And then there was ONE!

And then there was ONE! Baby Gerdie (Moonlight's TBD) is living with Angela & Brian (not pictured) in Reno. Gerdie has an infectious personality, she loves everyone and everything and you can't help smiling being around her. She is totally adorable! We hope one day she’ll hit the show ring, in the meantime she'll enjoy being an adventure pup with her owners and four-legged buddy, a Vizsla named "Fozzie". Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye Gerdie! We will miss you! 😘

Why heart-worm prevention is unnecessary . . .

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/monthly-heartworm-prevention-why-its-unnecessary/

Available puppy!

Due to several time-wasters -- I am pleased to share that beautiful "Gerdie" (Coral Girl) is available for adoption to a home in Southern California!

Gerdie is started on potty training and crate training and has been extensively socialized, she also has her first shots.

Please fill out the contact form on my website, or send an appropriate intro email to karen@moonlightvizslas.com

The Goodies we're 8 weeks old!

The Goodies’ last group photo before they join their forever homes. Hard to believe they’re already eight weeks old. What a fun bunch of puppies, I’m going to miss each and every one — but they have some fabulous homes waiting...stay tuned!

Happy Holidays from The Goodies!

Purple Girl - Gigi

Dark Pink Girl - Greer

Green Boy - Garth

Blue Boy - Georgie

Orange Boy - Granger

Coral Girl - Gerdie

Grey Boy - Griffen

Thoughts on puppy raising . . .

The hardest part of raising a puppy is not to stifle them. Yet we must be there to protect them every step of the way. Finding that balance, between freedom and protection, is a difficult one to find. We want to tend to their every need, and cuddle away every whimper, and when we do, we stunt their emotional growth. We keep the fearful ones fearful, and the bold ones simply find us irritating.

Our puppies must learn to problem solve, and work out their own difficulties. Our job is to find the balance of when to help them, when to give them a kiss and a nurturing shove forward to work it out on their own, to know when to laugh at them for the dumb error that they just committed, when to force them to succeed and then reward them as though it was their own brilliant idea, and when to simply protect them and keep them safe.

When raising a puppy, I use what they offer to build their confidence. My past two weeks have been spent with two wonderful baby boys. Both are needing help dealing with big adult dogs at the park. Both pretend to act over confident and 'cool' when they really would rather climb inside my jacket and be carried! Growing up is scary, and my understanding and help, and hand-holding, has given them the courage to act like stellar lads.

My first little man had a fabulous temperament, and fabulous raising thus far, so he only needed teasing reminders such as "Grab your Ball" when passing a dog. By keeping his mind on the soother in his mouth, his manners were spectacular, and he had the confidence to move on past temptation.

My second little puppy could not have been more different. He had no social skills, and only confidence through his teeth, so pretended he was the biggest and toughest dog in the world. He needed to be carried past dogs and see them from the safety of arms. Then he needed to be on the ground, with hands guiding him, reminding him that is was me and him against the world. Now we are at the stage of going past the dog, and throwing a cookie in the direction that I want him to go (straight past). I am giving him a reason to leave the encounter. I'm not forcing him. It is his choice to leave (so he keeps all his power). I've just presented a darned good reason why he should leave. This little man has given me his heart and soul. He tries hard to please - but he has no idea how to behave. It is my job to show him how. Because of all that he has missed, he is never going to be the role model at the dog park. But he can learn manners, and how to be a well adjusted, confident adult, by being schooled on what is wanted, and by watching my well behaved adult dogs demo for him.

We are repeatedly told that dog training is science. I disagree. I think it is more like art. Each dog is a blank canvas, and it is up to us to create our perfect dog. We are given a topic, and then the creation is left in our own hands.

There certainly is a scientific component to it; If you do this - you will get that. But first you must envision your canvas so that you know what you want to create, and then you use your science to help you get it.

This is the reason that if you present one problem to ten dog-trainers, you will get ten answers. All might be right, but each trainer will create a very different canvas, depending upon what they saw.

