A quick reminder to our doggy family that with easter comes family visiting and lots of chocolate. It's easy to forget you have left chocolate on the side and your dog may pinch it. 

Chocolate contains Theobromine which is poisonous to dogs.  You can buy doggy chocolate from pet shops if you want your dog to have some. But honestly a good meaty bone is far better.  

What should you do if your dog has eaten chocolate? For a start contact your vet for advice.  They will know the weight of your dog against how much the dog has eaten and all dogs weigh different. 
If your dog is large and ate a small amount it will most likely be okay.  But contact your vet.
If your dog is small and ate a large amount it may not be okay.  Contact your vet.

Other foods which are around at Easter is Easter cakes, and fruit cakes.  Sultanas, raisins, should never be given to dogs as they are toxic and can cause kidney damage and failure.   So keep them in an air tight tub well away from your four legged friends. 

Ask family not to feed snacks to dogs unless you know what they are having.  Did you know grapes are toxic to dogs?

This time of year we also are gifted daffodils and did you know the bulb of the daffodils is toxic to dogs.  Hyacinths also the bulbs are toxic. 

If you have any concerns please contact your vet for advice. 

Wishing you all a lovely Easter and no trips to the vets of course. 

Rachel xx

We had the pleasure of judging some superb dogs at Saltburn canine society.  I have nearly finished Critiques and will be sending them off with in days to Our dogs and the canine society, and KC website. Im just double checking the pedigree names now to make sure I do not have any spelling mistakes. 

I had some superb examples of the breed come under me, particularly an American Cocker spaniel, Cavalier King Charles and a superb Pug puppy.  All which I could have taken home and owned. 
I just love Pugs with their out going and friendly personality.  In fact if you have young children there is no better breed to own than a Pug. They love kids.  We have two in our family in case you think I do not know the breed. I owned Pugs for over 14 years now. As pets, but once our girl goes we will look to replace her as Pugs are just fantastic in nature. Good fun and super loving. 

Darryl had also some lovely exhibits to go over.   Thank you to everyone who came under me.  My next judging appointment is for Vizsla, Bracco and I look forward to seeing my entries soon. 
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Adders are on the move and Im hearing that some dogs have been bitten already.  We usually say May time is the peak for Adders.  They come out of hibernation and lay on pathways or sand to heat themselves as they are cold blooded.  Curious dogs of course are over investigating.

Signs of an adder bites:

• Lethargy
• Two fang marks on dog.
• Swelling
• Collapse
• Panting/stress

What should you do. ?    Carry your dog to reduce circulation around the body of venom.  Contact your nearest veterinary surgeon.   For some dogs they have little effect and it's no worse than a bee sting, but for others its full blown huge swelling and oedema.  The oedema can get infected afterwards.   Your veterinary surgeon will advise you. 

In all the years I have bred Hungarian Vizsla I have seen a big change in how the public want to go about buying a pedigree dog.  Maybe it's just the age we live in. 

We get lovely people enquire and it's a pleasure to help them and then develop a relationship with them over the life of their dog where they can contact us about anything for advice.  We always say if you want to keep in touch then we love that. But if you do not we appreciate how busy life is and do not expect you to keep in contact.  Having birthday updates is a pleasure to read through. 

This is how an enquiry should go!
Hi, We are interested in a puppy from you.  I understand you have a litter, is it okay to do a phone call with you so we can chat and learn about the breed.  Put your name, address, and give suitable times for us to contact you.  You may of had the breed and you just want a short chat and thats fine.  But you may want more information and I am happy to give you as much information as possible to help you make the right decision that the breed is right for you.   Not everyone can cope with the HPR breed.  Even if price is the first thing you want to know, hold off until you have struck up some kind of conversation and then Im sure most breeders will then give you the price. It does not matter if you think you can or can not afford the price, and at least you have got some information to help give you the best opinions possible. 

You can ask if the breeder is licensed.  You can ask if the puppies are kennel club registered.  You can ask if the parents are health tested.   You can ask if the breeder has a website or social media.  You can ask are the parents pet dogs, or are they show dogs. You can even ask if there are references they can give you.  There are lots of questions you can ask. 
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But remember a breeder does not have to sell a puppy to you if they have any concerns.  Because they do not want the puppy to end up in a rescue centre.  So they may ask several questions to see if your suitable for the breed. 

The most important thing is to buy off breeders who are socialising there puppies to sounds, textures, and handling.  Because you are starting off with a blank canvas.  But lots of people make huge mistakes with social skills for their puppy.  Because if you get it wrong you can create a reactive dog later on.  All puppies must be socialised in a certain way.  Many trainers also get it wrong.  
Social skills means playing sounds to your puppy very quietly for a start and building it up to loud noises. Carrying puppy beside a road way, bus stop, children's primary school and so on.
Then going to a controlled puppy class, not a free for all class.  Teaching your puppy that you're the most important person in the class, not other puppies. Trainers who allow puppies to pile in together are teaching the puppy bad skills.  Im now writing a booklet on socialisation which will be available for anyone to purchase eventually.   But Silvestre owners can verbally ask me for advice now and they will get free advice.  Another good reason to buy a Silvestre puppy is the after support you will get.  By a fully trained behaviourist.  What better reason to go have one. 

