A Pet's Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~Take a moment today to be thankful for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without these critters.

~Now please pass this on to other pet owners. We do not have to wait for Heaven, to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

Two things...a "thank you" & a little reminder!

Hi everyone

First & foremost, I’d like to thank everyone who has contacted Di Addicott (either by phone or email) to check whether or not their Vizsla’s DNA sample would be useful for the current research project into Polymyositis.

Now for the second thing…following a few calls/emails, there seems to be a bit of confusion around the PM research project itself – some people were under the impression that they had already contributed to the research as they had provided a DNA sample a couple of years ago via a “cheek swab”. This “cheek swab” project was actually for something completely different – it was for a possible Epilepsy project.

The Polymyositis SALIVA KITS are something quite different…they are state of the art & are capable of collecting high yield, good quality, DNA.

So, if you haven’t had a chance to get in touch with Di yet…PLEASE, PLEASE could you do so as soon as possible – every phone call, every email &, ultimately, every sample will bring us one step closer to finding the genetic marker for this horrendous disease that is causing so much pain & suffering to our beloved red friends & their two-legged guardians.

Di will be able to tell you immediately if your dogs sample would be useful to the project…her contact details are: 01576 202258 or diane@murrayfield.wanadoo.co.uk

Thank you again in advance!

Take care…big hugs for all those gorgeous red boys & girls!!

Juliet x

New Friends - 20th February 2011

Rio & I made some new friends yesterday! Mum & Dad took us to Fritham, in the New Forest, for a walk & we met up with Jimmy & Ozzy (2 black labs) & their Mum & Dad (Aunty Debbie & Uncle Clive). We had a brilliant time running around the forest & swimming in the stream...here's a Smilebox of some of our antics:

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Our Cornish Holiday....

The Sunday 6th February saw us heading west to Cornwall for a weeks holiday. We stayed in a cottage at Hilton Farm, Marhamchurch which is just south of Bude...very convenient for the north Cornish coast.

We arrived mid-afternoon & so were able to start exploring a couple of the local beaches, Summerleaze & Widemouth, straight away. They are so typical of North Cornwall beaches...vast expanses of "proper" sand, rugged cliffs & BIG waves...perfect for us & our red boys!!


Summerleaze Beach



Widemouth Beach


Monday 7th saw us heading west again...this time to the pretty village & fishing port of Boscastle. You may remember hearing about the flash floods that devatated Boscastle in 2004. It's amazing that the village survived at all, but it did, & those buildings that were lost or damaged have been rebuilt in the orginal style.



Water raging through the fishing village of Boscastle in 2004



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Tuesday 8th saw us heading south to the lovely village of Rezare, Near Launceston where we spent the day with our good friends Martine & Andy & their two Vizslas...Rudh Kai (meaning "Red Dog" in Cornish) & Rudh Maw ("Red Boy"). Kai is actually Radar's nephew (like Rio!) even though he & Radar were only born 2 days apart!!

In the morning we went for a lovely walk through the fields & woods of the Tamar Valley. Our ginger boys had a brilliant time including playing in the River Inny as you'll see on the Smilebox below. After lunch (yummy, homemade, chicken & sweetcorn soup...thank you Martine!) we headed out again but this time the two-legged boys took guns with them so that we could do some proper gundog training...! It was the first time Radar & Rio had actually trained with guns & we were delighted that they weren't fazed in the least & on the "seek on" command were off quartering like the proverbial bullet from a gun! Unfortunately, the rabbits must have heard us coming & stayed firmly underground - John & Andy blamed Martine & me coz we were chatting but we reckoned the rabbits thought it was too cold to venture out!!

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On Wednesday it was time to head west again! We stopped off in St Tudy so that I could see my old primary school - it had hardly changed at all apart from now having about 60 pupils...when I was there, there were only 20!!! The other big difference was that the current Head Mistress doesn't sit with her back to the fire chain-smoking...times change...thankfully!!



St Tudy Primary School

Our next stop was Port Isaac a picturesque fishing village, again on the north Cornish coast.You would probably recognise this village as it was used for the ITV drama "Doc Martin"...though it was known as Port Wenn in the series!!!

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After we left Port Isaac we went to Polzeath...a beach I have fond memories of from childhood! It's absolutely enormous with proper caves & huge rock pools that are deep enough to swim in! There wasn't any swimming today though...far too cold...even Radar & Rio only paddled! Mind you, they were far more interested in playing "fetch" again, & again, & again, & again!!!

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Radar felt a bit left out so I gave him his own bandage!!!!

The final full day of our holiday saw us at Polzeath (again!) & also, in the afternoon, at Rock...this time, however, we were joined by Martine, Andy, Kai & Maw...fantastic! Unfortunately the weather in the morning was absolutely atrocious...we were all soaked through...luckily the only cafe open at Polzeath had a big log burning stove...the ideal place to let our coats "steam"!!!!

