Busy Birthday Bees!

Stella and Bodi (from our 2011 breeding between Brick and Miska born May 31) who just celebrated their 3rd birthday, were very busy on their birthdays earning new titles!!!  Stella and her hu-mom competed in a Cdn Association of Rally Obedience (CARO) trial to earn her Rally Advanced (RA) title and Bodi was in the US completing his Americah Kennel Club (AKC) Rally Novice (RN) title.  So two sibs and two titles on their third birthday! 

Bodi in repose with his new title (Rally Novice) rosette and ribbons!

Stella's mom showing off their gorgeous rosette for Stella's new title (Rally Advanced).

And Bodi also earned two more AKC Coursing Ability Advanced legs while he was at it on his birthday weekend. That's as in "lure coursing"!

Bodi chasing the 'bunny'

Way to go kids!!!

PS - photos are courtesy of the dogs' owners.

Awesome agility weekend!

Miska, Diva and I had a fantastic 4-day American Kennel Club agility trial in Romulus NY at the end of September.  Miska, especially, dazzled me with her performances except for Friday when she was totally 'off her game'.  Don't know what had happened that day but the other 3 days, she was magnificent.

Miska came home with:

1.  A Novice F.A.S.T. Preferred title   - NFP
2. An Excellent Jumpers Preferred title - AJP (this is Miska's 37th title)
3. Two legs tiwards her Excellent Standard Preferred title

On the last trial of the four days in the Excellent Standard class, I mismanaged Miska on a 180 degree turn and as a result, she went past the 2nd jump instead of over it which resulted in a Refusal and not qualifying.  Otherwise, she would have had a perfect, clean run and her title!!  Aaaaarrrrrgggh!! Oh well!!  Miska earned first and second places for all of her qualifying runs (7 of them!).  I was  thrilled with how Miska did, exceeding my expectations for her and for me.

I earned all those rosettes!!! (Miska)

And Miska's daughter, Diva, didn't totally disappoint.  She also earned her Novice FAST title (NF)  and two legs towards her Open Standard (OA) title.  She was a train wreck in all of her Open Jumpers trials so control, focus and weaves are what we have to work on before she goes into any more trials. When she Q'd, she also earned placements in every pass - two firsts, two seconds and one third place.  And she also earned one leg towards her AKC Lure Coursing Ability title.  And her younger, half-brother Bodi earned his AKC Coursing Ability (CA) title at this venue. 

All in all, it was a great Wine Circuit weekend!

Diva

Ain't it Grand?

Congratulations to Bodi (2011 litter out of Brick & Miska) and his hu-mom for earning his 

Canadian Kennel Club GRAND CHAMPION title!!

New Grand Champion!!

Bodi is the first Varazs-bred dog to earn this Canadian title since the CKC introduced the new titling changes on January 1, 2013. Another Varazs-bred dog, Andras (2008 litter out of Ozzie & Miska), earned an American Kennel Club Grand Champion title in 2011.

Bodi is now known as BIS (UKC), CKC/UKC CH, CKC GCH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ, JH, RN, URO1, CGN, UKC CA, NAVHDA NA PZ I.  At two years of age, Bodi has accomplished more than most dogs do in a lifetime!! Thanks to his owner for giving Bodi such a rich and varied life!

Upset!

Best of Breed

over a Grand Champion and Champion!

Under a Brazilian judge, Elsie, from our 2011 litter (Brick & Miska) took Best of Breed from the classes yesterday at the Kilbride show, defeating two champions, including her brother, Bodi, who is currently #11 Vizsla in Canada. The other Vizsla (Grand Champion) sits in #3 spot.  I guess it was payback time for when Bodi beat Elsie for Best of Breed a year ago at the same show!! Ha, ha! This was Elsie's first Best of Breed.  Over the weekend, she accumulated 3 more points towards her Canadian Champion title.  Way to go Elsie!!  (Official show photo to come.)

Elsie posing with her brother Bodi.

Elsie with Mama Miska in our garden in Moffat

And congratulations to Bodi and his hu-mom for earning two more Grand Champion points when Bodi took Best of Breed on Saturday.

A(nother) First!

Bodi (a Brick-Miska puppy born May 31, 2011) earned a lure coursing title yesterday!  He is the first Varazs-bred dog to earn such a title and can add the initial CA (for Coursing Ability) behind his registered name. Way to go Bodi and owner Corrine Sellars!!  And today, they passed two more United Kennel Club lure coursing tests on their journey to a Coursing Ability Excellent title!

