Once upon a
time, long, long ago, a newly married couple went in
search of their very own hunting dog. The young
couple had spent many a hunting season shooting over
other peoples' dogs. Now that they were married and
finally had a home of their own with a big backyard,
it was time for their very own dog. Oh, but what
breed of hunting dog should they choose? They read
and they studied, but still they could not decide,
until one day the young couple saw a beautiful red
dog in a pet store. "What is this?" they asked, "A
Vizsla?" It was love at first sight!
From this humble
beginning, Renaissance Vizslas has developed into a
small kennel devoted to the training, showing and
breeding of the dual purpose Vizsla. A dog that can
excel in the show ring, hunt all day in the field
and sleep at your feet at night. No, we didn't buy
that puppy in the pet store, but we did begin in
earnest our search for the right Vizsla! We read a
few books and spoke with several breeders until one
day we brought home our very first Vizsla in
December of 1992.
Encouraged by the breeder to show, Linda was bitten
by the "bug" and we have been involved now for
nearly nineteen years.
Originating in Southern California, we moved to
central Oklahoma in 1996 due to job transfers. This
move gave us the opportunity to meet other Vizsla
breeders, see dogs from other parts of the country
and to venture into all kinds of different dog
activities. We have handled our dogs in conformation
events, run them in sanctioned field trials (though
not many) and participated in numerous hunt tests.
While in
California, Linda apprenticed for one year under
Sigbot "Bodo" Winterheldt, the founder of the North
American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA).
Once in Oklahoma, she continued her field training
under Mark Appleton for an additional year. This
experience gave both of us tremendous insight into
the training of a good hunting dog.
We have also been
active members of a number of dog-related
organizations. We are presently members of the
Vizsla Club of America, Texas Gulf Coast Vizsla
Club, Show-Me Vizsla Club and an associate member of
the Vizsla Club of Colorado. Additionally, Linda has
served three terms (1999 - 2005) as a Director on
the VCA Board of Directors.
Today, we focus
our efforts on competing with our dogs, continuing
to develop a line of dual purpose Vizslas by
breeding only on a limited basis, developing our
knowledge of canine behavior and genetics, assisting
with Vizsla rescue and educating people on dog care,
behavior and the value of purebred dogs.
This site is
devoted to these efforts. Thanks for coming to visit
and enjoy your journey through the virtual kennel of
Renaissance Vizslas!
