Thankful Thursday ~ The Vizsla Perspective

Today's post is "guest written" by my dog, a Hungarian Vizsla named Harvey. He is nearly five years old now, and has lived his entire life on the farm. After his recent altercation with a rattlesnake he felt pretty sorry for himself for a few days, but now he has regained his focus and wanted to share with you some of what he is thankful for here on the farm! Enjoy Harvey's perspective!

Harvey used to be a puppy!

Hey everyone! I'm Harvey and I'm a handsome, good, Vizsla. Actually, my parents say that I'm a Vizsla, but they don't realize that I'm actually a person, just like them. See, guys? I belong in the front seat.

Anyway, not too long ago I was out for a run with my Dad (Jeff) and I began to smell something in the grass that smelled familiar but I couldn't quite place it. I decided to point it like a bird, like when I'm hunting--I love to hunt!--but I couldn't wait for Dad to come over to me, I just had to know, so I got closer and then the thing bit me! Then my parents were pretty worried, and that made me worried, and we had to get in the car and I had to ride in the back seat (!!) the whole way to see my friends at the vet, where they poked me with more sharp things. My face felt really weird. Mom said I was bit by a snake. So that's what that thing was! I felt so awful but everyone was giving me lots of pets and sympathy so that was nice. I even got a Get Well card from Jeff's Aunt Linda!

Guys, I don't know if you know this, but I'm kind of a big deal.
I felt really special to get some mail of my own!

When I was feeling sick I had lots of time to think about what I love about being a Vizsla, I mean person, living in the country, and my mom (Katie) thought I should help her with her blog and write it out for you all to read. I have lots of things I'm thankful for about living here. I love it here. This is my home. I'm a country dog. Mom says there are lots of things I get to do because I live in the country that dogs who live in the city don't get to do.

Like roam naked all the time. I have a collar but I don't wear it unless I'm in town. I hate my collar and I always scratch at it with my back foot to show my mom and dad that I'd rather not be wearing my collar. I'd rather be just in my own skin and fur, not wearing a collar. I'm thankful that I can run around naked and collar-free when I'm at my home in the country.

I have a long and handsome neck! Doesn't it look great without an itchy, scratchy, noisy, jangly collar? My parents say that since I'm the only Vizsla around (I don't know why they still call me a Vizsla-- I'm a person!), I don't have to wear my collar because everyone knows who I am. I don't ever, ever want to leave my people, so I don't run away from  my home and my yard, either. I just stay with my people. I'm thankful for my people.

Ok, this isn't a picture of me with my people. My mom is always always taking pictures of me and usually I don't like to hold still for very long, but sometimes she gets me in a moment of weakness. This is one of my rugs. I like rugs. Mom says she doesn't like that rug but I don't think she's ever tried laying on it. I like this rug. I can see the whole kitchen and watch for when my people drop food. They have thumbs, but they're still clumsy. I like this rug. I'm a Vizsla/Person, and I don't belong laying on the cold ground. I'm thankful for soft rugs and furniture. At my parents' house I go on most of the same furnitures that they do, even the bed. I love, love, love the bed! I'm so thankful and happy when I get to snuggle under the covers with my people!

Inside stuff is good and I like to be inside but I really love to be outside. At my house, I have so much room to run and explore! I love to hunt and run and chase bunnies and jackrabbits, and get the bird! Sometimes I try to chase those big things my mom calls antelope but only if I have a lot of energy. Those things are fast. I love to run in the grass and fields by my house. My people take me for lots of walks and runs and I usually just get to roam around free. I only wear my collar and leash...ugh...when I'm in town, so not that often. I'm so glad I have so much room to run and play!

I get to go with my Dad wherever he goes to work, too. Really, I'm working with him. He doens't like to be alone and neither do I so we're a good team. I help him in the tractor or in the combine or whatever big machine he's driving. I look out for birds when we're driving in the field. I could get 'em.

Guys, I don't know if you know this, but I'm a good hunter! There's nothing I love more than hunting, and my people. I love my people too. But hunting is what I was made for! I love to hunt the birds so much! I get so excited when my mom or dad say we're going to get the bird! I do a happy dance and hop around and tell them how excited I am. But when we get to the field, I don't want to be distracted. I just hunt. My people have to keep up to me. I'm so glad I live somewhere where there's so many birds I can get!

I got this bird for my dad. I use my nose to hunt the bird along the ground, then I do a special point to show my dad where it is. Then when he tells me it's Ok, I get the bird and it flies into the air and my dad shoots it! I am so proud when we get a bird! So is my dad. 

I also hunt for gophers. My people didn't know I was so good at this until recently but I showed them. I can get gophers right out of their holes in the ground. I can smell them and hear them and I pounce on them and dig them up. Then I like to show everyone what I caught for them by casually strolling around the yard with the gopher in my mouth! Do city dogs have gophers? Here's me going after a gopher in the snow-

Sometimes when I have a lot of energy and my parents are really busy I get to have a date with my girlfriend Bella. Bella has even more energy than I do! She can run and play forever and ever. I like to wrestle and play with Bella. When mom and dad say her name, my ears perk up because me and Bella always have so much fun! Bella lives at someplace called "Uncle Mert's." That's what my dad calls it, anyway. 

Sometimes I get tired before Bella does and then I'm ready for a nap and some people-snuggles and to have my tummy scratched. I'm so, so thankful for my people when they scratch my tummy! This is how I show them that they can scratch my chest and my tummy. Also, see how I get to be on the couch with my people? That's because I'm a person too and I don't belong on the floor.

There's lots of other things I'm thankful for. I just love my people so much. All of my people. I love mom and dad, and Mr. Tom and Miss Carol, and Miss Stennie, and Mr. Josh and Auntie Toad (Mom says I shouldn't call her that on the blog because that's not her real name. Mom says her real name is Auntie Katie, but I just know her as Auntie Toad. I don't understand why I can't call her the name that I know), and I love Mr. John and Miss Penny and Mr. Ryan... I just love all of my people! I wish I could have them all together in one place all the time! Why would any of you ever want to be away from me? I'm the best! And I love you guys! 

 I also wanted to tell you guys that sometimes I get to do races with my mom. She's not as fast as me so I have to slow down for her, and I have to wear my leash and collar and sometimes my harness. I really, really don't like my harness, but if it means I get to run with my mom and do a race I can usually put up with it. Me and my mom have done four races together and I have been the First Place Dog in each race we did! Mom says to be sure to tell you guys that's because I was the only dog, but I wanted to leave that detail out. I like to run and I like to be first! Here's a picture of me and my mom after we did her race in some place called Choteau last summer:

So, everyone, I hope you liked hearing about some of what I love and what I'm thankful for on the farm! As a Vizsla/person on the farm, I have so many things to be happy about, even if I have to put up with a few snakes. I'll try to stay away from those. Just so you know, since that happened, my people are making me run with my leash and collar with them now. Or we run at Tom and Carol's house where there aren't so many snakes. As long as I get to run and be outside, I'm happy.

Mom says this is the part where I'm supposed to ask you: What are you thankful for this week?! But what I also want to hear from any other dogs out there. Are there any dogs that read my mom's blog? What are you other dogs thankful for, too? 

This is Harvey T. Dog, signing out! Until next time, everyone!