Goodness me last week feels like a blur. With so much going on I’m exhausted thinking about it all. I have put all calls on hold as I’m daily going to hospital as my elderly mother has been so poorly. It’s a very difficult time but of course their is no planning when things go wrong.

We welcomed into our lives last week 2 male pug puppies. Bindi is the proud mum of two beautiful boys. I haven’t advertised them as we wait until they are at least two weeks old. Gosh they are just amazing little puglets, already spoilt beyond words.

Saturday I completed a first aid course for dogs. Feeling proud that Ive done again something to better the lives of the dogs which share our lives. I learnt some new things and learnt how to resuscitate dogs as well as so many other first aid issues. Evening Saturday was a surprise 70th birthday
Party, couldnt drink due to driving hours later. Then get home and left the house at 3.30am to go to wales. Lets say I fell into bed Sunday evening when we was home, and have been a zombie all day today.

Results
INT.CH.Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinus at Silvestre (Tango) 3rd Open dog.(Owned by us)
Silvestre Blazing Saddles 4th Open dog. (Owned and loved by Lin and family)
Silvestre Oh Behave for Shelseivad 1st Veteran bitch and Best Veteran in breed (Owned and loved by Hilary and Emma Davis)
Roughshoot Moulin Rouge at Silvestre 1st puppy bitch and BEST PUPPY BITCH. Qualified for CRUFTS 2020.
Silvestre Orlando’s Magic owned by Beverly won limit class in French bulldogs and won her stud book number subject to KC conformation. AMAZING! PROUD! PROUD BREEDER MOMENT. It was wonderful to sit ring side and watch her.
Silvestre Utah Jazz also went in Open class and was not placed. But Cookie did fabulously considering she is not really a show dog.

So today I’ve been cleaning like a zombie, back to hospital visits and for the foreseeable future this week thats my week planned, except I must get Ripley to training to complete her puppy foundation training course, and she has already started her bronze training and I’m told a test in September is on the cards.
We are expecting Vizsla puppies beginning of the next week. Of course they can come anytime so I am on watch from Wednesday onwards in case of an early appearance but I doubt it as her body shape doesnt suggest imminent birth. Sassy is enjoying however the extra pampering, extra food, and lazy days.

Check out my husbands online shop homesteadsworkshop.onlineweb.shop
My husband is now making lots of useful items for the family home. Any dog breed can be added to the key ring or lead holders.

I have decided to help give advice more on the blog page. As lots of people keep tuning in to read it.
One thing which is not always easy is nail trimming. Everyone just assumes the dog will like it, and it will be easy. The truth is far from it. Most dogs detest having their nails trimmed. Some will allow it through gritted teeth, others scream the town down like you are murdering them. So how can. You start off on the right track in nail trimming.

Firstly never start nails with out the magic powder called Trimmex. This stems bleeding, no one wants to cut the dogs nail so it bleeds, but it happens. So you need the Trimmex powder which can be brought online at www.groomersonline.co.uk or www.hyperdrug.com and I buy mine from my local horse wholesaler or pet shops.
Next you need either a sharp pair of clippers. You should discard clippers yearly if they get blunt because they will squash the nail causing pain over cutting them.
Some prefer to use a nail Dremmel and grind the nail down.
You should only take the tips of the nails off. Do not take too much off as it will hurt the dog. Take as little as you dare, so the dog associates it with no pain, then you can get more confident by taking off alittle more next time.
Start trimming every two weeks with out fail, and the dog will gradually get more used to it.
It’s a two man job, as one person should hold the dog whilst the other takes the tips off the nails. Cut too much and it will bleed. Always have treats ready, and give a reward after each nail is cut.
If you own a dog that will bite you, get your partner to hold their nose out of the way, or purchase a muzzle for trimming nails. Their is no shame in muzzling a dog as a dog can bite. I have seen it time and time again in the grooming parlour how dogs transform into rabied dogs just to have nails trimmed. So muzzle dog for your safety. Dogs that have fear will bite. Cocker spaniels are notorious for screaming when the feet are cut, even to trim hair off. But Pugs are something in a different league. They scream like piglets and will urinate on you. Luckily mine do not, but I know so many people who go to the vets to have their dogs sedated to trim nails. All Silvestre puppies have their nails trimmed often, so they get used to this from birth. The first time nails are trimmed the eyes are not even open. By taking off the ends they get used to the feeling, but also they dont scratch mummies boobies when paddling for milk. So it starts here and I trim nails before they leave so you do not have to do it immediately.


