Dogs are not dissimilar to us in the fact that gut health creates over all health. 

For example I would say because of my coeliac disease and poor gut health is most likely why I have other auto immune diseases.  Same for our pets. 

So how to we keep our dogs gut health as good as we possibly can. I would like to say Im no expert but Ive learnt some things along the way. In fact do listen to Dr Nick Thompson and Raw pet medics on gut health as they will be able to shed more light than me. 

But for my limited knowledge food is one way we can give good gut health.  Dogs also need natural foods and varied diets to gain more nutrients. More nutrients creates better gut health. Better gut health better immunity and healthier dog. 

Bone broth can really help give our pets minerals and nutrients it may not always get from food.  If you are a Silvestre owner I have a pet sheet on our owners access page for a recipe how to make bone broth.  

Keifer is another great source of bacterias which are healthy bacterias which keeps the stomach working properly. Look at chuckling goat for Keifer, but be warned its quite explosive stuff so open over your sink and follow their guidelines on opening.  Not all dogs like this but some love it. 

But we do not just stop there, as we can give a wide variety of things to help. 

One of my dogs recently kept bringing up bile every single day.  I soon realised this dog needed something.  So I spoke to my friend who told me about a product called Gut soothe which is a pro biotic powder from Healthful pets.  It took one week of giving this into her food and suddenly great gut health again. For what ever reason. Since then we've given her beef tripe with the fats and now she is back on track again. Sometimes thats all we need to do. The run up to her having this issue she was due for a season and had stopped eating, she was eating limited proteins, and being a right pain in the bum to eat. But it's what happens hormones rule bitches and breeding homes see this more than pet homes who have spayed their bitches. 

If your dog has other health issues it's a good idea to look at diet.  Do you need to add in something or change more what your giving?  The only person that can answer is you.

Find a holistic vet to get the right advice on raw feeding as a conventional vet will only advise on dried food.  Vets get 1/2 day training from dried food companies.  We ask ourselves why is this then? Surely there is more to it than that? Nope and you know the reason why reps educate vets into dried feeding. Commission! 

Vets will in fact try to put you off raw food.  

If you hate raw food cook it.! its the next best thing to give your pet.  Durham animal feeds sell mince meat only in several proteins.  All you have to do is mix some bone meal into the cooked meat to give calcium and other nutrients in the bone.  Bone firms poops so you need it in the diet.  But everything else you can chop up, blanch it and feed to the dog in its meat.   There are great books on cooked diets for dogs.  Dr Karen Becker has written one on Amazon available.  But you can find loads when you start googling. 

https://www.youtube.com/live/fR2v9H-K4UM?si=NAybUkHYDWXlxVcC

The above link is Dr Nick Thompson - The Gut Doctor on Vaccines and info for you to understand better. 

We are told by everyone that dogs are domesticated.  Like they have evolved over the centuries. But the truth is they haven't evolved.  Dogs have however lived with humans since humans began.  We have cave paintings of men hunting with dogs.  I think you will find dogs have been with humans for centuries as we both benefitted each other.  We fed them, they gave us warmth and helped hunt.  Kept villages clear of mice and rats and other animals.  We have used them to pull carts across snow and dogs are just part of the human world. 

So what does domesticated mean?  It does not mean the dogs re designed inside.  The intestines are still shorter than humans, the liver is in the same spot and so on.   But dogs have changed in size, and look through selective breeding over the centuries. Also their environment has changed a lot, as they would have lived more like village dogs in and around us, now we think they are our human babies. Dressed up in clothing and cant get cold.  


The dog is a carnivore and it cannot change the way you feed it.  True evolution takes centuries and we haven't had centuries yet.   We are still relatively new.  Dogs have not evolved because we one day decided to make food into a biscuit and feed it.  They survived but possibly not as healthy.  This is why everyone's going back to raw food.   Raw unprocessed food suits the canine so much more than artificial food.   I always say if I fed you a meal of chips every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner for ever you would not be healthy. You may survive but you're not healthy.  The dog is still the same inside and so are we. 

We have to recognise a dog is a dog and not a fur baby.  We do call our owners paw parents as it's the word everyone uses today.  The dog is not your child.  You have a huge responsibility to your dog and things are changing in law where dogs are concerned. You are going to be very responsible soon as the government is changing the welfare bill and this does have implications to you the owner.  If your dog looks at a sheep now it's not worrying.  But when the welfare bill goes through, if someone says your dog is a menace to the sheep and believes they are, then you could be prosecuted.  So you have to understand you must train your dog now. More than ever before you have to be responsible for your dog. Which means time and understanding for your pet.   Because domestication of dogs has not erased their instinct and our breeds the HPR which is Hunt point and Retrieve.  Our dogs have inherited inside to hunt their prey.  But we balance this when breeding so we have a good pet dog for our owners.

