Christmas - 2015

Well this is Ralphie's 3rd Christmas and Lucy's 1st Christmas.  Ralphie and Lucy are very lucky to have each other ... they're each a gift for each other.  There would be no possible way I would ever be able to separate the two of them...they are very close but at the same time they give each other their own space.

It was fun reminiscing when Ralphie was Lucy's age...his first Christmas.  I can honestly say, Lucy is a handful, but Ralphie was much naughtier at her age.  He was fixated on the Christmas bulbs, destroying many.  The Christmas tree really didn't phase Lucy as much.  She plucked a couple of feathery snowflake ornaments, but once I said 'no' she didn't touch the ornaments anymore.

Ralphie and Lucy had a much enjoyable Christmas eve and Christmas day.  Of course Santa brought them some toys ... DURABLE toys.  I just love the Tuffy toys...very durable for aggressive chewers.  They got treats from their Pug cousins, Diva and Bubba.  I had also ordered a new walking harness, collar, and leash for Lucy.  I'm trying a new company called Walk Your Dog With Love.  They seem to have very customer-friendly service unlike the Lupine company that I previously purchased from.

Here are some Christmas pictures from our 2015 celebration...

It was impossible to get Lucy to sit still for a photo. Just love the look
on Ralphie's face. 

Of course, Lucy and Bubba go swimming on Christmas Eve...85 degrees!

Playing with some toys that Santa brought.

They do love that tug-a-war toy!

Merry Christmas!

Frosty - Not Welcome

Surprisingly Lucy is behaving herself with the Christmas tree up.  I remember Ralphie at Lucy's age (9 months) was quite mischievous with the tree ornaments.  Lucy seems to be leaving the ornaments alone except for these feathery soft snowflakes.  Luckily they're inexpensive.

But I can say one thing ... Frosty the Snowman is not welcome in our home this year.  I had to tuck Frosty away until maybe next year if Lucy decides to give him a chance...

Thankful Thanksgiving 2015

Decisions, decisions.  Should I bring Ralphie and Lucy to my daughter's house for our Thanksgiving celebration?  Lucy and my daughter's pug, Bubba simply don't along.  Our last visit was a disaster with such nastiness between the two of them.

So to start my Thanksgiving day I walked Ralphie and Lucy bright and early around 5AM.  Then around 8:30am I took them to the dog park and surprisingly there were quite a few dogs there enjoying their Thanksgiving morning.  My decision was pretty much made that I was going to leave them home when I go to my daughter's house.  But my decision kept gnawing at my brain...I just hate to leave them home alone on the holiday, after all Ralphie and Lucy are my 4-legged fur babies.  So I text my daughter, "should I bring the dogs or will it be too much commotion?"  She called me to say, yes bring them over.  Lucy and Bubba need to eventually get along.  So I did.

There was one big snarl between Lucy and Bubba, but nothing to worry about.  After that snarl they became friends.  They ran and ran, chasing each other in the big back yard.  They both jumped in the pool and swam together.  By golly, they were actually getting along and having fun with each other.  It was a good day.  How thankful I was to see their friendship develop.  I was wondering, is it because now Lucy is spayed which maybe settled her down a little or maybe it's Lucy growing up or is it they know they simply better get along after all they are cousins!

I am so blessed to have a wonderful family full of love, humor, support, and togetherness.

Lucy and Bubba

Pool fun - Lucy and Bubba - the 2 water bugs!

Vizsla Puppy Naughtiness

Yep, I'm reliving the Vizsla puppyhood...oh how I forget the things I went through three years ago when Ralphie was a puppy.   For some reason I feel it seems harder going through Lucy's puppyhood compared to Ralphie's.   I don't know if Lucy is naughtier or I'm simply older and have less puppy endurance.  LOL

Lucy loves to dig ... dig huge holes in the back yard.  She digs up the tree roots, digs up the underground cable, just simply digs holes spreading the dirt everywhere it doesn't belong.  Ralphie loved digging too.  I'm not sure exactly when Ralphie's digging tapered off...but I'm reliving it all over again.  Ugh.

Lucy pulls and pulls when we go for our walks.  But maybe not as bad as Ralphie.  Remember, Ralphie pulled so hard and took me down to the ground tearing my rotator cuff?  Lucy pulls which is a struggle but I'm happy she's not as strong as Ralphie.

Lucy steals my slippers.  She doesn't chew them, simply will steal a slipper and move it to another part of the house.  I don't know how many times I'm walking around the house with one slipper on in search for the other.  Ralphie never did this.  He had no interest in my shoes or slippers.  This must be a girl thing.  LOL

Lucy's energy level is overwhelming.  She can run and run and play and play forever.  It takes a lot to tire her out.  Ralphie was exactly the same.  However I had my daughters help during Ralphie's hyper puppy stage.  She would run him and run him at the dog park while I was at work.  I'm not so fortunate now with Lucy ... I'm on my own to run Lucy every single day at the dog park.

Lucy is over alert ... the puppy alertness.  Any sound or any move I make she jumps up or follows me everywhere.  Maybe it's the puppy inquisitiveness that Ralphie no longer has.  Not sure when this dwindled in Ralphie's growing stage.  This puppy behavior is very cute but it can get quite tiring to have a pup on your heels at all times.

Yes, yes I'll get through this puppy stage again in time.  I really enjoy Lucy's innocence and getting to know a different personality than Ralphie's.

Puppyhood - my little digger.

Lucy's growing...about 42 pounds now at 9 months old.

"Mom, I'm just a puppy."

BIG Dog vs small Dog

Last weekend I had dinner with a friend who I haven't seen in over five years.  He knew me before Ralphie when I only had Ollie, my small Yorkie.  Of course the dog topic of conversation came up.  I was telling him about my awesome Vizslas.  Him not being familiar with this breed, he asked in bewilderment, "but WHY a big dog?"  I almost felt a disapproval from him, after all he has a small furry pup.  I didn't feel I should get up on my pedestal and start preaching the advantages of big dogs over small dogs.  I kept my answer very basic because I didn't want him to feel offended why big dogs rule small dogs.   I pretty much that I always had big dogs.  Actually Ollie was my daughter's dog that I adopted from her.  I summed it up and said they're great protection, and I left it to that.

