Merry Christmas from Aussies in Charge

This is what the dogs live at Christmas; cooking! Especially all the potential spillage from the kids.

And then there is the clean up!

And resting by the tree!

Hope everyone is having a special, blessed day! Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

This is what it looks like right now. Brown fields, leftover snowdrifts and blue, blue sky! Jessie is waiting patiently for us to catch up as we slog through the snow.

Mischief Monday, Aussie Style

Mischief Monday at our house. Jack is not the one committing mischief. He's got the back of the one committing mischief. 

That's the granddaughter. If you take a look at that face it spells "stubborn"! And Jack is watching out for her so she doesn't get in too much trouble.

Black and White Sunday, Aussie Style

Olde Time Farm

So, I haven't been taking as many pictures lately due to all the stuff going on, as well as lack of inspiration.  But I really liked this one from the other day.  It looks like it could be from 50 years ago or more, but it was about a week ago when we had a really frosty morning.  This is what I love about our neck of the woods; we aren't all over run with the modern stuff (although it is still available; note wireless internet).

Friends?

I'm also including this one rare glimpse into the friendship between Sera and George.  You may have seen it before, but I couldn't think of a better examples of Friends for the 52 Snapshot Challenge.

We're joining the Black and White Sunday bloghop today, hosted by Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retreiver. 

As well as the 52 Snapshots of Life bloghop, hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull.

Check it out!!!!

Monday Mischief, Bokeh

Wistful in Bokeh

I wonder what she's thinking about.

Trying to take a shot of Reba and there was too much going on.  

We got a profile shot.

Black and White Sunday, a little late

Hiding in Plain Site

Gabby was pretending to be asleep, but she's watching everything!

Showdog Saturday, Vizslas

Showdog Saturday is BACK!!!!  This vizsla was a recent winner of one of my giveaways; note the new coat he is wearing.  His mom also got him a fleece jacket.

I love the vizslas I've come in contact with.  They always seem so personable and intelligent.  So that's the breed I'm covering today.  As usual, the internet sites of dogtime.com, akc.org and dogbreedinfo.com have been used for research and the pictures are not my own.

The vizsla was created in Hungary and is also know as the Hungarian pointer. They seem to have descended from the Magyar hordes in Europe a thousand years ago and then were developed by the aristocrats of Hungary.  The breed nearly disappeared after the World Wars, but a few dogs survived and allowed the breed to continue.

They were developed to be pointers and retrievers, but are good at all kinds of activities.  According to AKC, the vizsla is the only breed to be able to brag of a quintuple champion in conformation, obedience, field and agility.  (Yes I can count and that only adds up to four, but I'm trying to quote them accurately.  Maybe somebody out there knows if one of these categories has more than one title?). They are natural hunters and excel in all kinds of activities, such as search and rescue, flyball, therapy, drug detection......... you name it.  They are sensitive and quick to learn.

One of my sources called them the "velcro vizsla" because they stay very close to their people.  This was a valued trait when the breed was developed and it seems to have continued.  These guys need to be a part of the family and treated as a best friend.  They have short smooth coats so inside is the best place for them in cold weather.

They need a firm quiet hand and lots of socialization to keep them happy and balanced, as well as an hour or so of exercise every day. They are happiest when they are not left alone for long periods of time and tend to get into trouble if on their own too long.

Vizslas are generally chewers so lots of toys are in order.  They are good with kids but may be too energetic for toddlers. A large yard is definitely a plus so they can run off some of that energy.  Due to their hunting nature, they aren't usually good with smaller animals such as rabbits or gerbils, although cats can be ok if they are raised with them.  But people who have the right home for them have a loyal companion on their hands.