But going back to what this post is all about, dogs inside are the same as they have always been. Same hormones, same insides. So this is why they are healthier if they eat what they are designed to eat. 

If you put your domestic dog in the wild it would still stalk prey, chase it, grab food and tear the flesh off and eat it.  They would also sleep, fast, and have a home den base. 

If you want a healthier dog you will mimic the diet which is best for the dog.  Dried processed food Is not good for your pet.  


Now I am open minded and people who have dogs off me end up feeding their pets dried food. I always say each to their own.  But if you want to be educated on whats best to give your dog the longest and most healthy life then the key things are.  Raw feeding is the way forward for a healthier pet. 

​

Some of my readers will of heard that you can worm count a dog, but have no idea what it means.  Most people use poisons to kill parasites.  I honestly believe there is a place for all but we have to use a big bit of common sense also. 

​If you need advice then find a local holistic vet to you.  You can google search them. 

But it is like everything in life do not subject the body to a poison if their is nothing to kill.
Why would we? If their is nothing there its pointless.  

The problem we are seeing is our pets now have various stages of poisoning, and it affects the brain.  We see dogs swaying, look drunk, to full blown epilepsy.  Once the wormers/flea treatments/vaccines removed from the equation dogs are not fitting.  We know of a Vizsla since she stopped Leptospirosis vaccine the dogs not had another fit.   So this should not be just pushed under the carpet.  Some types of so called Epilepsy is hereditary.  Some is chemical exposure. Some is other influences.   

In February 2024 I read an article in the veterinary times where it was pleading with vets across the UK to stop selling it monthly.  Many did heed and started to reduce the products.  But many did not.  So why was this article being written?  A discovery that our waterways are full of these poisons.  From dogs swimming in rivers, lakes.  When we bath our pets anything on the fur is washed down the drain and ends up in the sewage plants.  Some sewage plants recycle water back to drinking water.  How revolting.  I should think the health risk to humans must be high other wise they would not tell vets to stop using it. 

In 2025 an article came out that the RSPB had discovered why song birds are on the decline in gardens.  They pick up fur from our pets, or bedding fluff and line their nests which in turn was killing the baby birds.  This hit news outlets.  But it's soon forgotten about. 

Let's look at things as logical as we can do.  No-one wants worms/parasites.   This is where Worm counting comes in.  A test which looks at the stool of your pet and records how many eggs, or worms are seen. If nothing is seen, then whats the point giving a product ? None of course as the products are meant to kill whats there.  

There are two worm counting labs in the UK.  worm count and feclab.  I believe there is a 3rd but Ive not used them.  You go to their websites www.wormcount.co.uk or www.feclab.co.uk and you buy a worm count kit for £19 or £20.  They send out the kit and inside the kit is a glove, pot, scoop, poop bag, form to fill your details on.  Pre paid envelope to send back.  Ideally you get a tiny bit of your dogs poop in the morning and put in pot and send back to company.  With in about two days you get an email with result on.  Green means no eggs seen.  Red means adult worms.  Other colours between means various stages of worm growth. 

But for the healthy dog there is a way forward which minimises the administering of poisons.  The reason is these wormers and flea treatments are causing neurological damage in our pets, skin sores and mild fitting to Epilepsy.  So we must minimise their use. So how do you do this?

In their diet you can add in things which parasites do not like.  You make the dog unappealing.  

Worm eggs are carried on the back of fleas, so if you get fleas your dog may well have worms.  Worm count if you get fleas.

Give your pet raw food which makes a healthier immune system.  Healthy immune systems are not appealing to parasites.  They like poorly ones.  For example a dog on Apoquel with its immune system suppressed will probably be more likely to get parasites than dogs which are not.  So even medication can affect how many parasites your pet gets.   

But with giving raw food you can add in things which makes the gut unappealing for the parasite to live like Garlic, Grape seed extract, parsley, herbs, Verm X, Crushed pumpkin seeds.  Clove, Black walnut and so on.  There are even companies now making stuff which includes all these to repel worms.    For the skin and fleas, they dislike citronella, clove, lavender and so on.  Again you can purchase products to repel fleas and ticks.  Neem oil is like a strong garlic smell, and if you use it with a carrier oil like almond can really repel fleas, lice and so on. 