So really why are BIG dogs better than small dogs?

• Yes, they look intimidating but really they are lovers.  Ralphie and Lucy are my protectors.
• Oh my, they do get a lot of attention from people all the time.  They're quite majestic.  My pups turns heads and great conversation-starters.   
• They have a big heart with a lot of love in it.
• Yes, yes they are lap dogs ... so they think they are.  Quite comical to have a 70 pound pup on my lap, but I love every minute of it.
• They get me motivated to exercise, not just a small walk around the block, they push me to do more...3 - 5 miles easily. 
• Most of all, I love hugging them, getting a big grip around their neck with their head resting on my shoulder, oh so priceless. 

Here's a great video I saw on youtube that sums it up...

The Tease

Lucy aka The Tease. 

She really knows how to work up Ralphie.  It can be keep away with a toy or barking and pouncing on him to get him to play.  She's quite a talented young lady with the ability to rawl up other dogs.  Below is a prime example of Lucy teasing Ralphie yesterday on a beautiful, sunny warm day here in FL...keep in mind Ralphie is not such a water bug like Lucy...and she seems to know that.

Boy vs Girl Vizsla

Ralphie = Boy Vizsla - 3 years old
Lucy = Girl Vizsla - 8 months old

So what's the difference?  What's the same?

Of course they look similar...smooth, silky, short red hair, cute brown nose, piercing amber eyes, and floppy ears.  Both sexes are alert hunter-minded dogs.

Taking into consideration the age difference between Ralphie and Lucy, I feel there are some obvious differences between a male Vizsla and a female Vizsla.

Vizslas are known as velcro dogs and both sexes live up to that reputation to an extent. The male Vizsla, aka Ralphie, is a leaner, clinger velcro Vizsla.  Ralphie will press and rest his heavy head on my shoulder and enjoy his connection with a human.  The female Vizsla, aka Lucy, will live up to velcro image to a point.  She needs to be near and by her humans, for example,  while chewing her bone she will be next to me, touching me, but doing her own thing.  She is not a clinger.

The female V seems more territorial than a male V.  Lucy will prance around my background on guard, very alert to her surroundings.  She will bark at sounds that she feels that I need to be aware of.  Ralphie on the other hand is a bit more laid back.  He's alert and will only bark when he feel it's absolutely needed.  In other words, a female V seems to be a bit more vocal than a male V.

Lucy seems to have more of an attitude, how can I say this, well, like a princess.  Yes, she thinks she's a princess.  She will prance around the dog park like, "hey everybody, I'm here, look at me."  And for some reason she get that type of attention from the humans.  People are attracted to her and her female attitude.   Ralphie, a low-key male, just sort of glides in the dog park, not really looking for attention, just looking for his spot to poop.

Lucy is a kisser.  She just loves to pass out her kisses to humans.  But once she decides she's done, it's over and off she goes to the next person or next activity.  Ralphie is a snuggler.  He just loves to molds up to me, no kisses needed for him.  Ralphie really seems to love hugs.  He will just stand there when I give him big hugs, well Lucy on the other hand, pulls away, not really fond of hugs.

A female V seems to be a nurturer.  Lucy will "clean" Ralphie, pamper him.  She licks his ears, nibbles his ears, licks his face.  Ralphie just lays there and enjoys.  I've never seen Ralphie reciprocate back.  Maybe he thinks this is HER job ... a little chauvinistic if you ask me.  LOL

I truly believe there is truth behind this statement, "The female Vizsla loves you and the male Vizsla is in love with you."

My masculine, laid-back boy...Ralphie

My sweet, persnickety girl, Lucy

Spaying A Vizsla

It was a difficult decision on when I should spay Lucy.  I had Ralphie neutered when he was 6 months old and sometimes wish I would of waited.  There are pros and cons on fixing your pup at different ages.  I was going to wait till she has her first heat before spaying, but I had a few concerns.

I've read about many positive things about spaying your pup at a young age (6 months):  prevents mammary tumors, reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, prevents uterine infection, Ralphie annoying her when in heat, and dog park etiquette.    Plus the timing wasn't right...I'm having out of town guests in my home for my daughter's wedding about the time she would go into heat.  That would not have been a good situation.

Lucy was spayed this past Friday.  She didn't eat or drink water all day.  Poor baby girl was miserable after surgery.  She was moaning even with the pain meds.  But she slept well through the night.  It concerned me that she didn't want to eat the next morning so I tried hand-feeding her...it worked!  She ate her whole breakfast from my hand.  By late morning she snapped back to her 'ol self.  Remarkable!  I actually took them for a nice long walk to help burn the pent up energy.  This morning she acts like she never even had surgery!  It's amazing how animals recover after surgery compared to humans.  But now I really need to watch her so she doesn't open up her stitches.  How do you keep a Vizsla calm all day??!!  I can't take her to the dog park for about a week.  She shouldn't jump and can't swim.  I guess it'll be a lot of long walks but that doesn't help those zooms.   LOL

Most of all, I am thankful all went well with her surgery and she's healthy.

Raphie missing Lucy while she was in surgery all day Friday.

Lucy after surgery.  Poor baby girl not feeling well.

Vizsla Aggression

I remember when Ralphie was a puppy and all the challenges I had as he was growing up.  He tore apart magazines, houseplants, his bedding, even my living room rattan accent chair has been chewed on.  But the one problem I never had with Ralphie was aggression.

Lucy is now 7 months old.  She plays well with Ralphie and the dogs at the dog park.  She's very sweet with humans and loves children.  Yesterday I saw a big problem...Lucy does not like my daughter's pugs.  Her hair stands up on end along her back when she's near Bubba.  Bubba is a 2 year old pug who is quite obnoxious, full of energy, playful.  Lucy growls when Bubba is near, then snaps!  Then Bubba snaps back and there you go, it's a dog fight!

