# 8 week old Ginger is now a member of the family :)



## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Hi my name is Kenny and my wife, Tamie and I have taken the Vizsla plunge...

We are experienced dog owners and last week put our beloved German Shepherd down which really left a huge hole in our hearts. We did some research and found a Vizsla breeder near us with one female left and we took the plunge. She spent Monday night in the Crate and not a peep... she ate very little on Tuesday and threw up just a little bit of bile a couple times and we became worried but the vet said that can be normal because of the transition, and as long as she was playing not to be too concerned. We also have an adopted kitten (13 wks) and they have become best friends in a matter of minutes. They slept and played together all day. Last night she was put in her crate at around 10pm and she woke me up at 1am with her first whines and yelps... wow what a voice on a little puppy  -- I took her outside and she peed right away and then back in the crate. She whined and carried on for about 15 minutes and then quiet until I woke up for work at 5:30. THAT I could definitely handle... I am hoping she will continue to do well in her crate during hours we are not home (no more than 4 rarely) and sleeping. We shall see...

As far as not eating or drinking much and just sleeping for the most part of her first day at home... my wife just called and said that Ginger is a NEW DOG... She immediately ate her food and has been talking to my wife all morning, bouncy and just plain being a puppy !!

I think that her confidence took a huge leap forward and the fact that she is beginning to understand this is her NEW home and Toby is her new buddy have made all the difference. She pees as soon as she hits the yard every time and I can see how housebreaking should be fairly easy (knock on wood) and now we wait for the SHARKIES and the ZOOMIES to show themselves...

She is the cutest freaking puppy !!! We are excited to start this new chapter of our lives, apprehensive (after reading the horror stories) but excited nonetheless ! 

We were very glad to see the active forum on here and all the support and stories. It has already helped a ton.

She has Puppy Kindergarten starting in 3 weeks and then straight to Obedience 1 and 2... we have a fenced in acre for her to run and our daughter has a Brittany pup to bond with as well. So horror stories or NO horror stories we have taken the Vizsla Plunge. Whish us luck and sanity in our new adventure


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## Jallen2014 (Mar 18, 2014)

Well Conrgats ! to Ginger's Mom & Dad... A Vz is not like any other dog... get ready for Vizsla talk, velcroing,pointing Ect... so much more that a normal dog.... so happy for you...keeps us posted & wanna see Ginger's pictures please.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Congratulations and welcome to the Vizsla fold.

It looks like you caught a big break with the crate and house training. Issues that bring some owners to tears! You still have a chance for tears when the shark attacks start, but zoomies are great fun to watch.

I would take advantage of the good start you have with the crate by reinforcing the notion that the crate is a good place. E.g., feed her in there; give her treats for going in there; make it a part of games.

And please do post some pictures!

Bob


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Greetings, Kenny, Tamie, and GINGER... and welcome to the forums! I am so happy for all of you, and wish you many happy years together!! And yes, we would love to see a few photos. ;D ;D ;D


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Thought I'd give you an update:

Well, Ginger has survived one week, today at her new home.

Vet: Ginger checks out 100 percent ! She got her second shot and we will have her spayed at 4mos or so. She did very well at the doc's !

Eating: She didn't eat a lot her first few days and had us getting worried. She is now eating much better and LOVES those 'training' meat treats!! So she is really coming around on the food front... we are going to feed her 3 times a day (Bowl goes down for 10 minutes...) for the next few weeks just to put a little meat on her bones...

Sleeping: Not sure if we got a diamond in the rough, but crate training has gone better than we could have possibly hoped. The most she whined and wailed was for about 20 minutes of her first night in the crate. Now she gets put in her crate at 10pm, I will hear her at about 3am and take her out to pee. We come back in and immediately put her back in the crate and she will whine for a few minutes, and then nothing. The crate is in the bedroom and maybe it's the fact that she knows someone is in the same room or what not but I am really blown away so far at the ease of this part of her puppy training... My wife just called and said she ran the vacuum cleaner for the first time and Ginger got scared and ran RIGHT TO HER CRATE... Can it really be this easy? I'm knocking on anything wood : )

Playing: Having the adopted kitten, Toby, (4 mos) has been a Godsend ! They play ALL THE TIME. If they aren't playing together they are sleeping together. Toby waits outside the bedroom door for Ginger to greet the day !! We had our daughter's Brittany Spaniel (Another very ZOOMIE kind of dog) over yesterday to teach Ginger how to be a DOG : ) She learned Tug of War, Keep Away and some good, down home wrestling and they played inside and outside for about 8 hours with only one half hour nap for the baby... When Penny finally left for the day, Ginger was out of it. She ate, went to the bathroom and then hung on the couch for a while with Mom and then got put in her crate at 10pm. She slept until I woke up for work at 5:15am !!! I took her out, she peed for a looooong time and then went right back in her crate, pulled the blanket down and didn't hear another peep. Apparently my daughter's dog was passed out in the car on the ride home as well : )

We have lots of toys to substitute when the biting gets to our hands and she has been real good about taking the toy... hope THAT continues... Her favorite toys appear to be a canvas bird made for Tug of War and she really likes the unstuffed 'Road Kill' kind of chew toys... A couple of these toys Ginger would kind of 'hump' over them (??? Must be some kind of dominance thing...) before chewing on them. We haven't seen that kind of mannerism out of her in the past couple of days...

Training: Ginger already has 'Sit' down real well. The first day she would sit but then 'pop' up when the treat was in sight... Second day she pretty much has that command down! She has her name down also now as those are the only 2 commands we have worked on so far...
We have had a couple of little accidents in the house but have been real consistent with bringing her outside every 30 to 40 minutes and she pees EVERY time she hits the grass : ) My wife called and told me she just rang the bell on the door and she went out and peed in the grass snow! Could it be?? : )
Even if she doesn't have that down yet, she is going to be a blast to train I think... She may be smarter than she is cute? No way!! : )

Speaking of snow, we got a couple of inches last night and she seems to take to it just fine so far... Can't wait for the 5 foot snow drifts to begin... : (

Anyways, one week in and everything has gone smoother than even WE thought it would...

