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Puppies at 3 weeks old.
Big changes for the gang over the last week as they start to look more like puppies and less like little wrinkled guinea pigs. Their eyes are fully open now, but they still have quite limited and very blurry visibility so are only just beginning to explore their world and its boundaries and possibilities – mainly chewing one another ears and toes and trying to figure out if Mum has come back to feed them.
Their legs are also beginning to get stronger and they are fully in what we like to call their “wobbly spider” phase, meaning that they take 3 or 4 steps and then fall over or sometimes do full body-rolls!
Little bursts of activity are still very short, though, and, at this age, 90% of their time is spent asleep – digesting and growing.
Puppies at 2 weeks old.
14 Days old today, the puppies have had another busy week of snoozing and eating.
Eyes and ears have now just about all opened but it will be another week or so before they can see anything clearly, so all is currently a big blur for them and they still rely almost entirely on their sense of smell to navigate their world….all of that is about to change, though!
Time now to properly introduce the gang, with their first official head-shots:
Puppies first week.
We’re pleased to report that all pups and mum are thriving, and, in fact, Aja is producing so much milk that the puppies doubled their birth weight when just 5 to 6 days old – even sooner than Aja’s first super-feeder litter.
Eyes and ears are tightly closed at this age, and they cannot thermoregulate either, so the puppies operate purely by their sense of smell and warmth-location. As a result their sole tasks this first week are to eat, sleep, repeat – tasks at which they are certainly excelling!
Nearly there…
Just a few more days before the puppies arrive and we are starting to see them wriggle around inside mum. Aja is increasingly uncomfortable, but that hasn’t stopped her from running around the meadow, albeit at a slightly slower pace than usual.
Puppies on the way!
We’re thrilled and very excited to announce the imminent arrival of Belatarr’s 7th generation, with Aja – Belatarr Aja – confirmed in pup to Benő – Áldozóvölgyi-Drótos Nyertes at Starshot (IMP HUN):
With the litter due to arrive in mid-Sept, Aja is now looking pretty heavy, but she’s certainly not letting that slow her down:
Watch this space!
Championship Show Roundup.
The busy round of Summer Championship shows has seen more amazing success for Jenny & David’s Belatarr Boys.
The Three Counties Championship was judged by Becky Johnson and saw a memorable 1-2 with Kodi (Sh Ch Belatarr Kodiak) winning his 4th CC of the year (his 7th in total):
“Excellent overall balance. Head of good dimensions with good breadth of skull and moderate stop. Well-muscled neck leading seamlessly into well-laid shoulders. Chest of good depth with elbows well placed. Level topline. Ribs carried well back. Well-muscled hindquarters with stifles moderately angulated. Coat of excellent texture. Ground covering movement with good drive from the rear. CC”
just ahead of Luka (Belatarr Jupiter) who was awarded the Reserve CC:
“I like this dog very much indeed and he was so close up for top honours today. Well balanced all through. Scores in his head and forehand construction. Deep in chest and long in ribcage. Strong, well-muscled hindquarters with moderately bent stifles. Excellent coat texture. Moved out really well covering the ground on a good length of stride. I just wish he was half a size smaller which was the deciding factor. RCC”
Becky Johnson
Just 7 days later Kodi picked up his 8th CC at the Border Union Championship under breed expect Terry Pearson:
“What a stallion of a dog this is, everything about him shouts HWV male from his size, coat and conformation. He has the most masculine of heads, broad over skull, correct skull to muzzle ratio, broad nose, the most kind expression. Arched muscular neck, enough layback of shoulder. Body well proportioned, topline level. Chest deep, hindquarters muscular with decent bend of stifle. Tight oval feet. Has the most glorious double coat, just enough facial furnishing to complete the picture. His movement is without doubt, ground covering. “
Terry Pearson
His 9th CC was not long in following, being awarded by Pam Blay at the Paignton Championship on 3rd August:
“No wonder he appealed, I have admired this affix for years & always done it well! He is a nice type who moved well to cover the ground with ease yet determination on well-boned legs & feet, he is balanced & quality with enough coat which has the correct texture & well presented, good strong topline with a well set & carried tail, well-muscled hindquarters, he is masculine with a good head & expression with a correct skull & ear set, lovely neck & shoulders, showed to advantage to take the CC.”
