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

Awesome year for my V's

In terms of accomplishments with all 3 of my Vizslas, 2012 was one the best EVER!  In total, they (and I) earned 21 new titles in four different canine organizations.

At 9.5 years of age, Miska (Int'l BIS/RBIS (Veteran) AKC/CKC/Int'l/UKC CH Varazs Kiralyi Kedvesem FD, NAVHDA NA Prize III, JH, AKC/CKC CDX, AKC/CKC RE, AKC RAE, AgNS, AgNJS, NJP, URO2, CGN, CGC, TDI) is not slowing down – in fact she’s speeding up!  Her year was outstanding with a total of 10 new titles plus legs towards 6 more! AND, she was # 3 Vizsla in obedience in Canada (CKC) in 2011 and currently sits in #1 spot for 2012.  Miska has earned a total of 28 titles in her lifetime, not including her International Best in Show awards. To earn 10 in one year accounts for 36% of all her titles!

Miska has proven herself and the breed, time and time again, that she lives up to the moniker of a Versatile Vizsla excelling in obedience, rally, field, conformation and agility.  (Next year, I will apply in Miska's name for the Vizsla Society of Ontario's Tibor Reiter trophy for versatility. She certainly is deserving of it. I applied for the trophy in the name of her mom, CH Ferngold Varazs Innovation Am/Can CD, Can/AM RA, Am RE, Am RAE, FDJ, JH, CGN, "Nova", for the year 2012.  Nova just missed out in 2011 so I am hoping she will be the top Vizsla for 2012. The trophy - if Nova earns it - would be awarded posthumously. Keeping my fingers crossed!  Miska's sire, Sasha, earned the Tibor trophy in 2007.)

Miska - 10 NEW TITLES in 2012!

Miska's New Titles!

1.    Therapy Dog International (TDI)
American Kennel Club (AKC) titles:
2. Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
3. Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)
4.  Novice Jumpers Preferred (NJP)
5.  Novice Agility Preferred (NAP)
Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) titles: 
6. Agility Novice Jumpers Selected (AGNJS)
7. Agility Novice Selected (AGNS)
8. Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)
United Kennel Club (UKC) titles: 
9. Rally Level 1 (URO1)
10. Rally Level 2 (URO2)

PLUS . . .
4 UKC High in Trials (Rally and Obedience)
1 UKC Group 3rd - Gun Dog Group
2 CKC Intermediate Agility Selected legs
2 UKC Companion Dog legs
1 UKC Rally Level 3 leg
1 AKC Novice Agility FAST Preferred leg
1 AKC Open Agility Preferred leg
1 AKC Open Agility Jumpers Preferred leg

#3 Vizsla in obedience in Canada for 2011
#1 Vizsla in obedience in Canada for 2012

TYRO - 4 NEW TITLES IN 2012!

Despite having bilateral elbow dysplasia, Tyro (CH Varazs Napkelte Tyrone CD Am/Can RE, Am RAE, URO2, CGN, CGC) is very active and loves to compete. In 2012 he earned 4 new titles.  Although the number of titles pales a little with Miska, his AKC Rally-Obedience title required him to compete in a LOT of trials.  Amazingly, he earned this title in just two (very long weekends), earning 20 qualifying scores in a row.  Anyone who has worked on an RAE title knows how hard it can be and how long it can take.  At 6.5 years of age Tyro appears to be pain free of elbow dysplasia.  I don't train or compete with him in field or agility, two sports which would put tremendous stress on his elbows.  However, he is terrific in rally and obedience and continues to compete in both. Once he turns 7, he will be able to compete as a senior in CKC obedience which means he can jump a much lower jump height in the Open class (2 jumps).

Tyro's New Titles!
AKC: 

1. Canine Good Citizen (CGC),
2. Rally Advanced-Excellent (RAE )

UKC:  

3. Rally Level 1
4. Rally Level 2

DIVA — 7 NEW TITLES!

Diva (CKC/Int'l/UKC CH Varazs Kedves Quickstep FDJ JH NA AgNJ AGI CGN CGC) is primarily my agility dog although I want to earn more hunting titles and some obedience and rally titles with her too.  She loves agility and can be quite fast (although not as fast as Border Collies and some of those other crazy breeds in agility, thank goodness, because I wouldn't be able to keep up with her at my age!).  I am still working on her focus and control which is why she didn't earn as many legs and titles this year as I had hoped.  At 4.5 years, she is still a young dog.  I was  pleased with her performances this year and we had a lot of fun competing although she had a lot more fun at times going off and doing her own thing on the agility courses!!