Have a great week everybody, I am going to go back to knocking on anything wood for a while...

: )


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Sorry, we only take posts where the puppy owner is near tears with frustration. Your story is much too perfect to have a place here <BG>. You've made a lot of members very envious, me included.

Anyhow, back to serious: I'm not going to recommend one way or the other on when to spay, but I will recommend, strongly, that you research it a bit. There has been a big shift in thought recently and there is a lot of material available. Start with a search here.

Bob


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## ZekieBoysMom (Jul 10, 2014)

Omigosh, the kitten is just as big as she is - LOL! Ginger is just TOO stinkin' cute! And it sounds like you've really lucked out personality & training-wise.


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

Gorgeous pup and fun that her and kitten are vibing so well together.

I second Bobs suggestion of doing more research before you go ahead with spaying at 4 months of age. That is very very young for spay surgery.


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

I will definitely look into the spaying info. Thanks!

We sure are attached to Ginger already... She is so cool and her personality is beginning to blossom : )

We have both noticed what a HAPPY puppy she is. And when we say 'Good Girl !!' She wiggles and wags that awesome tail as if to say, 'I know, right?'


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## fullmanfamily (Oct 17, 2014)

Love the pictures! She looks like a great addition to the family! I hope the good luck continues with the crate training!


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

UPDATE on Ginger...

Well we are now 4 weeks into our journey with Ginger and things have gone BETTER than expected. Especially compared to some of the stories I have read whilst researching this amazing breed. She is now 12 weeks old.

I also think having a cat as Ginger's brother to play with has helped a lot. They are amazing in how they play and sleep together and keeps her entertained a little more than just having mom and dad to play with. We barricade the house so that for the most part she plays in the living room and kitchen. She occasionally gets the whole house but not very often and only when we can keep her monitored. 

Crate training wasn't even crate training. She whined for 10 minutes on the first night and we have never heard a peep out of her since. Her routine is pretty regular as mom will wake her up around 7- 7:30am and will immediately go outside and pee and poo. (Ginger is the only dog I have ever seen that as soon as she hits the yard, she's squatting to pee. I am so proud of her !! Since Day One she has done that. Then it's breakfast and a fun filled day of a cat and plenty of toys. She will nap after about 3 hours of play for maybe 45 min to an hour. Then it's the Ginger show again... We are now indoctrinated to the 'sharkies' (Ouch) and the 'zoomies' (Puppy zoomies, but zoomies nonetheless -- Woah) and can kind of determine where in the 4 hour cycle she currently is at : ) We are feeding her 3/4 cup of Iames in the morning and evening with a couple of Training Sessions using the trainer recommended 'treats' (actually a type of dog food, but she goes bonkers for it  )
Ginger will start winding down around 7:30 or 8pm and just sit up on the couch and catch a little TV (She LOVES music ??) before she bonks out and we put her away for the night...

She learned real quick to hammer on the bell hanging on the door to go outside and we now have to get her to realize that is only for when she needs to 'go outside' and not because she hasn't seen her mom or dad in the last 10 seconds...

Ginger had a Urinary Tract Infection late last week (She would squat every couple of minutes and nothing would come out...very sad...) and is just now done with the antibiotics and will go Thursday for a checkup but she appears to be just fine and full of p and vinegar 

She had her first Puppy Kindergarten class and seems to take to it and the other dogs just fine...

So far she can Sit, Down (50/50), knows her name and come (unless of course something with higher priority appears on Ginger's radar ;D )

She LOVES to talk back when you correct her...

Thank goodness for an acre of yard fenced... In the back of the yard we have like a mini-woods and she tears through those trees like nobody's business when she gets ZOOMIFIED 

My daughter has a Brittany Spaniel (see also HYPERACTIVE  )and we are arranging at least one play date a week. When she comes home she sleeps the rest of the day  Have I said that WE LOVE PLAY DATES !!!

All in all, we are really happy where we are at in taking our first tentative steps into Vizslaville !

I will say, Ginger is, without a doubt, *THE HAPPIEST *puppy we have ever come across. The butt wiggle is just too cool for school  And my God, that tail !!! She is happy when she wakes up until the time she goes back in the crate for the night. 

On a couple of days a week she has to stay in the crate for up to 4 to 5 hours and so far we have not had any problems as she seems to be just fine when I come home to let her out.

We checked into the spaying and it looks like that will happen at the age of 6 months...

Ginger is pretty much what we thought we were getting into so far and her personality is starting to shine a little more each day. But the best part so far is just how happy she always is... she is a joy. So far...

We realize that Ginger must have some kind of job to keep her mind and body busy, so since we have the back yard for it, Ginger's job is going to be FRISBEE GIRL... I would think this breed should be pretty good at this type of activity and neither Tamie or I hunt so I figure between the hikes, the play dates and the Frisbee , we should have the energy commitment pretty much in check...

If anyone has any experience with teaching a Vizsla to catch and return Frisbees I would appreciate any tips or help in that department ...

Well that concludes my one month Ginger Update!

I hope everyone has a great week and wish you all Vizsla hugs and kisses


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Ginger and the kitty is now officially the cutest thing I've seen today and I've already looked at a lot of wirehaired puppy pics!

I'm glad things are going so well!


