Web Site Excerpts from the Quarterly Newsletter

November 1999 - Issue 16

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Fun Day Photo Contest Winners
Thanks from Becky Smith
The Prez Sez by Joy Sonsalla
Members on the Move - Purina's 30th Anniversary by Becky Smith
1999 Fun Day Report by Penny Honetor
Member Interview:  Dr. Frank Hollar & NAVHDA by Penny Honetor
1999 Fall Events Day Report by Penny Honetor
Breed Rescue Update by Becky Smith
Fishy Story by Frank & Martha Lacko
Milwaukee Pet Fair by Mary McGrath
Helpful Doggy Hints by Pam Chatterton
FVAs - Funny Vizsla Antics
Parilamentary Cornerstone by Ginger Tierney
Member Spotlight:  Kim Barker
Ottawa Updates

Thanks from Becky Smith

Dear CWVC Board and Club Members, I'd like to sincerely thank you for honoring me with the "Friend of the CWVC" Award given to me at the September meeting. I was very surprised and completely overwhelmed! I'm sure those who know me were surprised when I didn't make a speech as I am seldom "speechless". The music box and card will be proudly displayed in my curio cabinet and the shirt will be proudly worn. Thank you! Becky Smith

The Prez Sez

by Joy Sonsalla Many people who are not "into dogs" cannot understand why we spend so much time with our dogs. Why we love them the way we do and why we pamper them the way we do. They just don't understand. That same thing goes for those people who love their dogs but don't participate in performance events. Those of us who spend hundreds of hours training our dogs and many thousands of dollars in training, equipment, traveling and entrance fees will say we do it out of our love for our dogs. We do it for the bond we get spending countless hours with our dogs: training, competing and traveling. We do it for the sense of accomplishment of training complex tasks and seeing our four-legged training partners understand and perform to our commands. We do it for the love of the "sport" whether that be conformation, agility, hunting, tracking or obedience. We do it for the thrill of competition, even if in some cases it's a matter of competing against a standard. We do it for the camaraderie of our fellow competitors, because they DO understand. We do it for the enjoyment of traveling to areas we would not necessarily visit (I've been to Il, Md, Fl, Oh, Ne, Ca, Mi, Mn, In, Ky and England because of my dogs!!!) There are many reasons to participate in performance events with our V's. We don't all aspire to be triple champions. We have our limits. We are competing for the love of the sport and the love of our dogs. Our dogs compete because they want to please us and in many cases, we are helping them refine what comes naturally. There is nothing quite so beautiful as a Vizsla on point on a bright fall afternoon, except maybe a Vizsla in a self-stack in the show ring in the same autumn sun or a Vizsla commanding the agility course or a line of Vizslas on a sit-stay in the obedience ring or a Vizsla intently on track. As with any hobby, you do it because you find a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment. We cannot all be World Cup Champions or Heisman Trophy winners but we can all feel a sense of accomplishment and pride as we move along the skill levels and reach new heights with our Vizsla partners.  I seriously hope that we have been able to provide all of our members with a chance to understand some of the basics of some of the performance events as demonstrated at the fun day and fall events day. Maybe one or two of you will consider joining us in some of the AKC/UKC/NAVHDA events that are sponsored around the area. We are hoping to have a listing of members available to identify what areas of expertise our CWVC members have. For those who might like someone to help mentor you along, you just have to look to your CWVC neighbor for advice. Our membership is growing in number, diversity and skills. If you have a skill you'd like to share, please let us know so we can spotlight you in an article or as a guest speaker. Or if you'd care to be a bit more reserved, just come to a CWVC meeting or CWVC event and strike up a conversation with the person next to you! Ask them what they like to do with their V and why and tell them what you like to do with yours!  Here’s to a bountiful hunting season and wonderful holiday season, the last for this millennium.

