RUDY

Rudy was released to a MT vet clinic at 1-yr old by his elderly owners for being too hyper. He's not hyper! We found him to be a typical 1-yo vizsla puppy who needs basic training, exercise and, more than anything else, attention from his family. Thanks to the caring staff at the clinic for contacting us and to Laurie B for driving the long round trip to pick him up from the clinic, keeping him safe and then driving a couple hundred more miles to meet Penny at Wade Lake on Mother's Day weekend. Rudy was also painfully thin when Laurie picked him up and she & Fred did a great job getting him on the path to recovery.

July 2008: Barb & Parker were searching for a new family companion after the loss of their 13-yo vizsla, Maynard. One dog never replaces another but we think Rudy will do his best to put some vizsla energy back into the house and we hope he will do Maynard proud. Rudy left his life in Montana for life in the big city with two kids to love him and give him lots and lots of attention. Besides a boat dock and plenty of exercise and people time, he also has a young vizsla in the extended family as a part time playmate and, unknown to us when we agreed to the adoption, dad also hunts some so Rudy may still get his time in the field with birds!

Sep 2008: We are doing great! We've been really busy this summer and Rudy is fitting right in. He had some great training at the Academy for Canine Behavior, which seems to be sticking. He is not bolting from home anymore, he seems to trust that we are his family and he wants to be with us. He is such a sweet dog. I've been taking him to a wonderful off leash park where he can run wild and he gets in this bird trance...very focused. He is so athletic and fun to watch when he goes at full throttle. We feel very blessed to have Rudy in our family.

Sep 2010: Our anger and disappointment have been too great to post until now but we are sad to say that Rudy was killed in April by the family who promised to love and care for him. It appears Rudy slipped through the cracks of a busy family and when his behavior became a problem they had him euthanized without ever consulting a behaviorist... or returning him to the rescue as was their contractural obligation. There are no words to descibe our sadness at the way this young dog was robbed of his life but we are determined to be much more careful in the future about how we choose homes for the dogs in our care. See Rudy at the Rainbow Bridge page.

Visit the Photo Gallery for more photos of Rudy.