I was so distraught after yesterday's visit at my daughter's house.  I came home and immediately started researching the internet why this is happening.  I read dogs are like humans, we like people but there a few we may dislike.   A dog likes and gets along with most dogs but may NOT like not like a few.  But this isn't the answer for me, as my daughter and I are a big part in our dogs' lives.  We dog-sit for each other and our pups always come with us when visiting each other.  

So why does a dog get aggressive?  This is what I read:

* She may be afraid.
* She may be stressed because her space is being violated.
* She may feel the need to dominate.
* She may be protective of me.
* She may be very curious.
* She may just be over-excited.

After reading this list I honestly don't feel it's a dominance issue, it's more like Lucy is afraid of Bubba's boisterous behavior that stresses her big time creating her aggression.  I also don't know Lucy's previous life.  I know they had a smaller dog, but other than that the previous owner did not disclose any problems.

I have no idea how to resolve this problem other than desensitizing her with small dosages of Bubba. I know I need to stop shrieking and screaming and become more firm and authoritative when this behavior starts.  I'm hoping as she gets older she will outgrow her dislike with the pugs.  I will continue to research this topic, ask my veterinarian and trainers for advice and start implemented their suggestions.  Other than that...Lucy is a very sweet puppy.

Brother - Sister Bond

Well it's been one month since Ralphie's life was changed with a new sister, Lucy.  If someone were to ask me what's better...one or two Vizslas...in a split second I would say two.

It's amazing how these two bonded in such a short time.  Lucy really put some pep in Ralphie's step these days.  She does not let him lay around for hours and hours.  She has really perked him up with her puppy play.  They stick together like a brother and sister should.  They're always by each other at the dog park...they know they belong together.  Ralphie doesn't play with many dogs, but he always plays with Lucy.  I can tell Lucy looks up admiring her big brother.  When he starts pointing at a lizard, she follows.  When he chases a squirrel, she follows.  She must think he's really smart.  LOL

Oh but there are times where big brother Ralphie doesn't want to be bothered by his little pesky sister.  Yep, he tells her, she walks away.  But truly most of the time, Ralphie will grin and bear it and let his little sister antagonize him when he's really not in the mood for play.  But she'll sense his mood and gives up on him, finds a bone to chew or toy to play with.

I'm so looking forward to watching their brother-sister relationship grow.  Love. 

One Day At A Time

These days have been quite hectic with my two fur-babies.  Sometimes I think, "what did I get myself into."  Pretty much all my free time is dedicated to Ralphie and Lucy.  I can't remember the last time I've been on my bike or really did just for myself.  My days are planned around my pooches.

Recently I decided to cancel my October visit to my hometown for a couple of reasons, one including the pups.  Right now I don't think Ralphie is ready for me to leave for any length of time.  There's been dramatic changes in his life with Ollie passing and a new maniac puppy added to our home.  It also wouldn't be fair to ask anyone to care for Lucy at this stage in her life.  She's a handful right now.  I'll rethink my visit next year.

All my free time has been dedicated to dog walks, searching new dog food options, dog toy/bone shopping, picking up poo, washing pups, vet visits, and dog parks.  I know Lucy is quite feisty right now.   I'll get through this puppy stage as I did with Ralphie.  I do get a kick out of her playfulness, how she antagonizes Ralphie, and love her cuteness.   Lucy is in her "teenage" naughty years...testing me, testing Ralphie, and after all that she smooches me and Ralphie just to assure us all is good.  My big boy and little girl do give me so much joy.  I count my blessings each day I have these two who love me so much.

It's only going to take one day at a time.

Puppies and Babies

I had an interesting conversation with my coworkers this past week.  The topic was DOGS.  LOL

Many of my coworkers think I'm a crazy dog lady to add another spastic Vizsla puppy to my family.  They pretty much laugh at me the way I talk about my pups.  So the conversation was going back and forth, with them laughing how much my pups mean to me, how much time a dedicate to my dogs. Little do they know, I hold back, I have so much more to say about my pups or just the topic, dogs.  More laughs and more laughs between my coworkers and then I said, "I like puppies better than babies."  They all got quiet.  Silence.  I had to explain, I do like babies, they're very sweet.  But I like puppies better.

I walk in a room with a baby in it and I walk in a room with a puppy... I'm drawn to the puppy.  A coworker may come into the office with their baby and of course I'm in aww over the baby...BUT  from a distance.  I may touch the babies soft hand.  But that's it.
Then somebody comes to the office with their new puppy.  Yep, I'm on the floor with the pup, I'm holding the pup, playing with the pup.  I'm enjoying every minute with this cute little puppy.  Joy!
I just get more excited over a puppy than a baby.  So.....

My coworkers just didn't get it.

Does this make me a bad person?   I hope not.

Lucy's New Life

Today is Sunday and I'm sitting with my coffee this quiet morning.  The sun is shining, just a perfect morning.  I just finished walking the pups.  Now Ralphie is sleeping on one side of me and Lucy is sleeping on the other side of me with her small puppy head resting on my leg.  Life has been great with my two fur babies.

It's amazing how far Lucy has come in the past two weeks here.  She definitely knows she is a part of our family now.  She loves Ralphie so much and you can see she looks up to him for guidance many times.  For example, the first time I walked Lucy she was like a wild spastic animal at the end of the leash.  She was jumping, pulling, not enjoying what's supposed to be a fun thing to do.  She never had a walk before.  Two weeks later with Ralphie's lead, Lucy walks much better and she so loves her walks.  She still pulls a little, but the Lupine harness is a big help.  In time she will be walking nicely like Ralphie.   But at least she's not jumping around like a wild cat at the end of the leash.  She now has a schedule which I think is very important in a dog's life.  She now knows she gets a walks a few times a day..she knows when it's breakfast and dinner time...she knows she will be going to the dog park every day...she knows she has her own comfy bed but knows she sleeps in my comfy bed at night...she knows she has a cool refreshing pool to swim and play in...but most of all she knows she has a loving home where she is cared for and has the best big brother ever...her mentor.