Members on the Move: Ralston Purina's 30th Anniversary Celebration

by Becky Smith Mark and I were thrilled to be invited to take the Vizslas to Clinton, IA, to do a demonstration of field, obedience, and agility at that Ralston Purina plant’s 30th anniversary celebration. When the Purina Pro Teams were not available, a friend of ours that works there thought of us, and the invitation was extended. Probably the fact that we have fed Purina Pro Plan for years and are members of their "Pro Club" didn’t hurt. First we were thrilled. Then we were nervous! We learned there were to be 600-800 people on hand. The event included our demo, a picnic, plant tours, veterinarians from Purina Farms, a fire truck and semi-truck for the kids to crawl around on, many free samples of Purina food and treats for cats and dogs, and chances to win some great prizes. The celebration was held on September 24, and two demos were scheduled, each 1 to 1 ½ hours long. We arrived about 11am to get the agility equipment set up, the layout figured out for the field work, and get any other preliminaries taken care of. The hospitality of the Purina folks was wonderful! I had sent pictures of the dogs for some advanced publicity and we were greeted with beautiful poster-size blow-ups of our dogs. A display inside the plant entrance included more of the pictures and publicity. (Talk about pressure!) "With each agility run, Jennie got to be more of a ham." The demos went well. Even though we were nervous, the dogs didn’t seem to be. Seger demonstrated beginning obedience and Rosie demonstrated a couple of advanced exercises. Jennie ran an agility course (multiple times as people kept asking if I would mind running it again), and all the dogs got to demonstrate fieldwork. With each agility run, Jennie got to be more of a ham. As the people applauded afterward, she had to go into her whole body wagging, greet the people, "aren’t I cute and smart" mode. Of course, everybody loved that too. We borrowed a 5 ½ month old puppy to show how to introduce a puppy to birds, and then showed the various levels of field training with Pearl, Jennie, Seger and Rosie. And, of course, there was plenty of petting and hugging for the Vizslas in between shows. It was a long day for the Vizslas and us, but a lot of fun too. And the folks at Purina must have been happy because they asked us if we would be willing to demonstrate at future events.

1999 Fun Day Report

by Penny Honetor Date: August 8, 1999. Location: Mark & Becky Smith’s Farm, Fall River, WI (don’t blink). Tell me more! Nice weather, nice people, nice dogs. Long-time members. Lotsa new and prospective members. Great food, fun games. A few announcements. A Tracking Demo. Enough already, who won the games? Here goes… Photo Contest. Fun Day attendees voted for their 3 favorites from photos entered in each of four categories: Goofy (12 entries), Outdoors (15), Puppy (13), Miscellaneous (13). Winners received a Vizsla figurine by Cecile Baird. By coincidence, two members each won two categories: Ginger Tierney: Puppy & Miscellaneous; Mark & Pam Spurgeon: Outdoors & Goofy. Stupidest Vizsla Trick. Seven entrants dared to enter a contest with this name. Tricks included "Roll Over"; "Kill the Octopus"; "Girls Day Out"; "Lazer Lights"; "Kiss on Command"; "Biiiiiig Beggar"; "Lazy Dog Walking". The winner of the Cecile Vizsla figurine was Jan Ellwitz & Bailey with "Laser Lights". Relay Race. Not your run-of-the-mill relay race, mind you. This one had Vizslas being unceremoniously clothed in a T-shirt, sent off running about 150 feet to the other half of the team to be stripped of the shirt which was then put on the next unsuspecting Vizsla. Team 3 (Neela, Virgil, Madison, & Molly) each won spiffy collars with a winning time of 1:46. Weiner Walk. If you could get your dog to quickly eat hot dog slices placed on anchored paper plates WITHOUT touching the plates or your Vizslas, you’d have a good chance at this one. Mary Kenney had the fastest gobbler, Gus, at 11.5 seconds. Longest Point. The Vizsla that points the planted bird from the distance farthest away without assistance from the owner wins. This year’s Vizsla with the most sensitive schnoz was Kansas at 97 feet, winning a whistle and lanyard for owners Jim & Lyn Frank. Fastest Vizsla in Wisconsin. The competition was fierce in striving to attain the most coveted of all honors: The Fastest Vizsla in Wisconsin. The 1997 winner was a female, Genie (George & Barbara Sheppard); 1998’s winner was a male, Seger (Mark & Becky Smith). This year’s winner was (may I have the envelope please)… a female, Babe, owned by Jim & Lyn Frank, with a winning time of 6.59 seconds. Go Girls!!! There was a tie for second place with times of 6.78 seconds: Seger (Mark & Becky Smith) and Zoe (Penny Honetor & Rob Glazier).