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

*Re: 8 week old Ginger is now 14 weeks !*

First off, Ginger is still the HAPPIEST dog on the face of this planet...
Her UTI cleared up in the first couple of days...
The Vet and techs love her. She got a urine test from the backside and was giving the other tech kisses from the front end !!!
We now know the Zoomies and the Sharkies first hand. 
This is unlike any breed We have ever owned... Now I know why God gave these guys such angelic faces... They wouldn't survive... [hr]
Her training is going real well and we have sit,down,shake,stand and come (she seems to know the command ok... One of those things that makes you go Hmmmmm.)
One accident in the house and that was our fault as sometimes we don't run to the bell cause she hits hit all the time if she is bored. So she basically hits it all the time... 
She is 88 % Pure Joy. And that's better than I was thinking I would get...
Her crate is her home and she has gotten adjusted to it quite well. We don't feed her in the cage. She sleeps through the night fine and will spend up to 5 hours in there while we work just fine.
I think putting a blanket over the crate from day one helped... Just a hunch.
The kitten has been a Godsend for the first five weeks but that dynamic is slowly changing to a more pedestrian relationship and when Toby sees that 'look' in her eye, he is hard to find... Heck, we look for any possible exit ... 
Her intelligence and tenacity are only matched by her good looks and her sparkling personality !
You do have to be prepared for nibble-kisses... We LOVE them but sometimes they smart...
...and OMG the butt wiggle is too cool for school !
One strange quirk we have noticed is how she loves to listen to music but dislikes the guitar.

-edit: After I read this, it hit me... maybe she doesn't like MY guitar ??  She is quite the bundle of joy around our house !!


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Ginger: 16 week update...

We love our little Ginger with all of our hearts. She is healthy and happy ALL THE TIME. Even when she is getting scolded her tail wags... this is truly a different kind of dog than I have ever raised before...

We are dealing with 2 current issues:

1) Sharkies -- OMG they are something else. She doesn't seem to attack my wife much but man o man does she like to take nips out of ME...

I know they are part of a Vizsla's maturing process but holy moly... No matter what I say or do, she doesn't seem to listen or care... So far I'm down a shirt and some pants... I am trying the 'ol grab her and place her on the ground and look her in the eye and tell her she is BAD but the little angel seems to know exactly when I want to get ahold of her and she is hard to catch...
We will stay at it of course, but man is it annoying (and painful...) Hope she grows out of that soon... I am also going to start the 'heel' training immediately by walking her close by and giving her treats as she stays on her side and is calm...

2) Housebreaking
This is driving us nuts also. She seems to understand the deal about hitting the bell on the door to go out. She also seems to understand that hitting the bell gets her attention and sometimes that is all she wants and when she just came in 5 minutes ago we will not go to the door...
She will go out and pee EVERY TIME we let her out, I swear the dog hits the ground squatting and always has... HOWEVER, it seems like every day she piddles on the carpet or the kitchen floor with NO WARNING... We take her out immediately and she finishes but this keeps happening every day...
Yet she will stay in her crate for up to 12 hours overnight and never makes a peep and has NEVER soiled in her crate.
HELP !!!
IF anyone has a tip on what we may be doing wrong or need to do, we are all ears !!

Besides that, she is a really cool puppy and a blast to have around. They really are clowns  and she still gets along like best buds with the cat...

I say it again: I know why God made Vizslas so darn cute...


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

At her age your still going to have to take her out sometimes, before she asks to go out. If she asks to go out every 45 minutes, and it been a hour, take her out to potty. Pups can hold it longer when sleeping, than they can when awake.
Getting pups fully potty trained has more to do with training us to take them out before accidents.

I don't think I ever placed one of mine on the ground for puppy nipping.
I have put some pressure on their lips, by pressing them against the teeth to get them to turn loose of my arm. Never enough to hurt the pup, just enough to make them uncomfortable. If your pulling your arms, and hands away, the pup thinks it a game. I'm sure you have found out they love to play tug a war with you and your clothes. Most of the time it was just putting a toy, or chew in their mouth. If they were really wound up (most of the time overtired) I would just put them up for a few minutes.
Just like potty training, your trying to break the cycle. By replacing unwanted behavior with the behavior you want.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Welcome to the forum, your pup is gorgeous and you are definitely having an easy time of it.

Did I read correctly that you are going to have her spayed at around 4 months? If so, please take some time to read some of the veterinary §research into neutering that can be found on the internet. There is now a lot of evidence about early neutering which is well worth a read. It is highly recommended that a bitch has one if not two seasons before spaying, and not before 18 months and the growth plates have closed. Their hormones effect their growth just like they effect the growth of teenagers.

Vets are very keen to advise you to have them neutered, and early - neutering makes up 27% of their income. I am not against spaying but please make it an informed decision and not one your vet has pushed you into.

If you are a member of Facebook there is a group called Vizsla Health Information Group, under the file tab there are papers about neutering that you might find interesting. It is a very good group and monitored by a vet who has Vizslas, lots of help and advise.

Enjoy your Vizsla - they are truly an amazing dog.

Glad you are enjoying your new puppy Vizsla.


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Thanks for that advice.
That's kind of how we are doing it. I think I am expecting more out of her than she's capable of sometimes because she is so incredible.
As I type this she is, quite literally, on top of my head...

She just got her 'big girl' shots and she's ready to kick butt and take names so we need to start the next step in training. Winter sucks for training...

Sharkies and Zoomies are a way of life with these young Vizslas... I fall more in love with her every hour...
We have learned there are ODER FREE Bully Sticks !
She is still the happiest dog we have ever met.
Ginger loves the vet for crying out loud...
So far Ginger is the perfect puppy 92 % of time 
The other thing that strikes me is how beautiful this breed is. She looks like a statue !
Going on 17 weeks and she gets better. We can't wait for Spring !!!


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Ginger is now 18 weeks and she is the PERFECT PUPPY 93% of the time now 

However, a study showed that 93% of statistics are made up...

She really is just the happiest, lovingist doggy we have ever come across. She is just a total joy. We keep waiting for the roof to cave in but she keeps getting bigger and better !!! 

God Bless Bully Sticks


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Well Ginger will be 5 months next week !!! Hard to believe but she is growing leaps and bounds...