Monique Anstee
Victoria, BC
www.naughtydogge.com

Dr. Jean Dodds Vaccination Protocol

Reminder . . .

2016 DODDS VACCINATION PROTOCOL FOR DOGS

The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one I recommend and should not be interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It’s a matter of professional judgment and choice.

9 - 10 weeks of age

• Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV
• e.g. Merck Nobivac (Intervet Progard) Puppy DPV

14 – 15 weeks of age

• Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV

18 weeks of age

• Parvovirus only, MLV

Note: New research states that last puppy parvovirus vaccine should be at 18 weeks old.

20 weeks or older, if allowable by law

• Rabies – give 3-4 weeks apart from other vaccines
• Mercury-free (thimerosol-free, TF)

1 year old

• Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV
• This is an optional booster or titer. If the client intends not to booster after this optional booster or intends to retest titers in another three years, this optional booster at puberty is wise.

1 year old

• Rabies – give 3-4 weeks apart from other vaccines
• 3-year product if allowable by law; mercury-free (TF)

Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request. Visit The Rabies Challenge Fund for more information.

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Hemopet / NutriScan
11561 Salinaz Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Source: http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/147595920886/dodds-vaccination-protocol-dogs-2016#.WCtW_KIrKu4

Got a thief on your hands? Reconsider your training methods . . .

How to stop your dog stealing – a summary (please read entire article, link below).

The best way to get your stolen things back, relatively unharmed (apart from some drool) is to swap the thing in your dog’s mouth for some really tasty food.

• Don’t chase dogs with stolen objects in their mouths as this encourages them to steal again.
• Punishment leads to evasive dogs and to dogs that swallow potentially harmful objects.
• You can’t prevent most normal dogs stealing food without a lot of training. Do the training or put your food away.
• Clearing up prevents other kinds of stealing too. Nine times out of ten, dogs steal people’s possessions because they have been given too much freedom in a paradise of other people’s clutter.Keeping a young dog out of family rooms that aren’t fairly tidy, and crating young dogs that steal, when you have to leave them alone in the house is often a temporary solution that enables you to break this annoying habit.

Dogs are opportunists, and it is important for your relationship with your dog that you stay friends and pick your battles carefully.

If you can remove some opportunities for your dog to steal using baby gates, life will be more pleasant for you both!

Source: https://thehappypuppysite.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-stealing/

The Damaging Effects of Spaying and Neutering on Dogs

Story at-a-glance . . .

• A new study of German Shepherd Dogs adds to a growing body of research on the damaging effects of spaying and neutering on dogs
• Earlier studies on other breeds, including Rottweilers, Golden Retrievers, and Vizslas, suggest that desexing can dramatically increase the risk for serious diseases and behavioral disorders in these dogs
• When dealing with 100 percent responsible pet owners, my preference is to leave dogs intact whenever possible to avoid unnecessary risks of anesthesia. When pets must undergo a sterilization procedure, I advocate an alternative procedure to a full spay or neuter that spares the gonads and ovaries, which produce hormones essential to good health
• Ovary sparing spays are equally as effective as traditional spays at preventing unwanted litters, but they are less invasive and eliminate the risk of endocrine damage
• Veterinary schools need to teach less damaging sterilization methods to students, as research shows our current surgical approach to controlling unwanted pregnancies can permanently affect dogs in negative ways. In addition, the surgical technique used by high volume spay clinics and shelters to sterilize very young dogs could easily be updated to a less damaging technique, while still accomplishing the goal of preventing unwanted litters

Read the entire link:  https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/07/27/neutering-spaying-effects.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookpets_ranart&utm_campaign=20170617_neutering-spaying-effects

Why Not Alpha? The great misconception regarding dog-human relationships . . .