Member Interview: Frank Hollar & NAVHDA

by Penny Honetor The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) is a nonprofit international organization comprised of local chapters. NAVHDA offers both Natural Ability Tests for dogs under 1-1/2 years and Utility Tests for trained hunting dogs. Breeds which exhibit a truly versatile style of hunting, pointing and retrieving on land and in water are represented, the majority of which are German Shorthair and Wirehair Pointers. About 4 years ago Frank joined the Minnesota Chapter, which has about 50 members. See the web site www.NAVHDA.org for more details regarding the organization, breeds, testing, and test results. Frank’s male Vizsla, CH Shawnric’s Aaron Pride N Joy MH , "Aaron", bred by Joy Sonsalla (Roxy x Elvis), earned a NAVHDA Utility Test Prize I at the Minnesota Chapter NAVHDA Test on August 22, 1999. For those of you who, like me, are not familiar with NAVHDA and may not realize the significance of this accomplishment, read on… Why did you become involved in NAVHDA? Frank: I wanted to determine if I had a truly versatile dog. So I entered Aaron in the Natural Ability (NA) Test as a puppy. There is no better test to determine a dog’s natural ability. He passed with a Prize I (112 points), a perfect score. Abilities tested are reaction to shot, pointing ability, desire, range, use of nose, tracking and water retrieving. I had only done 1-2 tracks with him and no water work prior to the test. We knew as a puppy he had the potential to become an exceptional dog because he learned so quickly and had such intensity in everything he tried. We started out in Field Trials as a puppy, then got involved in Hunting Tests. Then we decided to get involved in the NAVHDA Utility Tests when Aaron was about 4 years old. Many successful NAVHDA dogs start Utility prep work as puppies, so we got started later than usual. Who holds the tests, and how often are they given? Frank: The Minnesota Chapter holds 4 tests in the spring, 3 in the fall. Other chapters also hold tests. Would you describe the tests? Frank: There are 5 parts. Part 1 is the duck search. A wing-clipped duck is thrown into the pond and allowed to swim away. Then the handler heels the dog to the water’s edge and is placed on a stay. The handler fires one blank shot and then sends the dog for the retrieve. The dog must make a complete search of the pond regardless of cover and search for the duck. He must retrieve to hand. No other commands or hand signals are allowed. If the dog finds the bird too fast, he is sent again until time is called. Part 2 tests obedience and water work. First the dog and handler (while carrying a gun) must complete a loose leash heel through a staked path leading to the water and blind. The dog is places on a stay next to the blind. The handler moves out of sight and fires 2 shotgun blanks, and the dog must remain steady. After the handler returns to the blind, and out-of-sight gunner fires a blank to distract the dog, followed by the handler and gunner shooting one more shot each. A dead duck is launched from the opposite side of the pond and the handler fires the last shot while the duck is in the air. The dog must mark the bird, then is released by the handler for the retrieve. The dog’s path is surrounded by decoys as a distraction. The dog must retrieve to hand without any additional commands. Part 3 is a health and conformation exam, where the judges go over each dog to check teeth, coat, ears, eyes, nose, scars, testicles, etc. All dogs must be OFA-certified. Part 4, the tracking test, is set up by dragging a duck or pheasant on a cord for 100 yards, then it is thrown into cover. A successful performance is the dog making a straight track to the bird, then retrieving to hand.  Part 5 is the hunting test. The dog is sent directly into the bird field for at least 30 minutes where a minimum of 2 quail and 2 pheasant are planted. The dog must find at least one of each species and be steady to wing and shot, then retrieve to hand. How are the dogs judged? Frank: Dogs are tested against a standard, not other dogs. About 12 dogs can be tested in a day as they are tested individually. 3-4 judges (and sometimes an apprentice judge) closely follow the dog/handler team the entire test on foot. In all phases of the test the dog is evaluated as to stamina, obedience, cooperation, desire, use of nose, hunting pattern, staunchness of point, steadiness to wing and shot, retrieval of bird quickly and to hand. The handler is allowed to give one command and from that time on, the dog is on his own. Points are deducted for more commands. It is very easy to drop from a Prize I to Prize III in one phase of the test. There is an old NAVHDA saying, "A Prize III dog is a very good dog on a good day, a Prize II dog is an excellent dog on a good day, and a Prize I dog is an exceptional dog on an excellent day". How did Aaron do? Frank: He received a 201 of 204. The points that were deducted were handler deductions, not anything that Aaron did. Previous to this Utility Test, Aaron had been in 5 Utility tests, having only failed once, then received two Prize III’s and two Prize II’s before earning the Prize I, showing consistent improvement. What is the significance of a Prize I? Frank: Earning a Prize I allows us to enter the Invitational. What is the Invitational? Frank: The Invitational is a 7-day long National Event held every other year. Only 65 dogs can be entered. Each dog/handler team completes the entire Invitational Test in one day. It was going to be held in Canada in Fall 2000, but has been changed to Minnesota which will be closer for us.  Is the Invitational Test the same as the Utility Test? Frank: The Invitational Tests in general are longer and more difficult. For example, the heeling course is longer, 100 yards off-lead. The hunting field work lasts one hour, bracemates are added to the hunting and water tests to additionally evaluate honoring. Blind work is also more challenging and includes a blind retrieve. The entire test is Pass/Fail, and if you pass, you receive the designation "Versatile Champion". The last Vizsla to attain this was in 1988. To what do you owe your success in NAVHDA? Frank: Several things. First, Aaron is an exceptional Vizsla. Second, he has the ability to shift gears from one part of a test to another. Whether it’s a field trial, hunt test, NAVHDA or NSTRA. He has always been handler- and owner-trained. I have another friend that does most of my gunning and bird planting. We usually train 2-3 times per week prior to the various events and vary the different parts of the tests. As the test gets closer, we do all the tests in 1 day. The challenge is to keep it fun and rewarding.  These are also our family pets, not kennel dogs, and my wife Jan has been very supportive. She takes care of them during the day, comes to the Hunt Tests to help out when I’m running 2-3 dogs, and sends food along to the day-long NAVHDA Tests. What are Aaron’s other accomplishments? Frank: He is an AKC Champion, has his AKC Junior, Senior, and Master Hunter. He also needs a first place Dual Champion Amateur Field Champion. Has 2 of 3 legs towards his Canadian Kennel Club Master Hunt title (FDX – Field Dog Excellent), which also requires water retrieve. What are your future plans for Aaron? Frank: I plan on working on an AKC Companion Dog (CD) title this fall, with Zory too. And of course we’ll be training for the Invitational tests. If Aaron does well at the Invitational next year, I may enter him in the International Hunting Competition in Hungary. Congratulations, and Best of Luck at the Invitational!

