Party Animal
Tim trying out new sling indoors.
First attempts at “stacking” using the clicker and treat method – as a preparation for Phoenix’s big turn in the (future?) show ring…show-biz is calling.
… we had a semi hunger strike on our hands. Phoenix took a look at her biscuit based breakfast and basically refused to eat – where’s the good stuff? Y’know the meaty stuff. Biscuits no longer working as a treat – not cutting the mustard anymore. Luckily we’d already stocked a freezer up with her specialist raw food. We made a 50/50 blend of raw food and biscuit, mixing them up. This was accepted without any problem.
There were only a couple of other dogs at the puppy party – organised by the lovely nurses at the vets in their own time – seven were expected and only two turned up. A springer-spaniel called Sasha (who barked a lot – an unfortunate trick which Phoenix immediately took up as her own. Arf and indeed Arf!). The other party animal was a beautifully trained 14 month old rescue border collie belonging to one of the nurses.
Sasha was quite timid and over-awed by the whole thing and also by Phoenix’s confidence and bouncy demeanour. Phoenix and the collie had an intensive play session and as usual she gave as good as she got…
Sleep update: not much of a problem, a bit of a howl at night but then all is well.
Chewing: oh, the chewing! We have been following the advice of Ian Dunbar (“Before and After Getting Your Puppy”) who says you should allow your dog to bite you in order to give appropriate feedback as to the intensity of the bite, so they can gradually soften the bite pressure. This is called bite inhibition. She seems to be softening her bite: only mouthing gently…
Car Frolics.
Phoenix, Indi and Annabel
Phoenix met Meg, our neighbour’s border collie as well as Eric (our nearest neighbour and Meg’s human companion). Tim took Phoenix out in the car for four very short runs to desensitise her, this, combined with nibbly treats, led to a calmer and more accepting attitude, Phoenix has started to associate the car with good, rather than bad things.
The Joy of Chicken Wings…
Meeting Indi.
This was the day that Phoenix met Indigo – Tim’s mother’s blue rescue Greyhound – as well as Tim’s mother herself! Phoenix was fantastically excited and tried to goad Indi into playing with her, sadly to no avail. Indi was very patient and long suffering as Phoenix romped all over her and it became a valuable early lesson in canine etiquette for the eager pup…
Phoenix flipped into seeing the outdoors as an adventure playground full of untold pleasures and sensory delights today, no longer afraid of the space around her.
Phoenix woke twice in the night and we took her out to go to the loo. Otherwise sleeping through to 7.00am without any problems. She’s sleeping in the bedroom with us (in her own crate, we’re not that soft) and finds the sound of our breathing comforting.
We started to introduce the raw diet to Phoenix today. She had her first chicken wing in the evening which she found to be the most exciting thing she had ever encountered. She was thrilled with it and demolished it over 25 minutes looking very pleased with herself as a result.
Vet Visit.
Phoenix at six weeks.
Today, Phoenix went to the Vets for her first injection. Only the second time ever in the car: she still wasn’t crazy about it. She didn’t mind being in the car, it was the sight of the landscape speeding by that tipped her over the edge. Treats worked well to distract her.
Once we got to the vets, she loved it. Everybody made a huge fuss of her, staff and visitors. Carolyn the vet, noted on her record that she was a “lovely and extremely well socialised pup”. Phoenix was microchipped and, like her injection, she didn’t notice it happening at all, being much more interested in the biscuit bribe that the vet offered her.
Phoenix was given a clean bill of health, the vet commented that Phoenix was big for her age and wasn’t she actually ten weeks old rather than eight weeks!
Phoenix was invited to two puppy parties.
So it begins…
Camouflaged amongst the chair legs.
Day 2: Phoenix woke up every hour on the hour, not much sleep for Daddy A (Tim) and Daddy X (Adam) Phoenix was introduced to the world of clicker and treat today, Phoenix learnt her name, and learnt to sit. Toys were chewed.
First contact was made with the cats, who didn’t want to play. At all. Phoenix couldn’t really understand why her new fluffy puppy friends didn’t want to rumble.
First trip outdoors: Phoenix was overwhelmed by being outdoors. It was really cold and frosty too, in contrast to her supreme confidence in every other situation.
Toilet Training bulletin: a bit hit and miss but give her a break it is day one in a new home! A few puddles. We put in a turf filled tray for her to use but she didn’t know what grass was! Let alone frozen grass.
The Phoenix Has Landed!
Favourite New Toy.
Day 1: Bleary Eyed.
Day 1: Seven and a half hour journey from North Norfolk to North Devon. It went howl, snooze, pee, play, eat, poop, sleep, pee, play, fidget, squirm, howl, arrive! Most importantly, nobody was sick. On touchdown in the kitchen, she arrived like it was her long lost home. She immediately dived into her crate (the one we had been worrying about for weeks about how we were going to entice her into it – involving complex uses of peanut butter, biscuits and stuffed kongs).
Somebody was very excited with her box of new toys and managed to eat a meal before pegging out for the night….
Belatarr HWV’s – An Introduction.
Morehay Lars of Belatarr ShCM Belatarr Django Reinhardt ShCM Tarndair Phoenix of Belatarr
Top HWV Stud Dog 2014, 2016, 2018 Top HWVC Puppy 2012 Top HWV Brood Bitch 2014, 2016, 2018
BELATARR IS THE UK’s TOP HWV SHOW KENNEL FOR 2014, 2016 & 2018 (OUR DOGS)
Welcome to the Belatarr Blog – a record of our Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas, from our foundation dogs, Phoenix & Mingus through the subsequent generations of 71 Belatarr puppies, including our own Django, Lyra, Aja, Cuba and Alfi.
Details of each of our own four dogs can be found at the Meet The Dogs link at the top of the page, whilst the exploits and adventures of all of the extended Belatarr clan can be found on the blog posts below.
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 