For those of you who know us (either personally or just because of this Blog), you will probably have gathered that we are passionate about our "boys".
Radar & Rio are our family...some would call them "pets" but, to us, they're more than that...they're our four-legged, hairy children &, like children, we want them to be secure, happy & healthy...we want the absolute best for them. For us, this means doing all the same things that we would do for/with a human family:
- Choosing a vet (in their case!!) that we trust & can relate to.
- Giving them a good diet - which just happens to be the BARF diet.
- Making sure they have lots of "friends" to play & interact with.
- Ensuring that they get the opportunity to do lots of different/appropriate activities so that they are both mentally & physically stimulated (hence the agility, PAT dog stuff, swimming & showing etc)...no different to kids really &, like kids, if we find that a particularly activity doesn't suit, we stop it!
But, above all (& I know this sounds soppy), they get our total, life-long, commitment & love...& yes, they can sleep in the bedroom if they want & get on the bed for a cuddle!!!!!
It seems incredible to us that we only met our first Vizlsa about 7 years ago...but from that moment on we were hooked.
Our first Vizsla experience...the lovely Amber having a typical vizzie cuddle with her Dad, Ken!
Initially it was the striking appearance that completely bowled us over but soon, having done our research, we found that the Vizsla could offer so much more & would be the ideal dog for us & our life-style! This is just some of what we discovered:
Vizlsas are very gentle, loyal, caring & highly affectionate. They very quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children, & for this reason they are often referred to as "Velcro" dogs!
Radar & Rio with my little grandson, Otto. Unfortunately, Otto is allergic to dogs but that doesn't stop him loving them & they have both learnt not to touch!
Generally, they are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or if provoked...though those of you who know Radar will know that he can be extremely vocal particularly if he's getting a back or ear scratch...he actually groans with pleasure!! The other time they can be "vocal" is if they feel neglected or want something..."crying" is not unheard of...well it's definitely "heard" & can sound pretty pathetic!!
As with many breeds, they can suffer from "separation anxiety" so this is definitely something to consider before taking a Vizsla into your home. If other commitments keep you away for too long or, maybe, you just like going to the bathroom on your own, then a Vizsla may not be the dog for you!! They thrive on attention & interaction &, hence, like being close to their owner(s) as much of the time as possible...if given the chance, many of them will sleep in bed with their owners, burrowing under the covers so that they can snuggle up!
Radar & Rio burrowed under "their" duvet!
Rio deciding that Mum & Dad's bed gives him a bit more space to stretch out!!
Vizslas are also VERY energetic & need a good deal of exercise to remain healthy & happy. They are highly intelligent, & thrive on being challenged & stimulated, both mentally & physically - I guess that's one of the reasons both Radar & Rio love agility so much...it gives them physical exercise but they also have to "think"! However, as Vizslas have sensitive temperaments, they can easily be "damaged" if treated or trained unkindly - so, all training must be done gently & without harsh commands or strong physical correction.
They are one of only 15 HPR (Hunt, Point, Retrieve) breeds that are recognised as such in the UK. This means that they are natural hunters, great pointers & excellent retrievers. As Vizslas are excellent swimmers, they will not only retrieve on land but also in the water...check out some of Rio's recent videos of him retrieving from water!!
So what, you may be thinking, was the point of the above waffle?! Well, the passion I mentioned at the beginning isn't just reserved for Radar & Rio but for the Hungarian Vizsla breed as a whole. It's because of this that I've decided to add a few extra pages to our Blog...just stuff that I hope you might find useful &/or interesting, whether you're a current Vizsla owner, are about collect your new Vizsla puppy or are just considering whether or not a Vizsla is the dog for you. I won't pretend that it's all my own work...some is but much of it is information that I've gleaned from other, far more experienced, Vizsla owners...so thank you to them.
