Did You Read This?

"🚨 FOR SALE. FREE TO A GOOD HOME. POSSIBLY WILLING TO PAY YOU. 🚨 

Anyone interested in an 8 month old, allegedly Hungarian Vizsla? Breed identification currently pending.

Colour: Predominantly red, although approximately 45% is now a rather fetching shade of dark brown. Not entirely sure whether this is mud, fox poo or something that was once alive. 

Fragrance: Eau de Fox Arse. Quite pungent. Lingers beautifully. 🤢 

Hearing: Selective. Possibly profoundly deaf. Can hear a crisp packet being opened three counties away but apparently cannot hear me shouting his name from six feet. 

Recall: More of a suggestion than an actual trained behaviour. Occasionally acknowledges my existence before continuing with whatever criminal activity he’s involved in. Intelligence: Currently sharing one brain cell with the rest of the Vizsla population. Unfortunately, it’s not his week to have it. 

Personality: Somewhere between a feral woodland creature, a caffeinated toddler and a Victorian street urchin with absolutely no moral compass. 

General behaviour: Feral. Completely and utterly feral. If chaos wore a fur coat, this would be it. I have spent over 30 years training dogs. I have qualifications, degrees, accreditations and a fairly respectable understanding of canine behaviour. And yet here I am, standing in a field, covered in mud, negotiating with what appears to be a ginger wheelie bin full of bad decisions. I am questioning my career, my life choices and whether I should have taken up something considerably less stressful. Like crocodile wrestling. 

THANK GOD FOR SCENT DETECTION. Because apparently, when there’s something to sniff out, the little git transforms into a focused, intelligent, highly motivated working dog. The brain cell clocks in. The lights come on. Someone is actually home. The minute we finish? Brain cell clocks out. Gone fishing. Back to being a complete and utter swamp donkey. I love him dearly. Obviously. But if anyone sees me wandering around Northamptonshire muttering to myself, please don’t be alarmed. I’m just a professional dog trainer being professionally humbled by an eight month old ginger idiot. Peanut. You absolute weapon. ❤️🐾 No puppies will actually be rehomed. Although offers of wine, sympathy and industrial-strength dog shampoo will be gratefully received."

The post amused me so much that I had to share it, and it reminded me so much of a young Ross. No male pup has ever pushed me so much, I have never come so close to giving up on any male pup as I did with Ross. I remember crying and telling Steve that I wasn't well enough to deal with this puppy, if there had been a through bus service to Suffolk, he could have been on it many a time. 

I've been blessed to have a lot of other male puppies, Blade, Dexi, Louis, Mikey, Loki, Orin and now Zavi, and of course others that have joined us on route, Simba, Jay, Kai, Finlay, Nico and Zeus ... and I have to say that generally these boys have been a damn site easier than the girls. Yes, Jay was a headcase, but a lovely one, Kai was an awesome but loud presence, and Zeus, well we do Ok, better than I ever thought we would really. In all honesty, as a puppy, only Ross has ever made me doubt my abilities; only Ross has ever made me feel inadequate. How could such a prat of a puppy grow into such a super adult? It just goes to prove that we should never give up on them, doesn't it?

Then there's the girls, as a puppy, Seffe didn't listen to jack shit, Kizzie was lovely but bloody crazy, Kiri fought with everyone into adulthood, as did Jezi and Tali? OMG don't get me started on Tali! Sammi was not an easy puppy, hence "Naughty Angel," and Beti was and still is an explosion of excitement and love. Asha must have been the easiest female ever, and Ziva and Kaiah had the best recalls. 

Yeah, boys are easier than girls, but of course there are exceptions. Zavi is as easy as his father was – here's hoping with Beti as his mentor that he continues to walk the path to stardom! 

Soggy Pups

Beti and Zavi

We had such a beautiful day, it's hard to believe that we are going to get a bashing from Storm Austen tomorrow. 

We did 2 walks in Carmel today, on the path between the garage and Wendy's house. One of the Welshies was out in Wendy's garden; bless her, it must have been one of the oldies, as she was out in her tartan coat. She barked nonstop at the gate, Zavi followed Beti happily without saying a word! Nice one young man! 

