My Dogs
Want to know what all these letters mean?
U-CDX PACH FAWA-WR Golden Willow Skyrocket UD GN GO RE MX MXJ MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX - 8 yr old vizsla. Willow is now retired earning her PACH (Preferred Agility Champion) and PAX in Sept 2014. She earned her CD, RN, and NA in 2009, GN, CDX, RA, and OA in 2010, RE, GO, and NAJ in 2011, her UD, AX, OAJ, and AXJ in 2012, and MX and MXJ, as well as her MXP and MJP in 2013. She also has points and double Qs towards her MACH & PACH and two UDX legs. 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!
#3 Vizsla 2013 Preferred Agility (Vizsla Club of America)
#4 Vizsla 2013 Open Obedience (Vizsla Club of America)
#1 Vizsla 2013 Rally Advanced & Rally Excellent (Vizsla Club of America)
#6 Vizsla 2011 Open & Utility (First & Foremost - Front & Finish)
#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 Obedience (Vizsla Club of America)
Willow in the snow
Willow at 6 months in the field
Willow on a Down in Rally
Photo from dickclarkphoto.com
Willow after swimming
Willow and Gracie
Obedience photos from Paws N Design
Willow earning her PACH 9.20.14 - photo by Springfield Photography
MACH Rescue A Little Grace MX MXS MXJ MJS - 6 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 away 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! November 2014 she completed her MACH (Master Agility Championship).
#4 Vizsla 2011 Novice Agility (Bratix Ratings - Front & Finish)
Gracie watching the other dogs swim in the river
Gracie at the dog park for the first time
Gracie earning her MACH 11.9.14
Gracie
Deuce Bigalow Puppy Gigolo OA MXJ - 3 yr old doxie/chi/shih-tzu mix. Deuce is my current foster dog that is available to a good home that is willing to continue his career in agility. See the Available Dogs page.
Deuce
Silvertrace's Ideal Ambition by Reju - Belgian Tervuren. Reju is the new puppy of the household. He has some big shoes to fill and will be my next companion dog and competition partner. Growing up fast!
Snowflower Tandoori Spice BN RE AXP AJP - 2.5 yr old Belgian Tervuren. Stella is a honorary member of the household and I train and show her for her owners. It is a great deal for both of us as Stella has one of best temperaments I've seen in Belgians and Stella gets a job to do when her owners are away. Stella has great drive for work and focus and will go far. She just had her debut in Rally Obedience and Novice Agility and did great!
2013 Belgian Tervuren Nationals:
2nd place Rally Excellent - 100/100
4th place Rally Advanced - 99/100
3rd place Novice Obedience - 196.5/200
U-CDX U-AGII Louie's Reign of Terror UD VER RAE JH NA NAP NJP OAJ NF - 4/13/01-1/2/15 Louie was extremely intelligent, high energy, pushy, noisy (he editorialized everything), soft temperament, momma's boy, and had to overcome his fear of new people, places, and things (people started to ask me if he was a therapy dog, when he once was a fear-aggressive dog). He stressed up (when in doubt - move, go as fast as possible!), was a blast to run in agility, and trialing in obedience 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 2011 Rally Obedience (Front & Finish)
#2 Vizsla 2010 Rally Obedience (Front & Finish)
#10 Vizsla 2011 Agility Novice Preferred (Bratix - Front & Finish)
Louie at front position after performing a Utility (signal only) Recall
After following the Finish Signal
Utility photos from dickclarkphoto.com
Retrieving the correct leather article
Miette - 11/24/98-6/4/12 Miette was just a really good dog - solid temperament, loved kids (she had a fan club picking up the kid from school), smart but not too smart, friendly but would step up to the plate to guard her family when needed. She probably contributed to many people getting a boxer as their next dog over the years. She had hip dysplasia so I chose not to do competitive pursuits with her but she worked wonderfully for my boyfriend's son, who handled her for the CGC certificate, and thru Rally Obedience classes.
Louie completing an agility course
Willow "walking" Louie
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.
Frankie, foster dog (re-homed)