earned 2 legs towards their CARO Rally excellent title on Nov. 23/08. In their second trial, they earned a 3rd place with a score of 192/200! Were it not for a minor handler error (arrgggghhh!) in their third trial, they would have finished their title. Darn. But all in all, a tail wagging great weekend for this pair and an excellent year overall in 2008 with 3 new titles and 2/3 towards their 4th. Great going Milo the Magnificent & Corrine!!!

And on the same day, Shandy and her owner Chrissie Diron, earned the final leg of their CKC rally novice title to add [another[ RN (Rally Novice title) to their registered name. This was their 3rd title in 2008. Fanastic work Shandy and Chrissie!

I am very proud of the accomplishments of my the dogs coming out of our breeding program and thrilled for their owners. Shandy and Milo - you're awesome pawsomes!

2008 VCA Nationals, Arizona

We had a very brief trip to Arizona in November, partly to see the 2008 Vizsla Nationals (held in Tucson) and partly to look at real estate rentals. I enjoyed the dog show much more than looking at real estate, but 4.5 days down there weren't enough to do either justice.

I had a chance to saw the veterans sweeps and watched a 15.5 yr old veteran female (CH Equinox Sassafras MH CD NA) in the 12 years and older class which brought me to tears in reminder of my beloved Sasha who died on January 22, 2008 in his 16th year. In the photo below, she is pictured at the L. She had some difficulty gaiting around the ring but at that age, it's not surprising. She's deaf now and couldn't hear the cheers and applause for her but relished, I am sure, all the attention and pats she received before and after going in the ring. The veterans classes are always my favourites at a national speciality show and how wonderful it was to see several quite old Vizslas in the ring.


I also had an opportunity to see in the flesh a descendant from my kennel. Mr Fritz (CH Red Dawn Mr Fritz JH) an almost 3-year old male Vizsla bred by Pamela Lambros is out of our Sara (Am. Ch Varazs Sara's Full of Grace MH) who is a daughter of our Abby (Am/Can CH Varazs Abracadbra TT). Fritz's sire is Am CH Copperfield Mik Ket Szazcsok JH). Fritz is a beautiful male with a dark, rich coat. His face really reminds me of Abby. Fritz is turning heads in California and the national specialty judge, James Reynolds of Ontario Canada, pulled him out for his final cut of about 12 dogs for Best of Breed. Quite an accomplishment for a young dog and we are very proud of him, his breeder Pam Lambros, and his handler. Well done!






Sadly, we had to depart for home before Best of Breed judging because of work commitments but we once again, enjoyed our limited time at a national specialty show. Congratulations to all the class placements, class winners and other winners and also a big, huge THANK you to all those who played a part in organizing/hosting the Nationals. Without your hard work, we wouldn't have a show to attend each year! Well, I already have my hotel room booked for 2009. See you in Charlotte, North Carolina in October 2009!!!!

History unfolds before our eyes

Either way the American election went - Republicans or Democrats - history was unfolding last night before our eyes and I found that exciting. Of course we live through events each day but we don't often know in advance that they will be or become historical. This election was either going to vote in its first president of colour or its first female VP. Now we can all say that we were alive when, in this case, the United States elected its first African-American president. Congratulations to president-elect Obama. As a Canadian, my hopes are that you can truly make a positive difference to the US and to the world. You certainly have a monumental task ahead of you and I pray that you can perform this task with all the exceptional skills and support from others that needed for the job.

Mr. Bob & his Magic Ride

Bob (Varazs Summer Solstice) born August 22, 1995 is the inspiration and model for a children's book called, Mr. Bob's Magic Ride in the Sky, written and sketched by his owner, Karen Johnston. It was published in 2002. The book is now sold out although there are some used copies still available. I thought it would be nice to repeat the promotional information about the book and especially about Bob since he recently turned 13.

Reprinted from Chapters.Indigo.ca:

From the Publisher

"You don''t have to call him Mr. Bob, some people just call him Bob the Dog. But no matter what you call him, you''ll want to join him in his magical ride in the sky. Mr. Bob loves to spend his days watching the world around him. He loves to wonder what it must be like to be one of the other animals that he sees and how the world must look to them. One day, Mr. Bob makes some new winged friends who carry him into the sky to see what the world around him looks like from up above. Young readers will love this sweet tale about he amazingly detailed pencil illustrations that accompany it."