A product which is natural called Diatomaceous earth is volcanic ash which parasites can not live in, it breaks down their outer shell. So if you have an infestation of fleas sprinkle on bedding, dogs fur. You can even put it in the food. Follow instructions on packets.   

This year my chickens got red mite, so I brought some DE and squirted in the nest boxes.  It killed them by half, but some chickens still had them on the fur. So I caught each one and dosed the feathers.  This completely killed the parasites.   

If your dog gets harvest mites between its toes squirt this powder in-between the toes and see if it works.  It's completely harmless. 

So we minimise everything by doing natural things.  Some dogs go years and years between needing a more harmful product.  But sometimes the only way you can get rid of fleas or worms is to use a product and this is why I said at the start minimise use and yet each has its place in the world. 

If we minimise use of poisons it has to be a good thing doesn't it.! 

I hope this makes some sense.

But what you also have to know about me is sometimes I realise that all the natural stuff just has not worked for you and you want to then go to something which will kill quick.  I understand this.  I have used in the past Advantage with no ill effect and I have used Panacur paste with no real ill effects.  

For puppies under 12 weeks, Panacur paste is licensed, and so is Frontline spray.  There is very little which is licensed so breeders have to be very careful what they use on puppies.  I have known breeders say that Panacur has killed puppies.  It is very worrying and of course its just breeder chitter chatter but it's enough to worry us all.  I have seen puppies get diarrhoea after Panacur. I have also seen puppies get hives after using spot ons.  So again minimise where you can and go to worm counting instead of just treating and use natural stuff on fur.  You will thank me for it later.  

I hope this all helps you all.  

So what is a fear period. ?  You will suddenly notice your puppy or older puppy will show signs of being unsure about things.  May back away, may run away, may bite or nip in situations it would not of done before. 

A very good friend of mine showed me a post of a VIZSLA group and all the BAD advice that was given to the owner.  We both felt sick as we know how it will end up.  The older puppy is scared, in its fear period and the trainers advice is absolutely wrong.  If you find yourself in these positions reach out to good trainers.  There are online trainers, and people we can recommend.  Luckily it was not a Silvestre other wise we would have had a heart attack with advice given. 

Dogs are born with immature nervous systems which gradually develops over time.  Sometimes little things you may not of even noticed caused direct fear in your dog. 

During development puppies all go through fear periods and where as years ago we were told oh their is only 2 periods, hmm actually its more likely to be 4. 

First one starts around the. 8 weeks stage, and one good reason the government should be pulled up and told that puppies should leave home at 7 weeks not 8.  But of course as per usual they only take advice from NON Breeders and NON behaviourists.   For some breeds like toys yes they should leave homes around 10-12 weeks.  But the HPR HUNTING breeds should have left home by 7 weeks.  We see more issues across the board by keeping these highly developed breeds for longer.  Some of the top behaviourists in the country will tell you the same information.  This is not just my thoughts.  But we live with these breeds so yes we see little things develop. 

The brain is working out situations, and hormones play a massive role later on. 

Calm and positive early experiences are vital in development.  Do NOT force your puppy into situations with other dogs or puppies.  Do not over stimulate either.  Do things gradually, Do not bombard the tiny developing brain with too much.  Take a step back and introduce one thing every few days. Not all at once.  We give a socialisation sheet, but we do not expect this to be met all in a week.  We look at weeks for slightly new experiences to be met. 

Increasing awareness gradually is key to having a dog which is not over stimulated.  Over stimulated Vizsla and Bracco could mean more mouthing hard, more bad behaviours seen later in the day from over tiredness. 

Between 6-10 months you will hit another fear period. I know some people say its 10 months, but ive seen some as. young as 6 months go through a fear period. These pups are often hormones changing and bitches have an early season.  If I had to give an average of when a season occurs I would say 9 months to 14 months.  Vizsla nearer 14 months, bracco 9 months. But all dogs are not the same as you can get some have seasons at 6 months and some at 2 years.  So it's a big wide scope of its still normal.  This is why fear periods are different for each dog. 

If your dog shows fear, do not FORCE the dog to do something.  Encourage with kindness and rewards.  Do not push them into the fear.  Do not drag them from sofas or from under sofas.  Encourage with temptations.  Do not force situations on them.  Let them have some safety in their hiding up.  A dog which is scared and you frighten it then it will bite you.  Dogs only reaction to no is growl and bite, or bite.  They may not want to do it, but it's their options in life.  If a dog guards the sofa it should not of been given access to it in the first place.  
So to stop any bad behaviours you have to teach training methods when the dog is young.  
Sleeping is in a basket or crate, not on sofas or. your bed.  Call dog away from sleeping area, do not just force dog away from sleeping area.   Then consult a behaviourist for advice. If your dog bites you, then time to get a basket muzzle on even in the house. Then contact your  behaviourist.   Muzzles are there for a good purpose.