Here's a video of Bodi in action. (For some reason, the camera didn't focus well on the close ups at the end of the video.)

Gathering

Extending

Typically only sight hounds have been allowed to compete in lure coursing (chasing a mechanically operated lure such as plastic bags/rabbit fur around a field) but two organizations in North America - the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club - now permit non-sight hounds to enter and compete in trials which is rather neat!

I tried the course today with Bodi's mom, Miska and his sister, Diva. Miska started to chase the lure but got distracted by all sorts of smells in the field and decided she would rather mark her territory and/or hunt for game than chase a lure.  Diva was much the same in her first run but then the light bulb went off in her head and she did extremely well and passed on her second try.  Yay!! Despite a third attempt for Miska, Miska just didn't 'get it'.  We'll try again next month!  Here's Diva's second run when she passed.  It was great!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Our 6 puppies: Bentley, Stella, Bodi, Elsie, Charlie, and William born to Brick and our beloved Miska on May 31, 2011 turn two years old today!

 

Great weekend miles apart

Thousands of miles apart, in two different corners of the continent . . .

Bodi and his Group 3rd placement

In Woodstock, Ontario Canada, Bodi (BIS (UKC), CKC/UKC CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ JH URO1 CGN NAVHDA NA PZ I) born May 31, 2011, took a Group 3rd in the Sporting Group at the Wildwood Kennel Club dog show on Saturday February 2.  Woot, woot!!  He was expertly handled by Edgar Rojas. This placement gave Bodi 41 all-breed points to put him into 1st place standings in Vizslas in Canada.  Congratulations to owner Corrine Sellars.

And in Phoenix AZ, Bodi's big sis, Diva (CKC/Int'l/UKC CH Varazs Kedves Quickstep FDJ, JH, NA, NAJ, AgNJ, AGI, Am RN, URO1 CGN CGC) from my 2008 litter, earned her AKC Rally Novice title on February 3 with scores of 100, 85 & 98 and 2nd, 3rd and 1st place finishes respectively.  Well done Diva! (And yes, it was chilly in Phoenix, the reason for the fleece vest!)

Diva with her mom and the nice judge

2012 in review

In addition to the great year I had with my 3 Vizslas, several of my puppy buyers did very well with their dogs too in 2012.  I want to thank them and acknowledge their dogs here.  Congratulations on your Vizsla's many accomplishments!!  This first dog listed is Miska's sister and the rest are a few of Miska's puppies from her 2008 and 2011 litters).

• CH Varazs Artemis Vizsandy CD AGN AGI RE, "Shandy", earned her Rally Excellent title and was #3 Vizsla in Rally Obedience in Canada for 2012

• CH Varazs Kedves Quasar NAVHDA NA Prize III, CD "Blaze" - new Companion Dog (CD) title

• BIS (UKC), CKC/UKC CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ JH URO1 CGN NAVHDA NA PZ I "Bodi" - 7 new titles & Best in Show - CKC & UKC Champion, Field Dog Jr., Jr Hunter, NAVHDA Natural Ability, Canine Good Citizen, plus several 'tricks titles' and that prestigious Best in Show!

• Varazs Kedvesem Final Dance PCD, CGN, CKC & CARO RN "Stella" - 4 new titles!  Pre-Companion Dog, Canine Good Neighbour, CKC & CARO Rally Novice

• Varazs Kedvesem Grand Finale "Elsie"- 6 CKC Champion points and was Best of Opposite Sex in Puppy Sweeps at the Vizsla Society of Ontario's 2012 Specialty Show

• Varazs Kedvesem Final Frontier "Charlie" - 6 CKC Champion points

All reputable and caring Vizsla breeders strive to do is produce talented, intelligent, good looking Vizsla puppies which perpetuate the qualities they were originally bred for, and more.  They then turn the puppy over to the new owner with the hope the new owner will devote lots of time and attention to the dog's physical AND mental well-being.

The Vizsla was bred to be a versatile hunting dog and while many/most people don't hunt with their Vizslas, the hunting (i.e., working) instinct is still very strong in this breed and they will hunt on their own when given any chance. Like all working breeds and intelligent beings, Vizslas thrive when they have a 'job' to do.  Jobs these days are training and competing for titles in a variety of organizations which can put their brains and talents to work.  A working dog is a happier and often healthier dog.  Studies have shown, just like in people, that dogs who continually learn new behaviours stave off canine cognitive dysfunction (i.e., Alzheimer's disease).  I love the following and while it's published on my website, I think it's appropriate to repeat it here.

