Our first Vizsla, Sobaka, was born in 1977. Sobaka was a
typical, active young Vizsla
who soon destroyed the house - eating the arms
of chairs and chewing holes in curtains.
Lesson one: A bored young Vizsla
left alone to its own devices is destructive!
Sobaka Hidaka American & Canadian
C.D.
Sobaka took me to obedience classes. She was exceptionally
intelligent and quite a challenge for a novice owner
who had never trained a
dog before, but she definitely gave me a solid foundation in the principles of
dog training.
Sobaka was soon joined by a second Vizsla
in 1978, a young pup named Fang.
"Fang" ~ Vot Zdorova Fantazija C.D.
Fang was the polar opposite of Sobaka. Easy-going and mellow,
Fang was the foundation bitch of Fantazsa Vizslas
with her 2 litters, which
included 5 show champions, several personal gun dogs and all of them cherished
family companions.
A LEGACY
George Yamamoto & Donald Douglas Jr., president of Douglas Aircraft in Los Angeles,
hunting with their Vizslas, Nikki, Sally & Lucky, in Eastern Washington in 1959.
George Yamamoto acquired Nikki of Bayview from Dr. I.S. Osborn in 1955.
Nikki was "a once in a lifetime dog," remembers George of his dog's outstanding field ability.
She swept the Puppy & Derby classes in the first Maygar Vizsla Club of America field trial in Fort Snelling, MN in May 1956.
George was the breeder of Ch. Nikki's Arco HOF, one of Nikki's pups who also excelled in the field.
June 2007
George Yamamoto shares a moment with Diva,
who traces her lineage back to Nikki on her dam's side.
Bob Foster & Ch Nikki's Arco HOF
Our friend Bob Foster was another early Vizsla owner in Washington state, and an avid hunter, trainer & competitor in the field.
Bob handled Nikki of Bayview to her celebrated Puppy & Derby wins in 1956.
His dog Ch Nikki's Arco HOF was a son of Nikki born in 1957,
and also a talented dog in the field and an early foundation sire of the breed.
Bob Foster & me with 2 of my pups,
Fantazsa's Kis Csillag & Ch Fantazsa's Classic Magenta
Bob took an interest in my dogs as they were descendents of Nikki & Arco, and bestowed upon us Arco's famous wet suit,
which he had made out of scuba diving rubber so Arco could hunt duck in the winter.
Vot Zdorova Fantazija CD "Fang" in 1981 & Ch. Fantazsa's Vot Zdorova Divali JH "Diva" in 2006
Fang wears Arco's wetsuit in 1981.
In 2006, Fang's great-granddaughter Diva tries on Arco's nearly 50-year-old wetsuit - but prefers neoprene!