Nail maintenance is so important because if you let the nails get long, the quick gets longer and then you will defo cut into the blood line. Keeping nails shorter makes the blood line retract slightly.
If left to get long the dog will walk on the nails and not the pads. The nails will grow into the pads causing pain, arthritis, discomfort and infection. But also some people assume the dog has joint issues when its the nails. It can cause abnormal skeleton growth too as they are compensating by walking on nails.
Do it at a time when the dog is quiet and more sleepy if the dog hates the nails being trimmed. But if you reward the dog from puppy with treats the dog will grow to accept it.
Some dogs nails are hard to see the blood line as the nail is dark. Ie pugs have black nails. If you are buying a puppy you will find in hidden pages a diagram where to trim the nails too. Also how to cut the nail back if you are trying to reduce the blood line as you need to cut the nail at an angle.
For Pugs their are dog slings which support the dogs off all fours whilst you are trimming. Supporting in this way stops the Pug from struggling. I have friends who swear how good they are.

Why do some dogs nails grow quicker than others is often a question I’m asked? The answer is the foot type, also the parents do have bearing on what the feet will be like. A tight cat foot seems to have nails which do not grow as much. A Hare like foot the nails will grow too quick. The joints are longer in hare feet. So yes it is down to genetics on foot type.

What type of injuries can occur with feet? Grass seeds working into skin, ripping nail off or cutting nail in half, ripping a pad or slicing a pad, broken toe, down to small tumours which can grow in dogs feet. Also burnt feet if walked on hot tarmac in the summer time. Your vet will advise on all injuries and how to care for them.

We knew we wouldn’t be able to book the last weekends shows before they closed entries but several friends did go and had good results with their dogs. We always love these two shows but we had other commitments.

Saturday was Paignton Champ show.
Rowan was 4th in limit bitch and Rowan is a Tango daughter owned and bred by Cheryl sutherland.

Sunday was National gundog champ show
Logan who is a Tango son won junior dog and gcd dog. Logan has also had confirmed he has won his JW from the Kennel club. Tango sure has thrown now a few top winners.
Silvestre Oh behave for Shelseivad was in veteran bitch and was 3rd place.
Silvestre's Scarlet Witch was 3rd place in novice bitch ‘& 4th in graduate bitch.

Well done everyone and Thankyou to the judges who loved the dogs.

When a breeder raises puppies their job is nurturing the puppy, feeding adequate diet to the puppy, and meeting various social skills with in the 8 week time period. We give our puppies toys with textures, let them hear noises such as babies crying, gun shot. Meeting the elderly, younger children, cats. The social skills are already starting with us.
But you as the new owner has an important job which starts the day after you have taken the puppy home. That is to train your dog.

The 16 week window of development with the Hungarian Vizsla is one of the most important aspects of its life. Unlike toy breeds which develop later the Vizsla must obtain experiences of life to make it a good sociable dog. Sociable to other dogs, and people. Scientific evidence was found many years ago that people who do not socialise their dogs in this time period if owning an intelligent breed can have a dog which shows aggression later on, and as late as 2 years or as early as months old.
So when considering the breed, be prepared, think ahead. Start to go around training classes and watch what goes on. See if you like the trainer and classes. Do not have the excuse that we couldn't find a training school. If you need us to find a training school for you, we will put feelers out to see if their is anyone closer to you than you realise. Ask your local vets if they can recommend a training school ?

The Kennel club set out a scheme years ago called the Good citizen scheme. This scheme was designed to help owners train their dog, and train their dog in a way to give it good manners. It starts with four sessions of puppy foundation course. The trainer watches you to see if you are meeting all the requirements of the 4 weeks. It can go longer if you need more. Then you start on the Bronze training. Then silver training. Then gold training. If you get to gold your dog is very obedient. It is good fun as you are interacting with your dog and the dog learns what to do. Responds to you and has good manners. So this is one small part of owning the dog. The other part is you backing up at home the training, and giving your dog boundaries.