1999 Fall Events Day So Much To Do, So Little Time!

by Penny Honetor Click here to view photos. Get outta town! That’s what almost 50 people did on a hot September 5, 1999, when they road-tripped it to Ottawa Field Trial Grounds in Eagle, WI to attend the First Annual Fall Events Day. Morning events included hunting and the Board Meeting. The General Membership Meeting was held over lunch. Afternoon activities included a Tracking demo, CGC Testing, more hunting, and an agility demo and dabbling. A rustic "Photo-Spot" was set up to raise money for Breed Rescue. We ran out of time for Obedience run-thrus! Photos are posted on the CWVC Web Site. Following are facts, reports and impressions of the day… Fun Facts: At least 3 non-CWVC members joined us (one soon-to-be-member was a brand new father of a 2-week-old baby - his wife said he could join us...so he came...all day!!!). Some other breeds attending: Shi Tzu, Great Dane, GSP, English Springer Spaniel. Number of birds used: almost 60 (a lucky few got away). Number of soda pops drunk: 136. From Joy Sonsalla, Events Day Coordinator: Labor Day weekends are traditionally a time for picnics with friends and families. This Labor Day was no different, in theory. CWVC members, their friends and families AND their dogs came together for a picnic at the Ottawa field trial grounds. Instead of playing a game of baseball, we played on the agility equipment Penny Honetor and Sue Prim brought onto the site, which was no small feat if you saw the size of some of the equipment and Penny’s bruises. Sue, Penny, and Becky's experienced dogs showed how the equipment was to be used and the inexperienced dogs got to give it a try and see how much fun agility is. Instead of croquette, members walked the trail Julie Sjullie set and watched her tracking-titled Vizsla, Blue, work. After Julie explained tracking (with handouts!), members witnessed first hand what kind of noses Vizslas have. Instead of water balloon fights, we had Vizslas dunking in watering tanks cooling down before and after a run in the field, hunting the hearty chukkar. Dave Thomas and Nancy Schmitt were available to help lend direction to dogs and members new to the sport of training hunting dogs, giving hands on direction to help train young V's. Instead of a horseshoe tournament, members had the opportunity to test their V's social graces in the AKC standardized Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, coordinated by Kim Barker. We witnessed the proof that many CWVC members are in the company of outstandingly good canine citizens! To make a day like this a success, it took people stepping forward to offer to help. In addition to those named above, I would also like to thank Jim Melicharek for his help in the bird fields and his wife Joanie for puppy sitting and making new puppy owners feel welcome; Rock and Mary Kenny and Mark and Pam Spurgeon for their help in the bird fields, registering folks and keeping things moving along; and my husband Bill for taking charge of the bird work efforts, tirelessly coordinating and making sure things and people were where they needed to be (Editor’s note: Bill cooked me a darn good brat, too!) Thanks also to Janet Silverman for helping Nancy with the young dogs in the bird field and for offering to be the club photographer for the afternoon. Although there was a lot to do, there was time to spend just sitting around talking and enjoying the day. The day, although was not your ordinary Labor Day picnic, had all the elements of a fantastic Labor Day picnic: a beautiful sunny day, good friends (new and old), good food, and good fun. A leisurely (hah...never for the workers!!!!) kind of finish to the "dog days of summer." From Kim Barker, CGC Coordinator: Out of 10 dogs taking the test, 9 PASSED! The 10th dog only missed one test! The dogs which passed are listed below.  It was a special honor to see "Clarence", owned by Rock & Mary Kenney, pass his CGC Test. Clarence is a rescue dog which Rock and Mary got from Florida. Clarence lost one of his front legs from not being treated for a car accident as a young dog. Even more amazing was to see 4 Vizsla's point the same bird in the field! Clarence was one of them! Congratulations to all those who took the CGC Test! Thanks to Joy Sonsalla and Sue Prim for being CGC Testers. New AKC CGC Titles: Owned by Jim & Lyn Frank: "Kansas", Bajnok's Dust in the Wind Owned by Mark & Becky Smith: "Rosie", CH Mark's Rooster Roustin Rosie CD NA MH CGC "Jennie", CH Remark's Oakleaf Genesis JH NA "Seger", CH Bouman's Against The Wind MH Owned by Michael & Sharon Shea: "Mavrick", CH Elvers Creek Levi's Mavrick JH Owned by Jan Ellwitz: "Bailey" & "Jasmine" (Great Dane) Owned by Rock & Mary Kenney: "Gus", Priden Joy Rock's Dream; "Clarence" From Julie Sjullie, Tracking Demo Vs proved once again their versatility and natural ability. A half-dozen participants had the opportunity to plot two tracks and watch two Vs work. Some bushwhacking was involved and "city folk" Polly and Jason were troopers. The inexperienced V selected for a track, "Blue", CH New Dawn Blue Lightening JH, showed lots of natural ability tracking through an obstacle, a path, like a pro. Emphasis was given to the fact that tracking is an activity that, unlike many others we do with our dogs, can have great benefit to humankind if pursued to its fullest. There are so many activities Vs excel at that the only problem is having the time to do them all!  From Polly Poulos, Buckley’s Owner This was Buckley's first time being shot over (we've never had the opportunity before) and we wanted to see if he would retrieve a bird. He didn't at first, which I think was due to his city upbringing of us telling him constantly NOT to pick up the runover pigeons that has been in the street for three days (this was in the days before we learned all the fun stuff you could do with your dog). But after lots of encouragement, he eventually did pick it up. Small progress, but we were delighted. Buckley's favorite part? Being let loose in the field, lying in the tub of water and being fed hot dogs and buns. Some Quotes from E-Mail: …The day was more fun than we expected…To all who put the day together, GREAT JOB!!!!! Nice, relaxed and fun!!!!…We had a great time, I only wish I could have gotten to ALL of the demos!…We would gladly go to another such event (this club is a lot of fun) and definitely recommend it to other V owners...Everyone who commented is DEFINITELY in favor of a repeat for next year…Everyone treated us like family - usually clubs are a little "cliquey" - not the CWVC…we're looking forward to more doggy fun with ya'll…woof!…

