Maryland Homes and Gardening

Vizsla makes a perfect pointer

Details

Category: Home & Hound

Published on Wednesday, 15 August 2012 07:06

Written by Renee Houston Zemanski

True to the Vizsla breed's nickname, "the Velcro breed," Penny rarely leaves owner Phyllis Parker's side.

"I work from home, and Penny 'works' at my side all day; it would be unbearably solitary without her," says Parker, a successful business writer. "She is my constant companion."

The Parkers settled on the Hungarian pointer Vizsla breed because Phyllis' husband, Alan, after adopting a 6-year-old Vizsla years ago, had declared the breed "the best."

"While I agree wholeheartedly with Alan, it's worth noting that he had never been through the puppy/young adult stage with a Vizsla, so we were unprepared for how energetic they are," she relates. "Now, at 11, Penny is still quite playful and still an amazing runner, but we no longer need to exercise her along side us while we bike ride. She's content with long runs in the woods."

Vizslas are an uncommon breed and there aren't that many breeders around, Parker notes. However, the Parkers found a breeder in Northeastern Pennsylvania and brought Penny home to Maryland when she was 8 weeks old.

Although she has gone gray, Penny was once a silky, rich copper color, hence her name. "Her fur, nose, and eyes were all the same color, but now she's gone a little gray, especially in her face," says Parker.

Penny's favorite spot, when not curled up in her owners' lap, is the gorgeous pond garden behind the Parkers' renovated ranch home in the Providence neighborhood of Annapolis.

When the Parkers moved in, the backyard was a steep incline filled with poison ivy and thistles. The small patio was covered with slimy, green outdoor carpeting. The Parkers worked with a landscape architect to have the grounds terraced, adding walkways, a new patio, and the pièce de résistance—a serene rock garden and pond. The pond is not only home to goldfish that love to swim laps in this tranquil spot, but also to a variety of frogs, which Penny loves to hunt.

"Penny spends all summer pointing at and creeping up on frogs in the pond," says Parker. "We call her 'frog dog', although she has never caught one."

Besides keeping the frogs on their toes, Penny has changed the Parkers lives in many ways. Over the years, she's been the unofficial mascot of Parkers' son, Austin's baseball and football teams, attending every practice and game. And, her spirited nature has brought the family lots of laughs and plenty of physical activity. "She's very enthused by everything, which is infectious," says Parker. "And, I get a lot more exercise because of her!"

There's no doubt about it in the Parker family's mind. Penny is the perfect pet for them.

• < Prev
• Next >