A dog is not a fur baby. It does need love and understanding but love alone is not enough! Training is everything.

If you can not train a dog, or have a trainer come to you. Do not own a Vizsla. Go and buy a Pug! With a Vizsla the intelligence is there, they can think, they can work things out, they can get frustrated if not enough input is given. Off lead running as well as controlled training is required. By running free in fields their brain is actively working. If your dog is sniffing the ground and smelling it is in theory working. It is a working breed. Good recall is everything, as your dog must not chase other livestock. Their is a country code. So going back to training, the more you do the better behaved your dog is.

Today many people want the active dog, the one that they think fits the family. But once they have the dog they forget about training. Please please train your dogs. Ignore at your own peril!

We took 3 male dogs to the show in Belgium. The results were amazing and we enjoyed the whole experience but its very very tiring. One of the reasons I haven’t managed to contact people who want to come and see Sassy and Tango. But bear with me as I’ve done two appointments this week and will try and do two next week. This will be four dates in total.

Day 1, Saturday.
Silvestre Fortune N’Glory (Indie) 1st Intermediate Dog and RCACIB, RCAC
INT.CH.Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinus at Silvestre (Tango) 1st Champions class.
SH.CH. Bitcon Skymaster With Silvestre Sh.Cm 1st Veteran, Veteran group place and point towards his Veteran Champion Title.

Day 2. Sunday
Silvestre Fortune N’Glory (Indie) 1st Intermediate Dog and CACIB, CAC. His first towards Int.Ch. Title and Belgium title.
INT.CH.Karaszy’s Falco Peregrinus at Silvestre (Tango) 1st Champions class and RCACIB and RCAC
SH.CH.Bitcon Skymaster with Silvestre Sh.Cm. 1st Veteran, Best of Breed, Veteran group place and main ring group place for best of breed and a point towards his Veteran Champion title.

It is that time of year when temperatures rise.  We must think about our furry friends and what can you do to make their life more tolerable in hot weather.

1. Only walk early in the morning and late in the evening. 
2. Leave fresh water down all the time.
3. Do not expect them to eat big meals as we also go off larger dinners when its hot.
4. Think hygiene if your feeding raw as it must be in the fridge.
5. Cooling mats are ideal for dogs, containing gel inside and dogs will go and lay on them. 
6. Fans are another great way of keeping your dogs cool.
7. Check that the water bowls have not been drunk and refill during the day.
8. Paddling pools for dogs help keep them cool.
9. Do not give chunks of ice to dogs, as the ice inside the stomach can cause it to contract and spasm.  Some dogs have been hospitalised after eating large amounts of ice.  
10. Do not walk your dogs on pavements.  The rule of thumb is if you place your hand on the tarmac and its unbearable, don't walk the dog.  Tarmac melts in heat so you do not want your dogs pads burning.  NEVER EVER walk puppies on tarmac in the heat, their pads have not hardened yet. 
11. Car travel:  Open your car an hour before journey and place under a tree for shade.  check all crates are not boiling hot. Metal burns in hot sunshine.  If you have aircon start it for five mins before you put the dog in the car.  Take water bowls with you and water. Take a cooling coat with you in case you get stuck on the motorways.  But best of all DONT TRAVEL.
12. NEVER EVER EVER EVER leave your dog in a car, even with windows open.  Take the dog with you, or better still leave it at home.
13. A cooling coat is fabric which holds water.  It must be dunked into cool water and placed over dogs back.  However watch that water doesn't heat up under cooling coat, as it would be like putting a hot jacket on.
14. Dog shows, well most of us don't go if the weather talks of being hot.  
15. Metal tags on collars can get over heated.
16. Do not let the dog lay in the sun.  Bring it inside or put their bed in shade outside, or purchase a sun shade for the dogs. 
17. Protect noses with sun screen for dogs. 
18. If you are at the beach take some cover for the dog to sit under. 