Pam Blay
…and Luka then scored another Reserve CC on 17th August under Pat Butler-Holley.
Kodi sets breed record!
Young Belatarr Kodiak continues to amaze and thrill us with his wins, and the Hungarian Wirehared Vizsla Association Championship took things to an even higher plane this year.
The 2023 Championship show was one of the greatest highlights of our entire show career, with Kodi winning Best of Breed and his mother, our Belatarr Asia, awarded Reserve Best of Breed.
Kodi, therefore, came to this year’s show both as the reigning Champion and the current winner of the HWV Club Championship too, but he surpassed all of our hopes to collect his 6th CC and then go on to be awarded Best in Show AGAIN!
The only HWV ever to be twice awarded Best in Show at the HWVA Champ show was Kodi’s own Great-Aunt, Show Champion Belatarr Mahalia Jackson ShCM, but no dog has ever previously retained their title with back-to-back Best in Show wins in this way.
Our great thanks go to breed specialist judge Karen Richardson who allowed Kodi to make breed history, and our tremendous congratulations and gratitude to David & Jenny for taking Kodi to such great heights.
“Such an eyecatching young man with an impressive outline. He has such a balanced, proportionate & strong body. Good depth throughout with well sprung ribs, level back, firm loin, moderate rear angulation with good width of thigh. A masculine head with an intelligent eye & a great beard. Quite the showman on the move, he powered around the ring with reach & rear propulsion from his clearly visible muscular hindquarters. Dog CC & BEST IN SHOW.”
Karen Richardson
Sensational day for Kodiak!
Show Champion Belatarr Kodiak’s amazing run continued with a tremendously exciting day at the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Club of Great Britain Championship where he was awarded his 5th CC and then an incredible Best in Show under the hugely experienced Hungarian international Vizsla judge, Dr Zsuzsanna Balogh.
“Beautiful, almost 2 years old, nice and ideal type, ideal size, correct body, nice handling. Very nice temperament. The ideal Wirehaired Vizsla. Impressive, noble. Far-advancing gait. Absolute first. IDEAL WIREHAIRED VIZSLA‘”
Dr Zsuzsanna Balogh
Having already won Best in Show at the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association Championship, Kodi is now the reigning champion across both UK breed clubs!
The icing on the cake saw Kodi awarded both the Krugerand Trophy for Top Show Puppy and the Haunsperg Bronze for Top Show Male of 2023 at the HWVCGB annual awards at the Championship show.
Kodi has had an incredible start to the show year, having won 3 of the last 4 Dog CC’s awarded in the breed – a remarkable achievement, given that he is not yet even 2 years of age. Huge congratulations, as ever, go to Jenny & David, and we excitedly await the next chapter in young Kodi’s adventures in the show ring!
Big Win at Manchester for Kodiak.
After becoming a Show Champion at the final show on 2023, Belatarr Kodiak started off the new year in tremendous style at the first Champ show of 2024, the Manchester Championship.
Under breed specialist Chris Guest he again won Best dog, collecting his 4th CC in the process, and then went on to take Best of Breed – his first Championship BOB – earning him the privilege of representing the breed in the main Gundog ring for the first time, and all at the tender age of 22 months!
“1st CC and BOB: Belatarr Kodiak…..the standard calls for everything in moderation and this is what you got with this chap. Compact and workmanlike, yet still masculine in outlook.
Harsh, tight coat of russet. Nicely proportioned head, with expressive eyes of good colour. Clean through neck and throat, to well boned and straight forelimbs. Decent forechest, good heart and lung room. Firm topline, strong loin flowed into good quarters. Moved soundly coming and going and in profile, on good feet, to nitpick, would have liked a bit more oomph, but as always extremely well handled by his owner.”
Christine Guest
It’s tremendously exciting to watch Kodi’s progress in the show ring and we are certain that another great year lies ahead of him, Jenny & David in ’24.
Belatarr Kodiak becomes a Show Champion!!
Completing an already sensational and very memorable year, and at the age of just 20 months, young Kodi won Best Dog and his all-important 3rd Challenge Certificate from a big entry of HWV’s under judge Betty Smith at the LKA Championship:
In so doing, Kodi becomes the youngest Belatarr Show Champion and we are certain that many more wins lie ahead of him too.
Huge congratulations to David & Jenny for their hard work and for crowning another Champion!
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 