 What is a Title Really?

    "Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores; a title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honour the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory, for about as long as anything in this world can remain.

    And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.

    A title says your dog was intelligent, adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.

    In addition, a title says that you love your dog. That you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed and in the end your faith was justified.

    A title proves that your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return.

    And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend. Volumes of praise in one small set of initials after the name.

    A title is nothing less that the true love and respect, given and received and recorded permanently."

    Author Unknown

W.A.W.

What A Week!

As weeks go in the life of dogs, this was one incredibly busy and very successful week for Varazs-bred Vizslas!!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

• Miska completed her Cdn Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title. That was her 26th title!
• Miska's daughter, Stella (2011 litter) finished her Rally Novice (RN) title in the Cdn Association of Rally Obedience with a score of 190 / 200.  

Sunday, October 21

• Miska earned her (and mine) highest score ever in obedience with a 197 / 200 in Open and a 2nd place.  That put her in #1 position for a Vizsla in Obedience in Canada for 2012 according to Canuckdogs.com.  Woo-hoo!!

Thursday, October 25

• Diva, Miska's daughter from our 2008 litter, completed her Cdn Agility Intermediate title with a first place and the only dog to qualify in her height division.  This was my first Intermediate agility title ever - so another first (for me).

Saturday, October 27

• Another of Miska's offspring, Bodi (also from our 2011 litter) was Best Male and Best of Winners completing his United Kennel Club (UKC) Championship. This is Bodi's 7th title and he's only 17 months old!
• Tyro earned the second and third legs of his UKC Rally Level 2 (URO2) title with two fourth placements. This is his 14th title.
• Miska also completed her UKC rally URO2 title (her 27th title) with two perfect (100 / 100) scores and a second and first place.
• Diva earned two legs towards her rally URO1 title with two first place finishes.
• Stella earned her first two conformation points taking Winners Bitch and Best of Winners.

Sunday, October 28

• Miska earned her first two legs towards the UKC novice obedience title and finished in first place in both trials AND earned not one, but TWO High In Trials!  Her first score was a 194.5 and her second a 197/200!  Awesome work Miska!
• Diva completed her rally URO1 title (her 10th title).
• Miska took Best of Breed and a Group 3rd in UKC conformation in show #1. 
• Miska earned a UKC Total Dog award for earning wins in both conformation and performance wins.
• In UKC show #2, Bodi took Best of Breed over his mom and two other Vizslas.

That amounted to five completed titles in one week on my dogs and two titles on Miska's kids.

Congratulations and big thanks to the owners of Stella and Bodi and kudos to my three dogs for their wonderful accomplishments! 

New Jr Hunter title

Congratulations to Bodi (BIS CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ JH  URO1 CGN NAVHDA NA PZ I) from our 2011 litter between mama Miska and papa Brick (Ch Pirok Tegla MH) and his owner Corrine Sellars for earning his American Kennel Club Jr. Hunter title on October 7, 2012!! This is his first AKC title completed.  It's like the CKC Field Dog Jr. title but the differences are:

1) a dog is braced with another when being tested
2) a dog must earn 4 legs rather than 3 to earn a JH title.

Bodi earned his title in 4 straight passes.  Well done!! For more pics from the hunt tests, visit Bodi's Blog entry.

Things come in 2s?

Things come in twos??

Last weekend was a good one for 2 of our Miska-Brick puppies born May 31, 2011.  Bodi earned 2 Jr Hunter legs at an AKC hunt test in Darien NY after earning his NAVHDA Natural Ability title last weekend and Charlie earned his first2 conformation points at the Oakville Kennel Club show.  Congratulations to the puppies and to their owners, especially Corrine who handled Bodi at her first US hunt test!

Corrine with Bodi

Charlie handled by breeder mom

 

NAVHDA Prize I

I am thrilled to announce (although rather belatedly I am afraid) that Bodi (UKC BIS, CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ, CGN, URO1; DOB: May 31, 2011) earned a Prize I in Natural Ability from the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Assoc. (NAVHDA) on September 2, 2012.  While the rest of us were enjoying the long, Labour Day weekend in Canada, owner and handler Corrine Sellars was busy competing in this field test at Luther Marsh ON with Bodi.