How do you know if your dog has sunstroke. ?
Lethargic, sticky drool, over heating, panting harshly, collapse. 
Firstly ring vet and tell them you are on your way.  Friend or partner grab towel and dunk in bath of cold water, and lay over dog. Do not plunge a dog into an ice bath, the shock could kill it.  So tap water cool so it can get accustomed to the change in temperature.  Then you could go little cooler.   Wipe the gums with water, or syringe cool water into the mouth to cool.  Get to the vets now!  Vet will put dog on a drip and monitor dog.  Dogs die from heat stroke.  Take your vets advice on the phone incase they have other suggestions. Any breed of dog can suffer with heat stroke, but the snort nosed breeds suffer more.  So never ever leave them in the sunshine. 
​R xxx

How lovely to hear good news from Tango's son and daughters winning at the weekend.
Son called Logan or better known to those as Carnlochan Jack Frost, won best of breed, Group 1 at Southampton open show.  His sister won reserve best of breed. 
Dexter or better known as Silvestre Ace was 2nd in Open so he also did very well. 

Then Silvestre's Scarlet Witch won her class at Norfolk and Norwich Open show.

Silvestre The Red Woman won Post Grad & Best of breed at Durham premier open show. 

Many thanks to all the judges who loved these dogs. 

Please do let me know if your dogs have won anything recently as I will share for you.

We have puppy news yes we do!  Sassy is one hundred percent pregnant and babies growing in there beautifully.  She is having a larger sized litter according to scan. We could see 8 clearly, so this means 8 plus.  

I will arrange a 3 visit dates.  2 will be weekdays and 1 weekend.  Lets however get this hot weather over because its not nice for the dogs to be on show in this extreme heat.  Ive had to close all the curtains today, fans are going, windows open, and the short nosed breeds are in the kitchen on cold surfaces.  I will quickly write another blog on hot weather which maybe helpful to you all. 

​Rachel xxx

A few shows have come and gone, and those with Silvestre dogs have been out and about and also stud dog siblings too.  I  am sorry I can not always remember everyones news. 

Silvestre Orlandos Magic (French Bulldog)  won another Crufts qualifying place at Windsor Championship show.  She also won first place at The French bulldog club open show in Post Graduate.  She has also surpassed herself and won a scent work test, beating 13 other dogs of different breeds.  She beat a Weimaraner, Spaniels, Whippet, Cross's and more. Having the best nose on the day finding what she was supposed to find. WOW!  What more can I say, a flat nosed breed winning the gun dogs.  Amazing. 

A huge well done to Wallaroo HawkEye or better known as Logan as he has gone and won subject to KC his JW which is short for Junior Warrant.  This gives him a stud book number and he has now qualified for Crufts for life.  Well done Graham Porter and Angie Porter-Manning.  

We have been away as some of my Instagram photos will show.  We had a busy time up to the date we left, and I was unable to talk to a lot of people due to having a tooth out which then I had a very bad infection.  The holiday helped get me on track again.

Tango mated Sassy and we hope to update you all on confirmed pregnancy news soon.  She appears to have her nipples enlarged which is a good sign.  She will have a scan on day 30.

Health Test News: I can not remember if I updated my latest health news.  Several dogs have been health tested for various things.
Eastonie Bubbles at Silvestre (French Bulld0g), I had put her into retirement as she didn't fall pregnant last year.  But we decided to give her one final chance so I have had to complete up to date health tests which were BVA Eye testing -CLEAR
Silvestre Fortune NGlory (Vizsla). Now he is getting to the age he can mate Im completing health tests.  His first one is Hip Score and he is 6:8 = 14  HUU = CLEAR, Glaucoma = CLEAR
Silvestre Hooked on a Feelin is HUU clear
Silvestre Envy is HUU Clear and Glaucoma clear. 
It will be Autumn/Winter time before I have to do my next lot of dogs health tested again.  Brooklyn will be Glaucoma tested end of the year.  Sabrina the Pug will have a spinal X-ray for HV, Patella and PDE. Although we know she is hereditary clear of PDE. 
​

We didnt go to the Vizsla day but our friends did with Silvestre breeding behind them.

Wallaroo Hawk Eye a Tango son won Puppy Dog, Novice Dog.
Wallaroo All that Jazz won Limit class. A Chilli Son.
Silvestre Blazing Saddles 3rd Open Class

We went on Pug day. If only the Vizsla day was the same day or close to Pug day then we would of showed the Vizsla we own too.

Do not forget to check instagram as people have shared photos with us.