Diva's New Titles!
CKC:
1. Agility Novice (AGN)
 2. Agility Intermediate (AGI)
3. Agility Novice Jumpers (AGNJ) 
AKC:
4. Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
5. Novice Agility Standard (NA)
6. Novice Agility Jumpers (NAJ)
UKC: 

7. Rally Novice 1 (URO1)

New Vizsla star in heaven

 Heaven has a new Vizsla angel / star.

CH Varazs Tobias Barat FDJ - "Toby"

February 21, 2001 - December 21, 2012

Loved, cherished and now greatly missed by Kris Begic and his family. 

What we have once enjoyed
we can never lose;
All that we love deeply,
becomes a part of us.
-Helen Keller

 

R.I.P. Toby

 

 

Christmas walk 2012

Today the dogs got two walks - part of their Christmas "gifts". The first was what I considered a 'stroll' since we were accompanied by their hu-dad who doesn't power walk like I do.  But it was really nice - for me - to have human company which I rarely have on my dog walks in Arizona.  And hu-dad got to see parts of town he's never seen before.

The second walk was far more 'serious' we covered a lot more territory in the same amount of time. I decided to venture into the desert with the dogs on a trail we haven't been on since we first moved here.  I recall our first walk with the dogs on this trail since it was cut short by Tyro encountering a wicked Cholla cactus on his head. This time, there was no misadventure like that, thank goodness.  The mountain behind us is Daisy Mountain.  Today it was overcast all day (very unusual for AZ) and also quite cold.

Diva, Tyro & Miska

Happy Holidays!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

from the Varazs Permanent Reg'd Vizslas 

R.I.P. Yogi

Sh Ch/Aust Ch. Hungargunn Bear It'n Mind 

"Yogi"

December 22, 2002 - December , 2012

 

Yogi with handler John Thirlwell winning Crufts in 2010

The Vizsla world was very saddened to learn that Yogi aka Sh Ch/Aust Ch. Hungargunn Bear It'n Mind just passed away. Yogi was a male Hungarian Vizsla who was the Best in Show at Crufts in 2010. He is the first Vizsla to have ever won this prestigious show.  Sadly, he passed away just 2 weeks short of his tenth birthday, having apparently been treated for some type of cancer on his spleen (possibly hemangiosarcoma which is commonly found on the spleen although I cannot confirm that).  Because of who he was and the number of progeny he had, this was one dog that I wanted to have lived a very long and healthy life but long it was not to be, unfortunately.

Yogi is the record holder for Best in Show victories at all breed shows in the UK, breaking the record in 2010 which had previously stood for eighty years.  He is (was) the winningest Vizsla in the world.  Somewhat controversially, he sired 79 litters (more than 500 puppies) after moving to England where he was shown heavily from dog Australia where he was bred.

He was a lovely masculine Vizsla, beautifully balanced with fantastic movement and good bone.  The way a Vizsla should be!

Rest in Peace Yogi. Your spirit and physique live on in many, many of your offspring.

For more about Yogi, please visit:



http://www.shannas.co.uk/#/yogi-the-boy-from-oz/4553709159

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungargunn_Bear_It%27n_Mind

Tyro

Tyro's head. 

These photos of Tyro were taken November 28, 2012.

 

This one below is a particularly beautiful one of Tyro (IMO) because of the angle.

 

Yum!

Freshly baked peanut butter cookies - for the dogs, of course!!  This will last them about a week and a half.  Yummy!!

2011 Top Obedience Award

Congratulations to Miska (and me of course!) for earning a Top Obedience Dog Award in Canada for 2011.  She was #3 in obedience in the Vizsla breed.  Only six Vizslas competed in either/both Open (Companion Dog Excellent) or Utility (UD) to earn points in 2011.  That's very few but still, Miska earned enough points when competing in Open to earn her this spot in history.  The award came from Dogs in Canada.  (PS, it unofficial, but Miska is #1 Vizsla for 2012.)  Miska's daddy, Sasha, was #5 Vizsla in 1998 and #3 in 1999 so she is merely following in his pawsteps.