Sunday, December 30, 2012

Vizsla Name Ideas

Happy almost-New Year! Anyone getting a new puppy in 2013?


At my husband's suggestion, here's a list of 10 Vizsla Names for 2013: Popular names that seem to be trending, based on reader responses on Facebook, Vizsla's we've met, plus a dash of my own opinion - in other words, not based on any sort of statistics at all :-)

So here we go- in no particular order, great names for new Vizslas in 2013:

  • Boagie - This was actually one of the names in the running when we were deciding what to call Captain. It sounds distinguished and fun at the same time, and I love it. 
  • Riley- We've met quite a few Vizsla Rileys, and have heard about others. It's cute and playful and works for a boy or girl!
  • Molly- Molly seems to be a common and universally loved dog name. My grandfather's lab was named Molly, and I will forever love her- and this name. 
  • Penny- Another common, cute, playful girl's name that seems particularly well-suited for a Vizsla!
  • Whiskey or Rye- A Facebook fan posted that he has a Whiskey and a "Ry" (short for Myriah, sounds like Rye)- I love the originality, the fact that these names suit their color, and the boozey reference ;-)
  • Arrow- From another Facebook fan- OK, maybe it's not so common or "trending", but I listed it because I love how unique this name is, and how it evokes thoughts of speed- perfect for a Vizsla!
  • Chase - Another speedy name!
  • Ollie- Spunky and cute but still a little traditional- fits the Vizsla well.
  • Sadie - Another cute girl's name.
  • Ellie- We have met a few Ellies and Allies and it suits their happy energetic personalities.
Of course, my favorite male name is, not surprisingly, Captain  :-)  For more on why and how we picked this name, see my name post. But wait, there's more- read on for more names!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Captain Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Captain! 

Captain had fun sharing his version of the 12 days of Christmas with everyone this year!
For a recap, here's what Captain brought to me on each of the 12 days of Christmas:


and an Owl Ornament in a Christmas Tree!

Hope everyone is enjoying some family time, relaxing and snuggling with your dog, cozying up under some blankets, enjoying good food and good company.  

Best wishes to you and yours!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Sixth Day of Christmas


Find out what Captain's stalking in the shadows...


On the sixth day of Christmas, Captain brought to me...

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Fourth Day of Christmas

Let the holiday fun continue! On the fourth day of Christmas, Captain brought to me...

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Monday, December 3, 2012

On the First Day of Christmas...


It's the 12 days of Christmas, Captain style! On the first day of Christmas, Captain brought to me...

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

V-Thing Reader Pics!


As promised, we're posting awesome pictures submitted as part of the recent giveaway. Thanks to everyone who submitted these photos and for sharing your Vizsla love! Above: my personal favorites- I adore these photos!!; below: even more great pictures!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Captain's Thanksgiving Holiday 2012


Our recap of Thanksgiving 2012! Captain has been one spoiled little boy these past few days... an aunt and uncle and grandmommy around to give him plenty of extra cuddles, a mommy who thinks he should get all the turkey leftovers he wants, and plenty of good running weather to work out all that Vizsla energy. Plus, did we mention turkey leftovers? ;-)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!


Happy Thanksgiving from Captain to you!!

Here's what's on tap for our Thanksgiving:
1- A Turkey Trot at Point Pinole (I'm doing the 10K, the rest of the fam is doing the 5K... Captain will be joining in too!)
2- Coming home to eat the best pumpkin bread in the world ;-), and probably watching a little of the parade.
3- Getting to baking & cooking! Captain will be thankful for whatever falls on the floor, and for his mommy's weak willpower when it comes to his staredowns ;-)

Captain is also thankful for: more people in the house to cuddle with, couches, beds, covers and quilts, sweet potatoes, frosty paws, slow squirrels, and everyone stopping by to Vizsla Thing!


Hope you all have a wonderful day filled with family, friends, and enjoying time with your dog!!

Check back soon for a holiday recap and for favorite pictures submitted from the giveaway.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Homemade Dog Treats


First- thanks again to everyone who left comments and pictures as part of the giveaway. We really loved reading all the comments, and seeing the pictures- I'll be doing a post soon with highlights! While unfortunately not everyone can be the giveaway winner, at least we all can enjoy some treats!