R x

What is Coi Efficiency? How does it affect our dogs?

Over the last few years the world appears in adverts coi efficiency.  So what is it exactly?  This is a term used for how a dog is bred, ie in bred or line bred or outcrossed.  You have people bragging in adverts that they have the lowest COI. But there is a catch!

The Hungarian vizsla has a small gene pool.  The more you look at the ancestors you begin to realise their is hardly any new blood lines to go too.  You also realise that all of our dogs today are related to 2 pairs brought into the UK, and then more but because the breed nearly died out in the First World War, their was not a big gene pool to go too to buy a new dog blood line. 

If you took any pedigree and went back 6 gens, 10 gens, 20 gens you're going to see your COI going up higher and higher. All because dogs go back to the same dogs. 

So where does that leave us?  Well it's a bit of a. pickle.  For a dog with a true 0 COI buy a cross breed dog.  A Poodle cross cocker spaniel.  A cockerpoo. But now with cross breeds they are getting inbred also. Because you could choose then going down the line brother and sister to mate together again. So the first cross is in fact the most outcrossed you will get.  But as breeders do not keep tracks of a pedigree, there lies the problem.  When buying several generations you could be mating so close together again. 

But back to Vizsla. Our litter at the moment is outcrossed, so with in 5 gens very little or none similar ancestors.  This is as good as it can possibly get, with a low COI. But just remember all pedigree dogs if you go back far enough will have same dogs.

So what about health problems? Well again here lies the problem. Those early dogs did carry genetic health issues.  Their is no such things as hundred percent healthy in any living animal. Humans are a witness to this.  There is now a movement wanting breeders to breed healthy dogs.  Well this we agree on, but it's going to be nearly impossible to cut out all bad health from dogs.   The followers of this movement aren't really dog lovers either, so they would love to see breeding done away with. 

But support your pedigree breeder because you know then certain behaviour traits, certain health problems that could occur, same size and colour.  A cross breed dog is an unknown on all of that.  Plus you can put together cross breeds which both carry the same genetic health problem. So it does not mean they are fit and healthy. Far from it. 

We actively try to breed with health testing paramount.  But we also breed by avoidance if there is no health test.  This means dont repeat a breeding if it produces something. Avoid it. Using a different sire, or a different dam, but don't repeat the mating.   Taking notes, and if it appears over and over, then something needs to be done. Which can mean stopping a blood line, stopping a sire or dam.  Stopping the repeat. Listening to vets advice.

So be smart and go to good breeders who health test.  As they are more mindful what they are doing. Go to breeders who will be mindful on the COI.   But also established well known breeders.  I was recently told that someone was waiting for a puppy from a friend of mine, but at the last minute dropped out and went to another breeder.  Because they are well known on advertising site.  But no one has heard of the breeder.  If no established breeder has heard of them it's probably for a good reason.  

We can give you a list of breeders who have puppies available across the country. 

Happy mother's day to all our mother dogs who have had puppies.   Willow and Ripley had a fantastic day which involved the sofa, walks, food and lots of fuss. What more could you wish for.! 
Willow's puppies are being weaned now, and already eating meat well.  Willow needs the break she said.  She has been so very good, and she has given them the best start possible.  Now for the increase in weaning food so we can give her a proper break.   She is eating very well but starting to loose a bit of weight so we are now upping her food again. It's so demanding for mother dogs.  But our girls get the best of everything and no expense is spared. 

I have moved Ripley and Frodos pages to Retired/Passed section now both are retired. 
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Ive just added two new files to the Silvestre owners access page. 
Please note that Dog collars and ID have been updated, and although I talk about dog collars and in in other files you should refer to the new file for updated info on collars. 

Also trainers!  Thank you to everyone in our group who has recommended their trainers so I could write on a file for you to find trainers in your area.  

If you are not in our  group on fb, and have an excellent trainer you wish to share with me, if you either whats app me the info on 07584279384 or email me on [email protected] or message me through social media.  Then I will add your new details to the files. 

I would love to have trainers for all areas of the UK if possible and we have many missing.  So please do feel free to send me your details. 

​I would also like a list of dog walkers to add to our pages also.  

Exciting news!  I am doing a behaviourist course which will take 2 months from now.  At the end I will be able to offer my services to anyone.  I plan on doing zoom calls, personal calls, or inviting some to my house and we can train in the field.  I feel very privileged to be learning with Rob Alleyne who has a fantastic reputation.  So watch this space as Im sure I will be able to help more people very soon. 
I will be a fully qualified Behaviourist June 2025. 
Rachel