Oh My Darling Clementine

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our sweet girl, Clementine, also known as Clemmie the Vizsla.  Lady Clementine.  

"Hello.  I am cute.  And you are?"

Her name evolved when we could find no girl sounding Clemson name (seriously, we looked at Clemson maps, Clemson history-not a clever girl's name anywhere).  I offered to name her Howard (in honor of Frank Howard-we had always planned to name our first dog this until I convinced Chris we just had to have a girl dog).  Chris would not allow it.  Oh well, you win some-you lose some.  I think she would have loved the name Howard the Girl.  I still think Howard should be at least her middle name...


Clementine is a Hungarian Vizsla.  Most people do not know what that is unless they've known someone who owned one.  Vizslas are the smallest breed of hunting dog.  They are known as "velcro dogs" because they love to be at their owner's side at all times.  They are also known for giving Vizsla hugs.  Google it, you won't be disappointed.  We learned about Vizslas from a blog I read and have been hooked on them for quite some time (Peanut Butter Fingers).  The author of the blog has a vizsla named Sadie-through this blog, we also found our breeder.  We searched breeds extensively for a good fit for us, and we just could not deny how much we loved the breed.  We considered bernese mountain dogs (short life span, huge dogs, shed a lot), greater swiss mountain dogs (like the bernese but bigger), poodle mixes (not quite athletic enough-and a bit unpredictable in appearance and temperament), golden retriever (because Chris' family has always had them), and we almost settled on greyhounds because they are VERY LAZY and you can only get them after 2 years old so no training would really be required.  However, at the end of our search, we decided everyone loves their vizla and vizslas are great for families and URGE their owners to be active and loving which is important for us.  We wanted a puppy that we could mold into the grown up dog that would fit in well with our family, and we could just not help how much we loved vizslas.  We are now a part of the club.  We got Clemmie from Mountaintop Vizslas in Alabama.  It is really fate that we found out she was available just as we found out we could get a dog in our home.  When we went to pick her up we got to meet her very sweet mom Fancy.  We are excited to see our little girl grow into a precious beauty like her mom.  I think of all the litter, she looks most like her mom.  Clemmie was the last of her 2 sisters and 1 chunky brother to be picked up.  So, after spending a night all by herself without her siblings, she was excited to cuddle up to her new owners (specifically my lap for the 3 hour car trip home). 

VIZSLA HUG!!

And now she's here, and there's no going back.  We are definitely getting a taste of parenting with a 6 week old puppy.  Vizslas are very expressive and like to talk (it's not really barking-it's more like grumbling), and Clementine loves to tell you what she is thinking-especially when she is trying to get comfortable.  We think she has an upset tummy right now, and even her discomfort with her belly is already breaking my heart (or melting my heart, I'm not sure).  She loves to snuggle and likes to nuzzle in armpits.  I can't wait for when she is full grown (around 35-40 lbs, up to 1 foot tall) and nuzzling in my arm pit.  Vizslas have no undercoat so they get very cold easily-probably why they like to be snuggled up to their owners and they LOVE blankets (she will fit right in in our house).  This is also exciting because they have to wear jackets and sweaters when it gets too cold outside (I'm pretty jazzed about our little girl's future wardrobe).  Vizslas hate to disappoint their owners-so they learn very quickly.  They also clean themselves (like cats)-so grooming is pretty much non existent on our end (WIN).  They are by no means low maintenance though because they love exercise.  We are looking forward to her getting old enough for the dog park and runs with us.  She has already met some older dogs, and she had SO MUCH FUN with them-we can't wait to socialize her at the dog park.  We think she will be very popular.  She has already learned how to sit, and only had one night of whining in her crate.  She is a good girl, but her gassy belly can make her ferocious and grumpy!! (Just like her daddy ;) )

Right now Clementine is around 7 weeks old and weighs 7 lbs.  

Practicing her vizsla hug with her heart shaped vizsla nose.

"Excuse us, we are trying to cuddle." 

Her duck!!  By far one of her favorite toys. 

"I would like to come up please." 

Kisses for daddy.

Nuzzling the blanket.  She likes to have her nose covered up. 

"The more pitiful I look, the more they will snuggle me." 

Pretty eyes-as vizslas age, their eyes go from blue to various colors of tan.  You can tell a lot about their age by their eye color.

She is about the size of a Swiffer.  Itty bitty Clemmie girl. 

Having a new little puppy only makes us miss our old puppies even more.  I love my Kenya Benya who is right now vacationing at the doggy bed and breakfast while my parents are in China.  And Chris loves his girl Abbey.  We hope our little girl will grow up to be just as sweet as the other ladies in our life.

Kenya.  My first sweet girl.  I would be thrilled if Clementine turned out nearly as sweet as Kenya Nala.

Abbey.  I doubt Abbey will be all too happy to meet Clementine.