Gosh...I just love my Ralphie and Lucy...how was I so blessed to have these two that truly love me unconditionally!

Two Better Than One?

I announced to most people I know that Ralphie has a new sister, Lucy.  I received mixed reactions from "that's great!" to "are you crazy?"  I know many of the Facebook Vizsla people have 2, 3, and even 4 Vizslas, so it's really not a big deal for them to hear of the addition other than all the flubbering of how cute she is.  But a lot of my friends think of the extra work, extra cost, extra time, extra craziness, extra hassle, extra responsibilities.  So is it all worth having two dogs?

I've had Lucy for about 10 days now.  Day 1 & 2 I was second guessing my decision...how crazy I am to get another Vizsla.  Is Lucy going to interfere in Ralphie's perfect life?  Is Lucy going to cause a total ruckus in our quiet home?  Well, yes Lucy has changed Ralphie's life for sure.  Ralphie is no longer a bump on a log.  She plays with him, keeps him moving.  Sure Ralphie needs to share our bed with her, which he doesn't seem to like, but oh well he'll get used to it.  There's plenty room for all of us.  In the morning when I'm busy getting ready for work, Ralphie and Lucy are wrestling and playing have a good time burning all their stored nightly energy.  And yes, Lucy causes a ruckus in our house.  I forget about all the Vizsla puppy energy.  Is it worth it?  Yes.  She makes me laugh so much.  In one week she found her real home.  She found all the love she needs.  She found a brother.

So is 2 better than 1?  Yes, yes, and yes.  I feel quite lucky to have found her.  I know she's enjoying her life now.  I know she's being cared for like she should be.  Love.

My big boy and little girl.

Meet Lucy!

Ralphie has a new little sister!!  Meet Lucy!

Lucy is 6 months old who had to be re-homed and we were the lucky ones to get her.  My inspiration for Lucy's name is the famous red-head Lucille Ball.  I loved her ... perfect name for my little red girl.

Lucy is 36 pounds and Ralphie is 70 pounds.  At 6 months old Ralphie was 50 pounds.
I'm thinking Lucy will be about 45 pounds as an adult.

And the adventures begin...

A Sister??

Recently I've been thinking of getting a sister for Ralphie.   I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not, but Ralphie seems lonely since Ollie passed.  He never played with Ollie, but just having the company of another pup in the house seemed to make him happy and amused at the same time.  So I've been on a search for the perfect breed for me and Ralphie.  Recently, I've been on Petfinders and other adoption sites almost every day.  I've been watching the different breeds, big and small at the dog park.  What breed would be best for us?  Sometimes I think another small dog like Ollie, a Yorkie or maybe Pomeranian or maybe Chihuahua.  Then I think about medium size dogs like a Brussels Griffon or maybe Wheaton Terrior or maybe a Bull Terrior.  I never looked at giant breeds like a Great Dane though.  I know a giant breed would not be a good fit for Ralphie.  So after looking and looking, I always find something "wrong" with that breed.  I've come to realize no breed can match the Vizsla!

So yesterday I was on the phone with my son discussing my second dog dilemma.  We talked about all the different breeds that I considered.  As I'm talking, he says, "OMG Mom, there is a 6 month female Vizsla on Craigslist that needs to be re-homed."  Rarely do you see a Vizsla on Craigslist!  It's only 6 months old...it's female...Ralphie would love a sister...she needs a good home.  How perfect!  I sent a text to the owner immediately and we were texting all day yesterday with questions and answers and cost.  By mid-afternoon we both agreed I can pick her up today. But.....I sent my last text to her around 8pm yesterday evening to confirm the time with a couple of additional questions.  No response.  No text this morning yet either.

Maybe she's had second thoughts or waiting for a better offer.  The owner has three children, maybe she's thinking twice about selling her children's puppy.  I'm sure it would be sad for the kids to see their puppy go.  I think about it and it makes me feel guilty that I'm taking away their puppy.  But the owner tells me she feels they're not giving the time to the pup as they should.  She's busy with the 3 kids, let alone a pup.  She says they're busy and not home a lot.  The Vizsla breed is not for everyone.  

With all that said, I think this little girl will get so much attention with me and Ralphie and will be a much happier pup.  Today is a big day... we will see if this little girl is meant to be.  Will Ralphie get a little sister today?  If it's meant to be, it will be.

Good Bone Hunt

I've been on the hunt for the healthiest, safest, most delicious bones for Ralphie.  Although Ralphie loved rawhide bones, I stopped giving them to him because I've heard some many bad things about them, choking and not digestible.   So what do I give him that he would love just as much?

The Nylabone was highly suggested because it's safe.  Ralphie loses interest in this bone probably because it's not natural and not tasty.  He'll chew it for a few minutes and then pushes it aside.  This is not the bone for Ralphie.

 Ralphie loves this smoked flat bone, but I just heard that it's not safe because it has sharp splinters which can be dangerous when swallowed.

Ralphie likes the marrow bones sometimes, but the marrow is too rich for him and throws up.  The last time I gave him this type of bone, he turned up his nose and walked away from it.  I'm always scared to give him this kind of bone as I remember our family pet, Sandy, a Springer Spaniel-Irish Setter mix got this type of bone stuck on her jaw.  My dad had to take her to the vet to get it sawed off.  With that said,  I stopped buying these kind of bones for Ralphie.

The raw lamb shank bone was highly recommended by the guy at the Dog Lovers store.  He promised me that Ralphie would absolutely love this bone.  It's fresh frozen and raw, just what dogs love.  Not Ralphie.  I gave Ralphie this bone raw, he sniffed it and walked away.  He had no interest in this bone.  So I thought I would cook it a little to bring out the flavor...again sniff and walk away.  He didn't even try to chew it.  I guess Ralphie isn't like the other dogs who love these.  This one is a no-go.

