Why Titles are Important, IMO

I think earning titles on my Vizslas - and encouraging my puppy buyers to do the same - is important for several reasons.

1. The Vizsla is a working dog, bred to hunt. Because most of us don't hunt for our food these days or even for sport, the Vizsla doesn't know that. It needs a job to do with its boundless energy and hunting instincts that are innate. "You can take the dog out of the hunt but you can't take the hunt out of the dog" or something like that I've read before.
2. Teaching Vizslas new tricks can be just as tiring as an hour's walk. A tired Vizsla is a happy Vizsla.
3. Training your Vizsla for competition really strengthens the human-animal bond between the two of you. In our household, it's not the person who feeds the dogs who has the closest relationship with the dogs but the person who does the training.
4. Training and competing helps make dogs better canine citizens and also really helps to socialize them. In this day and age with more breed-specific legislation in place, it's so critical to have a dog with a stable temperament that gets along well with other dogs and people. Frankly, if you aren't thinking about competing, you probably aren't bothering to train your dog so competitions help me set goals for my dog and do training.
5. I really enjoy doing stuff with my dogs. Going to competitions to earn points, qualifying scores, and ultimately titles is a social activity for both me and my dogs. I get to travel and meet people.
6. My dogs really enjoy doing stuff and going places. They get to meet people and other dogs at shows/trials and we have FUN together. (They really enjoy hotel rooms especially the ones with two double beds because they love jumping from one bed to another.)
7. Some of the nicest people I've met are dog people that I've met through training and competition as well as the people who have bought dogs from me.
8. My dog doesn't care but I get a sense of achievement and satisfaction from competing and earning titles, knowing that it's just me and my dog who have done it.
9. There is now some research to show that dogs that continuously learn stave off canine senility in old age. Just like people, it's use it or lose it (i.e., brain cells).
10. Vizslas are aptly known as the Versatile Vizsla. They can do just about anything so it behooves owners of Vizslas to give them a life rich in learning. They will love us for it.

Many people who own Vizslas don't know that this breed was the first in the history of the American Kennel Club to earn triple, quadruple and quintuple championships. As you can see below, the same dog, Chartay matched Kai's record and then smashed it, making history.

• Triple CH Cariad's Kutya Kai Costa UD VC HOF "Kai"
• Triple CH AFC MACH Legacy's DeChartay UDX MH "Chartay"
• Quadruple CH AFCH OTCH MACH Legacy's DeChartay UDX MH "Chartay"
• Quintuple CH FCH AFCH OTCH MACH Legacy's DeChartay UDX5 MH HOF "Chartay"

Chartay's owner, Jack Sharkey, started out saying to Chartay's breeder, Diane Shearer of Legacy Vizslas that he "only wanted a pet" but Diane insisted he earn her Championship title at a minimum (which is all I ask of my puppy buyers too). That ignited Jack's enthusiasm for training and competing with his dog and set him on a course that made history. Here's to Kai and Chartay, two very special Vizslas!