From the Jacket

"Meet. Bob.

Bob the dog to some,

Mr. Bob to others.

Here is his story and the tale of how his dream took flight.

Bob had a dream. He dreamed of flying. And one day, with the magical help of some friendly birds, his dream came true."

"Through incredibly detailed illustrations, the story of a dog with a dream takes shape. Karen Johnston has captured the essence of an endearing canine as he stares out the window of his home, gazes out of the car, always looking up at the sky. Both children and adults will be captivated by the artwork and enchanting tale of this wistful dog."

"About the Author

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Karen Johnston attended the Ontario College of Art before becoming a graphic artist and art director. When she became a stay-at-home mother, she dreamed of writing and illustrating a children''s book. When she is not drawing, she creates mosaic frames and clocks. She has lived in Nova Scotia for the past six years but has recently moved back to Ontario. Karen loves taking long walks with her husband Doug, daughters, and her two Viszlas, Bob and Rita."

Recently I wrote that Bob turned a lucky 13 years old and I asked Karen to send me some photos since I haven't seen Bob since he attended Sasha's 12th birthday party 3 years ago. Bob has become much whiter but is still as sweet and handsome as ever.

Roundworms rob toddler of his sight

During a recent routine visit to my veterinarian, I read an extremely disturbing article about a toddler in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada who has lost his vision and some mobility due to roundworms from raccoons, an animal found throughout southern Canada and the United States. Here is a link to the story about the toddler. http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/445081 All I can say is 'how absolutely awful' for him and agree that no one deserves what he is now suffering from because of parasites from the raccoon species. Here's a link with information about Baylisascaris (raccoon) Infection from the Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/baylisascaris/default.htm

My vet has recently attended some meetings with local pediatricians and veterinarians about the spread of parasites in Canada due to global warming. More and more children and pets are being infected by parasites. Of course there are different sources of parasites but raccoons are ubiquitous in these parts, especially in cities; even in rural areas, the number 1 road-kill critter on country roads is the raccoon. They are smart and sort of cute but they carry diseases. My veterinarian is now recommending more frequent worming of all of our dogs and we shall be carrying out a more rigorous protocol to protect both them and us humans in the household. I thought it would be very useful to spread information about raccoon roundworms to my Blog readers, especially if you have dogs and children.

The Great Vizsla Pumpkin

Hallowe'en Greetings from the Varazs Vizslas!

[Photos courtesy of Corrine Sellars.]

Milo the pumpkin

Miska the princess, Sasha the ghost, & Milo the great pumpkin

Hunting instinct lands Miska in trouble

Sometimes it's a mixed blessing owning hunting dogs when what they hunt can cause injuries or sometimes worse. Miska has very strong instincts for hunting both feather and fur. We don't get much wild upland game where we live so most 'hunting' around here is for fur. When I say 'hunting', I am not carrying a gun to shoot game with; Miska just hunts naturally whenever we head outdoors.

Yesterday while out walking along our usual trail in our neighbouring conservation area, Miska found a creature in the woods. I usually know when she's hot on the scent of something because often she barks at it, usually because it's up a tree. In this case, it was on the ground. I could see her and Nova working as a team to corner it. It was big and dark and ambling along the ground. Fortunately Tyro and Diva didn't join in when they heard me shouting 'leave it!' at the top of my lungs. My shouts turned to screams, however, when neither Miska nor Nova paid any attention to me. When they get so excited and aroused by the hunt, I'm sure they don't hear me at all because they are so focused on the prey.