Beti and Zavi both had a great time in the stream, they are both water babies, unlike my lovelies, who were quickly bored and wanting to move on when it was their turn.

Orin and Siska

My plan for walks 3 and 4 were soon cancelled as the cattle were on the track that I'd thought of walking. Never mind, there's plenty of choice and we went onto the mountain instead. Louise (now I know her name) was there with the blue roan horse, (LOL) and the lads were about on the dirt bikes. Respect from everyone, and there's plenty of room to play on the mountain!

Sunshine Before The Storm.

Beri Day 1

Beti has come in season today, it's been brewing the last couple of weeks, but last night Zavi just kept mounting her. I checked her, nothing, but this morning ... well here we go! 

Zavi is very randy for one so young. It's hard to know what to do; obviously he can't be left to his own devices, but I don't want to put him off either. You never know; he may one day need to take over from his father as Blanik's stud dog!

When I let Sammi and Zeus out last night, Zeus froze on the doorstep and Sammi ran out barking. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn't expecting this ...

Another section of fencing crushed - sometimes I really feel like giving up!

Where We Were.

The last photo in this block, Orin and Siska, gives the game away to anyone who's walked these places with me. I was walking from Fron towards the cemetery at the top of Rhosgadfan. There are just so many different circuits, and there is never anyone around other than the lady with the horse that's the same colour as Isla. The last time I saw her, I asked her what the colour was called? It's blue roan ... I didn't dare say, "Oh like a Cocker Spaniel!"

Today was not a quiet walk in one of my favourite places! There was a car parked by the field of the old horse, but no one was in sight, not even the old horse. I had a lovely walk through the gorse path with Sammi and Zeus. Sammi was off the lead for the entire walk, as is her right, she says! I popped them back in the van and just as I got Beti and Meerah out the old man and his collie in a coat came behind me. I let him pass and went off up the track with the girls. In the distance I could see someone coming towards me, oh the old horse! Meerah has previously been very nervous of horses, but there was nowhere to go other than onto the grass verge. I put Beti on the outside and Meerah between her and me. Eventually the man and his horse got to us. He said "I'm sorry she's so slow; she's very old and some days she can't get up so once I've got her going I take her for a little walk." He then went on to talk about the girls, the girls, OMG Meerah well done. She just stood there; a year ago she would have been terrified even climbing up my back with fear. Super Meerah! 

We did one of the longer walks, and as we headed back to the van the old horse was just going into the field and the old man with his dressed collie was just coming back through the shorter gorse path walk. 

Two walks, more going on. Well done, girls!

It was back onto the gorse path with Ross and Zavi. Ross was woryingly stiff yesterday but seemed Ok today, give or take. We passed the old horse and the mastiff that worried Zavi on the previous walk here was barking nonstop. This time Zavi took no notice! There was a lot of noise coming from the track up to the quarry, and I saw a JCB was working on it. Both the boys were off the lead, both obedient and happy, but as I got closer to the track I put both on their leads. The scraping and banging noises were quite a lot really, with no negative reactions from Zavi. The driver stopped for us to get past but started working again quite soon. Zavi looked back once, maybe twice, but the only one overthinking was me! LOL

So off down the track and onto the left circuit with my lovelies for the logest walk. We saw a man with a small whippet, we saw a car with its front door open and no one about, and we saw a man with a collie on a quad bike, twice! The first time the collie was running in front of the bike, but we were in an open space so there was plenty of room, the second time we moved onto the bank (as seen in the photo) for him to pass, the collie was riding on the back. We saw a man pushing a pram, and as we set off down one track we had to cut off cross-country to get away from the cattle! 

Despite it being busy and my preference is not to see anyone, it was a lovely 2 - 3 hours and I feel totally blessed to have the right to roam in such lovely places!

Where Have We Been Walking Today?

Zavi With Kasey

Zavi had a lovely time in the field with Ian's Kasey. Kasey is such a darling and couldn't have been any better with a young man who was initially a tad unsure of himself. 

