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Popular Posts

How to SUP with Your Pup(s) April 28, 2022
What Makes A Good Field Trial Dog? January 13, 2022
Living With a Rhodesian Ridgeback April 22, 2022
Walking in Horseback AKC Field Trials March 31, 2022

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Colombo and I got back in the show ring today afte

Colombo and I got back in the show ring today after a 5 month hiatus. He showed really well and was Best of Winners for another point! 🥇
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#goodboy #showdog #rhodesianridgeback #akcdogshow #conformation #ridgeback #ownerhandler

Last week, Emily and I met up to do a little train

Last week, Emily and I met up to do a little training at a hunting preserve with her GSP Blitz, lab Ember, and Zara. It was cool to watch all the dogs work together and I even managed to shoot TWO birds!
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📸 by @shorthairsandshotguns
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#birdhunting #birddogtraining #birddogoftheday #vizsla #huntingdog #versatiledog #womenhunters

Zara and I attended our last field trial of 2022 t

Zara and I attended our last field trial of 2022 this weekend. We’ve had a rocky season this fall, with a lot of errors on my part and a less than stellar run at vizsla nationals last weekend. I was starting to question things - did we just have a lot of luck last season? Do I really have what it takes to compete against these more experienced handlers? Is Zara slowing down and showing her age?

As usual, Zara came through just when I needed it most and put on a great display of her range, bird finding ability, and steadiness yesterday. It was a shoot on course retrieving stake, so each time she found a bird, we waited for the gunners to approach and be ready. Unfortunately, the birds were not cooperating, and they either wouldn’t fly or flew off before the gunners were in position. By her fourth find, I felt like it had been the longest 30 minutes of my life. 😅 Finally the stake ended, and she executed a snappy retrieve on the callback.

We earned first place in Amateur Limited Gun Dog against some really nice, nationally ranked dogs, for two more points and two retrieving credits.

Thank you to judges Robert Spillman and Chad Bohannan as well as the Old Dominion Vizsla Club. And special thank you to my scout and Zara’s breeder, Jane Baker, who continuously has our backs and always gives me advice on how to improve.

We enjoyed running the brace with my friend Kim and her vizsla, Frankie, and of course I had to make Zara do a little photoshoot in downtown Farmville. 😉
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#bestgirl #fieldtrialdog #akcfieldtrial #vizsla #huntingdog #versatiledog #dogsports #ownerhandler #birddogoftheday

I had a great time at the @officialvizslaclubofam

I had a great time at the @officialvizslaclubofamerica National Field Trial this weekend. Zara and I ran in the Amateur Championship. The good news is, she made it around clean and was listening very well to me. However, her speed and range were just not what they needed to be to make it into the second series callbacks. I’m not sure what was going on, but the 70 degree temps and tighter course may have caused her to stay closer to me. She also ended up with two nonproductive points thanks to the way I chose to handle the situations, which also put her out of contention. So far this fall season has been full of handler errors and learning.

Either way, it was an enjoyable experience and I’m glad we went. Zara’s half brother Fen ended up winning the amateur championship, so that was super exciting.

Thanks to the VCA for hosting a well-run event and to my scout and Zara’s breeder, @trailside_vizslas for giving me helpful advice before and after our run.
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#fieldtrialseason #fieldtrialdog #akcdogsports #vcaversatilevizsla #vizsla #huntingdog #birddog 📸 by @olympicvizslas

This weekend, there’s a field trial nearby that

This weekend, there’s a field trial nearby that I wanted to attend. I went to two of the events sponsored by the same club last season and really enjoyed the atmosphere and camaraderie. Zara would probably have had a good chance of doing well.

But I’m not going to that trial.

Instead, we’re going to attend the Vizsla Club of America’s National Field Trial, a yearly event that’s the horseback version of the National Gun Dog Championship we’ve gone to the past two years. The format is somewhat different, and if anything, the quality of dog work expected is even higher. This is another event that attracts the cream of the crop of field trial vizslas from around the country.

To be honest, Zara has a much better chance of placing in the local trial than in the NFT. I will be the only walking handler and I don’t know how she will compare to the other dogs. But I didn’t want to settle for the “easier” option. Years ago, when I first decided to train Zara for advanced competitions, I did so with the knowledge that I wanted to help her be the best she could. And oftentimes, that’s meant taking on big challenges even if they feel intimidating.
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Thanks for the help this morning @jdnovak87 and @thegwpanddraht!
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#fieldtrialdog #akcfieldtrials #birddogtraining #birddogoftheday #vizsla #vcaversatilevizsla #huntingdog #dogreels #fieldtriallifestyle

It’s deer season right now. I hike once or twice

It’s deer season right now. I hike once or twice a week on the gamelands where deer hunting is allowed. I only see deer hunters occasionally, but I always take precautions. I always wear blaze orange and so do the dogs. Colombo also has on a bell. Sometimes I’ll run into other hikers and they are never wearing orange, nor are their dogs. They’ll look at me and say, “Oh, that’s a good idea to make sure you’re visible!” And I’ll reply with something like, “Yes, it is deer season.” I don’t really understand what these people are thinking. There are signs clearly posted at the trailheads that say hunting is allowed. Do they just not think people hunt? 🤔
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#hikingwithdogs #deerseason #huntingseason #rhodesianridgeback #ridgeback #sonyalpha

Looks like fall…feels like 82?! 🤔 — Zara is

Looks like fall…feels like 82?! 🤔
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Zara is a wearing a @goldpawseries Sun Shield Tee, size 18. She’s a 46 lb vizsla.
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#fallinthesouth #vizsla #huntingdog #birddog #dogsinclothes #sonyalpha

Before the flush…(swipe)….after the flush! 🐦
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I’ve been cleaning up little things with Zara’s field work for field trials. For example, when I approach her after the flush (if the bird is blanked), I don’t want her to take any steps until I grab her collar and tell her to move. Since I heeled her off birds all summer, she has a tendency to want to move as soon as I get to her side. She showed some improvement yesterday.
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#vizsla #huntingdog #birddog #birddogoftheday #versatiledog #fieldtrialdog #dogtraining #sonyalpha

Happy Halloween from Zara and Colombo! — #hallo

Happy Halloween from Zara and Colombo!
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#halloweenvideos #dogreels #wonderwoman #superman #dogsincostumes #vizsla #rhodesianridgeback #versatiledog #huntingdog #trickdog #halloween2022

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