At first I thought it was a raccoon, then I thought it was a skunk and because the dogs were so close to the creature, I was certain they had been sprayed. But I couldn't smell any skunk odor. Finally Miska backed off and away and then I saw her face - she had a muzzle full of porcupine quills. Boy, she got it good. Obviously, she had tried to bite the porkie. Nova was spared. Of course, it had to be the one occasion when I didn't have my cell phone with me and we had quite a long walk back to the house. Poor Miska kept trying to paw her face. I tried to carry her for a few yards but an extra 43 pounds of weight was very difficult to hoist for long. Needless to say, I was so relieved but so exhausted to get her home. My vet was closed for the evening and doesn't provide 24 hour emergency service so I phoned around to find a clinic that was open after 6 pm. Fortunately I did, only five minutes drive away, and so a short while later, she was recovering and sleeping off the sedative and I was $110 poorer. Ouch - those quills really, really hurt when being pulled out which is why they need to be sedated. She had a few in her mouth but most were around her muzzle; maybe about 40-50 quills. It could have been a lot worse. Will that teach her a lesson? From what I've heard of other people's experiences with their dogs, not likely.


The photo at R is of Miska's brother, Vadasz taken in April 2008 with a number of quills in his body. Most likely he had found a dead porcupine and rolled on it because of where the quills were situated. They were also quite soft and easy to extract.

Then on today's walk, Miska found half a body of a squirrel. That wasn't something she killed and ate; probably leftover kill from a fox or coyote. Being the ultimate retriever that she is, she always brings these things to me. Oh happy day- NOT! Fortunately I had a bag to dispose of the carcass and a treat to give her. Sometimes I wish she didn't like to hunt quite so much.

Nova's grandkids turn 4

Happy Birthday to Nova's grandkids: Rodaidh, Okos, Drake, Genmai, Ramses, Polo and Pia who turned 4 years old on October 23. The mom of these Vizslas is Nova's daughter Shandy (CH Varazs Artemis Vizsandy CD, AGN, AGI, RA (CARO), CGN) who is a sister to our Miska. Most of these Vizslas live on the west coast of Canada and so we haven't met any of them in the flesh. But best wishes for many, many more birthdays to come and lots of wiggles and licks from the Varazs Vizsla clan here in Ontario.

Autumn colours

This autumn in southern Ontario, Canada has been spectacular for its colours; some have said this season has been one of the best in many years probably because we've had a lot of sunshine. The colours don't last long as the deciduous leaves start to drop and the hard work of raking and blowing has been underway for the past 2 weeks. But I managed to take a number of pictures which are displayed in the photo album below that I hope you'll enjoy. Many of the photos are of our property or close by where we live.



One of my favourite 'autumn' photos is of my first Vizsla lying atop a pile of leaves. This is Csarda (1977 - 1991) taken in 1978 when he was about 16 months old. (No digital cameras back then so this was scanned from a printed photograph and may be a bit grainy.)


Vizslas blend in so much with the autumn leaves that now I usually put their hunting collars on when we go for a walk so they are more visible. This is Miss Diva kinda looking like a little pumpkin with her orange collar.

Vizslas to be featured on Animal Planet!

I just received an email from Grace Suriel of Animal Planet Digital Media telling me that Vizslas are among the 5 breeds to be featured in this Saturday's (Oct. 25) episode of Dogs 101

Click on the link below to find out what dates and times the program airs & you can also get a reminder email sent to you. Don't miss it! And spread the word!

http://animal.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=15.14743.124100.35358.1

How Dogs Drink

Most of you probably know how dogs lap liquids but if you don't, you'll learn how from this Discovery Channel video clip. It's over 4 minutes so takes a while to download, even with hi-speed Internet. If you want to FF to the part about how dogs drink, it starts at around 2 min. 25 seconds. Neat to see in slow-motion. Thanks to my friend Chrissie Diron for sending me this link.

Our American Vizsla relative

This past weekend, south of the border - in the US, that is - one of our American Vizsla relatives finished his AKC Championship title. CH Red Dawn Mr Fritz is a son of Sara (CH Varazs Sara's Full of Grace MH). Sara lives in California and is out of our 2001 breeding between Am/Can CH Varazs Abracadbra (Abby) and Am CH Voros Vadasz Cyrus Barat MH. Three of Sara's kids from two breedings are now American Champions. Well done Sara and congratulations to Pam Lambros, Mr Fritz's breeder and to Mr. Fritz's family!

CH Varazs Sara's Full of Grace MH (above) winning
Best of Opposite at the 2004 Vizsla Club of N. California Specialty show

Am/Can CH Varazs Abracadabra TT (above)

BOS winner at Vizsla Canada's national specialty show (1999)

Milo earns his 10th title!

