The Vizsla Newzsletter (Aug / Sept 1998)
A letter to a new (Vizsla) puppy owner

By Brenda on the Internet

Dear Beth,

As I have found in the last nine months (being owned by a Vizsla pup named Stanley) you must prepare your house accordingly.

A) Starting with the living room:
1) Be sure that your couch is large enough to hold both yourself, and a fully grown, stretched out on his back, legs every-which-way Vizsla.

2)Then you must be sure that your area rugs are securely attached to the floor boards (as they will undoubtedly be transported to the most unusual places!) Vizsla's Love to Re Decorate a home!

3) By the way, be sure that there is enough WINDOW SPACE available for him to practice "Vizsla hieroglyphics." Having a picture window, or sliding glass unit is especially helpful in fostering your pups "Creativity" with the nose prints. (Forget about Windex, it's a never ending battle!)

4) Next you place a large laundry basket in a convenient corner ...... fill it with lots of chew toys, Nyla Bones, and things you WANT YOUR DOG TO CHEW ON ........ Undoubtedly he will ignore the contents and raid your child's toy box, ridding it of those pesky stuffed animal collections, Barbie Collections, and any other "No No's" he can get his little razor sharp teeth into. (Be prepared to have a small but meaningful funeral for "Barbie" ..... poor Ken was slightly injured, but thankfully not in too bad shape after the terrifying incident with "Clifford the BIG RED DOG" (After seeing a therapist for a short while, he and Skipper seem to be getting on quite nicely in their slightly damaged but still serviceable Malibu Barbie Homestead.)

Next you move on to the Bedroom,
5) be sure that your bed is Large enough to hold You, Your Husband and of course a Fully Grown Vizsla, (as indicated in illustration #1). There is no use avoiding the fact that one way or another your puppy WILL find his way into both your hearts and your BED!~ and if he is really charming, on a cold night ...... under the nice warm covers "BETWEEN" you and your husband! (Be prepared for some grumbling from dear hubby, they tend to get grumpy when they find that their backside is chilled from hanging off the edge of the bed half the night)

Image: Chester is from the USA and he looks delightful hiding in the leaves!

6) Does your husband Snore? If so, GOOD, then you won't mind the snoring from your Vizsla either.

7) When your puppy is younger, you might want to hang a pair of slippers high on the wall, closest to your side of the bed, along with your robe ....... hanging the slippers on the highest hook will insure that you can find them when you wake from a deep sleep to let your sweet little whining puppy out in the middle of the night to go potty! (By the way, be prepared to chase it around the yard a few times .... they can run quickly in the dead of night ... especially when they want to play .... Watch out you don't yell too loud, waking the neighbours at 3:00 am is not good.)

8) While we are discussing the back yard ......... be sure to take a picture of it before your sweet little pup comes home. Your yard as you know it will NEVER be the same, Start preparing by purchasing a large shed or storage container to store those necessary lawn items out of "HARMS" way ....... Hoses, sprinkler heads, and other lawn care items are particularly tasty on a warm summer's day .......... as well as the succulent BIKE SEAT, and Plastic Swing Seats!

Your dog will love it (As Stanley Did) when the neighbour kids accidentally toss a large rubber bouncy ball into the yard ......... of course you and the mom next door will not be too happy when the kids come crying ....... "MOMMMMMMMMYY YY!!!!! THE DOG ATE MY BALL!!" (and then there's the story of the HUGE rubber ball ...... 13 years old, and still hanging on through 13 years of day care kid use .......... in one instant, popped and ripped to shreds, BUT OHHHHH!!! Stanley did have one of those proud looks on his face as he triumphantly dragged it about the back yard! If I were thinking clearly, I should have taken a picture!) That's My Boy!

9) Another MUST HAVE ITEM is the handy dandy rake ...... very useful for cleaning up the winter like scene caused by those lovely white balls of Stuffing from the Stuffed Kitty swiped from the toy box and strewn through out the yard ... making it look like Christmas .......... the item could be anything stuffed ...... but, Stanley prefers the taste of Stuffed Cats! A shovel is another must have, you will need it to fill in the holes your pup will dig.

Speaking of Cats,
If your V is like mine, he not only will enjoy the cats, but will delight in chasing them through out the house at blinding speed ....... when he corners them, he will not harm them, but only delight in making them hiss, and growl .... the cats do become quite adept at finding a safe haven from the "Devil Dog" (By the way, this kitty behaviour changes when the cat comes into heat, and actually confuses the dog by letting him catch her! Your pup might be taken aback by the fact that the cat no longer runs from him ..... thus spoiling that game of CHASE ....... you might even see him batting her with his paws playfully encouraging her to play the game right! (Whining sometimes accompanies this behaviour .... "What's wrong with you! I want to play now, RUN YOU FOOLISH FELINE!!" )

Image: Bayern (Barat Brandy Butter)

Well, I can see that you are growing a bit pale, and glassy eyed ...... I will end this lesson now before you are totally overwhelmed ..... One last thing though, You will love this pup with all your heart! He not only will bring much frustration and sometimes confusion, but he will also provide endless hours of LOVE and Laughter and great joy to your household. Take lots of pictures while he is smaller .... they grow so fast. Stanley is now 9 months old and looking quite Manly! ........ He is an exasperation, and a joy all rolled into one beautiful Golden Rust bundle of energy!