I'd been wanting to make Captain some homemade biscuits for a while, and finally got around to it when I had some leftover canned pumpkin and fresh herbs that needed to get used up. Captain is used to getting homemade frosty paws, but biscuits were a first! Read on for a few different homemade treat recipes (including frosty paws!), all of which are incredibly easy to make. We're talking minimal time & effort, so you can quickly get back to running around with your active Vizsla :)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Ruffwear Running Leash Giveaway!


We're pretty excited to share this post with everyone: our first giveaway! Captain is doing the wiggle-butt just thinking about it. When my husband first suggested I start a blog after we got Captain, I never thought I would get so into it. But I love feeling like we have a little (or big!) Vizsla community; the camaraderie that comes from the love of these dogs, and from sharing fun pictures and stories. I am so grateful for enthusiastic readers who stop by to check out our lil 'ole blog here, who leave Facebook comments and 'likes', and who enjoy Captain's adventures as much as I do. So I wanted to give something as a "Thank you!" to all you out there!

Read on for more info & how to enter!
*This giveaway is now closed.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Backyard Ballin'

So much fun to be had in the backyard! Soccer, squirrels, and lounging...

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Your Vizsla Love Update

Photo of Faro by Asa B on Flickr

It's been a while since I've done a 'round up' post of amazing pics from Flickr, so it's high time for some more Vizsla Love!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

HOWL-o-ween

This morning in our local dog park, there were at least 30 dogs gathered for doggie Halloween. Captain definitely does not like the little devil horns I put on as his "costume"- probably because quite obviously he's an Angel ;) - but there were two other "devil dogs" so at least he fit in :)

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Captain's First Race!

This weekend my husband and I- and Captain too!- ran the Rocky Ridge 10K, at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness area. We like to do a bunch of races every year, but this was Captain's first time joining us, since many races don't allow canine companions. But lucky for Captain, this one did, so he was right there with us at 8AM Saturday morning, ready to charge!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Fleet Week

Up there in the sky! It's not a bird! It's a plane!

... Actually, it's a bunch of planes- the Blue Angles come to town one weekend every year in San Francisco, and it's quite a show. This year, we didn't have the best view because we stayed in the East Bay, but we did get a good run around Cesar Chavez park...

Friday, October 5, 2012

Little Pumpkins

It's October! Time for pumpkins and running through fallen leaves. I couldn't help picking up these little pumpkins at the store last night...

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Taking Over

My bed. My lounge chair. My couches. Mine, mine, mine. I let the humans share though, only 'cuz I like a good cuddle.

;-)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

No fair

Last weekend was our anniversary, and my husband is on a mission to go to as many of the National Parks as possible. Only one problem: the National Parks aren't dog-friendly (there are some caveats to that, but in general, it's no hiking with the pup in the parks. National Forests, however, are another story. See my posts on our Yosemite trip for more info.) Since we really wanted to get to hike, Captain unfortunately didn't get to enjoy all this:

We went to Lassen National Park, and took in some incredible views, geologic wonders, and of course hiking! Since Lassen is filled with boiling hot springs, I can see why dogs shouldn't be there!  And don't feel too bad for Captain- he did spend the weekend with his favorite dog-sitter. Plus, we decided we need to do more East-Bay hiking while the weather's just right, so more adventures for Captain to come!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Rugs


Since moving, we've been filling up the new place with a few new rugs. I was taking some pictures of the new pad to show my mom, and in every one, Captain managed to place himself front and center. I've created a total ham. Sigh ;-)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Tater Gator

Meet Captain's new favorite toy. He's Tater Gator, and he squeaks. My 4 year old niece picked him out.

Captain knows him by name. We say, "Where's Tater Gator? Go get Tater!" and he'll run to his toy basket, and proudly prance back, alligator hanging from his mouth.

It was love at first squeak.
Ready to pounce
In other news, Captain has quite taken to spending the day napping in his sunny backyard, and chasing squirrels whenever he can. We're all settled in now and it feels like home! He had fun playing in his backyard this weekend, with a doggie friend who came over for our housewarming party. More fun to come!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Coo coo for squirrels

Just a regular walk around the neighborhood...



More of that follows...

Monday, August 27, 2012

Captain's SF Tours


One of the things I love about living where we do is having people visit and getting an excuse to play tour guide. There's nothing I enjoy more than getting outside and enjoying all that the great outdoors has to offer- and Captain agrees. So when my brother and niece came to visit, we were ready to go!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Happy 4th Birthday Captain!