Then I got this one...a hoof dog bone.  He likes it!  And they're actually cheap too!  I have no idea if they are safe or not.  I haven't heard much about them, but I do know they're natural.  Ralphie chews and chews this bone like a crazy dog.  LOL  This one is a "yes".
However, I still need to find more options.  I will keep buying these bones, but I don't want him to get bored with just one kind of bone.  I need to find more options.   So the hunt continues.

Happy 3rd Birthday Ralphie

It was an amazing day with my big boy Ralphie!  The added plus is I had today off from work to spend the whole day with my birthday boy.  Today was all about Ralphie!  He's one remarkable boy who's always there for me, loves me unconditionally, and most loving.  He deserved to have an incredible day of birthday fun!

I started the day by baking him a cake.  Then I packed some treats and lunch and we headed to the beach for some swimming and ball fetching.  We took a walk around the park and then more swimming.  Afterwards we went to the Dog Lovers store to pick up some treats and bones.  Came home and took a nap.  Then we headed to the dog park and all of Ralphie's friends were there, although he didn't play much with them.  He did have fun running and fetching the ball again.  We stayed for about an hour, came home and it was spa time for Ralphie.  I bathe him and he just loved all that pampering.  Afterwards he had birthday cake, chewed his new bone and now he's out cold.  What a fun-filled day!

Happy Birthday Ralphie!!  You are the BEST!!!

Vizsla Bumpies & Hair Loss

Ralphie continues to have his bumpies and losing hair that's along his back and some on his head.   I'm figuring it's seasonal allergies because he's had this for the past 3 summers and in late September he's back to his beautiful coat again.  I know they bother me more than they bother him.  He's not itching or scratching, but boy it just doesn't look very nice.

I did some more research and I came across a condition called Sebaceous Adenitis, which is an inflammatory disease in dogs.  I really don't think Ralphie has this.  Sebaceous Adenitis is more of a scaly condition rather than bumps, but there is hair loss nevertheless.    I am considering in taking him back to the vet (a new vet) to have him tested for this disease.  But I believe it's treated with steroids which I'm not so keen on.  I did read about a natural way to treat this condition as follows:

• Omega 3-6-9 Oil Pills
• Cod Liver Oil Pills
• Evening Primrose Oil Pills
• Give pills 2x a day (400mg each pill)
• Use Almond Oil and literally slathered his head and bare spots with this oil.
• With his food, give him an entire can of Tuna in Oil every day, and on Sundays give him a full can of Sardines in Oil.
• Lastly, 1x a week give him a bath with Quistel Dog Shampoo/Conditioner.

I'm not sure where to get the shampoo. I'll just use the medicated shampoo that I have. But the rest of the regimen probably can all be purchased at the health food store. The one thing I'm worried about with all those oil pills and tuna and sardines in oil...will it get my Ralphie FAT? He's already 5 pounds overweight. Gosh, that will be another problem to deal with. 

I think I'm going to try this and monitor his weight and bumps.
It's worth a try.

Dog Park Unity

Ralphie and I just returned from our morning walk.  It was a little different today...I didn't pick up cans that littered the roadside.  We've become can-pickers to give these cans to Richard, the man at the dog park who collects cans for added income.  I won't be seeing Richard for a long time now, if ever again.

Richard is an older man who sits on the bench at the dog park with his black dog, Baby.  He's there every day.  The other day Richard was telling me how Baby's health was failing and needs surgery.  He was concerned about her health, the cost, and the diagnosis.  I referred him to a more reasonable vet to see what they would say.  To make a long story short, a few days ago I learned Richard had an accident and needed surgery and his loyal companion, Baby had to be put to sleep because it was determined she had cancer.  What amazed me was how our dog park community helped Richard, who is alone, through his hardships.  I understand that a couple from the dog park took Richard to the hospital and another man from the park took Baby to the vet for Richard while he was in the hospital to put Baby asleep. How wonderful is it when you're alone with only your dog, you have these caring people who are merely acquaintances that are there to help.  That's unity, that's caring.

Recently there was another terrible event that happened at the dog park...a man's dog just fell over and died suddenly.  Again, these dog park people came to the rescue.  The poor man didn't know what to do...his beloved pet just died, no longer with him, how horrible!   One girl ran to the dog and tried to administer CPR, unfortunately it did revive her.  Knowing how devastated this pet owner is, another man wrapped the dog in a blanket and carried her to the car for him.  That's unity, that's caring.

Yes, all of us dog park people have our own story... some are struggling through loss of love or loss of health or loss of work or loss of youth or loss of family.  But we all have one thing in common...our love for our pup...the one that gives us unconditional love, the one that comforts us when we're not feeling well, the one who makes us feel worthy and accepts us no matter what our income is, the one that makes you feel young when they play with you like a child...yes... a true, loyal, loving family member.

Ralphie discovered the new dog park bridge over the tunnel.

"Look Mama, I'm walking over the bridge!"

Rescue Search

It's been about 3 weeks since Ollie left me and Ralphie.  Maybe I'm over-analyzing Ralphie's behavior, as I've been told but it just seems like Ralphie is so sad now when I leave for work.  Maybe I never noticed before when Ollie and Ralphie were together.  They kept each other company.

Yesterday when I put Ralphie's breakfast down, he just sat at a distance and stared at it.  Is he depressed or is he just not ready to eat or too tired?  After I added a dollop of peanut butter to it, he gobbled it all up.  He's also very stand-offish at the dog park.  He hardly plays with the other dogs.  Is he depressed or is he hot?  When I'm sitting outside talking on the phone, sometimes he just sits in front of me and stares, not hunting lizards.  Is he depressed or does he just want to play and wants attention?  These are things that he's never done until Ollie passed.

