Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla.

Phoenix, Mingus & Django – An Introduction.

Tarndair Phoenix of Belatarr - Top HWV Puppy 2009/10.

Morehay Lars of Belatarr ShCM - "Mingus" - Top HWV Puppy 2010/11.

Welcome to the Belatarr Blog – a record of the adventures of our Hungarian Wirehaired Vizslas, Phoenix & Mingus and their puppies including our own Django.

ABOUT PHOENIX

Phoenix (Tarndair Phoenix of Belatarr) was born on 11/11/2008, and for our very first Wire we were extremely fortunate to be given pick of litter from Millie of Riyel at Tarndair (Florie) x Leiborschy Wilfek (Mallard). This litter was line-bred back to Quodian’s Zanthos (Chaucer), unarguably one the finest HWV’s of all time. A son of Moricroft Methuen (Harris) – who was Top HWV Puppy 2001 + Runner Up Top HWV Dog 2002 + Dog World Top HWV 2005 - Mallard was Top HWV Puppy Dog + Runner Up Top Puppy for 2006 and went on to take Best HWV Dog at Crufts 2008.

Phoenix had an outstanding debut show year, including 16 Best Puppy in Breed awards – three of them at Championship level – 7 Group Placings (2 Group 1′s, 2 Group 2′s, 1 Group 3 & 2 Group 4′s) 2 Best of Breeds, a Reserve Best Puppy in Show and a Third Best Puppy in Show, as well as 8 separate qualifications for Crufts 2010. In the crowning achievement of her show year Phoenix followed her Grand-sire Harris and was awarded Top Puppy as well as Top Puppy Bitch for 2009/2010 at the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association Annual Awards.

Phoenix is hip-scored 5/5

ABOUT MINGUS

Mingus (Morehay Lars of Belatarr ShCM) was born almost exactly 12 months after Phoenix and joined us on 16/01/2010. He was pick of litter from Starshot English Miss for Morehay (Anora) x Nádiszellö Erdei Fenyö Of Starshot (Baro). Besides being one of the top show bitches currently in the UK, Anora combines lines from the world-renowned Zoldmali and Quodian’s kennels, whilst Baro comes from a long line of magnificent Mezofoldi kennel Hungarian champions. The mating was line-bred to the Mezofoldi multiple Hungarian & International Champion Gyarmat Erdei Duhaj who is grand-sire to both parents.

Mingus started his show career in June 2010 in even more impressive fashion with back to back Best of Breed awards at his first two shows at the age of 6 months, followed by Best Puppy in Breed at the National Gundog & South Wales Championship Shows. He went on to achieve an unrivalled show record for an HWV puppy, including:

1 Best Puppy in Show
3 x Reserve Best Puppy in Show
1 adult Group 1
Youngest HWV ever to be awarded Best Gundog in Show at an Open
1 adult Gundog Group 2
4 x Gundog Puppy Group 1 + 3 further Puppy Group placings
3 x BOB
5 x Best AVNSC
8 x Crufts Qualified (from 8 shows)
14 x BPIB/BPNSC

Mingus was Top HWV puppy for 2010/2011 and is the highest scoring HWV show puppy in breed history.

He then went on to be unbeaten as a Junior, including being awarded 1st Special Junior Dog at Crufts in March 2011, 1st Junior Dog at the inaugural HWVA Championship show, in April 2011, and 1st Junior Dog again at the National Champ Show in May 2011, these being the first three shows at which the breed was awarded CC’s.

He is also one of only 7 HWV’s, and the youngest ever male, to be awarded the Kennel Club’s Show Certificate of Merit.

Mingus is hip-scored 4/3 and is clear eye tested & fertility tested.

ABOUT DJANGO

Django was the pick of litter from Phoenix & Mingus’ mating, a very successful union that resulted in 12 healthy & happy puppies, born on 22nd Oct 2011. Django will follow in his parents footsteps and enter the show-ring later in 2012.

01/01/2009 at 16:51 13 comments

Introducing Django.

An extremely exciting new chapter opens for Belatarr as young Django joins the pack on a permanent basis!

Django at 10 weeks old.

Following in his father’s paw-steps Django becomes our second Jazz dog, named, as he is, after the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt - although we understand that Tarantino is soon to release his own Django project too.

Belatarr Django Reinhardt - at 7 weeks.

Django also shares his father’s wonderful coat – deep red & harsh – and has a head so similar to Mingus’ that we can’t tell them apart in their 6, 7 and 8 week pics – see below. He’s also very confident, extremely laid back and easy-going, and is already proving to be very keen to learn and eager to train.

Django immediately gravitates to the prime spot on the dog sofa.

Centre stage, flanked by his brothers Gryphon & Charlie Parker.

Spot the difference - Mingus as he was at 8 weeks.

Django shares a snuggle with Fred.

