My Dogs

U-CDX U-AGII Louie's Reign of Terror UD VER RAE JH NA NAP NJP OAJ NF - 11 yr old vizsla. Louie's show career has been sporadic due to reoccurring lameness from a leg injury and issues with treatment for his Addison's disease. Louie is extremely intelligent, high energy, pushy, noisy (he editorializes everything, especially things he's excited about), soft temperament, momma's boy, and has had to overcome his fear of new people, places, and things (most people cannot tell anymore that he once was a fear-aggressive dog). He stresses up (when in doubt - move, go as fast as possible!), is a blast to run in agility, and trialing in obedience has required an enormous amount of patience (try getting a dog scared of new places and people to do a stand for exam or a 3 min out of sight sit-stay in a new building)!

1st Place in Utility B @ Vizsla Nationals 4.30.12
Finished RAE title 10.9.11 with 8 perfect "100" scores, 14 placements, and only 2 scores below a 96!
#2 Vizsla 2010 Rally Obedience (Front & Finish)

Retrieving the correct leather article

Want to know what all these letters mean?

U-CD FAWA-WR Golden Willow Skyrocket UD GN GO RE AX OAJ - 6 yr old vizsla. Willow is now my primary competition dog and has been doing well in the obedience and agility rings, earning her CD, RN, and NA in 2009, GN, CDX, RA, and OA in 2010, RE, GO, and NAJ in 2011, and her UD, AX and OAJ in 2012. She also has two legs towards her AXJ. Willow came from a wonderful breeder and her temperament is the dynamic opposite of Louie. She is independent, confident, and loves everyone (stand for exam is her favorite part of obedience because people touch her)! While the show environment doesn't stress her at all, the challenge with her is to keep her motivated to pay attention and work with me even with all those great things going on that she'd rather check out!

#8 Vizsla 2011 Open Obedience (Vizsla Club of America)
#7 Vizsla 2010 Rally Obedience (Front & Finish)
#4 Vizsla 2010 Open A (Front & Finish)
#4 Vizsla 2010 Delaney Ratings (Front & Finish)
#4 Vizsla 2009 Novice (Vizsla Club of America)


Willow at 6 months in the field	Willow on a Down in Rally Photo from dickclarkphoto.com

Willow after swimming

Rescue A Little Grace AX AXJ - 3 yr old vizsla. Gracie came to me in May 2009 and my intentions were to rehabilitate and re-home her. She was an outdoor kennel dog until 10 months of age and scared of pretty much everything. Tall grass was a wall that other dogs disappeared behind but she couldn't follow. She would run aay when you tried to lure her with food. Louie became her role model and she made great progress over the summer - running the fields and woods, learning to swim, learning how to be relaxed in the house instead of darting from place to place, and finally deciding that I was an "honorary dog"' and fit to be greeted and played with. I had been debating keeping her because she was doing such a great job with all my client's dogs that she could be Louie's replacement, but was still frustrated that she wouldn't let me train her to do anything (although she had learned the basics by imitation) - she'd run away. However in September she had a breakthrough and is now eagerly doing things to get click & treats! She completed the Level 1 Obedience class at HDTC and until she gets more comfortable with strangers touching her that's all the obedience for her. Gracie had her agility debut in May 2010 and while she had no Q's, I thought she did great - she had her tail up, stayed with me, and was happy for most of her runs - despite that scary judge following us around. Not bad for a dog that would take one jump and hide in the corner or go into the tunnel and refuse to come out just last fall (2009)! At her second agility trial in May 2011, she qualified 5 of 6 runs - earning her NA and two legs towards her NAJ!

Gracie at the dog park for the first time

Miette - 13.5 yr old boxer. Miette is a cutie and loves kids. She handles like a lesson pony for them and is very patient. My boyfriend's son handled her for the CGC certificate.

miette looking at camera, head cocked to one side

buddy smiling while resting in woods on a hike

Buddy, vizsla, rescued Jan 2009, euthanized Aug 2009 due to heart failure.

Buddy was found wandering around a rural area in Michigan, kept by a family for a week but then taken to the shelter when they could not locate his owners. He was at the shelter for a month before vizsla rescue got him out (the shelter estimated his age as 7 yrs but he was more likely 10-14). He stayed a week at another foster volunteer's house where she questioned if she should just take him to be euthanized because he snapped at/went after her other dogs for no apparent reason & also snapped at her when she touched him sometimes. At my home I could see that Buddy's theory was "the best defense is a good offense" - however the contact he made with his teeth was always inhibited and left no damage - he just wanted the other dogs (or me) to back off. He also was very traumatized by his experiences and took 6 weeks to de-stress and adjust. It was clear that he once was someone's house pet - he wanted to be on the furniture, under the covers, and a taste of whatever you were eating. Over the course of several weeks I was able to condition him to lie quietly and let me dremel his nails, and also accept me putting on his muzzle (both of which initially resulted in a thrashing vizsla with a wall of teeth). I believe he probably was physically punished for this behavior previously and would cringe and flatten himself on the ground after he had snapped at me, as if expecting retaliation. I guarded him from the other dogs and he began to accept them and even tolerate Louie using him as a pillow. He was a funny old man and would smile when excited to greet you or if you had some especially good food around and he wanted some. When the other dogs weren't around he would play with me and do the zoomies old man style. A month before his death, he actually did his play solicitation to Louie & Miette!

Breeds of dogs that I have previously lived with: Italian Greyhound, Beagle mix, Toy Fox Terrier, Airedale mix, Chow mix, Lab mix.

Oliver - approx 2 yr old St. Bernard/Aussie mix. Oliver's previous owners sent him to me for two weeks in the summer of 2009 and stayed overnight at least one night a week until June 2010, when he was adopted by his new owners. Oliver went from an out-of-control adolescent to a picture perfect companion and started training for competition obedience and rally. We showed in May 2010 for the first time in Rally and he earned his first leg towards his RN.