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! 😘

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

And then there were TWO!

And then there were TWO! Baby Georgie is now “Calvin" (Moonlight's TBD) and living with Braden in Huntington Beach. Calvin is a playful little guy with a handsome and expressive head and fabulous catlike feet (my favorite)!  He has a willingness to please, loves to play fetch and then explore in the yard. We hope he’ll hit the show ring one day, in the meantime he's keeping his first time Vizsla owner occupied. Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye Calvin! We will miss you! 😘

And then there were THREE!

And then there were THREE! Baby Granger (Moonlight's TBD) lives with Bill & Amy and their girls *and* his 1/2-sister "Charlie" in San Diego. Always a huge compliment when a current owner of one of your dogs comes back for another one. It took no time at all for Granger and big sis Charlie to become best buds. And, of course Bill is thrilled to have another "guy" in the house. Granger will hit the show ring one day and hopefully some birds, in the meantime he's meshing into the household perfectly. Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye "Granger"! We will miss you! 😘

And then there were FOUR!

Are you my daddy?

And then there were FOUR! Baby Greer is now "Laurel" (Moonlight's Goodie Two Shoes) living with Rich & Jane in Monterey. Laurel is a social butterfly with a happy-go-lucky attitude and a thoughtful side, typical of Zene's daughters. We hope one day she’ll hit the show ring and try her paws at rally obedience, in the meantime she's loved by long time Vizsla owners and sharing her home with a 9 year old Vizsla named "Ruby". Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye Laurel! We will miss you! 😘

And then there were FIVE!

One last snuggle with mom!

And then there were FIVE! Baby Garth is now "Gunner" (Moonlight's Good to Go) living with Jim & Pam in Riverside. Gunner is a sweetheart with great eye contact and a love-able demeanor. We hope one day he’ll dabble in agility and obedience, in the meantime he's being adored by first time Vizsla parents who did all the research and are raw feeding him, he's one lucky pup! Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye Gunner! We will miss you! 😘

And then there were SIX!

One last wrestle with mom!

And then there were SIX! Baby Griffen is now “Max" (Moonlight's TBD) and lives with Nick in Venice Beach. Max is all boy and built like a meatball and shares his Granny’s signature (and best ever) ears. We hope he’ll hit the show ring one day, in the meantime he's keeping his new dad and first time Vizsla owner pretty darn busy. Can’t wait for the next Moonlight Meet-up! Bye Bye Max! We will miss you! 😘

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

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

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.