She is still quiet as a church mouse when in her crate. (I'm knocking on anything wood...)

There have been NO MORE accidents in the house. I think we were expecting a little TOO much from our little girl at the beginning... We decided the best part of valor is to just let her out EVERY TIME she rang the bell. She is now ringing it less and less and does her 'business' every time. We can even tell when she has to go #2 (she HAMMERS the bell )

Even though she is 3 times the size of the cat now they still take turns chasing each other around the house... They will remain friends, and of this we have no doubt...

Her training continues and she now has STAY down real well...

We can tell that the 'recall' is going to be one of the most difficult to master... and 'OFF' is a work in progress. 'Give' has all of a sudden become workable for those times she feels the need to swipe a sock or a shoe or a coat or the cat... For my wife anyways...

She LOVES her Flyball now and its a good way to get her ZOOMIES under control when occasionally warranted...

I think the most amazing and surprising thing about Ginger so far is how she calms down quickly. We were so worried about the 'High Energy' attribute of Vizslas that we kind of psyched ourselves out. My daughter has a Brittany Spaniel, so I KNOW what Hyperactive is all about. And we definitely know the difference between High Energy and Hyperactive now... Ginger can relax and chill with the best of them  It really is like they have an OFF switch and an ON switch. Put her head under a blanket and she will be snoring in less than a couple minutes... 

We got snowed in for a couple of days and she really couldn't get out much but she seemed perfectly content laying on the couch with mom and dad...

And to this day, she still goes into her crate with her tail wagging and she comes out of her crate every morning with that tail wagging. And of course when the tail wags, the butt comes along for the ride 

Ginger is just so darn cool... She is a clown and we love her more each day!

PS My motto is still: God Bless Unscented Bully Sticks


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

OKEEDOKEE -- Little update on our first foray into Vizsladom...

Ginger is 5 months old today !!

She is still the happiest mammal on the planet. The tail and the butt never seem to be in the same place at the same time... : ) Happy in the morning, Happy in the evening. Happy -- Happy -- Happy !

I opened up the house - which is rare, for Ginger and Toby (the CAT) to play a bit... It was like qualifying at Daytona !!  You would see (and hear) them run from one end of the house to the other. first the dog was chasing the cat. Next time it would be the cat chasing the dog... I think we may be dealing with identity issues...? 

Housebreaking has been (knocking on anything wood) achieved we believe. We have had NO accidents in a couple weeks now. It was rare before but now it is non existent. She STILL loves to hit that bell on the door a lot but nowhere near like she used to.

Flyball is the only real game we play outside right now because the winter is putting clamps on any kind of extended playtime. However I will say that we are still very pleased with how Ginger seems to be able to relax and just chill with the family inside at a moment's notice. We see the 'high energy' in her and make no mistake, this dog is no couch potato and you see the wheels turning but she is much calmer in a general way then what we thought we would be getting... I take her out in our backyard a few times a day and she runs around and has a blast but she is the first one in the door when it's time to go in...

We now have STAY, SIT, DOWN, SHAKE, Come (this one is still really intermittent due to her 'selective' hearing habits...) I know that there are a lot of people down on the E Collars but I really think we may go that route just to make sure the recall works when out hiking, etc.
- any info, good or bad on this would be appreciated.

The crate training has been maybe the best part of the whole Vizsla Puppy Experience. Ginger will start nodding off around 8pm. We have gotten into a routine where Ginger will get under the blanket (this is obviously a V trait for sure ) and pretty much nod off after a minute or two. Tamie will pick her up in her arms and Ginger will be stiff as a board  She will have her arms and legs sticking straight out as she carries her to her 'bedroom'. She will now get put on the ground halfway and Ginger will gladly walk right into her crate. We pull the blanket over it and we wont hear another peep out of her even with a TV going or a light on... At 8 am every morning Tamie will let her out of the crate, she runs to kitchen, looks for the cat, goes outside and poops, then comes in and eats breakfast. All while shaking that butt at 100 mph !

So far there have been no guarding issues with anything... we make sure to put our hands in her kibble when she is eating and she could care less. She is getting a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening. Besides that just some treats when training.

She looks great, she appears to be healthy as a horse. (She even looks like one out in the snow prancing around...) She is getting big fast... we think she must be getting close to 35 lbs.

Her favorite toys are still anything to play tug of war with, her Bully Sticks and ANYTHING that belongs to ME. Shoes, socks, tissues, blankets, guitar picks, books... you name it. If it belongs to me and she can get her mouth on it, she's GONE... : ) At least she is dropping it pretty good now when told to...

We are leaving for vacation and Ginger will be staying with our daughter and her Brittany Spaniel. They are already great play date buddies so that part is fine. We are really worried that her crate training habbits could get out of whack over this period... we will try and keep that part of it as normal as possible...

The Sharkies have begun to dramatically decrease around the house... so far just one pair of pants and a shirt have war wounds... There are still moments but I think we wont be getting 'Battle Pay' any more as she seems to be figuring out the WHO and HOW HARD to bite someone...

The Zoomies are the Zoomies and I think you just get a feel for when a Zoomie needs to get out... Did I say how much I LOVE my big back yard...  When I see that 'look' in the eye, usually we will go outside, walk to the back of the yard, she gets her ya yas out for about 5 minutes and then looks at me like she is ready to go in. And always beats me to the door ... 

The jumping on people and us still is a big issue and she seems to be getting better but it is quite a challenge. YOU tell her to not be happy... 

We are so looking forward to Spring and hiking and kayaking, etc !!

I kind of feel guilty writing about how easy this has been so far for us but please don't send the Karma Train our way, ok? I have to believe that some of you are saying, 'He'll get his...' but so far Ginger has been a joy in every way. Her happiness is infectious. She is such a clown and we just love her more every minute...

If I had any suggestions for beginners so far it would be

Put the crate in your bedroom or near your room and cover it with a blanket at all times. If the crate is large, divide it with some kind of separator.