Today Milo earned his Rally Advanced title from the Cdn Association of Rally Obedience (CARO). It was 3 years since legs 1 and 2 were achieved! Milo completed Leg 1 in Sept. '05 with a 1st place & score of 190; Leg 2 in Nov. '05: 1st with 190; and finally Leg 3 in Oct. '08: 3rd with 186. To earn the "cum laude", the team's average score must be between 180 and 189; their average was 188.7. So he gets to add CL for 'cum laude' after the RA - therefore RACL. Yes, Vizslas are smart; this just confirms it!

This is Corrine and Milo's 10th title. Milo is officially known as Varazs Mokany Ficko FDJ, RN (CARO), RN (AKC), RACL (CARO), AgNJ, AGN, SSGDC, SADC, CL1-R, CGN. Way to go team! If you need a guide to these titles, look below.

Translation of Titles:
FDJ - Field Dog Jr (hunting)
RN - Rally Novice
RACL - Rally Advanced Cum Laude
AgNJ - Agility Novice Jumpers with weaves
AGN - Agility Novice (Standard)
CL1-R (Standard Agility title in the Canine Performance Events org.)
SADC - Special Agility Dog of Canada (Agility Assoc. of Canada)
SSGDC - Special Starters Games Dog of Canada (Agility Assoc. of Canada)

Final decision

After weeks and weeks of deliberation, I've finally decided on which puppy I'm going to keep!

Both of them!

Diva (above) stacked at 17 weeks

Quest (above) stacked at 17 weeks

But only Diva will live with us. Quest will now live with his canine Uncle Vadasz and Gary Krammer in Toronto, Ontario. It was a very hard decision since Quest is such a sweet Vizsla and reminds me a lot in looks of his great uncle, Jazz and in personality, of his grandfather, Sasha and I already miss him terribly. In some ways, that's why I didn't want to have him live with us as he would probably remind me too much of Sasha whom I still grieve for and miss dearly. But I will own Quest and handle him in conformation and perhaps field and rally and so it's the best of all worlds for me, Diva, Quest, Gary and Vadasz. And Vadasz will now have a canine companion at home to play with.

Quest going home with Gary & Vadasz

Reunion with Piper at Erin Fall Fair

Last Sunday I took Diva and Quest to the Erin Fall Fair in Erin, Ontario northwest of Toronto to meet up with Piper and her family. I hadn't seen Piper since she left for her new home at 8 weeks of age.

Piper (above; 17 weeks old)

Lauren and Rae-Brynn were showing their cows again at the fall fair so Piper also came along with the family. It was a beautifully sunny and HOT autumn day so I tried to arrive mid-morning when it wasn't too crowded or hot at the fair. I tethered the 2 puppies together and wandered around the fair grounds, taking them past the rides, ponies (I forgot about the horse poop! Very tasty for dogs!), cows and vendors. Nothing bothered them at all. Then we met up with Piper's family by the cow barn.

Cythnia trying to control Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Rae Brynn was inside the barn showing her cow. Unfortunately, her cow gave her a very hard time for some reason - it was a full moooooooon (ha! - I couldn't resist that one) and maybe that was why her cow was very ornery. I'm sure my puppies didn't spook her cow but I learned that dogs weren't allowed in the cow barn for that reason. Lauren also had problems controlling her cow earlier in the morning. After watching the cow handling, I am totally convinced that showing cows is so much harder than showing a dog, even when a dog won't behave. After all, there is about a 1000 - 2000 lb. difference between species! And I couldn't see any treats in Rae-Brynn's hand so how do you control a big beast with just a little stick? It's very challenging!

Right now, Piper's face and head remind me a lot of Tessie, her older half-sister who resembles Nova (Tessie's grandmother/Piper's grandmother). Piper is just a tad smaller than Quest and Diva but not by much. She's very pretty and very sweet but apparently, quite a chewer.

We had no end of people coming up to say hello and wanting to pet the puppies. And, just about everyone commented on how absolutely beautiful they are! Yes! We were rooted in that spot for almost an hour and couldn't move because someone else would come up to see the puppies. What a great place to socialize puppies! Needlessto say, Diva and Quest were quite worn out when we got home.