We walked along the beach two days ago and I saw a Belgium Mallinois in a muzzle running along the beach, skipping along and jumping having fun. I said to Darryl oh look a responsible owner there allowing their dog to live a life but in safety of all the other dogs around it and people.  Well done them! There is no shame in a dog wearing a muzzle in public.  After all it's our legal responsibility now to have dogs on leads in public.  I bet a lot of you did not even know this.  The law is changing soon where your dog only has to LOOK like it's threatening another animal to be in trouble.  Where as it was £1000 fine it will be unlimited.  So now is the time to get responsible and if you have a puppy it's time to start training your puppy.  Training is key to owning a well behaved dog. 

​R 

Happy new year to all.

Please note the password to our Owners Access page has changed again.  For our last Bracco owners please whats app me for the password.  Lanes litter please double check with me if you did not note it in the receipt. 


In the mean while Happy new year to all.  Please remember I am on holiday until Monday 5th January.   I would appreciate it if you kept messages to minimum until then.  It's the only at home holiday I get in a year and I did put this all on available page and contact page. But removed from available page the other day. Im guessing you have not seen.

IT does not stop me giving advice next week as happy to do it.  But we always take a weeks holiday at home and we enjoy as a family doing stuff locally together.   Of course it revolves around dogs still. 

You may think why add a link to neutering of German Shepherd dogs.  But this affects all breeds of dogs and the links of early neutering or neutering at all.  

It was a study done on Hungarian Vizsla many years ago which gave us our first insight that spaying or neutering was the link to cancers. Since then other dog breeds have been assessed.  One of the most common things the Vizsla will die of is Spleen Hemanigosarcoma. 

We have to remember all of us die be it human or dog.  Humans die from heart disease or cancers it would seem. Dogs are the same. This does not make it any more less important but it helps us understand more that unfortunately all dogs will die.  I wish they could live for ever. 

Weimaraners for years had MCT of the skin and they are a breed which you can not escape them.  
But now proven it's the spaying or neutering.  
German shepherds often die from a brain tumour. 
Vizsla hemanigiosarcoma. 
 If you want your dog to live a long life then spaying or neutering much later is more advisable. If at all. But it is down to the owner to be responsible and not let them have unwanted puppies. 
​It is worth reading the report ive linked above on German shepherds. 

""quote""
An increase in some cancers sometimes is also of concern with neutering, particularly with osteosarcoma (OSA), hemangiosarcoma (HSA), lymphoma (LSA) and mast cell tumours (MCT). A study on OSA in several breeds found a twofold increase in neutered dogs relative to intact dogs (Ru et al. 1998). In spayed females, cardiac HSA was reported to be four times greater than that in intact females (Ware & Hopper 1999), and in spayed females splenic HSA was reported at two times greater than in intact females (Prymak et al. 1988). The occurrence of LSA was found to be higher in spayed than in intact females (Villamil et al. 2009). Cutaneous MCT, as studied in several dog breeds, was four times greater than that of intact females in neutered females (White et al. 2011).

This is the first time I have had to write about Frodo.  Our darling boy Frodo came into our lives just about 18 months ago as he came to bring us some new blood line.  He had lived his life in Ireland and became an Irish Champion.  But in October we were aware that Frodo had a tumour in his bum area.  This grew and grew and affected his life greatly at the end.  We were under vet care and we knew our time was limited with him.  It was a rare tumour not one that is seen very often. 
Our vet has only seen one in his lifetime and that was at med school so 35 years ago. 
Frodo went to sleep between my legs and was cuddled into the next world.  Since leaving us, he has come back 3 times.  Im a spiritual person and see things which sometimes I wish I did not. But I must admit it was very comforting to see Frodo.  He's been told he can sit on our sofa any time he wants. 
Frodo has left us a fab legacy in bloodline. We exhibited one of his daughters who won best puppy in show at a championship show.  We also have his son who's qualified for Crufts and has the highest possibility of doing well in the future. So we have a lot to be grateful for. 

I have to remind people over and over that I do have contact hours.  This is because it's unfair to keep messaging me late at night.  