Is a playmate the answer to my questions?   I've decided to begin a search for a rescue.   I was thinking small.   I have no idea what small breed would click with Ralphie.  I've had many suggestions...Boston Terrier, Chinese-Crested, Rat Terrier, so many breeds!  But none appeal to me right now.  I'm thinking if all the stars line up ... I would love a small, female, younger Vizsla!  I don't want a puppy, prefer a house-broken pooch.   What I know for sure,  I'm not going to jump into another dog, it's got to be the perfect playmate for my Ralphie.

Tis The Season - Vizlsa Allergies

Last Sunday Ralphie and I spent the day at my daughters house.  Ralphie just loves it there, not only he has crazy Bubba the Pug to play with, but he has a lot of space to run around...a nice big back yard.  He played hard...running and running and a little swimming.

After a full day of fun, we came home and I see he developed a lot of pimple-like bumps along his back.  Ralphie always has seasonal allergies that look like prickly heat with a loss of some hair, but this was different.  I was thinking it was just an extreme of seasonal allergies.  I bathed him and brushed him.  I decided to try to nurse this myself before going to the vet.  I've been to the vet numerous times and I seem to get speculation, that's about it.  So  I gave him a couple of Benadryls for a couple of days.  I didn't see any change.  I then gave him a couple of Zyrtecs.  Gosh, it seemed to be clear after one dosage.  I gave him a couple more tablets the next day.  It cleared!!   I believe he must of been bitten by a mosquito, horsefly, fire ant, or spider and had a bad reaction.

If you decide to use Zyrtec for your V's allergies, do not get the Zyrtec-D which contains pseudoepehedrine that is dangerous for our fur-babies.  Just purchase the plain Zyrtec that only contains cetirizine.  The dosage is .5 mg per pound every 24 hours.  So Ralphie at 70 pounds should have 35 mg.  However, I only gave him 2 tablets which was 20 mg.  I'm always afraid to over-medicate.  That's just me.  I used it for two days and it worked wonders!

Bumps....

...and more bumps!

Dogs Are Better Than People

I'm convinced I like dogs better than people.  Sounds strange, huh?  At first I thought so.  Am I weird, abnormal, strange to have this feeling?  So I googled this topic.  There are tons of people who feel the same way.  There are many articles and forums declaring their love for their pet.  I've talked to numerous dog-loving friends and acquaintances about this topic and they all think the world of their pet giving them the best life ever, which they completely deserve.   Pet owners know they are getting that unconditional love that no human can give.

This past week  was a tough one for me. I experienced such sadness when Ollie left me and I got the most comfort and sympathy from Ralphie.  Sure people said they were sorry to hear the news but life goes on.  Ralphie was there for every tear I shed.  He was my true support.  Besides going through Ollie's passing, I also experienced a couple of human disappointments last week.   I was betrayed by an uncaring human that didn't care about my feelings...a behavior you'll never see in a pet.  Again Ralphie was by my side during this sadness.  He simply makes me happy.  He knows when I'm happy and when I'm sad.  It's amazing how he knows how to act and react to my feelings.

Last week is over and I know I'll never have another day with my Ollie but I have wonderful memories that will make me smile the rest of my life.   I know the people who betrayed me are a part of my past now, life goes on.  The positive side of last week is having Ralphie as my moral support.

Yep...it's a sure thing...Ralphie is better than people!

Grieving - Pet's Death

I remember awhile back I was at the dog park and a nice young girl who is a regular at the park was sitting on the bench crying.  I asked her what's wrong.  She looked at me and said, "I miss my dog."  I thought to myself, wow, her pup has been gone for a few months now.  I didn't get it then.  But I get it now.  It's happening to me.  I've been reading a lot about grieving the loss of your pet.  Those bursts of tears are normal and they can occur for months and months. I've been on edge, not myself since the loss of Ollie.  I'm unmotivated.  I haven't been on the treadmill all week.  It's been a challenge to put on a happy face to appear everything is okay.  But it's not.

This evening while walking Ralphie, two different neighbors ironically asked me about Ollie.  Ollie hasn't been able to take walks for about a year.  They haven't seen Ollie for a long time.  But this week, two separate times, two different neighbors asked me about Ollie.  Was it the look on my face that showed there's something horribly wrong in my life?  Probably.  My life is not normal.  I'm sad, very sad.

Even though I have Ralphie with me, there is an eerie lonely feeling in my house.  I miss when I walk in the house after work, to lift up my little fur ball and kiss him and take him outside.  I miss holding him in my lap, rubbing his ears.  I miss his feistiness.  I miss his licks, his kisses.  I miss his excitement when I'm getting his dinner ready. Oh, Ollie I miss you so much.  I can't stop myself from crying uncontrollably.  I keep thinking of our last goodbye.  You were my little boy that I loved so much, oh why did this day have to come.  I miss you so much my sweets.

I love you Ollie.

Goodbye to Ollie - Ralphie's Brother

It's been a sad day today.  Tears been flowing from my eyes all day today.  I had to make a very difficult decision this morning to put Ollie to rest after 15 1/2 years of a wonderful life.

Ollie has been declining rapidly the last few days.  He's been challenged the last few years with seizures, blindness, unable to hear, old age dementia.  Everything he loved to do was stripped from him the past couple of years.  He was just existing.  Existing miserably...falling, bumping into things, walking in circles, getting stuck in corners, no control of his bodily functions.  Old age is the pits!

I thought many times, "Is it really his time to go?" or "Am I rushing into this?" or "Can I make his life longer and better in any way?" I researched for days, "when is it time to put your pet asleep?"  I read if your pet isn't enjoying two of the three things he loved to do, maybe it's time.  Ollie loved to eat, take walks, chew bones/play with toys.  He's been unable to take a walk for about a year.  He hasn't any interest in bones and toys for a long, long time.  But he loved to eat till the end.  However, he never knew where his food was. I had to carry him to direct him to his food for the past year or so.  His quality of life has diminished.

