Firstly, apologies for not updating our lovely Viz’s blog!
We have been so busy – we were moving from uk to California – alas this did not happen for many reason ( i promise not to bore you with the details). However we did go for 5 weeks in the summer – great for us but not for Toby/tobes/toblerone and lots of other names we call him. More on this later.
Toby is such a handsome boy – i promise to post loads of lovely pictures of him soon. His training is pretty much over and many many bad habits still prevail. On the plus side many improvements have also been made.
He has a very well established routine. He wakes at about 7 and then waits/whines for us to come and play. When I arrive downstairs he rushed back to his sky kennel and grabs his blanket and rushes to bring it to me. This drive us mad and we then say “go fetch me a toy” and he darts about the kitchen desperatley looking for something to grab. We spend most days putting the blanket back in the bed. Regardless of all attempts to stop him doing this we have failed miserably. We have to keep this scruffy blanket in his kennel otherwise he bring the entire contents of his bed out (this consits of a rather large old duvet !!
We then go for a 30 minute walk around the farm – he still pulls on the lead but nowhere near as much as he used to. I sometimes use the mikki walk-rite harness which does a pretty good job. He will never be a champion at walking to heel but it no longer rips my arm from its socket!!
He then settles on his bean bag in the kitchen for most of the day. He is very happy to be left on his own and no longer chews everything in sight and the kitchen has now been repaired and redecorated at last!. We originally bought the sky kennel ready for our move to the USA. We used it regularly so that he would be used to it when we set off. hoever, he loves it. We no longer have to “shut him in” and can leave him for many hours – he tends to stay in it when we go out even though he can use his “other” bed in the kitchen. I think he likes the cozy darkness of it. He leaps in at night ready for his “markie” (no other sweetie will do) before settling down at night.
He loves his bean bag in the day and hates it if you try and move it and growls at us. He has a nice long walk in the afternoon across the fields or along the road and the farm. He loves this walk. Sometime I use the bike (If I am pushed for time) Either I am a rubbish cyclist or that dog can really move!! He is so fast when at full speed and loves it.
During the evening he tends to come and watch TV for a few minutes then goes off back to the kitchen (he has worked out that british tv is rubbish 90% of the time). He no longer jumps up all the time, but still puts his bottom on my lap at every opportunity. He barks at the front door and goes crazy when we have visitors. He does calm down after a few minutes thank heavens.
He also has a low growl (more of a grumble really) with some people. I don”t think its because he does not like them but cannot work it out – anyone got any suggestions what that is all about.?
On another note (this is unpleasant so stop reading now)… when he does his business in the morning and evening it is firm, but the mid-day one is always runny – is this just Toby or a Vizsla thing?
The worst bit of the last six months was our trip to california. I had to put Toby into kennels for 4 weeks. I hated it. I visited them about 4 times beforehand (they must think i am crazy) and I emailed them every week we were awey. I have to say that Toby looked fit and well and they loved him. They are super kennels and i felt they looked after him as well as any kennel can – i however hated it and missed him.
So will update more regulary, and fill in all the gaps i have missed from this post. Some good and the odd very low point.
watch this space.
Toby - Life with a new puppy 