Django with his brother Charlie Parker.

Asleep with his dad on Christmas day.

Until he’s has his second vaccination Django can’t go on the ground in public areas, so, just like his parents before him, he’s been riding around in the baby sling in order that we can introduce him to the wider world. Needless to say, much attention and many oooh’s and aaaah’s follow from onlookers wherever and whenever he appears in public in this way!

Django out-and-about on the Tarka Trail on New Years Day.

It's very frustrating when you can watch your parents running around but can't join in the fun!

Getting to be quite a handful...

Riding in (or more often attempting to wriggle out of) the baby sling.

...he would really rather be hurtling around with all those other exciting looking dogs down there.

01/01/2012 at 14:39 3 comments

Puppy portraits – 8 weeks.

Most of our boys and girls have now left for their new homes but we are still looking after three pups until their new families are ready for them, so our new, slimmed-down puppy-pack are now out and about with us and their parents throughout the day, and back in their whelping quarters at night. The warmer weather has also allowed them to take regular trips outside, several times a day, as well as individual trips in the car and round and about town in the baby sling, just like their parents before them.

Ella Fitzgerald, super-feminine and most definitely her fathers daughter.

Ella, in profile.

Thelonius Monk (Milo) - bad weather prevented us from getting a 7 week head-shot of this handsome boy, but we've managed to crack it this week.

Milo again - such a wonderful, sweet-natured puppy. He's staying on with us until early Jan - not exactly a chore!

The gorgeous Charlie Parker.

Charlie Parker - melting hearts across the land.

Charlie Parker once again.

Charlie Parker with his rather wet & windswept mum (just back from the beach).

Phoenix & younglings.

Mum makes for an ideal cushion.

...and so does Dad.

...and so does Tim's son Fred (or are they forming a cushion for him?)

The dog sofa, the heart of all action, as ever.

It's a waiting game.

Such a stressful existence.

21/12/2011 at 20:21 Leave a comment

Puppy Portraits – The Final Week!

Where has the time gone?? This is the last week for the Belatarr babies before most head to their new homes and start their lives away from the pack. Sadly the appalling weather (incredibly low-light levels, freezing temps, endless hail sleet & rain) meant that the final week head-shots were very tricky to get, and not very high quality and very washed-out when we did get them, with pups (and us) shivering and looking rather glum in the driving sleet…but at least we have something to represent them as they were at 7 weeks old and before they all change once again into mature young dogs.

So, dozens of refuse bags full of soiled bedding, weeks of missed sleep, much cuddling and hundreds of chicken wings later, these are Phoenix and Mingus’ dozen, all now with their Kennel Names (Jazz themed, to follow on from Mingus) just before they leave us:

THE BOYS (minus one)

Belatarr Art Tatum (Finley)

Belatarr Charlie Parker

Belatarr Dave Brubeck (Otto)

Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie (Gryphon)

Belatarr John Coltrane (Otis)

Belatarr Miles Davis (Huxley)

Belatarr Oscar Peterson (Digby)

Belatarr Thelonius Monk

(pic forthcoming…)

THE GIRLS

Belatarr Ella Fitzgerald (Ella)

Belatarr Mahalia Jackson (Billie)

Belatarr Nina Simone (Nina)

Final Week Shots from the Dog Sofa (whilst Mum & Dad are out for a walk)

A Snoozy Ella Fitzgerald, with her fabulous (fathers) coat.

...nearly asleep...

Under scrutiny.

A very intense Thelonius Monk.

Adam & friends.

Puppy Pile-up.

Twin-Level Puppy Pile-up.

Complete take-over.

Tim & co.

15/12/2011 at 17:25 5 comments

Puppy portraits: Week 6!

The gang have really grown-up during this very busy week – bounding around their run and (when given the chance) the living room, wagging like crazy and giving little puppy barks. They’ve also braved the atrocious/freezing/wet weather to take three supervised trips to “the great outdoors” where, with great confidence and excitement, they encountered such wonderous new things as grass, leaves, herbs, puddles, rain and, of course, mud all for the first time:

Exploration!

Being called back uphill to return home.

Meanwhile Tim started stacking the puppies into their show stands to start to assess their potential:

Tim explains the stacking process to an attentive Mr. Indigo.

A 5-week-old Mr. Grey in action.

The Kennel Club approved all of their pedigree names (more of which anon) and we’ve begun the very exciting process of matching puppies to their waiting new homes.

No longer squish-nosed babies, by 6-weeks the Belatarr dozen have become proper young dogs:

THE BOYS

Mr. Grey.

Mr. Indigo.

Mr. Green.

Mr. Red & White.

Mr. Red & Blue.

Mr. Blue.

Mr. Brown.

Mr. Red.

Mr. Black.

THE GIRLS

Miss Orange.

Miss White.

