Nail trimming is something lots of people worry about as they are frightened they may hurt their dog. As much as we do not like trimming nails it is an essential part of owning a dog. A dogs nail should never be long, because it can cause pain to the dog. Nails which curl under become the base of the dogs foot and the dog is skating on nails. Yes I have seen dogs with nails curled into their pads when I was in college years ago and it was physically sickening to think anyone could let their dogs nails get in such a bad state. However its easily done because if certain dogs dont like it being done, people stop doing it as regular. But it must be done other wise your dog could end up with pain in the pads due to over growth. Pain when walking, which can effect the joints.

It will hurt the dog if you cut too far into the blood line, this is why the dog flinches and whines. So its best not to trim so far back. Doing it more often will be better for the dog.

So how often should a dogs nails be trimmed ? Each dogs foot is designed in either two ways, their nails grow quickly and long, or they naturally stay shorter. This is not evident to you for a start. So if your dogs nails grow quickly then trim every two weeks. If they grow slowly do it monthly.

Never attempt to trim nails with out good sharp clippers, and trimmex power. Trimmex powder stems bleeding. Even if you take off a small amount of nail it can cause the nail to bleed. Put the powder on the nail and hold it on the trimmed area and it stops bleeding. Trimmex can be brought from amazon, grooming sites, your local pet shop. Good clippers can also be brought from your local pet shop.

Pugs need smaller clippers and Vizsla need the large clippers. Or you can buy dremmel nail trimmer for dogs, but please be warned if you have never used one your dog could freak. So best to start young.

Starting to trim nails when they are young is key for them accepting it. If you wait two months after picking up your puppy then do it, the dog will of forgotten. I trim puppies nails at 2 weeks of age, 4 weeks of age, 6 weeks of age and 8 weeks of age. Continue doing it two weekly for a start as it will then be easier for the dog later on.

Now Pugs are well known for hating with a passion their nails being clipped. If your pug is like this take it to the vets to be done. But it will need doing regular. So it is best to learn how to trim your pets nails.

Anyone buying a puppy off me, just ask me about how to trim dogs nails and I will show you how to do it.

Some people put Pugs in a sling on a table to steady them, because when the feet are off the ground they freeze and let you get on with it. I wish mine were that easy. Of course you cant put a Vizsla in sling ha ha.
The easiest way for us is to have two people doing it. Someone holds the dog and I trim the nails. We find this easiest.

I find it easy to trim nails when a Vizsla is standing up on four paws, and I pick up the paw like I would do a horse. The dog feels a bit more secure with feet on the ground. Where as others like to lift the dog up. Sometimes lifting a dog into the air can worry the dog more, so I personally wouldn’t dog it.

If the dog hates its nails being done, you can try trimming one per night whilst the dog is laying on the sofa. If you can not see the blood line, you can get a torch and shine through the nail. Helpful if their is two of you.

Reward your dog if he is well behaved with a treat for every nail you trim. This becomes then a treat.

Some dogs love their nails being trimmed, we have two dogs which absolutely love it, lay on their backs and give you their paws. Then we have two that hate it with passion, and the rest tolerate it.

Their is a way of cutting the nail to make the bloodline retract more. So ask me when you see me and Ill show you with a pair of clippers the angle you need to do.

The point of this post is remember to trim your dogs nails. Long nails can cause pain to the dog.

We had a real frosty morning this morning and it was absolutely beautiful in the fields in the early morning.  I thought for those of you following our website would be a nice idea to give you some tips for cold conditions with dogs.

Remember under foot is cold, slippery, and can be sharp icy edges.  When dogs run at full pelt they can damage pads and nails in the ice. So ideally walk little later when the sunshine has broke the ice.

Paths and roadways can be a hazard with salt.  Salt is highly poisons to dogs.  So if you have walked your dog on a salted pathway or roadway, come home and thoroughly wash your dogs paws before it gets the chance to lick them. 

Dont encourage your dog to eat ice.  Ice can be swallowed quickly and cause a spasm in the gut of the dog.  This can be extremely uncomfortable and your dog may hold its stomach tight, drool or appear in pain.  

You can purchase dog boots from ruff wear.  They can protect paws from the ice.  But not all dogs like wearing them.  

Keep nails at a reasonable length, not too long as they will slip more if the nails are too long. 

If your dog is cold and shivers you will need a dog coat.  Luckily my dogs are hardy and never need to wear a coat unless standing around in cold weather. Some dog shows I use coats to keep them warm.  