Put a bell on the doorknob and they will associate the 'bell' with going out almost immediately.
If they start hammering the bell all the time (because of treat on successful return...) we just get up and let her out again. And again. And again.
Funny thing is she squats EVERY TIME she would go out. Sometimes no pee, just squat and come back in...
These dogs learn how to 'work you' for treats real quickly. My wife is pretty much Pack Leader in our house...whose isn't?  and you can tell and Ginger has already figured out that I am the easy touch in our house.

Lot's of socialization / play-dates / training are definitely recommended whenever possible.

Another pet sure comes in handy. When we got our Ginger we did not realize JUST HOW NICE it has been to have another animal to play and socialize with. Our only problem is the dog acts kind of like a cat and visa versa...

The Cat is also up for several Purple Hearts I believe...

Anyways so far, so good.

PS -- There really IS a thing called V-love !!! Sometimes it hurts a little  But we LOVE IT !!

Have a great February everybody !!

A picture of our Security Team in action has been included


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## mommaofalot (Apr 10, 2014)

You sound just like me with my experience with Koda. I think we over look all the craziness cause we love them and we love them because of all the craziness. Also one thing I kept saying about Koda is she must be part cat and we do not have a cat for her to learn from. The pouncing and chasing and shaking her little butt before she would attack made me believe she was part cat lol. The shoe never feel in our case (so I think you are good) she continues to be just an all around awesome V (she is 10 months old). Someone on this forum said they are not dogs they are vizslas and I couldn't agree more!!


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Just a little update on our Ginger who is now 27 weeks old. Boy time flies !!!

First off, Ginger is even happier then yesterday. We think it's a given now that she will be even happier tomorrow ! 

We continue to be blown away by her temperament and that outward expression of joy at almost anytime of the day or night. She is like a smile machine. When we were first reading up on this breed we came across a description that fits her to a T. Vizslas are like aristocratic clowns. And that is EXACTLY what she is. We have become incredibly attached to her and could not imagine life without her now.

She was spayed last Wednesday and we kept her at a low roar for the last 5 days. The incision is healing nicely and we see absolutely no change in her attitude or loony idiosyncrasies of hers. And we still marvel at how she can turn her energy on and off like a switch most times. When we are crashed out watching TV she is right there with us watching and listening... She LOVES scary music and always picks her head up when the scary scenes come on TV 

Ginger and the cat (can't say kitten any longer...) remain the best of friends and get along just fine with plenty of playtime...

Ginger has had a couple of little 'accidents' in the house still. She hammers that bell on the door all the time. And occasionally we go 'no way' and then later find a spot... How can she hold it for near 10 to 12 hours in her crate but not more than a half hour when out and about? Weird but I guess understandable... anyways as long as we respond to the bell, no accidents. So the moral of that story is ANSWER the BELL ! 

Speaking of the crate, every evening between 8:30 and 9 she just 'looks' ready for bed and now we just ask if she's ready for 'night night' and she goes right to her crate, gets covered up with a blanket and never makes another sound until we get her up in the morning. She did just as well with the crate at my daughter's house for 10 days while we were on vacation.

The Sharkies have slowed to almost being nonexistent now. Zoomies are nowhere near as bad as we thought they would be. She gets that 'look' in here eye when a Zoomie is approaching and we simply open the back door, let get her ya ya's out for about 5 minutes of running, dancing, hopping and chasing birds and then she always comes right back in and seems just fine. What a crazy fun dog! She loves to chase anything and has met all 3 neighbor dogs on both sides of us and they have a blast as well.

COUNTER SURFING... ahhh the counter surf. One of the Vizslas truly remarkable hunting skills... We learned the hard way that ALL FOOD must be off the counters at all time now. My wife came home with half a chocolate cake from work and set it up on the counter. Not 5 minutes later I caught Ginger red handed after she had consumed half of half a cake. We kind of freaked out because we knew chocolate is not good for them and called the vet who reassured us that she should be ok and keep an eye on her. She never showed any symptoms of anything. Amazing what this dog will scoop up in her mouth. Sticks, rocks, bugs, paper etc... 

She sure does love to grab any loose shoe or sock when available... 

We also discovered another quirk of hers... When my wife and I start kissing each other she HAS to get her head in between ours and starts kissing like crazy. She does this EVERY TIME and it cracks us up. 

Her favorite thing in the world is to have somebody just get on the floor and play tug of war... or just get on the floor and play anything. 

We are REALLY looking forward to introducing her to the lake, the boat, kayaking and all the great hiking trails we have in Michigan now that the weather is finally warming up. And Michigan in the summertime is God's country so she is going to have a BLAST we think!

We are pretty set in the fact that we will be introducing her to an e-collar. We know that there are two sides to this coin but our daughter's Brittany has one and it has been nothing short of miraculous in keeping her calm and close by. So we want to feel that same kind of security when our Ginger begins to 'range' on our hikes. I will update that as we go along as well...

To wrap it up, we just couldn't be any happier with our Ginger!!!  She brings us so much joy and laughter that we are just so thankful we didn't let all the horror stories we were reading, when researching breeds, keep us from getting a Vizsla. They obviously aren't for everyone but for experienced dog owners, really not that much more work than any other breed.
They literally do 'live on your head'  are as 'velcro' as they say  and will provide countless laughs and smiles hour after hour, day after day. We sure do love her and her Vizsla ways !!!


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## Janders (Feb 27, 2014)

It's so fun to read about everyone's experiences with their Vizsla's. Our Gus is now 14 months old. Time just flies! He is an awesome dog - so, so smart. And such an important part of our family. 
You mentioned in your post - Oder free bully sticks. What brand are they? When Gus graduated from his obedience classes, the instructor gave me a bully stick that he was crazy about. However, after just a short time in the house - I had to throw it away. The smell was horrible! I would love to get him some that didn't smell quite so bad.