Bodi showed great field/hunting apititude as an 8-week puppy, immediately launching into a stiff point when he saw a wing-on-a-string.   He also scented and retrieved a dead quail.  I remember exclaiming to Corrine at the time,  "There's your bird dog!"

Bodi pointing

This is MY bird!

So I was pretty confident that Bodi would dog well in field. He earned his CKC Field Dog Hr (FDJ) in May at the age of one year with one near-perfect score of 97/100.  NAVHDA's Natural Ability tests cap the age of the dog at 16 months so he just made it at 15 months.  Not only did Bodi pass the NA test this time, he ACED it!!! He had perfect scores all seven categories:

1. use of nose
2. search
3. water
4. pointing
5. tracking
6. desire to work
7. co-operation

His seven perfect scores resulted in the highest accolade, a Prize I.  Several Varazs-bred dogs have earned NAVHDA NA titles, but this is the first of our Vizslas to earn a Prize I.  Others have earned a Prize III, including Bodi's mom, Miska. (Prize I is the highest and Prize III is the lowest of the passes.)

VERY, VERY proud owner/handler Corrine with Bodi

Not only was I (as Bodi's breeder), extremely proud of Bodi, I was thrilled for Corrine since she handed Bodi herself. This was Corrine's very first time handling a dog in a field test  since previously, her field trainer, Mike Wilshire of Ruffwood Brittanies, handled Bodi.  I can tell you it's such a big thrill to:

1. see your Vizsla do what it was originally bred to do: find game and establish point
2. handle your own dog in a hunt test.

 CONGRATULATIONS  to Bodi and Corrine!! I am very very proud of both of you!

MORE new titles!

I'm very proud to announce more new title earners!

 NEW CHAMPION!

BIS CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban FDJ URO1 CGN
proudly handled by breeder/co-owner Sylvia Dorosh

Bodi born May 31/11 from our Miska-Brick breeding is now a Canadian CHAMPION! He finished his title at the Kilbride Kennel Club show in Milton ON on August 10.  This is his fourth title at 14.5 months of age.  His mother Miska is now the dam of 7 champions.  Bodi's title means Varazs-bred and owned dogs have earned 36 CKC champion titles to date!

NEW OBEDIENCE TITLE!

Stella who is a littermate to Bodi earned her CKC Pre-Novice Obedience title on August 10 so she can add PCD behind her name.  This is Stella's third title!  Way to go Stella and owner/hander Teri!!  (Sorry, no pic is available of their title)!

NEW CHAMPION

CH Vitali Intrepid Murphy proudly handled by her breeder, Chrissie Diron

Murphy (CH Vitali Intrepid Murphy) is a descendent of  my dogs.  I bred Murphy's mom - and by the way, Murphy is actually a female - who is Shandy from my 2003 litter between our Sasha and Nova.  This makes Murphy a grand-daughter to Sasha and Nova.  Yes it can get very confusing when we start to talk about pedigrees and who's who and who's related to whom.   Anyhoodle - Murphy just finished her Canadian Champion title with two Sporting Group placements (Group 3rd and 4th) on Vancouver Island, BC earlier this month (August 2012).

Relatively speaking

I've been fortunate to see or visit with a handful of our puppies over the past couple of months. As a breeder, this always brings me joy since I love to see how our offspring are turning out.  Here are the dogs that have visited lately.

Charlie (formerly Tunder) born May 31, 2011

Charlie with his Uncle Tyro (born June 17, 2006)

L-R: Bodi & Elsie (littermates born May 31/11), Mama Miska, Vadasz and Quest

Ruby born June 26, 2003

Celebrating birthdays!

Sisters Ruby and Miska, 9 years old

3 littermates born June 26, 2003: Ruby, Miska & Vadasz

Littermates Diva & Quest born June 16, 2008

Mama Miska with son Bodi born May 31, 2011

Snake's alive! (Well, not quite.)

It wasn't a live snake but the shed skin of a harmless common garter snake that Bodi managed to sniff out in our garden.  We value these reptiles for their ability to eat small rodents such as mice and so never want them harmed.  We do NOT encourage our dogs to attack snakes because half the time we reside in AZ where there are plenty of venomous rattlesnakes that we want to avoid.

However, Bodi found this 'lovely' snake skin most likely from a female as the females tend to be larger than the males.  Garter snakes give off a foul smelling fluid from their postanal glands when they are handled or harmed.  This snake wasn't harmed or handled in the making of these photos so perhaps there is residue from these glands when they shed their skins because clearly the dogs picked up some kind of scent - particularly Bodi.