The “alpha” or “top” dog is a concept that has been incorrectly applied to the human-dog relationship. The term “alpha” came from the idea that wolves have an alpha wolf or so-called “head honcho” that calls the shots for the rest of the pack. The true meaning was to be designated to a breeding pair of wolves, who maintained control over life-sustaining resources and reproductive rights in regards to a specific, related pack of wolves. This idea was then transposed to inter-dog relationships and, further, to human-dog relationships. Recent studies of packs of unrelated dogs show that they do not form stable linear hierarchies as was originally suspected. Free-roaming dogs do not hunt or rear young cooperatively, and therefore do not even fit the definition of a true pack. There is not this struggle to get to the top of the hierarchy, despite the popularity of this concept. A better explanation is that dogs are a social species and do, indeed, live in groups when given the opportunity. They will defend their familiar territory against intruders (unless, of course, there is room for an additional member for breeding purposes), and major fights between social group members are infrequent. Sources of contention between familiar dogs include valuable resources, such as mates, food, and key shelter or resting areas. It is evolutionarily normal for dogs to defend such resources, and some are more effective than others at protecting them. When resources are plentiful, the need for competition or fighting is low. When resources are scarce, and survival is at stake, aggression levels may rise. Intelligent dogs will learn what level of aggression is necessary to protect valuable resources without putting themselves at risk of injury. Dogs learn from experience when an aggressive act is effective and tend only to use it when resources are scarce. Some dogs have a genetic predisposition to resource-guard more than others. In a free-roaming environment, these dogs won’t last long, as they are likely to be injured more severely and waste precious energy on fighting. 

In a home environment, resources are typically abundant, and most dogs take no issue with owners removing food items or disturbing them when in a valued resting place. There are some dogs, though, who have a proclivity to overprotect such resources and may use aggression towards people as a means of maintaining possession of what they perceive to be valuable. Obviously, dogs who are malnourished or have a history of starvation are likely to defend the food available to them. If they learn that aggression is an effective means of holding on to such items, they are likely to use that behavior again, and the behavior tends to get worse with each incident. Some dogs may also perceive seemingly benign interactions with people — such as bending over, reaching for, petting, and staring — as threatening and, therefore, use aggression to defend themselves. This is likely due to a genetic predisposition for anxiety or a lack of appropriate early socialization to human body language. Remember that we are asking them to live in our world, and we have to teach them early on what to expect and what is safe.

There is inherent miscommunication between human and dog body language: humans tend to show friendliness with forward-facing, direct gestures, while dogs tend to approach each other from the side and avoid direct frontal body or eye contact. Most dogs learn at a young age to habituate to such direct, frontal body language from people, but others do not. Here lies the major issue. Dogs that feel threatened — for example, by someone taking their valued resources away or approaching them with what they feel are threatening gestures — are likely to defend themselves. We humans then assume this defense is some sort of insubordination or an attempt to be alpha. In reality, these dogs tend to be quite insecure and are often fearful in many situations. A DESIRE TO BE ALPHA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! 

If we can teach our canine companions when they are young to trust human body language and interactions as safe and predictable, the chances of their feeling threatened are minimized, and their motivation to be aggressive is greatly reduced. You can see, then, why forceful or even covert means of dominating dogs can lead to a worsening of behavior, an increase in aggression, or in some cases, complete emotional shutdown. Dogs are not trying to lead; they are not trying to dominate or be the alpha to their lower-ranking human companions. They don’t see people as other dogs, but rather social companions of a different species. We don’t secrete the same pheromones, we don’t mate with them, we don’t hunt with them, so why on earth would we assume they want to outrank us? If we are not consistent or predictable with our interactions and do not teach our dogs to trust that what we ask of them is in their best interest, they are not likely to comply with our requests. And in some cases, they may be prompted to use aggression, if they perceive we are a threat to their safety or the resources they view as essential to their survival.

Meghan E. Herron, DVM, DACVB, Clinical Associate Professor — Behavioral Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201712/why-not-alpha

MORE READING:  http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/letting-go-of-dominance/

The Puppy Cam is Up!

Enjoy watching the pups playing indoors! 

Leash walking starts with the basics . . .

Want to learn about dog shows?

Want to learn about dog shows? 