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

I believe they were 'Red Barn' however my wife still swears she can smell it. I personally think it's in her head because I can't even smell the other ones  but if you check a good feed store they will have them...

I agree, they LOVE those bully sticks and can keep them amused for 'minutes' at a time : )


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## Janders (Feb 27, 2014)

I will definitely check into those bully sticks. I'm sure my husband will be able to smell them no matter what but since my sense of smell it weak, I'll give them to Gus when he's not home.  Thanks!


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

We get the odor free ones from Bestbullysticks.com. Their quality control isn't the best (thickness varies despite the guarantees on the website and sometimes we do get a stinky batch) but for the most part, they are odor less and a good price. You can actually tell if for some reason they are going to smell (the odor less ones don't stink when you sniff them, the stinky ones do already).


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

Small Update. Ginger is now 8 months old.

She is still the happiest living biological organism on this planet. we wish we could bottle her temperament and spread it throughout the world.

She is a bundle of joy every waking moment. She poops with her tail wagging for crying out loud : )

We have been working with her a lot as far as ranging close to us. We have trails right in front of our house that we work her on. We DID get a SportDog E-collar. In over a month of use, she had to be 'lit up' twice. On a setting of '4' that goes to '40'. I can't recommend this enough as a training tool.

While it IS true that a 'Good girl' is just as rewarding to a V as a treat, the e collar has been a wonderful tool. She now stays near us and if she begins to wander she comes back immediately. She LOVES to walk the trails free of a leash and we enjoy just as much. She ranges forward maybe 20 feet max and then always turns and looks to see where we are. When we say 'Leave it' she leaves whatever it is behind. The collar does not bother her at all. In fact she now associates it with 'outside freedom' and sits politely but excited when we put it on her. And on the rare occasion she doesn't respond to a 'Ginger, COME!' command, we give her a BEEP and she comes running to us like she's shot out of a cannon. Which is what we want when we are out in the boonies and she locks in on a scent...

We have not had much opportunity to get her comfortable with water, but apparently that is not going to be a problem either as she gravitates towards any puddle and she marched right into a little pond up to her neck...

Watching her play in the back yard is a thing of joy. She almost looks like a pony frolicking in the fields : )

Her biting is becoming soft and her SHARKIES are becoming few and far between.

She rides in the car fine and we have gotten a smaller crate for hour 3 hour drives to our cottage and she is just fine with that.

The Crate has become her 'safe place' and we don't even use treats to get her in anymore. She goes gladly and knows 'night night' after 8pm and walks right in. We pull the blanket down over it and we wont hear a peep out of her until we lift the blanket and let her out. And if you are in a bad mood, it's hard to stay that way after you see Ginger greet the day !!! She is a blast in everything she does from stalking the never ending supply of birds in the back yard to how she lives to please you.

We still love odor free Bully Sticks and she also likes the 'hoofs' with cheese in them. Korgs hold up well. Other toys not so much.

Ginger and her brother (the cat) are life long friends and Toby LOVES his sister !

Well, that's it for a little update. I have owned a lot of breeds but I have NEVER witnessed a dog like this as far as just being a loving, friendly goof.

They really are 'aristocratic clowns' - that is the best description I have heard yet.

Good luck and God Bless the V !!!


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## pjcodner (Jun 1, 2015)

I just read all your posts and it was great to see how Ginger has been doing as she is getting older. We are picking up our puppy in two weeks and I have been reading as much as I can on this site to prepare myself.

I have a question for you. I saw in one of your posts that you use a bell for Ginger to let you know when she has to go out. Can you tell me where you got the bell and did you just hang it from the door knob? We have been looking all over for a bell and can't find one.

Thanks Paul


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

pjcodner said:


> Can you tell me where you got the bell and did you just hang it from the door knob? We have been looking all over for a bell and can't find one.


A lot of the pet stores sell them, but we made our own. I just got a large jingle bell from Hobby Lobby (any craft store should have them) and put it on a thick ribbon to hang from the doorknob.


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

UPDATE: Translation: I'm going to GUSH now... : )

Well our little Ginger is 10 months old and growing !!! She is at 45 lbs and they think that is where she will stay... perfect!

We now totally understand why everyone goes GAGA over this breed. We have NEVER experienced anything like her.

Her temperament is astonishing. Any new experience she confronts, she does it cautiously but she also does it willingly and enthusiastically. She has NEVER refused a new experience and that is one of the big reasons we adore her...

We purchased Ginger, one, because I had just put down my beloved German Shepherd and two, because we wanted a dog that could go EVERYWHERE with us and not be worried about whether she may nip at someone or be a general pain in the ass... And she has been the PERFECT DOG. She maintains her sleep schedule and everyone just LOVES her!

Ginger is still the friendliest piece of biology put together by God !
She STILL pees or poops with her tail wagging... : ) Everything is an adventure and EVERYTHING is the 'greatest thing, EVER!' She puts smiles on our faces every hour of the day.

Her stamina is freakish. We went on a 4-5 mile Kayak River Trip and she got on the kayak when we shoved off, and immediately saw water and that was it. For the next 5 miles she ran / skipped / jumped or swam.

We would take little breaks and she would 'fish'... : )

That was the most fun I ever had on a float trip. We also take her on our boat and go swimming in the middle of the lake. She LOVES it and we got her a vest to wear when in open water... she dives right it and then when she's ready to come back up on the boat, she swims close and we just pick her up. It's a blast!

She really has settled into a great routine. She wakes at 8am, gets out of her crate like it's Christmas morning every morning. She will follow mom around as she does her morning chores, like making the bed, etc and is just fine with all of it. She will follow her from room to room.

After that she gets tons of playtime in the backyard... She is becoming the CHUCKIT Queen !!! She LOVES to retrieve and she is showing a very athletic side now when she jumps to catch the ball... Very impressive !!!