Breed Rescue Update

by Becky Smith CWVC Breed Rescue Web Page Breed rescue has been busy since the report in the meeting minutes! Sharon Shea had two dogs in foster. Both were picked up from the Waukesha Humane Society. The young male was placed with some people in Dodgeville, WI, and they are elated with him. Zoe, the 5-year-old female, was also placed with a lady in the Dodgeville area. Zoe has some problems that need to be worked out, including severe separation anxiety, but so far things are going well. The woman who adopted her is experienced in dogs with problems and is most patient and kind. Becky & Mark Smith housed a male for a little over a week until they could get him back to his breeder. (Thanks, Penny and Rob, for picking him up and transporting him out to our place.) In addition, they helped another dog from Illinois get returned to his breeder in Wisconsin Penny is estimated to be 5-7 years old and is in foster care near Appleton. The people who have her do Golden Retriever rescue. Becky went up to confirm that Penny was a Vizsla and evaluate her on October 9 and is putting the foster family in contact with possible homes. Penny was found running loose and was in pretty pitiful shape. She is doing well now, though, and is ready for placement. She is not your typical Vizsla as she is small, only 31 pounds, and dewclaws were not removed, nor was her tail docked. She has massive white on the chest and a small light spot in the middle of her head. She is also much more calm than your average Vizsla. She does have the loving Vizsla personality though. She does not jump up, is housebroken, though not good in a crate. If you know of an older person looking for a Vizsla, let Becky know. Penny may be the perfect dog for them! Because of all they have gone through with her health-wise, the foster family wanted to keep her until she could be placed. Hopefully, that will be soon.

