JJ

JJ was born 1/19/2002 from AKC parents, tail docked, dews removed. JJ is small at 23 inches, 40 lbs. JJ is house and crate trained once you get hold of him to guide him in the crate. In his previous homes he slept in the bed and was a couch snuggler. He will sit for treats but thinks come is an invitation to chase him at times. He loves car rides. JJ in his first home was tied up to a dog house and his social skills are lacking. At the vet and pet store he jumps in the air, barks and acts a fool -- he wants to play and meet dogs and people but this act can scare people. He needs leash work, obedience skills and socialization. In his second home JJ proved to be a barker when left outside and he can clear a 6 ft fence pronto. He is home protective and will bark at visitors. He has been around young kids but is too energetic for small children under 10. JJ is a counter surfer and will go after anything left out in the kitchen. JJ scarfs down food and will try to steal from others. JJ is not good with cats and probably should be an only dog although he seems to do okay with female dogs. He loves to play with dogs but he likes to try and hump others or pesters them to play and so if they object to these "rude" dog maneuvers he can start a fray. JJ needs someone who can be with him a great deal of the time, who can take a strong lead role with him, without physical domination, and someone who knows about high Vizsla energy. We are looking for a home with solid Vizsla experience. JJ would make an awesome agility dog as he is very very smart. His stubborn streak and his intelligence can work for him as well as against him. He has not been hunted so we do not know if he has skills in that area.

JJ came back to UT after his first home in CA did not work out and after a second foster home found him to be an escape artist and a barker. Special thanks to Marilyn who drove to meet Daryl in NV. We were beginning to think that JJ had picked us as his home as he did not jump our 4 foot fences and seemed very happy to be back in UT. He stayed with us from August until December when his dream home found him. His family had taken in another Vizsla about 5 years ago and he had many issues to deal with. He became a loved member of the family but died of cancer. The family house was just too quiet. Well no more!! JJ the counter surfer, juvenile jumping jack, and confirmed bed buddy has arrived. JJ bonded with his new dad in the car on the ride home, promptly stole himself a chicken dinner off the stove that same week, and managed to show that he is a true Vizsla by not liking to get his poor little feet cold in the snow! JJ has 3.5 acres to roam, a pond, pheasants, turkeys, grouse, rabbits and other assorted critters to keep him busy. His new family has him to keep them on their toes and we hope smiling for many years.

Dec 2003, Stevie writes: You would not recognize this wonderful new dog we are so crazy about. I now know why he has been jumping so high for so long--to get in shape for what he was meant to do--hunt in very tall grass. We took him hunting for pheasants today and are so happy with his instincts... He worked back and forth in front of us at a Vizsla distance--it was perfect.... The best was yet to come- towards the end of the day we were struggling thru the marshes- JJ in heaven- jumping higher- when we shot a bird, it flew a ways and fell. Doug and JJ and I looked everywhere for the bleeding bird. JJ then buried his head in the tangled grass and wouldn't move- he found it! (click here for pics) ... It was a day we will always remember you would be so proud of our dog JJ. He was perfect- he had no warts. ... I can't tell you how many times we have said to each other "how did we get so lucky to have found him".

Jun 2004: We have made it through Spring and have em'barked' on our first Summer with JJ. This spring we had a half dozen pairs of Canadian geese nest around our pond and now have twenty five or thirty baby geese running around. It is pretty funny watching JJ learn how protective wild Canadian geese can be with their young. He is fearless and will charge out into the pond until he realizes that he isn't an Olympic class swimmer. We he reaches the water that is over his head he does a nice job of just splashing around. The geese can tell that they have the advantage at that point and will get real close to him. That just makes him madder.

He has really quieted down and has changed his temperament. He will go outside early in the day and runs up and down the hills, down to the pond, over to the neighbors, back down to the pond, through the tall grass, after the birds, chases the geese back into the water, swims across to the other side and sniffs for pheasants, chases after the pheasants when they fly, etc., etc. all day long. By about 8:30 at night he is completely tuckered out and crawls up on the couch and goes sound asleep. When we go to bed at 10 or 10:30 we have to push him off the couch so that he will come upstairs to our bedroom.

Its not even possible to leave the house without JJ going along. He will always be sitting by the door of the pickup or car ready to jump in. He has learned to ride well in the front seat and lays down most of the time. He has perfected the art of jumping straight up in the air while waiting for someone to open up the door for him. I will tell him to jump - he jumps high enough that I can catch him in mid air. He struggles to get away so that he knows he won't get left behind. Doug and Stevie

Nov 2004: JJ got a new V sister and play buddy when 13-mo old Maggie joined the family this fall and you can tell from the photos they are having a grand time. Hard to know if it's having a playmate or just the comparison to the new "wild thing" in the family but JJ now looks like a well-behaved and calm boy.

February 2005: Tragedy struck when JJ followed his V sister away from the house and was killed by a car. Visit JJ on the Rainbow Bridge page.

Visit the Photo Gallery for more photos of JJ.