He's looking quite nice, even if I say so myself! Lovely coat, colour and bone. Here's hoping everhing else goes as it should do now!

If you think he's looking big - well he's stood on the wall, Sammi isn't! 

He'll be having the last of the puppy food tonight. It's been mixed in with Titanium for over a week, but tonight it'll be finishing. Baby boy is growing like a weed! 

Beautiful Out There

Sammi and Zeus

Poor Sammi hates walking on the lead, so we did find some sneaky places to let her off .. shhhh. 

Beti and Zavi.

"Rhian ..."  called Mr Farmer, I wondered, "Oh no, what now?" I turned round, and he said the dogs look amazing. Have the shows finished for the year?"Thirty mins later we were still standing there talking, I just couldn't get away. We discussed vets, winter weather, the new law, right to roam, sheep giving birth and twat sheep. (No she's not his sheep, his are in fields!) Beti and Zavi were getting pissed off, and after tying me up in knots, they started wrestling; eventually, they gave up and lay down. You know it wasn't a bad thing, sometimes people do talk, and dogs just have to wait!

Orin and Siska both seemed a little flat today. I've no idea why, as they went on the new circuit that we discovered with Beti and Meerah yesterday. We saw an older gentleman with an older Boxer. He stood behind a gate to let me pass; he assured me she wouldn't do anything. Ten out of ten for these two for not responding when she kicked off! 

Do you think sables are louder than black and tan's? LOL. Ross and Meerah were pretty loud as we set off from Capel Y Bryn today. I was very surprised that Ross stayed out of all of the streams. 

By the time I got home it was late, and Steve said I was pushing my luck to get to Specsavers in time, but I did. I now have 3 new pairs of glasses to get my head around again!  

A Perfect Day For Walking

Someone older who was not on the lead let herself down today and rolled in fox poo! She had to have a clean up with cold water on the side of the road before going back in the van!

Girls just want to have fun!

Boys on the mountain. A bit of monkey see monkey do in the ditches, but the cheeky little monkey then decided he would growl at Uncle Ross when he tried to go back in the ditch! Try that one with Beti young man! 

A lovely walk with my lovelies on the outskirts of Tremadog. Though poor Siska got a big thorn in her paw! I have soaked her foot in Hibiscrub after arriving home, it didn't go down well but needs must!

Growing And Healing.

A week on from the surgery, and Miss Meerah is doing just great. If everything is ok, I'll take the stitches out myself on Sunday. If I'm not happy with the scar, I'll pop to the vet with her on Monday. 

Zavi is looking great, a proper little lump, substantial with great colour and coat. There's so much of his father in him, just the head shape and eye colour are very different. He's generally very easy and very affectionate. I find life with a male puppy so much easier than with a female and Zavi is no exception. Generally in my experience, bitches really are harder work. 

Zavi is heading for that 5-month mark now, I was always told that by 4 months they are approximately half their ideal adult weight and that by 6 months males have approximely 5 cms to grow, but I found this recently, and to be honest, I think this for males and females is on the money!

Males (Typically 5 cm to 8 cm after 6 months): 

"At 6 months, a male GSD has usually reached roughly 85% to 90% of his adult shoulder height. While gaining another 5 cm is a common average, many males—especially those maturing later or carrying strong bone—will add anywhere between 5 cm and 8 cm in vertical height before their growth plates in the long bones close between 10 and 14 months. After height growth slows (around 9–10 months), they continue to "fill out," gaining depth of chest, spring of rib, and overall muscle mass until around 2 to 2.5 years old. 

Females (Typically 2.5 cm to 5 cm after 6 months): Females mature faster skeletally than males and often reach 90% to 95% of their adult height by 6 months. The 2.5 cm estimate is accurate for early-maturing bitches, though gaining closer to 3 cm to 5 cm is also very common before vertical growth halts entirely, usually around their first heat cycle or 8 to 10 months."

Is this Orin or Zavi? Currently the head gives the game away!