The next day, (Monday October 13), Lauren won top honor of "Top Showman" with her grandfather and great-uncle (reknown for their beef cattle) looking on. So WAY TO GO LAUREN! That's AWESOME!

Growing overnight

It's true. My eyes and brain weren't being fooled. I've confirmed that puppies do indeed grow overnight. In just two weeks, Diva gained six pounds from 24.4 to 30.4 pounds and today outweighs her brother Quest whose size has been almost neck and neck with her for the past two months. Two weeks ago there was only 0.3 pounds difference. But last week, an upset GI tract had its toll and resulted in less weight gain for Quest. So today, he was about 3 pounds lighter (27.6 pounds) than his sister. He will catch up and surpass her in the next few months, I'm sure - because he's a boy.

Happy Thanksgiving

On Monday, October 13, Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a time for family to gather, give thanks and usually eat roasted turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce with pumpkin pie for dessert. Corrine Sellars sent me this great e-card showing her very photogenic Vizsla, Milo. Here's the card, courtesy of Corrine. Milo obviously got the bird, which is only just since he is after all a bird dog, but not the pumpkin.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

Diva goes to market

Diva at Milton Market

Outdoor farmers' markets are great places to buy locally grown and produced food and other artifacts (very important to support our local economy). Our closest one is in Milton, Ontario, Canada and it's an outdoor market and a terrific place to socialize a dog. Today Diva took a turn going to market with me and what a hit she was! So many people wanted to meet and pet her and she was so eager to say hello in return, particularly to children. She gave out lots of free kisses and was exceedingly well behaved - beyond my expectations! She didn't jump up on anyone, except to reach up and kiss children. Boy, was she ever popular.



And of course, there were lots of other dogs to meet and greet. One made me quite nervous though because it was huge. I thought it was a Cane Corso but not knowing mastiff-type breeds very well, I was wrong. It was an American Bulldog, very different from the English Bulldog that I am familiar with. The couple said he has a very gentle temperament and plays with their 3-yr old child. He looked like he could have eaten Diva in one gulp without tasting a hair but he didn't, thank goodness. Anyway, Diva was remarkable around all these stranger people and dogs and not at all shy or unsure about anything or anyone. Quite the contrary. This bodes well for her career as a show dog.

And tomorrow Diva and Quest will visit the Erin Fall Fair in Erin, Ontario where we hope to meet up with their sister Piper and her family, and see cows, horses and all name of creatures. And our gorgeous fall weather is forecast to continue all week! Yippee!!

Almost but not quite perfect

Our puppies are close to perfection in behaviour as one can get because of my remarkable shaping and training skills. HA, HA! But, being human - oops I meant being canine, they create challenges, especially when they are left unsupervised for what seems to me to be a nano-second but in reality might be five minutes. (That is a no-no on my part and I know I am really the one to blame when they do things they shouldn't).

This week Diva, that beautiful puppy shown in this photo, started honing her indoor climbing skills (transferring her knowledge from the great outdoors in those videos I've already blogged) and figured out how to clamber onto a chair and from there onto the kitchen table. With her new-found ability, she also discovered that the table was the perfect spot to sun herself and stay warm one chilly day this week. She also encountered interesting things (to a puppy) on the table, one of them being hubby's reading glasses. Later that day, she also managed to reach up on my desk and grab my clip-on sunglasses. (At 4 months of age, she's now tall enough to just reach the edge of counters and begin life as a counter-surfer.) As one might expect, she explored both items with her mouth with the result shown in the photo. Fortunately neither was expensive and all glass, plastic and twisted metal parts were accounted for. No surgery was needed, TG.

The most expensive item to have ever been chewed and destroyed by one of our dogs was a bicycle saddle that hubbie had bought in California many years ago. It was sleek, it was streamlined and it was covered in beautiful, soft leather, it was gorgeous and also very expensive! Unfortunately, he left it in a spot where Nekah, our very first Vizsla puppy (and Diva's maternal great-grandmother) could find it instead of installing it on his bike. I thought he was going to kill her - just joking - but hubbie was rip roaring mad and I think I gave him money to replace it or something like that to placate him. We both learned our lesson since then - or thought we had.