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After drying off, we left Polzeath & headed for Rock which is situated on the east side of the Camel Estuary - Rock has a lovely, long sandy beach that stretches from Porthilly Cove to Daymer Bay & much of it is backed by sand dunes...a real favourite with the dogs! We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant right by the beach (great home-made burgers!)...it was quite "posh" but, despite this, the dogs were allowed in as long as they behaved...which of course they did! Though Maw & Rio did manage a surreptitious play fight that probably looked, to the uninitiated, really vicious!!!

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And so our holiday came to an end...we all had a fantastic time...thank you John/Dad!!

New Forest Viz Whizz Update...

I’ve just received a lovely letter from Sue Millson (HVC Welfare Officer) thanking us all for the money we raised at our last whizz. I’ve attached the letter so that you can read it for yourselves but I think you’ll agree that our contribution has already helped.

I’d also like to thank all those who’ve contacted Di Addicott offering their dogs saliva samples…every single sample received means that we’re one step closer to finding the genetic marker for the horrendous disease, Polymyositis. If you haven’t managed to contact Di yet, please, please do so as soon as possible – she’ll be able to tell you immediately if your dogs sample would be useful. Her phone number is 01576 202258 or you could email her at diane@murrayfield.wanadoo.co.uk

Hopefully see some of you at the next whizz…I shall be organising another one for April/May time when, with any luck, the weather will be slightly warmer…& drier – I’m beginning to think I’m going to have to have my waterproofs surgically removed!!!

Take care…big hugs for all those gorgeous ginger nutters!!

Buyer Beware by Sheila Gray

I read this article recently & thought it was worth sharing particularly considering the number of rescues both the Society & the Club are having to look after/rehome.

 

"The HVS feels prospective Vizsla owners should be made aware of contra-indications in the description of Vizslas as ideal family pets.

 

The Vizsla is a complicated character who requires lots of attention, exercise and training when adult.

Training should begin early in the puppies life.  It should be firm, patient and consistent.  Vizslas have a low threshold for boredom and will become either highly excited and silly or nervous and whingy if pushed too hard or dealt with in an aggressive manner.  However, they may try to become boss dog, or manipulate their owner if not shown their place in the home.

A highly intelligent dog, they require activities to engage their brain, otherwise they will use this intelligence to devise their own amusement which can spell trouble!

Vizslas are bred to have copious energy and are capable of working eight hours a day during the shooting season.  If not utilised this energy can cause the dog to become hyperactive and neurotic.  By nature Vizslas are excitable and extrovert, who display great affection toward their people.  This can be jumping up or taking hold of hand, wrist or a piece of clothing and mouthing it.

This is the Vizsla, it needs much attention and is not happy without sufficient exercise and will fret if left alone for long periods.

Can you cope with this?  If you have any doubts – do not get a Vizsla.

Sadly, there have recently been problems where the rescue team and some owners who have had to take the ultimate step - euthanasia. The Vizslas in question had shown repeated aggression.

Circumstances have varied as to the cause of this sad situation, it has been noted that some of the dogs involved have been somewhat closely bred.

Do examine the Pedigree and seek advice before deciding this is the dog for you.

Lifestyles have changed and people do not always have the time to devote to a dog.  Vizslas do not make good trophy or weekend dogs.

When in the right environment, there is no better companion than this breed, they just do not suit everybody.

In return for your care and commitment a Vizsla will give a lifetime of fun and devotion."

15th & 16th January 2011...

Almost up to date now!!! The main events in January took place on the 15th & 16th. The 15th was Rio’s first birthday…wow...it seems only yesterday that he was little tiny pup that fitted in the palm of my hand!!


Rio aged 4 days!!


Like Radar, Rio is pretty good on the computer!!! Here’s part of the email that he sent to his litter mates:

“I ‘ad a real gud birfday wee-kend. On Saturday morning Mum & Radar took me to an agility party…coz I’m ONE I woz ‘lowed to do big, growd up jumps (Mum says they’re “medium” height…not quite as high as Radar jumps…but I could do those too no probs!). We played lots of games at the party like “pass the ball” (I’s good at that coz Mum’s taught me to give her the ball when she says “hand”!), “sit in the hoop”…I’s good at sitting too!! We also did knock-out races over the jumps n frew the tunnels…I woz real fast…I got to the third round but, in the end, got beaten by my mate Lizzie…she’s a collie & is very very very fast & is FOUR!! Then, in the afternoon, Mum, Dad & Radar took me to St Catherine’s Hill…we had a grate time running up n down the hill n frew the bracken n stuff. Mum had a surprise for me…she’d brought me a nuw dummy & had wrapped some nice smelly pheasant wings round it (thank you Grannie Lynn…Mum said they were from you!)…I then had a good time doin’ my “seek on” thing…I orlways found it & took it back to Mum nicely!”

