For information on her and Sunny Boy’s litter - BISS DC/AFC Am/Can CH Arsla & Auburn’s Sunny Boy MH ROM CGC – visit our Puppies Page. And bookmark this page for a return visit with information about Cosmo.

Luna came into our lives under unique circumstances. We were to get a different pup of sire Egri I Like Ike, a male dog we had met on an interview visit that we named Strider, who tragically drowned in a freak accident before old enough to come home to us. Fortunately Jean Matmor introduced me to Mary Rathbun and within three weeks, Luna became our Vizsla puppy and ever since an expanding part of our family, especially during her pregnancy!

I had only wanted a pet Vizsla, one that would be my companion at home and at the office. Play fetch, that kind of thing. That was not to be, as Luna is not an ordinary Vizsla – and every other “V owner” will tell you the same about their Vizsla. There is no such thing as an ordinary Vizsla, as each of these incredibly spirited canines possess innate talents, surpassed only in the love they bring to their pack, human and animal.
 

We have been blessed with great mentorship and friendship by other Vizsla families who have enriched our experiences with Luna. Her breeder, Mary Rathbun of Egri Vizslas, my primary mentor from the beginning, exemplifies all of what a loving breeder should be. Adele & Eddie Neupert, have also remained an active part of our life with Luna, as they not only had Luna’s sire Ike, but also have Luna’s full sister and almost mirror image Carter - BISS CH Egri Vermilion Valleyhunter Carter, JH. Jean Matmor of Valley Hunter Vizslas, who shares Luna’s registration, opened the door for me to this red dog world. All three have helped guide us throughout Luna’s development – as pet, show dog, hunter and now brood bitch. Office mascot was all me. But in every other aspect it has been through the help of other V folk (the term owner really doesn’t apply) - literally dozens of incredibly helpful, caring souls met and friendships made through our memberships in Vizsla clubs.

Within the first month of life with Luna, we attended a TBVC fun weekend at Jean & Pat’s. An annual social gathering early in the season for folks to get their V’s back into the field, and for puppies and their families to witness and experience all the things their Vizslas can do. No points or pressures of an AKC sanctioned event, but a chance to learn with the help and encouragement of others. In the puppy derby, every other pup found a planted quail. Luna found three! This early success motivated me to enter Luna in five Junior Hunter tests over two months - she passed every one - and at eighteen months of age she earned her JH title at an SLVC event at Eddie & Adele’s ranch in Sunset, Louisiana. How fitting a location as it was her trip to her home state and we got to meet her family, V & human. And we concluded the trip by celebrating Thanksgiving with our family in New Orleans. In a word…sweet!

We then shifted our focus on getting her conformity championship. Under fellow TBVC member Doris Ratzlaff of Dorratz Versatile Vizslas and professional handlers Patrick Thomas & Ron Bigford, Luna earned her AKC Championship, including two 5-point majors. Click here for a complete list of Luna’s AKC Conformation & Hunt Test awards record.

Most of our time with Luna is as quintessential companion pet – home & office 24/7. She’s attended client meetings, especially enjoying her friends at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater (how disappointed she was when she learned she was not right for the role of Toto). She attended many family functions, road trips and family vacations – she loves staying in hotels and bed & breakfasts – and made many dog friends in and about our neighborhood.

 
On a pheasant hunting trip to South Dakota in December 2007, friends brought their Vizslas, and I didn’t bring Luna. The following year I decided to take her even if she wasn’t “broke” on quail. Two weeks before leaving, I took Luna on her first real quail hunt outside of an AKC test at the Lykes Brothers’ Silver Lake Preserve in La Belle, Florida. I figured it made sense to give a real hunt experience to tune her up before making the 1,600 plus mile drive to Kimball, SD.

The preserve manager and guide met us with a friendly “how nice you brought your dog. Never seen nor hunted with a Vizsla before…we’ll hunt her in the first fields with a Brittany that is real birdie and plays nice with others.” Well Luna made that Brittany look like it was the town dog that came to visit, smoked her and the two subsequent English Pointers that the guide cycled in. It wasn’t until fields ten through twelve that Luna was out hunted, by a fresh English Pointer named Rambo. Luna did, however, find more of the downed birds in cover than Rambo did. Not bad for a first real hunt! The guide invited Luna back to hunt anytime.

I was excited over driving to South Dakota to hunt with Luna, at Curt & Maureen Geveshausen’s Bird Dog Lounge ranch and hunting operation in Kimball. She had great hunts running with Curt’s labs, driving the fields, pointing and sprinting to downed birds. Although frequently pick-pocketed on the retrieve by the labs, Luna had many to hand retrieves and others in our group enjoyed hunting with her. We can’t wait to go back!