She is very active and energetic until about 6pm. Then it's like she's connected to a dimmer switch. We start turning the dimmer switch down for the next two hours. By 8pm, she can't hold her eyes open, we say 'ready for night night' and now she put's herself to sleep in her crate !!! We simply follow her and put a blanket over her and give her a kiss goodnight.
Then it's 12 hours without a peep until we wake her at 8am only to see Ginger emerge like it's Christmas Day all over again.

From reading this forum, I know it seems like we maybe we should be having more issues with her (we kind of feel a little guilty...) but we are pretty much agreed that this will be the ONLY breed we get from now on. We are talking about giving her a sister when she is about two... : )

She is friendly to EVERYONE and every animal. She plays down to their level as well. Even gets 'in the middle' of a big dog and a little dog to 'take the hits' for the little dog !! Her and Toby (the cat) are still the best of friends and have lived in harmony since day one : )

This summer, because of being blessed with a cottage on a nice lake, swimming is definitely at the TOP OF HER LIST now. She first just loved retrieving but now she has 'learned to fish' and that keeps her occupied most of the time... she LOVES it. She wakes up every morning when we are staying up north and first thing she does is look out the window and check on the boat. It's a riot!

She also swims in our pool and goes right to the stairs every time after retrieving something... so water will be part of her lifestyle for years to come !

So that is my little Ginger update... We don't know how we could be MORE IN LOVE with her than we are now. It almost hurts when she gives you that 'look' !

THOSE INCREDIBLE, BEAUTIFUL and EXPRESSIVE EYES !  !

We are completely and utterly V struck.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Geez... It's such a shame that nobody loves Ginger!! 
HA, Ha, Ha, ha!! No, really, Ginger sounds like such a great dog (!), and I couldn't agree with you more about the Vizsla breed in general. I never get tired of looking at all the photos here on the forums, because I think these dogs are just incredibly beautiful creatures... and the big bonus is that they have the temperament to match! ;D ;D ;D


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

*Re: 8 week old Ginger is now a member of the family  One YEAR Update !*

Our Ginger was born on 9-11-14. We just celebrated her ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY !!!

She is 47 lbs and just the cutest thing you ever saw! Well... you know , just like everyone else's V !!!

One year ago I had to put down my beloved German Shepherd, Sadie and never thought I could get that attached to a dog again. Then came Ginger...

I had read some on the breed, but jumped the gun and just went and bought her from a breeder in Liberty Center, Ohio. THEN I found this forum which HELPED immensely. But also scared the bejeezes out of me. I thought we had made a TERRIBLE mistake...

I could not have been more wrong. This forum can scare the crap out of new Vizsla owners, and for good reason. This breed is definitely for the LOVER of dogs and not for the feint of heart ... Also some previous experience with dog ownership helps a lot...

But, that said, after one year, Ginger has burrowed her way into our hearts like NO OTHER dog before her in my 58 years of life with dogs. Her temperament could STOP WARS. I didn't think it possible but each day she just gets happier than the day before. Every day is Christmas morning. Every child's laugh puts her butt into overdrive. When she does something that makes us laugh, she will DOUBLE that effort. We just have never seen anything like her or her ways.

Eating: We now put 3-4 cups of food in her dish in the morning and she just eats when she wants. We have been feeding her IAMS since Day 1 with no complaints.

Spaying: We probably should have waited till her first period before spaying but did not know better and the vet said at 6 mos was fine, so we did. She would have little 'accidents' leaving pee spots after waking from a nap... this we noticed for a couple months but that is no longer an issue. She seems fit as a fiddle now...

Sleeping: We still crate her when we are not home and she ALWAYS goes in with never a peep. We keep a blanket over the crate and think this has helped since the beginning. She is now getting to stay up late with us watching tv -We say: "Wanna go watch TV on the bed" and she RUNS to the bed, jumping up and down and trying to pull is in... 
every night she thinks that's 'special' : ) she will knowingly avoid me at around 'nite nite' time but always goes willingly : )

VELCRO: We notice that she always wants to be in the same room as one of us but not necessarily always having to touch... I have been told that the males tend to be much more Velcro than females so maybe that is it. She will occasionally be found lounging on the rug downstairs in the sunshine with her buddy (Toby, the CAT) which is just too cute...

And boy oh boy do these dogs love blankets !!!

PLAY: Chuck It is her game of choice. She LOVES to jump and make acrobatic catches... If Ginger had her way, we would do this morning, noon and night. Her favorite toys tend to be anything she can tear apart and get a squeaker out of in the first 5 minutes... but she will treat a Chuck It ball like a baby...  If we had to pick ONE favorite toy of hers it would have to be the CAT... They really love each other and have since we brought Ginger home.
Ginger's other favorite pastime, when we can, is to go boating / kayaking / swimming / fishing and will not stop. Ever. She has never caught a fish and if she did I'm sure she would 'catch and release' : ) We showed her a fish and she just licked it...

TEMPERMENT: THIS is the NUMBER ONE trait of this breed. I can't explain it and I think every Vizsla owner has a hard time describing the joy and love this breed brings to the table. My heart fills with joy and laughter just thinking about her. She will always get in the middle of two dogs playing rough in order to 'take the hits' for the smaller dog.

She still poops and pees in the yard with her butt wagging, truly a sight to see! She LOVES everyone and especially kids. We went on one of our monthly kayak rides down a river when she got ahead of us (she has ALWAYS ranged within eyesight and have never had a problem. On this day she got ahead of us and we found her in a stranger's kayak just sitting there licking his face... : ) I couldn't improve on her attitude if I wanted to. It is perfection. About the only complaint I have is that if I am not paying attention to her, against her wishes, she will IMMEDIATELY go about looking for something of mine to shake in front of me. I have gone through several ball caps and pairs of glasses... Makes you go Grrrrrrrrrr but actually a small price to pay for the amount of love and entertainment she brings to us DAILY : )

COUNTER SURFING: We learned the hard way, as most do, that this is a 'special trait' of this breed and I sure don't know how you stop it... so we have been 'trained' by Ginger to keep all food and other items OFF THE COUNTER. She ate a plate of brownies and scared the life out of us, but were informed by the vet that unless she ate the 'bakers chocolate' she would most likely be fine... which she was. But it still scared us greatly... 