And so to the 16th…

10:45 on 16th January 2011 saw an extraordinary sight at the picturesque &, normally, peaceful New Forest area known as Mill Lawn, near Burley. Despite being a very gloomy day with torrential rain being threatened, when we arrived, the little car park was already filled to overflowing, with the excess cars lining the narrow forest road in all directions. So what were all these people doing there? Today was another New Forest Viz Whizz – we had hoped for a good turnout as we were celebrating Rio’s 1st birthday plus we were keen to hand out as many leaflets as possible about the horrendous disease, Polymyositis, that is affecting some of our beloved red dogs. The hoped for “good turnout” turned into an understatement…numerous times we tried to count the number of Vizlsas but gave up after 50 (!)…as usual, they just weren’t prepared to stand still for more than a nano-second!! In addition, there were about 10 “honorary Vizslas” enjoying the delights of the woods, the open areas of bracken & fern & the lovely meandering stream. As for their human companions – there were at least 100…& these hardy people, fully kitted out in their wet weather gear, had travelled from a variety of places across the South of England to join us…wow, that’s dedication to our wonderful breed! The walk was a great success – the dogs had a fantastic time socialising with each other & they ALL got on so well…just watching that red froth of Vizslas running & playing together was enough to bring tears to our eyes! The weather was really kind to us, it was mild & the rain held off though it was incredibly wet underfoot but no one complained...& certainly not the dogs!!! Here are some links to photos' of the walk plus a couple that Dexter & Ditto's Mum (Kate) put together:

http://www.fergusthevizsla.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekydevil/sets/72157625713110727/

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=260268&id=714036008&l=02a7e4a32f

In addition to this being a brilliant walk, that humans & red dogs alike enjoyed, we also managed to collect £115 for the Polymyositis/Welfare funds of the two breed societies HVS & HVC - THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Time to catch up...

I can't believe where the time has gone...apart from our Christmas wishes, I haven't posted on Radar & Rio's Blog for absolutely ages! It's not that nothing has been happening...quite the reverse...between shows & ringcraft training, agility, PAT dog stuff & starting gundog training (phew!!), life for us & our two precious red boys has been hectic to say the least! So this will, hopefully, catch you up with just some of the things that they’ve been up to!

Rio experienced his first snow in December – initially he was quite confused by all the white stuff but soon got to enjoy racing around in it & learning how to catch snowballs. Radar, of course, is a snow veteran & seemed rather put out that there wasn’t more!!!

The 12th December saw us all at Rio’s final show of the year…the Ladies Kennel Association Championship Show which was held at the NEC in Birmingham. As I’m still trying to get my nerves under control when in the ring, Lynn offered to handle him for me which was fantastic & she did an absolutely brilliant job…plus it was great for me to actually see the little chap in action!! Clever Lynn managed to get our precious pup yet another 2nd place…wow…we’re all so proud of him…& her! Here are all the judging critiques for the shows where he managed to achieve 1st or 2nd i.e. multi-qualifying him for Crufts!! (in addition to the below, he also managed 2 VHC!!):

• Paignton, 3rd August 2010 (Judge – Mr G Upton), SECOND – 6 months, nice head, good neck and shoulders, good topline, moved well, just needs a lot of time.
• Bournemouth, 15th August 2010 (Judge – Mrs R Da Silva), FIRST – Charming puppies, both for whom the future bodes well. 7 month old baby giving his handler a hard time. Sweet expression, elegant in outline and well balanced. Moved well once settled. Won the class on a better infill of forechest.
• Richmond,12th September 2010 (Judge – Mr Frank H Whyte), FIRST – A 7 month baby with good head and eye, good bone and feet, good depth of rib and well muscled quarters, promising but needs time to put it all together and firm up in outline.
• HVC, 3rd October 2010 (Judge – Mrs G Burgoin), FIRST & RES. BEST PUPPY IN SHOW - Well proportioned at 8m but difficult to assess (nerves travelling down the lead!). Moved close behind.
• Gundog Society of Wales, 13th October 2010 (Judge – Mrs Donna Holman), SECOND – Nice young dog and with pleasing balance, good topline on move, not as settled as 1.
• LKA, 12th December 2010 (Judge – Mrs R Herbert), SECOND – 10 mths, loved him for type, lovely head and neck, correct angulation, super feet, moved very well in profile but pinning a bit from behind. Unlucky to meet 1.

Something else really exciting happened at the LKA show…we’d taken Radar with us (though not for competition) & whilst there Gill Barwick of the Bequerelle affix, a Championship Show Judge Breed Specialist, was kind enough to assess Radar not only for conformation but also for temperament. She said that: "He is a nice dog with a good conformation, good colour, good dark eye, sound bite & of a lovely steady temperament". As a result of this (& his very healthy 3/4 hip score), Cathy & Rich Austin (Radar’s breeders) have lifted his Kennel Club endorsement & have suggested that he would be suitable as a Stud…!!!!!

Now, to give you a break from reading, here's a few photos:

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