Fishy Story

by Frank & Martha Lacko This story was posted on the Vizsla ListServ, and forwarded to some CWVC members by Kim Barker. The Vizsla in the story, "Toldi", is out of Mark & Becky Smith’s "Seger". Reprinted with permission. We live by Lake Erie and the beach at the back of the house is now nice and sandy (after putting in jetties this winter). Frank has started taking Toldi down to swim. The lake is shallow for about 50 feet, then gets deeper. Toldi goes very far into the lake and scares Frank every time. Frank stands on the shore yelling his lungs out for Toldi to "Come!" Toldi always comes back after 10-15 minutes of swimming. He loves it, like the "Orca" Vizsla (the life jacket story) I was reading on the list. But today was special. This is Frank's story, so I will let him tell it to you in his own words: Today, Toldi and I went to the beach swimming again. Toldi was about 100' from the shore when I saw couple of large fish showing their backs swimming in and out of the water. I pointed them out to Toldi, and he swam to them. I thought he would have a look and swim away. Well, he went fishing! He caught one of the fish in his mouth by the spine, but the back scales must have hurt, so he let it go and it tried to swim away. Toldi did not give up! He was looking for this fish for about 5 minutes, swimming in wide circles. The fish surfaced again 20' from him, he took after it and caught it by diving underneath the fish and grabbing it by the stomach instead. He swam back to the shore with the fish, ran out of the water and I have never seen anything so funny in my life. Our Toldi (11 months old pup) caught and retrieved a 15-inch (I measured it) pickerel flopping in his mouth. He deposited it at my feet looking very happy. He was so excited, you'd think he retrieved a dozen ducks! He went back into the lake again, trying to find other fish. I had a hard time getting him back to the shore. He was "fishing" for another 15 minutes, but this time "they got away". I guess you know what we are having for dinner tonight! Martha said that it is comforting to know that if we need it, Toldi can not only bring meat for our table, but fish as well. So Toldi has a new nickname, from Magnificent to PeeMeister to FishMeister. (See Toldi’s web site at www.toldisden.com)

Milwaukee Pet Fair

by Mary McGrath Sue Prim, Joy Sonsalla, Mary McGrath Click here for more photos. On October 23 and 24, 1999 the CWVC sponsored a booth at the annual Milwaukee Pet Fair held at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. The club members in attendance Saturday included Joy Sonsalla, Sue Prim, Penny Honetor, my husband John McGrath and I. On Sunday Judy & Dennis Zimmermann, the Shimeks, and Ginger Tierney staffed the booth. We found it a great way to share information about our breed and our club with the many people attending the show, with the added benefit of socializing our 3½-month-old puppy, Treeva, to adults, children, other dogs, noises and distractions galore. This also helps prepare Treeva for the conformation ring. Penny took advantage of this environment to practice long sits and downs with Zoe & Neela. We were asked a variety of questions about the breed and our club, and everyone passing by really seemed to be attracted to our special "red-dogs". Adults and children both seemed to enjoy our dog’s friendly personalities and versatile attributes. Our booth contained flyers about the Vizsla and the CWVC, several popular Vizsla books, pictures of club member’s dogs in action and membership information, all sitting on a really cute Halloween tablecloth supplied by Joy. All in all, I found that it was an enjoyable way to spend part of a weekend...bragging about this wonderful breed we know as the Vizsla.

Helpful Doggy Hints

by Pam Chatterton Corn Cob Ingestion Remedy. Recently Abbey ate 5 ears of sweetcorn, cobs and all! The vet suggested giving her a half of can of whole leaf spinach. Anything in the intestines that might be stuck get drawn out by clinging to the spinach. It worked for us. To get her to eat the spinach I added a little beef broth. For Teething Puppies. This weekend I had Molly (a 3 month old Vizsla puppy) and my niece here to visit. It brought back all sorts of memories and tricks I tried to correct some of those puppy behaviors. For example chewing during teething. I took a cloth and rolled and knotted it then soaked it in beef broth and froze it. The next day it was the perfect teething thing. Hair Remover. Tired of the short hairs that come off the Vizsla? Wet a chamois cloth (those leather things used for washing cars) ring off excess water and run it over the dog. The short hairs cling to it and no more hair in the house or the car! Counter Snooper Stopper. Abbey was a great one to try to snatch stuff off tables and counters that were just out of her reach and she had to stand on her back feet to get them. I lined the kitchen counter with cookie sheets that hung over the edge about 3 or 4 inches. When she put her paws on them they came crashing down and corrected the behavior without anything from me.