Remember if your dog does an activity you need to warm up the muscles first before expecting it to perform for you.  

Don't let your dog run over icy ponds.  May dogs have gone through ice, and the owners have tried to save them, only to loose their own life too.  

Mud- Oh we have had so much this year. Its been miserable in the UK.  Remember that paws which are constantly in mud can develop allergies to mud.  They may chew their feed sore.  So wash the dogs paws in diluted hibiscrub and then wash thoroughly off, dry paws.  Or purchase dog boots if the mud effects the paws, or try to walk the dog in areas where their is not mud.  Their have been so many more cases of Alabama rot in the Uk, which is a terrible disease, and its not fully known why dogs get it, but it is noted that mud may have something to do with it.  So wash the dogs paws.  Any unusual sores which develop seek veterinary guidance immediately. 
Dogs that slip in mud a long way are capable of damaging tendons, and cartilage.  So don't encourage high speed running through mud. 

Always check dogs paws after exercise in winter times.  Check the dogs body to make sure of no cuts and bruises. 

Remember dogs love the heat, and it not ideal to kennel any dog unless you have heating in the kennels.  Short coated breeds are not meant to be in extreme weathers. 

Sadly we will not be going to Crufts 2020 even though the following dogs are qualified.
Indiana, Tango, Chilli, Ripley, Gucci, Roux.
We have had elderly family who is not well and unable to care for themselves, and bed bound, and therefore we decided that we didn't think we would book Crufts this year.  Hopefully they will feel better soon, but on the day Crufts closed we just didn't feel we could leave our home. As we are not sure what the future holds.  But if their is improvement we have another month and we can book a show in April which we hope to make.  Fingers crossed now. 

We shall be rooting for all our friends who are showing this year and hope you have a wonderful day.  Fingers crossed for next year. 

As a breed the Hungarian Vizsla puppy is hard work. As many times as we say this to people it gets skimmed over as people do not listen to us or other breeders. I want to stress to everyone these following points as its worth listening to if you are considering a puppy.

For a start all we think about is picking up an ideal puppy. One that will love us instantly and just fit into our families. The Vizsla is a wonderful dog but they are one of the hardest puppies to settle in. We know this because we bred Weimaraners before Vizsla, and family bred Cockers, and an Uncle bred Labradors. We now breed Pugs and the Pug is a dog that settles in instantly. Their is differences between every single breed of dog and although we think Vizsla is easy for our family it doesn't mean its going to be easy for you, because we have got so used to the breed it is like second nature. IN fact we think Vizsla are hard work. I would say they are the hardest breed to settle in that we own. Pugs are so easy!
So you have got to tell yourself you have 3 weeks which will be frustrating but then life will get easier and life will become good.
All dogs go through stages as well, from the settling in, screaming, to biting their owners hard, then it will be house training blips. Then it goes onto jumping up anyone to finding its feet at 9 months onwards. We all go through it, professional dog handlers or not.

Travelling home with the puppy can either be easy and it sleeps, or the puppy is sick, pee’s and is stressed. You never know what the dog will do. As dogs do act out of character too because of stress. However calm in the breeders home, the dog can show total opposite behaviour with new people. But usually the Vizsla is reserved and frightened for a start. They seem to go inward, and they know their house is changing. Sudden fear of the unknown. They are hugely intelligent and thats why they act the way they do.

So the first day bringing the puppy home is wonderful, exciting and a bonding experience for us. We want to keep watching the dog because its all ours and we have such pride and joy looking at them. We feel we have the best dog in the world. Then night time comes and suddenly the dog is screaming its lungs off. Your the lucky one if it does it for ten mins then goes back to sleep until 7am. But here are some tips which we think helps settle in a dog.

