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.