FVAs - Funny Vizsla Antics

Caffeinated Vizsla ● Submitted by Pam Chatterton Vizslas must love chocolate. At Christmas, Abbey unwrapped two out of 20 presents while we were at church and proceeded to eat 2 pounds of hand dipped chocolates. She even ate the box in an attempt to hide the evidence. I thought Vizslas were active dogs, wait till you see them after all that sugar and caffeine! The Territorial Teeter Team ● Submitted by Sue Prim "Victor", my retired agility Vizsla (retiring was his decision, not mine) decided he'd try out a few of the obstacles I had setting out in the yard for my active agility Vizslas "Faye" & "Grace". So he pivots the teeter-totter down and then starts to dismount just like he learned long ago. Imagine his surprise when, as he starts to dismount, his normally sweet-as-honey "sisters" meet him at the bottom with low growls as if to say, "Get your sorry retired agility butt off of OUR agility equipment and keep it off!" Shifty Eyes ● Submitted by Judy Zimmermann Over a span of 33 years with our three boys, Bourbon, Baron One, and Baron Too, we have noticed an inherited trait…..the love of green olives. Each one learned how to make a pass by a drinker’s glass (even looking through the bottom of our glass-topped tables) to see if an olive was "available". If spied, the boys started their eye contact ploy – going back and forth between the glass and the drinker’s eyes. This quirk is tough on the uninformed who may visit our house and partake in a cocktail with us. Ah, but such fun to witness! Because They Can! ● Submitted by Joy Sonsalla Having had Vizslas for over 10 years and bred 4 litters, I know that Vizslas like to curl into a ball. Is it to stay warm? Maybe, but more than that, I think it’s because they can. A newborn puppy can curl into the palm of your hand. As they grow, the space they require to curl increases proportionally. Recently I experienced a phenomena that brought a room full of adults to tears, laughing. My 15-month-old Vizsla Reesa, who can stretch herself out so that NO ONE ELSE can sit on HER sofa, was investigating a crate at our training facility. Not paying particularly close attention to her, I looked back to see she had crawled into the crate and just her head was now sticking out. The crate is used for an 8-inch Toy Poodle! Next thing we saw was her head disappear into the crate! When she finally emerged, she looked like a butterfly unfurling from its cocoon. Why did she do it? Because she could! Did I say we were in an agility class? There was no other dog who competes in the 24-inch division that could fit into that crate, except my "agile Vizsla". I’d like to see the agility-crazy Border Collies beat that agility feat! Rock & Roll Vizsla ●  Submitted by Sandi Moore, owner of Smitty We'll let you know when Smitty does something "noteworthy" (more than having 3 bladder infections in 6 weeks and more than being the only dog our vet ever heard of who sits in a rocking chair...and vigorously rocks!) Real-Life Vizsla Agility ● Submitted by Julie Sjullie Abby has always demonstrated advanced applied agility ability, from getting stuck on the roof of the house after climbing an open ladder, to scaling Christmas trees without knocking them over. Her latest trick has us a bit perplexed. We went out for an hour one Sunday night and when we came home, Abby was completely wet on one side and there was the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Upon inspection, a pedestal sink faucet was turned on and there was a towel and soap on the floor (we must have come home before she could finish drying herself). Now granted, her intent was not to take a bath, for this is a dog who dearly loves to roll in stink, but rather to quench her thirst. However, she has never, ever expressed a desire to get a drink from that sink. And how she fit 47 pounds into the 12" bowl of the sink and and turned on the cross-handled faucet remains a mystery. It appears to be beneath her dignity to recreate this trick in front of the humans. The moral to this story is be especially wary of the quiet Vizslas-they are watching your every move and waiting.

Parliamentary Cornerstone

by Ginger Tierney Last article we discussed the "Mission" of CWVC and the basic principles, "the cornerstone", of parliamentary procedure when running a club. This issue we’ll cover the order of business for a meeting and exactly what a quorum is. A business meeting provides members with the opportunity to propose ideas and to participate in forming the plans and actions of the organization. It is YOUR right and responsibility as a member of the CWVC to attend these business meetings. Sometimes, however, multiple issues and differing opinions can stall a business meeting. The following "Order of Business" was established to keep the meeting on track; to keep the business issues in the forefront of the meeting. Accepted Order of Business Quorum. President or facilitator determines that a quorum is present, then calls the meeting to order.  Minutes. The minutes of the previous meeting are read and approved  Reports. The reports of officers, boards, and standing committees are read and discussed.  Special Reports. The reports of any special committees are heard.  Special orders. These motions were postponed to this meeting. They are made a "special order" so that they can be discussed prior to normal "unfinished business".  Unfinished business, general orders. Unfinished business is a motion that was under discussion at the time the previous meeting adjourned. A general order is a motion that was postponed to the current meeting. Very often you will see this item call "Old Business" on an agenda.  New business. New business is an issue that has never been discussed; or a motion that was defeated in a previous meeting.  Good of the Order. This is the spot reserved for brags and compliments.  Adjournment of meeting Consent Agenda To speed up the meeting, a consent agenda may be used. It allows members to adopt a group of items in mass. This is used for items which are not controversial (e.g., committee reports, paying bills). The agenda should be published in such a way as to list which items will be on the "Consent Agenda". To extract an item from this agenda a member need only rise and request that the item be removed. This request does not need a second, nor does it need a vote. The presiding officer then submits the modified consent agenda to the assembly and takes the vote by general consent.  Quorum Quorum is Latin for "of them", as in "do we have enough of them?" The quorum is the minimum number of members needed to legally transact business. The quorum for different types of meetings are established in the clubs by-laws.  The CWVC’s By-Laws state, that for club meetings,  "The quorum for such meetings shall be 10% of the members in good standing including a majority of the Board of Directors." As of Oct. 15, 1999, members in good standing totaled 70. It takes seven people, five of whom, must be board members, to legally transact business in a CWVC club meeting. It is the duty of the president, or meeting facilitator, to know the number of persons needed for a quorum for each meeting, since this number may change at any time.  Next issue we'll try to "Take the Mystery out of Motions".