At 9am this morning I took Ollie to the vet, crying my eyes out.  He had high anxiety in the car.  We get to the vet office, I prepaid for the procedure and his urn.  Tears just flowing.  I sit in the waiting room and Ollie is snuggled on my lap, snoring away.  More tears flowing.  A kind lady in the waiting room asked if I'm okay.  I nod.  They call Ollie in.  The doctor came into the room. I started bawling my eyes out, shaking.  What a horrible feeling.  The doctor gave Ollie the injection in his paw as I was holding his other paw, petting his head, talking to him.  Quickly Ollie's eyes closed and fell into deep permanent sleep.  Goodbye to my feisty little guy.  The doctor gave me time in the room with him alone.  I cried and cried.  I kissed him.  I ran my fingers up and down his back.  He looked so content, no more dementia, no more frustrations from being deaf and blind.  But I'm so sad, very very sad.

I come home and I really don't think Ralphie noticed Ollie was missing.  However, Ralphie was quite alarmed when we were leaving the house this morning.  Water just pouring out of my eyes all day uncontrollably.  Ralphie has been by my side all day, sometimes licking my salty tears.  I wonder if he knows his brother will never be back?  It's now just me and Ralphie.

Rest In Peace Ollie, my little feisty man.   Love you so much and will miss you so much.  I will never forget the 15 1/2 wonderful years we had.  I will never forget you.  Goodbye My Sweets.

Ollie's younger days.

He loved to smile showing his teeth. So cute.

Snoozing...

Fun times!

Love.

Ollie's last birthday. Goodbye my sweets!  Love you!

The Drooling Vizsla

Okay, it's my fault....

That's my boy...drooling while I eat my dinner!  He just started doing this.  Can it be that I always share my food with him? Yep! Ralphie now knows human food it worth drooling over.  He now has a sophisticated palette.  LOL 

WARNING...if you don't want a drooling Vizsla...don't feed him human food, especially at the dinner table.  

Personally, I don't mind about his drool.  I like seeing my boy enjoy my food.  

Saturday Morning with Ralphie, My Vizsla

I work very hard during the week.  Monday through Friday begins at 5AM each day for me.  I wake up extra early to get a workout in, do a little clean-up around the house, care for Ralphie and Ollie, and getting ready for work to leave the house at 7:30AM to get to work on time.  Yay, then comes the weekend...no alarms, getting to sleep in...NOT!

Around 5:30AM Ralphie (who sleeps in my bed), jumps up, then I feel a paw.  That's right, Ralphie plops his paw on my head, my back, then comes the wet big nose...poking at my face.  Then comes the long wet tongue...paw, poke, lick, paw, poke, lick.  He then shifts his 70 pound body towards my side of the bed, on my pillow, scooting me out of bed!!  This happens every Saturday and every Sunday!   Do I get mad...well I groan a little, but how can I get angry.  Ralphie actually motivates me to get my day started nice and early to get to see the sunrise.

I get up, put on the coffee, take Ralphie and Ollie outside in the dark to do there thing.  I let them in, prepare their breakfast, they gobble it up.  Then Ralphie jumps on the sofa, curls in a ball like a little cinnamon roll and starts snoring away.  I am up and awake!!  Aha...no way is my boy going snooze away after getting me up at 5:30AM on Saturday morning.  "Ralphie, up, up, let's go for a walk."  Yep, it's time for our morning walk.  Truly Ralphie doesn't mind, he wouldn't pass up a walk for anything.

Our walk is at a medium pace, a lot of stops for sniffing, doing his business and picking up cans for Richard at the dog park, who collects cans for extra income.  I can say Saturday mornings are most enjoyable, cool, quiet, peaceful.   I feel so blessed to have Ralphie in my life to enjoy our mornings...it would so not be the same without him.  LOVE.

The Vizsla's Wiggle Waggle Tail

There sure were a lot of dogs at the dog park yesterday evening!  Most of the time I'm out in the park playing with all the dogs rather than just sitting on the bench chatting with the dog owners.  As I was playing with the dogs I noticed something a little different with Ralphie compared to the other dogs.  Ralphie's tail is wagging all the time, 100 MPH, not only his tail his whole butt is wagging!  Sure the other dogs' tails wag, but not like Ralphie's.  I begin to wonder is it because his mama is out there playing with them while the other dog owners are doing their own thing at the bench?  I just started watching and analyzing Ralphie's behavior...he wiggle waggles walking up to the humans, then he stands there in front of them just waggling away...fast!  I watch the other dogs walk up to me...unlike Ralphie, I get a couple of sweeps of their tail...that's it!  I pet them, maybe another few tail sweeps.  Is this a Vizsla thing...their happy-go-lucky nature?

Out of curiosity I had to google this...why do dogs wag their tail...this is what I found...

Tail wagging reflects a dog's excitement, with more vigorous wagging relating to greater excitement.  

In 2007, researchers discovered that the way a dog wags its tail also gives clues about what it's feeling.

Specifically, a tail wagging to the right indicates positive emotions, and a tail wagging to the left indicates negative emotions.

This phenomenon has to do with the fact that the brain's left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and vice versa. Research on the approach-avoidance behavior of other animals has shown that the left hemisphere is associated with positive-approach feelings, and the right hemisphere is associated with negative-avoidance feelings.

Interestingly, a 2013 study found that dogs understand the asymmetric tail wagging of other dogs — a right-wagging tail relaxes other canines, while a left-wagging tail makes them stressed.

My Ralphie is wagging (tail & butt) ALL the time and ANY time.  He's sitting right now on the back of my couch, with his paw on my hand as I'm typing, and his tail is wagging, hitting my shoulder!  This boy is always full of excitement!  But for some reason I really think he wants to go for a morning walk..."Mama, pleasssssse let's go for a walk!"  Wiggle-Waggle.