Miss Yellow.

04/12/2011 at 16:29 1 comment

Puppy Pics Bonus!

A few of the boys didn’t quite look their best on their 5 week head shots, so we’ve taken 5 of them again, in natural daylight (rather than using a flash) to give a much more accurate idea of their true appearance at this stage. I think we’ll aim to all the future head-shots this way too, time permitting:

Mr. Grey.

Mr. Indigo.

Mr. Red.

Mr. Red & Blue.

Mr. Black.

30/11/2011 at 12:08 1 comment

Puppy Portraits: Week 5

THE BOYS

Mr. Grey.

Mr. Indigo.

Mr. Green.

Mr. Red & White.

Mr. Red & Blue.

Mr. Blue.

Mr. Brown.

Mr. Red.

Mr. Black.

THE GIRLS

Miss Orange.

Miss White.

Miss Yellow.

SHOTS FROM THE WEEK

Miss Yellow at large.

Mr. Black snoozing.

Mr Grey, with his voluminous ears.

First taste of chicken wings.

The ever-popular hide-away den.

Overspill.

Father & Son.

The aftermath.

Mr Grey snoozing (again) this time upside-down.

Puppy cuddling.

Chew-Chew.

27/11/2011 at 22:05 2 comments

Puppies – 4 week portraits.

Hard to believe these little guys have been with us for 28 days, but they’re now 5 times their birth weight and tipping the scales at around 2KG each.

The first teeth (canines only so far) began to appear on Friday, and Phoenix, not un-coincidentally, decided that she would no longer feed her offspring from that day forth. Luckily they are fully weaned now and chomping through 4 meals of raw meat per day. They’ve become quite skilful eaters and make far less mess these days, focussing instead on hoovering up every last morsel and then lying in a big, gently groaning heap whilst their meal digests.

This week saw the cats introduce themselves (to general puppy indifference), a few sessions of swimming in the bath and an increasing delight in running around at full tilt with entire sheets of newspaper in their mouths. The pups were finally able to meet many of their future owners for the first time over this weekend (the initial quarantine period now being over) and so received even more hugs and tickles than usual.

THE BOYS

Mr. Grey.

Mr. Indigo.

Mr. Green.

Mr. Red & White.

Mr. Red & Blue.

Mr. Blue.

Mr. Brown.

Mr. Red (his little white head patch vanished this week)

Mr. Black.

THE GIRLS

Miss Orange.

Miss White.

Miss Yellow.

Pups asleep in their mini-den.

Mr. Indigo's teeny-tiny tongue - for Annette

20/11/2011 at 19:56 9 comments

Week 3: Pup Update.

Another huge week for the Belatarr babies – and for Phoenix too whose 3rd Birthday was on Friday!

With appetites growing daily and Phoenix down to just 5 functional teats, we started the process of weaning at 16 days of age, when the puppies still had only limited vision.

As with teaching any new babies to feed, much mess and general hilarity ensued, but all learned to lap on their first day of trying, and by day 20 they had progressed from their starter mousse (which looks and even smells just like Brussels Paté…though no, we haven’t tried it on toast as yet) to their first raw food – the same as the adult dogs get, but puréed for ease of digestion and blended 50/50 with the mousse.

Now, at 3 weeks of age, they are all feeding with what’s best described as frenzied enthusiasm, with Phoenix popping in to top them up with milk every 4 or 5 hours.

THE BOYS

Mr. Grey.

Mr. Indigo.

Mr. Green.

Mr. Red & White.

Mr. Red & Blue (he was very sleepy for this pic!)

Mr. Blue.

Mr. Brown.

Mr. Red.

Mr. Black.

THE GIRLS

Miss Orange.

Miss White.

Miss Yellow.

13/11/2011 at 22:11 2 comments

Week 2: Pup-update.

An eventful week for the Belatarr Babies:

Day 10: They doubled their birth weight.

Day 12: They started to walk, like wobbly spiders.

Day 13: Mr. Blue & Mr. Red were the first to open their eyes, everyone else more-or-less followed over the next 24 hrs, although they certainly can’t yet see and so tend to keep their eyes closed almost all the time.

Day 13: They hit 1KG each with only 50/60 grams difference between the heaviest and the lightest – so, all 12 are now pretty much identical in weight for all practical purposes.

Day 14: They all had their claws cut for the first time (that’s a total 216 claws!)

Day 14: Ears opened.

Also, due to some difficulties with instantly recognising which colour was which, (something that became increasingly important as the pups started trotting around much more speedily!) three puppies have been re-branded, so Miss Pink will, from now on, be know as Miss Yellow; Mr. Magenta becomes Mr. Green; Mr Purple morphs into Mr. Red & White (or candy-stripe, if you prefer) – we promise we won’t have to do that again! so without further ado….

THE BOYS