Member Spotlight - Kim Barker

Kim is a CWVC member without a Vizsla! However, Bonnie, her 2-year-old English Springer Spaniel (ESS), keeps her busy while she searches for that perfect Vizsla puppy. Kim coordinated the CGC Test at the Fall Events Day, and has attended our events even before joining the CWVC. Kim is also a member of NOCI (Obedience & Agility), Wisc ESS Association, and ESSFTA (parent ESS club). Bonnie has CGC and TDI titles, and is currently in training for a CD. Bonnie also does flyball and field work. Kim calls Bonnie her "guinea pig dog", as she is her first dog as an adult so Kim is constantly learning from her. Kim is a good friend to CWVC members Jim and Joanie Melicharek. Likewise, Bonnie is best dog-friend to their Vizsla, Dancer.

Ottawa Update

Ottawa Work Day - Saturday, July 24, 1999 Submitted by Rob Glazier I was the sole CWVC member to participate at the work day with other volunteers from a variety of dog clubs which use the Ottawa Field Trial Grounds. There were three primary projects underway: erecting a fence between the parking lot and Highway 67 at the west grounds; clearing brush between the shelter and Highway 67 to create a path for underground electric line to be laid; and miscellaneous brush removal and chipping throughout the grounds. It was quite hot that day, but the work was completed by early afternoon so it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. I was glad I could represent the CWVC in the grounds improvement effort. Hunting Dog Seminar - Sunday, August 29, 1999 Submitted by Penny Honetor Though publicity was increased this year, attendance was down somewhat from last year, possibly due to a conflict with the Ducks Unlimited expo in Oshkosh and a Flushing Breeds Hunt Test in Manitowoc. Mark Smith and I handled Publicity and Registration (Mark couldn’t help in the field this year due to recently having undergone foot surgery). Joy Sonsalla helped distribute posters. A sunny day with a cool breeze made it a perfect day for being outside. Carolyn Morgan, a DNR representative, opened the day by discussing the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit; Ottawa FTG parking & permit requirements; bird disposal; and brought free literature on Wisconsin State Parks, rules and regulations, and Ottawa and other Dog Trial areas. Next, Jim Rieser, the coordinator, spoke about the Hunting Dog Seminar purpose, Ottawa volunteers, and the day’s agenda. I ended the morning opener by sharing information about the Ottawa Association, planned improvements, then introduced the trainers. Mike Kindler had 15 participants for Pointing Breeds (including CWVC members Mike Erhart and Steve Wittig), Bill Kehoe and the BSHRC had 10 Retrieving participants, and Ron & Bev Haag instructed 7 Flushing handlers. The Kettle Moraine English Setter Club provided the lunch. Over $700 was raised to be used towards grounds improvements. I received many favorable comments like "Make sure you let me know when next year’s seminar is – I’m definitely coming back." Ottawa FTG Meeting - Wednesday, September 15, 1999 Submitted by Mark Smith Electricity cost less than estimated! Expected bill: $6200, final bill: $2607!! All that remains is to locate the transformer and plow in the line. Should be completed by mid-October. Hunting Dog Seminar report was submitted (see above). DNR wants to get a long-range plan together for the grounds. They feel that IF the stewardship program continues they will get funds in 2004-6 and can do some things for the grounds. The DNR also offered to have some people available to put a water line in next spring if we wanted. Our cost would be materials and rent of a ditching machine. (my estimate is $3000). This is much less than the original idea of putting in a well. Much discussion about project priorities (water, fencing). DNR is cutting trees on the west side of the Highway and is planning a fall burn. Sam would like them to burn the east side also. All agree that a burn is in order, but questioned if it should be done all at once or in two phases. If you have an event after the burn, you have no cover. VCOI has reserved a weekend in December for a Field Trial. Next meeting will be Tuesday, December 7.

End November 1999 "The Paw's Print" excerpts

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