The birthday boy enjoying the sun
Today is Captain's 4th birthday! Happy Birthday Captain! What a year it's been.... from Yosemite last August, to VizslaThings, long runs with Mommy and another Carmel trip, squirrel encounters, silly times, exploring East Bay parks, and a move! So far, Captain's bday has been going great...

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sibley Volcanic Preserve

Hot day in Sibley!
Since moving, we've done a little bit of exploring. I've been wanting to go to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve for a while, since it's a mere 6 miles from our new pad, and boasts a nice high peak for views, trails, and scenic roads. So Captain and I snuck off one afternoon for a quick drive & run!

Monday, August 13, 2012

New stuff!

I was away on family vacation last week, and my little niece and nephew couldn't be more excited to buy Captain gifts for me to bring home. HE was pretty excited to get them, too:

Yes, they both squeak. Very loudly ;-) It is pretty amusing though, Captain's been walking with the squeaky corn hanging out of his mouth. He ALSO got some yummy training treats, and a posh bow-tie- you know, for when he feels like getting dressed up. Captain has some great nieces and nephews for spoiling him so much!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

To Yosemite and Beyond!

*Please note, this post was originally a guest post for the Fido Factor Blog. Since then, the blog has been deactivated, so I have re-posted content here. I will re-link to Fido Factor if the blog becomes active again.

To Yosemite and Beyond! (With Fido!) 

Getting acquainted with Yosemite signage
Time for a little choose your own adventure quiz:
A) You want to hike tons of trails in Yosemite National Park.
B) You want to bring your lovable four-legged friend with you to Yosemite National Park.

No, you may not choose both (always my first choice). If you chose A, sorry, but you can't have your dog with you. Leave him/her at home with a friend and a good toy. If you chose B, read on, my friend, read on!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Finding New Spots

While wildlife finds have been easy, finding our new local dog park and favorite running spots after moving to Oakland has been a little bit more of a challenge. Right off the bat, looking at the map, I identified some nearby spots and tried them out. Read on if you're interested in our initial take on running and dog parks in the Oakland area.
Captain at Lake Merritt

Finding New Friends

Change is hard for anyone- including dogs. Getting to know a new neighborhood can be exciting, but it can also be a little disorienting. Over the past week and a half in our new place, we've been searching for our neighborhood dog park, the good running spots, and, as insisted by Captain, where the squirrels are.

That last one may be the easiest...

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Tales from the New Backyard

Don't turn your nose up at us for not posting recently... we're still unpacking and getting settled! It's definitely been disorienting for Captain- poor thing, he keeps following me around as I unpack boxes, go from room to room - even I don't know where things go yet, so he's totally bewildered. We still need to get back into a routine, find local doggie friends, and... one big thing.... Captain needs to learn it's ok to pee in the backyard!

Oh the irony- he won't do his business in our yard! I think we need to invite some doggie friends over... or maybe he just needs more time to get settled. BUT, we are loving the new neighborhood- sunny, lots of new running spots to explore, and plenty for a Vizsla to sniff ;-)

 More tales & adventures from Captain to come!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Goodbyes


Poor Captain. It's been a rough week. Just yesterday I sold HIS couch. Why on Earth Mommy would ever get rid of HIS couch, he'll never know. Nevermind the fact that it was stained, faded, and, lest he forget from his puppy days, had a giant tear in the corner from an overactive puppy left at home for too long (by Daddy, of course).

It was time to get out with the old so we can get on with the new- we're moving this Sunday! Hopefully Captain will be happy when he sees I'm replacing his couch with a little back yard and deck to lounge in the sun, but for now, I think he's just completely bewildered. In addition to losing his cozy couch corner, he also experienced another sad and serious loss this week...

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Walk softly...

...and:

Now that's a big stick.

Captain wishes a very big, happy 4th of July to everyone!
He's not too excited for the fireworks, but is poised and ready to snag any food that just might get dropped at the BBQ.

AND here's some news: if anyone remembers, a few weeks back we had a "doggie interview" for a new place we wanted to move to, and were waiting to hear back. Well, good news: Captain passed with waggy tails, and in just a few short weeks, we will be moving to this new place! It has a little more room, and Captain's first (albeit small) back yard of his very own! Very excited to share pictures and stories to come...