1) Take the dog to bed with you. Okay I know most behaviourists will be spinning in their seat at the thought. But the Vizsla is scared and doesn't know where the heck it is. Taking pup to bed with you will ensure him to bond with you. Have a crate in your room, where you can put the pup, and when he wakes at 2am, get up and take him outside to the loo. Come back put the dog back in the crate, if he whinges, put your hand out and let the pup sniff you. He should settle down.
2) Buy a heart beat toy, yes these things exist. Amazon. Sell them. They are brilliant as remember the dog started life laying on top of a bundle of puppies, the heart beats of other puppies is comforting to your puppy. When that suddenly goes the dog is lonely. So put the toy in the crate with the dog.
3) Buy a Snuggle safe pad with fleece cover. These go in the microwave for 6 mins and last 10 hours. We swear by them, and again you may have central heating but your dog is missing the warmth of other dogs. Place in the crate, and they are washable. Hopefully your breeder will of also given you a blanket with some familiar smells of mum on and the siblings. They will cuddle up to this. Some pups will of messed on them by morning, others dont.
4) Pet Remedy is a plug in which emits scent which calms dogs, and also they do a spray you can spray a cloth and place in the bedding. We provide cushions sprayed in this which works every time. We rarely have people these days struggling over night with their puppies.
5) If you can not stand the idea of a dog going to bed with you then sleep downstairs on the couch beside the dog. If hubby is off for the weekend, let him sleep on the sofa, and swap when he goes back to work. Take it in shifts, and even if you have teenagers get them involved and let them also take turns, so you all get some sleep In the week. It takes 2-3 weeks to settle any dog in.
6) Wear puppy out! Dont let the puppy sleep all evening and then go to bed and expect it to sleep. Keep the puppy entertains and play games with the puppy during the evening. Take the puppy out to the toilet before bedtime.
7) If spring or summer the mornings get light after 4am, cover the crate with a blanket or a black out cover so it remains darker in there. It helps dogs sleep for longer, as in the wild they would get up at 4am and go to the toilet. Remember most dogs after going to the toilet will go back to sleep again. Often dogs like a sleep after they have eaten.
8) Ask your breeder for tips, dont just struggle because they know their dogs and may have some tips for you.
Remember the dog is your responsibility, you have not brought the dog from a shop where you can return if it doesn't fit your lifestyle. You make it work just like you wouldn’t get rid of your kids if they were playing you up. You may like too but its not ethical.
9) You must crate your dog daytimes. For a start the dog is crated probably more than it will be the rest of his life. Because your training the dog. Crate training means getting the dog used to the crate. No matter how well trained the dog at the breeders home was, taking it home with no other dogs reverts the dog back to the beginning with crate training.

In all the years of me breeding dogs, and speaking to friends and family it is only the smallest amount of people who can not cope. Its always the ones who we think will be absolutely fine, and the ones we think well they may have a problem, cope fantastically.
Do not panic and think you are alone, theirs probably 8 other people in the litter who are going through what your going through. Its not just you, and we are the intelligent being here, not the dog. You can do this, you can sort this puppy out. After the settling in stage your next goal is socialisation, and puppy classes. Its always the people who dont go to classes that end up with issues with their dogs. Remember it’s your dog and your responsibility to the dog to train it. So get classes booked up as soon as you reserve the puppy with the breeder. So your all ready to go in a few weeks after taking pup home. If anyone tells me they cant find classes I know they will end up ringing me saying they cant cope later on. So get classes booked up asp. You can do this!!!

Well done to a Tango son who was reserve best dog in Hungarian Vizsla at Boston champ show 2020. He was bred by Angie Porter-Manning and Graham Porter.

We cant wait to get back to shows again ourselves but we do not like booking shows when we have puppies expected. But we are now looking at possible shows to book for 2020.
A Jack son also was 2nd place in open class.

Our new girl Yennefer is doing fantastic settling into our house hold. She is our first Bracco Italiano and she wont be our last as we are smitten with how easy they are. I will be adding photos soon of Yenna.

Congratulations to Ian Credland and Graham Butcher on their new Champion. Belgium champion Silvestre Ace or better known as Dexter. This dog is a Chilli son. We wish them all the best in showing in 2020 while they chase another title.

Also Congratulations to Cheryl Sutherland and Graeme sutherland breeders of Carnlochan morning star who also made their girl into a Belgium champion. She is a Tango daughter.

Another Tango son has been winning CAC’s and CACIB’s in Russia. I look forward to his progress which we receive by facebook.

Happy New year to everyone,
If your following our website in the hope of a puppy in 2020 we will hopefully have puppies periodically during the year. Vizsla are not an easy breed to predict when litters will be, so you need to follow the available page or text Rachel for more up to date info.


We hope to be at some shows this year with our new addition to the family called Yennefer. The Bracco Italiano. We have admired this breed for over a. Century watching them in the show ring. We shall be showing her in the UK at select shows and also Europe at select shows. The Vizsla are booked for a show in Holland, and Belgium. Looking forward to getting them out again.