Uncle Vadasz to Nephew Bodi - 'You check it out first!  It may bite me!"

Bodi to Uncle Vadasz: "Crikey - what's that? 
Stay back Uncle Vadasz while I check it out!!"

Wow - an entire snake skin!

" Uncle Vadasz, "There's more than one skin here.  Here's another. It's a tail!!" [Bodi]

Belated Birthday Cake

We had several birthdays squeezed into 4 weeks but last month (June) I was very busy at shows and obedience and rally trials and there wasn't enough time or an opportunity to celebrate our dogs' birthdays.  So today we managed to do it with a walk and a cake.  Enjoying the outing today were birthday Vizslas:

• Miska, Vadasz & Ruby who turned 9 years old on June 23 oops s/b 26 (they are littermates from our 2003 litter; Ruby is visiting us for 2 weeks so stay turned for more pics of her) 
• Tyro who turned 6; he's from our 2006 litter
• Quest and Diva, brother and sister from our 2008 litter who turned 4
• Bodi from our May 31, 2011 litter who turned one.

Enjoying a cool(er) walk in the woods

Diva pointing something

Humans: "Blah, blah, blah-blah, blah; yadda-yadda."  Dogs: Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.

Did someone say Birthday Cake?  [Diva]

"I don't care about cake! I need a nap!" [Quest ]

The yummy birthday cake

Employing great self-control - "How much longer do we have to wait for a piece of cake?"

Enjoying more family fun: Front: (L-R) Tyro & Ruby.  Rear (L-R): Quest, Vadasz & Bodi.

 

Proud Mamas

Like any dog breeder and dog owner, I am very proud when my dogs accomplish something. This past weekend was especially exciting since Miska and her son Bodi (DOB May 31, 2011) each took top accolades at the Oxford Dog Sports United Kennel Club shows and trials.  Bodi took a Best in Show and Miska's rally-obedience scores of 100 and 98 earned her two High In Trial awards.  Here are a few more photos from the weekend, thanks to Corrine Sellars, Bodi's owner.

Ticked pink with Bodi's Best in Show award

Mama Miska and son Bodi with their HIT & BIS rosettes

Proud mama with Miska's 2 HIT rosettes

B is for . . .

• Bodi
• Brags
• Best in Show

Bodi is a male puppy from our May 31, 2011 litter sired by Int'l BIS BISS Am/Int'l CH Pirok Tegla MH (Brick) and out of my Miska aka BIS (Veteran) AKC/CKC/Int'l/UKC CH Varazs Kiralyi Kedvesem FDJ, FD, NAVHDA NA Prize III, JH, AKC/CKC CD, AKC CDX, AKC/CKC RE, AKC RAE, AGNJS, URO1, CGN, CGC, TDI.  It's time to Brag about Bodi to my followers and blog readers. 

As of today, Bodi is a mere 1 year and 11 days old and he and his devoted owner, Corrine Sellars, have accomplished the following:

• earned 3 titles before 1 year of age in three different areas - field, rally and obedience:
• Canine Good Neighbour (CGN - CKC), January 14, 2012
• Rally, Level 1 (URO1 - UKC), April 15, 2012
• Field Dog Jr. (FDJ - CKC), May 20, 2012

• placed 1st in his class (9-12 month old puppy dog) at the Regional National Specialty show in Huron OH in conjunction with the Vizsla Club of America's National Specialty events and 4th place in the 9-12 month old puppy dog) class at the VCA's National Specialty show 
• earned 1 leg towards his American (AKC) Rally Novice title
• acquired 9 points towards his Canadian (CKC) Champion title
• awarded Best in Show at an all-breed United Kennel Club show.

Needless to say, Breeder Mom and Mama Miska are very proud of his accomplishments at this tender age.  I've always prided myself on breeding good all-around, versatile Vizslas and Bodi is already proving from a very young age that he's got what it takes to be a Versatile Vizsla in the truest sense of the word - and just like his Mama.

Here are some photos of Bodi.

Completing his UKC Rally Level 1 (URO1) title with a 3rd place

Best of Winners at 6 months of age

Bodi's booty haul from the Regionals and Nationals in Huron OH

Bodi and Corrine earning his first AKC rally-obedience leg

1st place, 9-12 month old class, Regional Specialty show

Ecstatic breeder-mom/handler seconds after being awarded Best in Show

Best in Show (UKC) with judge Joy Leiskau of Baden, ON