HEELING: Wait. What? Measured in MILES, not steps... : ) And we don't care... she ranges so well and always checks that we are in sight. We make a game of it and when she is a bit away we will yell 'TOUCH' and she will come running back and touch our hand. Then, in a cloud of dust, she's back on the trails ! What a delight she is to take hiking! 

TRANSPORTATION: This is a weird one. When in a car, on short rides she will get behind the front seat and curl up and not make a sound until we arrive. Then she springs into action just like normal... weird... On long drives we crate her and she sleeps until we get to where we are going...

JUMPING ON PEOPLE: This is a work in progress... : ) But she is getting better... Another trait that is better measured in years, not weeks : )

TRAINING: We went to Puppy Kindergarten for an 8 week class and then just worked with her on our own. And by 'working' I mean not doing much... : ( Just the basic sit, down, shake, high fives, etc. We just don't feel the need to specialize her in anything... We don't hunt or any of that stuff so she is pure house dog : ) We have used a shock collar since she was 6 months old and it has been worth every penny. She was shocked ONE TIME on a setting of 3 (out of 80) and from then on a beep works wonders. We rarely use it now, mostly just if we are on trails walking... Which is a joy in itself just to watch her enjoy the sights and sounds of nature...

ZOOMIES and SHARKIES: The first few months are pretty incredible... The sharkies, OMG, the sharkies : ) I went through several shoes and shirts before this slowed to almost nothing.
Zoomies, of course, come and go, probably for life I would imagine... I see that 'look' in her eye and thank the Lord I can open my back door and let her rock and roll out there... It's when she is 'GRUNTING' while ZOOMIEING- THAT's when you have to be on guard as she may try to sneak a SHARKIE in while passing you... : )
But bottom line: Sharkies are minimal to none now. Thank you God. : )

GROOMING: Man, what a joy this dog is. The shedding is very hard to see and also easy to clean. (so says my wife : ) )
Cutting her nails is a piece of cake. You can bend these dogs into pretzels and they don't say a word. Cutting her nails is a two minute job. She gets a treat for each paw. And she loves it !
Ginger had gotten a cut while kayaking and we put antibacterial on her for a couple weeks. We kept it on top of the fridge. Every day she would stand and wait almost EXPECTING someone to put the ointment on her. Amazing.

So that is my update... Our beloved Ginger is now ONE YEAR OLD : ) I think we MADE IT !!  !!

As far as having the 'run of the house' while we are gone - THAT'S a ways down the road still, I am afraid. I am wondering when other people started leaving their Vizslas home alone (scary thoughts...)?
I am thinking another year at least... We definitely see why they say Vizslas stay puppies for 3 years now... We think she acts like about a 4 year old adult right now...

The best way to describe our first year's experience owning a Vizsla is this: We are already determining the best time to get Ginger's sister... which will be a Vizsla, of course!

A big thank you to everyone on this Forum. It has been a Godsend. The information, warnings and encouragement were a huge benefit to our family.

We can now attest that Vizslas are "Aristocratic Clowns" -- and a better description of this incredible and loving breed, I have never found.

God Bless the Vizslas !


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## Pecan_and_BB (Jun 15, 2015)

just looked back a page at the pic of your cat and your V and thought.........doppelganger pets?


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## pjcodner (Jun 1, 2015)

Your posts are so interesting and relateable. Our 5 month old is a handful right now and it sounds like we had similar experiences at that age. Chloe is exhibiting a lot of aggressive behavior lately. The recent shark attacks, destroyed clothing and shoes, obsession with tissues and toilet paper and not wanting to sleep in her crate has left me frustrated and in tears on many days. I know it's silly, but when she has her "devil moments" I feel like she doesn't love me or isn't happy here. However, those moments are quickly forgotten when Chloe behaves like an angel and is so well behaved. I just wished they happened more often!

It is so refreshing to read about your Vizsla's journey and know that it all works out in the end.


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## killmodell (Nov 10, 2014)

(UPDATE) Ginger is now 16 months old.

We love her more than ever. She is incredible.
She doesn't listen for 'key words' she listens to SENTENCE STRUCTURE.
It has happened enough times now that my wife and I just look at each other and smile when she does something.

She is a PLEASURE to take on walks.
We are blessed with a real nice park near us and we will walk the disk golf course (about a mile) with her.
When we put in a mile, she has to have put in FIVE.
BUT she never ranges out of sight. We also say TOUCH and she will come running from wherever she is and touch our hand then go bounding on.

This breed has blown me away.
From her temperament that ALWAYS makes us smile.
She will attack from nowhere with kisses and the more you laugh, the more she attacks : )

She is best friends with our cat and that has never changed.

We got her a COZY CAVE and that was such a great purchase.
She LOVES it and will drag it to the electric fireplace before she gets in it EVERY MORNING !

Her diet is Aimes as well as occasional people food.
She LOVES Carrots. Heck she loves EVERYTHING.

She adapts to every situation so easily. I think letting them EXPERIENCE different situations and places etc is so IMPORTANT in the first year.

Anyways, just a quick update on our Ginger and how incredible she is.
God hit on a winner when he / she made the Vizsla.

PS - She sleeps in our bed but goes right in her crate in the morning until one of us is home.
And she will most likely NOT SEE Free reign over the homestead for at least another TWO Years. 
They are extremely inventive and she has an incredible knack for taking the stuffing out of anything, anytime, anywhere... 

But boy o boy, WHAT A DOG !


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