Daisy goes to the vet

I took Daisy to the vet on Tuesday. She weighed 37.8 lbs including collar, harness, and leash (you know those add weight like your clothes do at the doctor's office). That was shocking to me. It also  means she weighs more than she did when we got her since she's been eating 3x a day plus tons of treats for a week! Her owners were feeding her Costco Chicken & Rice (but never gave any in the surrender process), but she couldn't have been getting enough of it regardless. She is taller than Alba and very lanky - lots of ribcage. Alba weighs just about 50 lbs.

After shaking and shuddering uncontrollably in the waiting room, she did settle down by the time our vet came into the exam room. She was a very good girl considering the poking and prodding (plus never having had a proper trip to the veterinarian either) she had to endure plus the blood test and slow blood draw. She was a very good girl. Lots of doting on her by the entire staff. She is a copper beauty! (just like my girl Alba!)

Goofy smile is me not her

Vizsla magic

We had a breakthrough on Saturday morning. The two girls were in the backyard and finally finally bonded. They carried on when they got upstairs, entertaining us throughout the weekend.







Needless to say the games go on!

Fear is a four letter word

Vizsla is an amazing breed. Versatile, "velcro", and vocal are just a few of the many descriptors for this affectionate, energetic, and regal hunting dog. They need a lot of exercise and attention. And while they may be intuitive and confident in the hunt, some are extremely fearful and shy. Alba was extremely shy and fearful (not enough early socialization due to fear put in us from our breeder about diseases) but with age has overcome a lot of her fears. Lots of puppy training and beyond to make her more comfortable in strange situations.

Daisy is also very shy and fearful, especially around strangers, noise, you name it it can trigger her to end up under the table, desk, or under a shallow shelf if she can find one. But we're also seeing her confident side.

Confident Daisy

Less Confident (but safe) Daisy

Daisy holds her own

Daisy sure is getting the hang of things around here. The kitchen is the center of the universe. And when Parmigiano Reggiano is being grated, best be standing as close to the grater as possible.

Alba (left), Daisy (right)

And when you enter a house full of undamaged toys, surround yourself with them. Go ahead, get comfortable!

Daisy and her adorable underbite

How an only Vizsla learned to share (sort of)

We have had Alba since she was 8 weeks old. 

Alba surrounded by toys at around 10 weeks

She really hasn't had to "share" anything in her 7 years of only-Vizsla bliss. And even when Dolce came to visit Dolce was the older Vizsla and helped herself to all of Alba's toys and treats. They had really bonded and we really miss her. 

Alba & Dolce snoozing in the sun

So Daisy's introduction was a challenge to Alba's status quo, but despite the general jealousy, we think she actually likes to have a "shadow". Not sure about Alba's mentoring capabilities, but she has sharpened Daisy's confidence, around treats, food, toys, etc. Daisy's first day was intense, but they are getting along pretty well - sharing a bed downstairs and upstairs, and generally keeping tabs on each other.

Daisy does San Francisco (well sort of)

Daisy survived the upheaval of moving to a new place remarkably well on her 1st day.

The next day we took Alba to daycare and spent some time getting to know Daisy alone. As with any visitor to San Francisco, we had to introduce her to my sister and take her to get a Gibraltar at Ritual Coffee in Hayes Valley. After shaking off the scary sounds of car doors and general traffic, we finally managed to sit down and relax while holding her tight.

Day 1: Daisy meets Alba & moves to San Francisco

All of a sudden we were going to be fostering a puppy! We made plans to meet Sharron & her 2 year old male V Steele, who were going to transport Daisy from her owners in Auburn to meet us at Toad Hollow Dog Park in Davis. Wow - the dogs in Davis have it good - huge enclosed dog parks for small and large breeds, plus poop bags and even a bathing station! We met a few other Vizslas in the park - it's always fun to see a pack of V's running around working off their seemingly endless energy.

Daisy was scared. She stayed glued to the fence, nervously eating a couple of the Peanut Butter, Honey and Oat Cookies I made from The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook: Homemade Cookies for Man's Best Friend by Liz Palika. They turned out really well - good enough to get the attention of Daisy the rescue.

Peanut Butter, Honey and Oat Cookies from The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook

We successfully transported Daisy to our house from Davis - she and Alba sat quietly for the ride in the back seat of the car looking out the window.

Kay had instructed us to immediately get a pet ID tag for Daisy since she is not microchipped. After we got home, we turned back around to take both dogs to Pet Food Express to get the ID tag. No sooner than we step outside our door, neighbors stop to say hello and ask about the new Vizsla. In that moment, Daisy manages to slip out of the harness and leash and runs across the street! Erik quietly went across and I brought a cookie once he had hold of her - we tightened the harness ASAP and Alba went with me to get the ID tag - the escape artist waited at home. 

We did manage to take the girls for a walk once Daisy was hooked up with ID tag and tighter gear. Alba showed Daisy "Squirrel Hill" and some highlights of our neighborhood.

"Squirrel Hill" (Daisy in foreground, Alba in background)

We agreed to foster a Vizsla puppy

We heard about a female Vizsla puppy who needed a foster home and we (I) volunteered, perhaps thinking we would not be selected. But then the email arrived from Kay Ingle, chair of Rescue Operations for the Vizsla Club of Northern California and Founder of Vizsla Rescue Haven.

we have a very shy young female vizsla that needs to be fostered. She
has not been socialized but
warms up especially if you have another dog to give her encouragement.
She loves to run and will
play with other dogs after an initial warm up period. She needs to be
spayed. She is house broken.
Please contact me if you can help out.

After getting the details on Daisy the 19-month old rescue we couldn't say no to this girl in need. These photos show her beauty but also how skinny and undernourished she was before entering rescue.