A Vizsla Mother's Day Tribute

This Mother's Day I feel blessed to have two adult children who are happy, successful, content, and loves life.  There is no doubt they are my world...big part of my world.   But the other part of my world are my 4-legged fur babies ... Ralphie and Ollie.

My adult children a self-sufficient now, sure they ask for Mom's advice occasionally but they no longer need for me to physically take care of them.  However, my fur-babies do.   There never comes a day that I feel put out with my pups.  I love them unconditionally.  It doesn't matter if I get awaken at 5am with sloppy wet kisses, or caring for my aging Ollie, or exercising my Ralphie no matter how tired I am.  The love they give back in return is indescribable.  I feel so blessed to have the two most lovable fur-babies ever.

This Mother's Day I am thankful for Ralphie and Ollie's mama, who gave birth to my boys.  I never met Ollie's mom but I have met Ralphie's mom, Gemma ... both are the most amazing moms to give birth to Ralphie and Ollie.  Thank you Gemma and thank you Ollie's mom!

Ralphie is one of those pups! Thank you Gemma for being such a great mama!

Gemma giving baby Ralphie a smooch! *smack*

Dog Park Fun - Ball and Coonhound

Here are a couple of videos of Ralphie at our local dog park.  It's interesting how his behavior has changed from a puppy to a 2 1/2 year old pup.   As an adult dog many times he's content playing with me and only me!  I throw the ball far with the ball launcher and he runs and runs and returns.  Back and forth he goes, then he gets bored.  I pull out the frisbee, throw the frisbee, he catches it, back and forth he goes.  In the meantime the other dogs are romping around with each other...but Ralphie is just as happy playing with his mama.  Here's a slo-mo video of Ralphie fetching the ball at the dog park (gosh, I'm having fun with my new iPhone slo-mo video feature).

 ...and there are times he's in the mood to play with the other dogs.  This Redbone Coonhound loved Ralphie.  He kept howling at Ralphie as if he were saying, "come play with me".  They played hard, running and running.  The coonhound was a bit obsessed with Ralphie and dominating him, but Ralphie knew how to handle himself when enough was enough he told the coonhound.  LOL  They had a lot of fun together.  This is the first time I've actually seen a Redbone Coonhound...beautiful boy and I loved his baying.

Taking The Day Off

Is it so strange to take a day off from work to be with your dog during the day because you're going out in the evening and don't want your pooch home all day and all evening alone?  Well some of my coworkers think so,  maybe to the point they feel I'm obsessed with my fur babies and a little strange...who does that?!  I believe a pet is a responsibility just like having a child to care for.  I know some people wouldn't think twice about leaving their pets home alone for hours and hours.  Not me, every day I rush home from work knowing I have two fur babies waiting for me.  But today our department planned a going away get-together for our boss who's leaving and I partake in the festivities.  So what do I do...

I took today off from work.  I just couldn't see working all day and going out straight after work. I know Ralphie and Ollie are waiting for me.  That's too many hours alone.  Ohhh, I have a fun day planned for Ralphie...to begin with, a nice long morning walk and then off to the BEACH we go.  Little old Ollie sleeps all day...that's what he likes to do at this stage in his life. :(  But he's getting his share of hugs and cuddles.

Looking forward to a FUN day with my fur babies!!  Happy Friday!!

Update....Slo-Mo at Crystal Beach....

It was a fun day!  Ralphie loves the water and boy this was great exercise for him!!

Vizsla Summertime Allergies

Round 3 ... this is Ralphie's 3rd summer.  Summer = Allergies.   In my past blogs I seemed mind- boggled by "why is Ralphie losing his hair".   Right now Ralphie has the most gorgeous shiny red coat.  No bare spots.  Thick.  I give him one fish oil vitamin every day...which he gobbles up like a special treat.  I began feeding him in the midst of his hair loss last year grain-free Trout & Salmon limited ingredient Zignature kibble with a tablespoon of grain-free Evanger canned food.  So if it were his food that was a problem in the past...it's solved.  His beautiful coat reflects that.

Ralphie hasn't jumped in the pool yet this year.  The bugs aren't a problem yet.  This year will really determine what was the cause of his thinning hair in the past years.  If he keeps his silky coat throughout this hot summer ... then it was his diet.  If he starts losing hair during our hot, humid summer of swimming in the chlorinated pool ... then it's an allergy to chlorine with seasonal allergies.

I pray he maintains his thick shiny red coat this summer.  He's always getting compliments,  Not to brag about my fur baby, but he is the most handsome boy ever.

This is the year ... food allergies or seasonal allergies.  We will see.

5K Run With Ralphie

This Saturday morning Ralphie and I woke up bright and early at 5:30am for our first group 5K run.  It was an event that was held by the organization that I work for.  Rarely are pets welcome at a 5K race, so I grabbed at this opportunity when I heard "pets allowed"!

It was an informal 5K run, not chipped timed.  So I timed it on my iPhone.  We all gathered at Starkey Park, which is a beautiful nature park located in a county north of me.  Ralphie was very excited!  He really would of loved to free run, but the park rules is to use a leash.  Actually it was slightly longer than a 5K, it was two 1.9 mile loops, my iPhone calculated 3.66 miles.  I wish I would of known we were going to run in sand though, about 50% of the run was on sand.  I wore my good running shoes and what a mess they are now after running through sand.  On a positive note though, it was mostly shaded because we were running through the nature trails where the trees served as a sun umbrella.  It was a great time.  Ralphie loves the outdoors and of course he did his share of sniffing throughout the run, making our running time slower.  But I certainly cannot put all the blame on Ralphie for our time with his sniffing and poop break; I'm not a fast runner anyways.  I welcomed the breaks during the run, knowing I can blame Ralphie for our slower pace per minute.  LOL  Actually, considering all that, our average pace was 12:19 per minute.

I wish more races welcomed dogs.  It was a fun, invigorating more for the both of us!  Love him.

Ready to start our first 5K run!

After run...we're both happy!

Love him!

All tired out..."Let's go home Mama!"