AKC will acknowledge the Wirehaired Vizsla this year as an official breed.
If a smooth-coat Vizsla is like a three season dog.
The wirehair would be the four season dog.
They are growing on me more every time I see one.
Great Idea I Didn't Think About
Don't know much about "Family Paws" except for some time looking over their website and blog, but the concept IMHO is fantastic!
As a grandfather, I am very aware of how my big dogs might harm small ones accidentally.
At the same time, I want them to enjoy the wonderful thing growing up around dogs can be.
At the same time, I want them to enjoy the wonderful thing growing up around dogs can be.
Sent this post to FamilyPaws e-mail. Response below:
"Thank you so much! Would love to connect and appreciate you sharing!
I know that you have impacted someone by sharing that our resources are here!
Thank you!"
Jennifer Shryock B.A. CDBC
Founder/Director of FPPE
Family Paws Parent Education
Promoting safety in families with dogs.
Hidden Treasure - Black Diamond Mines
A $5.00 entrance fee plus $2.00 per dog got me into this East Bay Regional park, where 100 years ago there was an active coal mine that served the SF Bay Area with coal.
Off of Highway 4, south of Antioch, is the entrance to this great little park. Take the Somersville Road exit and head south until you get to the kiosk and pay your entry fee. This is maybe 7 miles from the highway.
From there it is another one mile up a winding road to the general parking lot and trail heads.
We first took the Stewardville Road trail into the hills.
The Homestead Trail Loop is a wonderful way to experience the east side of the Diablo Range.
Just south of the staging area of the "Somersville Townsite",
we completely enjoyed a great off-leash set of three trails:
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| A mountain lion trap northeast of the Somersville Townsite |
Good time of year to explore this Hidden Treasure.
Swim and Drink in Coyote Country
During a wonderful new hike into the Black Diamond Mines Regional Park, we came across this lone coyote.
The coyote was never in fear of my dogs catching him. They are faster than domestic dogs.
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| Coyote in full song |
About five minutes before seeing this coyote on this bluff, Bailey and Chloe took off into the hills up ahead of me chasing something.
After about a half mile run into the surrounding hillsides, the dogs returned and wanted a good drink and slash in the cattle trough.
Was it the coyote they had chased or something the coyote had been stocking that the dogs scared off? Don't know but my dogs came back happy and hot from their run and the coyote was none too happy to share his hills with these red devils.
Oil Painting of Bailey's Pheasant Hunt
This wonder oil painting will be framed and placed in a special place in our house for guests and family to enjoy.
Original Classical Oil Painting by Linda Jacobus
Linda's Witness in Art
"What I paint God has created
I just copy His works
Gift from my long time friend Tommy Sparacino
Picture taken from a December 30, 2013 hunt at Bird's Landing
Tommy is next to me. Second one in from the left
Tommy is next to me. Second one in from the left
A Walk in the Rain - Finally!
Wanting to actually hike in the rain?
You bet! Living in Northern California right now means living through the worst drought in our state's history.
"To put the lack of rain in context, San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco all have received between 2 and 3 inches of rain since July 1. That puts them at about 25 percent of normal for this time of year. Even if this weekend's powerful storms double that total, which is a real possibility, Bay Area cities will still be just 50 percent of normal." - Contra Costa Times
The dogs had a great time. The rain didn't slow them down a bit!
It could rain like this for a month and it would be fine with me.
Maybe our ponds that are dry will have water in them by the end of the weekend. That would be fantastic.
Bailey Gets a Bigger Ruff Tough Kennel
Well I did it. I went and ordered and got Bailey the Ruff Tough Kennels Large unit. Bailey is a big and well built male Vizsla. He "fit" into the Medium crate (shown on the left) but it was tight.
After taking some measurements of the Jeep, I determined I could get a large in with a medium crate side by side. Chloe is fine in hers, but the large is actually too big, but there is no in between. (Update: Feb 17, 2014. A friend commented that there was an intermediate size crate. My mistake was thinking the words, medium and intermediate were interchangeable. Guess I was thinking of shirt sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL)
Fixing the height difference problem:
With the tops level I could then bolt a 1" wide 1/4 inch steel flat bar using 3/8" bolts to hold them together with a strap holding them down between the seat latch plates on each side of the inside of the Jeep.
Picture of how Chloe and Bailey fit before. Chloe is comfortable but for Bailey it was a bit tight.
Previous post done June 2013:
6" tall x 15" wide x 23" long box holds the medium up to the level of the large crate and gives room for storage underneath.
With the tops level I could then bolt a 1" wide 1/4 inch steel flat bar using 3/8" bolts to hold them together with a strap holding them down between the seat latch plates on each side of the inside of the Jeep.
Picture of how Chloe and Bailey fit before. Chloe is comfortable but for Bailey it was a bit tight.
Previous post done June 2013:
http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/06/small-safe-travel-crates-for-vizslas.html
Where I got my second crate:
Good retailer who owns and understands Vizslas.
Where I got my second crate:
Good retailer who owns and understands Vizslas.