NEW ENQUIRIES
10.30am to 3pm week days only. MON - FRI

MY OWNERS - That means if you have a dog at yours from me. 
10.30am to 7pm MON to FRI 

WEEKENDS - Day times from 10.30 am to 3pm.  No guarantee I'll respond. But I will if I get the time. 

​HEALTH - Speak to your vet. 

BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES
You get 4 weeks free behavioural advice after a puppy has left.

After 4 weeks you will be charged. 
£69 for a consult.  This can take 1 hour.  If it runs over £25 for every 15 mins. 
For detailed training plans £100.  This includes videos or written how to help your dog, or verbal depending. 

£25 for phone call after. 

This post is for people who are looking to own an HPR breed of dog. 

Take one very hard look in the mirror and ask yourself some questions.  Because everyone can fall in love with instagram pictures and u tube videos of dogs.  But the truth is over owning HPRs for 30 years and more now I can say Ive learnt a lot about people who apply for our puppies. 

If you are someone whose laid back, does not worry you will succeed in owning the Vizsla, Weimaraner and Bracco Italiano. 

If you are someone who worries about every little aspect of owning a puppy  you wont succeed and you will be bringing me that puppy back after 7 days. 

We learnt over the years that the most laid back people really succeed in owning these dogs and the reason is they are hard work dogs.  They will do things you wont like.  Chewing furniture, peeing in the house every five minutes, demanding attention.  Those who worry about everything cant cope.  They can not cope with their own lives so bringing in this whirlwind of a dog you wont cope. 

I can not stress this enough that you can make a big mistake taking a Vizsla into the home if you are a. born worrier. 

During my lifetime as a young child and teenager I worried about everything. But life threw me some rather horrible life events and it hardened me up. I became almost immune.  We think everyone has an easy life but not all of us do.  I learned to let life wash over me and not worry about things.  When I started with a Cavalier King Charles spaniel life was easy and if you want an easier type of dog go for a toy breed of dog.  They are suited well.  If you want the Gundog group look at the show line Cocker Spaniel.  I love spaniels a lot and lived with them early 20's.  Then I had a Weimaraner and boy did my life change..  They taught me everything the worst part of owning an HPR. I found then when we introduced a Vizsla they seemed so much easier because they want to please you.  Where as a Weimaraner would stick two fingers up at me and do what they wanted. So in some aspects the Vizsla was easier.  But then we started breeding Vizsla and I saw different types of people wanting the breed.  I began to realise the ones who were not coping were over thinkers.  The ones I never heard from again was people who were more laid back. Did not worry about what the dog did. 
Now 30 years in owning HPR I realise so much more than I did back then.  

The worst thing for any breeder is to have a puppy back.  So do not put us in that position. The dog is not an object you can take back to Tescos. Breeders worry you'll ruin their dogs or bring back a dog with already behaviour issues.  Its unfair. 

So why this post?  My dearest friend had a puppy back after 7 days of owning the puppy.  The previous litter she had she had one back after about 16 weeks of owning the puppy.  She was shocked because the one home was even a previous Vizsla owner. We are seeing it over and over at the moment. People are buying dogs and cant cope.  We would like to see more responsibility on the owners behalf because it's unfair to dogs and breeders.  So by doing this post I hope you will think can I really cope with this dog. If you have a small knot in your stomach saying no, pull out from buying that puppy.  Dont have it.!!  You can go for easier breeds,

In the Gundog group: Easier dogs. 
Show line cocker spaniels
Labradors
Golden Retrievers
Bracco italiano I would classify easier than a Vizsla.  But you need to train them. 
Sussex spaniel
Field spaniel
Italiano Spinoe are nice laid back dogs. Need training though. 
. 


HPR stands for HUNT POINT RETRIEVE.. The UK does not have a dog which does this. So they are all dogs from Europe. These dogs have brains, need entertaining more. 


So are dogs or bitches easier?  Dogs in Vizsla are easier.  In Bracco Possibly females are easier than males.  
The Vizsla female is active and super intelligent. Picks things up so easy.  But can be very active needing attention.  The male seems more laid back as a puppy. I never know why people do not look at males and think they should have a female for easiness.  Possibly because you saw a different breed. But in the Vizsla males are easier. I adore them.  Males can go through a puberty stage and switch off, but it comes back again.  Both male and female will love you the same.  Both affectionate.
 
In Bracco males are needy, females more independent. Both love cuddles.  But males can really switch off around adolescence and not listen to you.  Females do but come back to recall quicker.  

To have any good dog its about training.  But if your a worrier you wont probably even get time for training.  To own a good dog its about a year of good training.  So think can you really cope.