Check out the AKC's A Beginner's Guide to Dog Shows

8 Week Old "Sutton" from our 2016 Litter

New Puppy Photos!

Check the link at left or click on this to see new photos from Week 4 & up . . .

https://karenlake.smugmug.com/Moonlight-Vizslas/2017-Teak-x-Zene-Litter/The-Goodies-Teak-x-Zene-Weeks-4-6/

Is your dog "stubborn"?

Spayed/Neutered Dogs Have Higher Disease Rates

• A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis provides more evidence that spaying and neutering – and the age at which the procedure is performed – may increase a dog’s risk for joint disease and cancer.
• In the U.S., the definition of “responsible pet owner” is someone who spays or neuters his or her dog. In Europe, animal health experts do not promote spay/neuter, and a large percentage of dogs remain intact in many European countries.
• The UC Davis study looked at only one breed of dog (the Golden Retriever), both genders, and the affects of early, late and no spay/neuter on the development of two joint diseases and three types of cancer known to be prevalent in the breed.
• The study revealed that for all five diseases, the rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered or spayed (before or after one year of age) compared with intact dogs.
• Particularly surprising is that study results showed a 100 percent increase in the rate of hip dysplasia in male Goldens neutered before 12 months of age. Ten percent were diagnosed with the condition, which was double the rate of occurrence in intact males.

Source (good idea to read the entire link): https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/06/26/early-neutering-effects.aspx

Puppy Nipping -- this comes up with *every* puppy

Have you checked out Puppy Culture?

https://shoppuppyculture.com/pages/puppy-owners

Puppy Culture is a guiding hand for you and your puppy.

Our team of experts have bred, raised, and trained thousands of dogs, and we know from first hand experience what works best. We make that vast experience available to you, broken down into clear instructions, in short chapters that are easy and fun to watch. 

How you teach your puppy is as important as what you teach your puppy.

Studies have shown that many common training techniques can actually increase aggression and problem behaviors, which can damage the human-animal bond. The Puppy Culture program will show you how to train your dog while enriching your bond with him, every step of the way.  

Real life proof that it works.

Most puppy training videos appear to have been shot in one weekend, using a few easy-to-train puppies. How do you know those training techniques really work in the long run? Unlike other films, Puppy Culture tracks one litter over three years, so you can see the true results of our program. You’ll see the puppies overcome real and varied behavior challenges and ultimately grow to gentle, well-behaved adult dogs.

The truth about socialization.

During this sensitive time, the puppy is as vulnerable to imprinting negative experiences as he is to imprinting good experiences. This means you need a good plan for socializing your puppy.  Your Puppy Culture team gives you a plan and guides you through the process.

How to be your puppy's advocate.

It can be difficult to stand up to a person in a position of authority, such as a veterinarian or a dog trainer, but you need to learn what’s right and wrong for your puppy, and stand up against bad advice.  Puppy Culture’s veterinarians, behaviorists, and breeders give you the facts to know when you’re right, and the conviction to walk away from anything that might harm your puppy.

Male vs. Female?

Ain't that the truth?!

When dealing with a reputable breeder, its best to be open to a puppy of EITHER sex to get the best match in temperament to your family. People often have a personal preference to the sex of their pet, but Vizslas are not for generalizations. Characteristics such as loyalty, affection, and ease of training (I use that term loosely) are definitely NOT gender specific in this breed. While most people think female dogs are sweeter and calmer and make better companions, quite often in Vizslas it is a male who fits this description best. The male Vizsla is actually the sweeter of the two (and also more "needy"). This makes them easier to train using positive methods. If you get a Vizsla from a reputable breeder, the dog (male or female) should be sweet. However, if the girls are sugar, then the boys are molasses and they "stick" to you like molasses too.  

New and improved potty area!

Received recommendations to try fake grass 🌱 as the puppy party palace potty area (say that five times fast!). Spent most of the afternoon reworking the puppy pen and getting it setup. Pups thought it was a great play area at first, but eventually got the hang of it. Good puppies!