About Me
a.k.a "Vizslas aren't just a dog, they are a way of life"
The phrase "Vizslas are a way of life" is used a lot by various fanciers in the Vizsla breed. Most will say it while they continue to work full time or have spouses who support them financially with their hobby. Since 2003, I have truly lived that phrase. In 2003 I gave up paid vacations, company vehicles, expense accounts etc. in order to pursue my passion for Vizslas as a full-time endeavor. In 2006 I purchased my land and moved to the middle of nowhere with the intention of being able to properly start young dogs in the field and to be able to offer puppy buyers a safe place to train. I don't consider Vizslas a "fancy"or a "sport" - I live and breathe Vizslas 24-7-365 here, and have scaled down my lifestyle so that I do not have to work outside of the home and can devote myself full time to my dogs. First and foremost, I am a Vizsla breeder. All else in my life is secondary to that...so Vizslas really are a way of life here.
More history....
My parents purchased their first Vizsla in March of 1969 for $100 (Tanya, pictured here in 1977 with me and my brother TJ) . I was 8 months old at the time Tanya came home. I literally learned how to walk with Tanya. Her pedigree is here. My mother's kennel name was Strider Vizslas, and her dogs are the foundation for my kennel.
My kennel name, Mira, is a combination of the firt two letters of my first and middle names (Michel Rae). Pronounced MEE-rah, the word "mira" is also Spanish for "look" or "watch". This is an appropriate match, since "vizsla" means "seeks" in Hungarian. ("vizsla" is also a generic term used for any pointer).
I have been very involved with the Vizsla Club of Illinois for almost 15 years. I held various positions ranging from event secretary to club secretary, newsletter editor, website creator, and pretty much doing whatever needed to be done...currently I serve as Memebrship Chair. I am a founding memebr of the Lake Superior Vizsla Club, belong to the Vizsla Club of America (AKC parent club) where I serve as Breed Historian, and am a Lifetime Member of the National Vizsla Association (American Field parent club) where I serve as editor of their Vizsla Field magazine and webmaster. I also maintain memberships in the Central Wisconsin Vizsla Club, Vizsla Club of Eastern Iowa, and Hawkeye Vizsla Club, though am not as active in those clubs.
I have several dogs that I show, several that are field trialed, and all that are hunted for various game.
My primary goal as a breeder is to produce a good-tempered companion with the ability to live a long, healthy life. I also expect my puppies to have the genetics and insticts to be superior hunting companions. You will never see any of my puppies advertised for sale on the various "puppy finding" websites (or "clearing houses" as I like to call them). People who are claiming "Strider a
nd/or Mira lines" probably did not get their dogs directly from me or my mother, but are trying to use our reputations as a marketing ploy. If you have any questions about whether or not we bred a certain dog, shoot me an e-mail.
Photo descriptions:
Top: Michel with her first vizsla, Tanya, and her brother TJ in 1977
Middle Left: Michel handles Cass to a show win in 2006
Middle Right: Michel presenting Maggie after getting 2nd place in a 30-dog Open Derby stake held the day before the National Gun Dog Championship in 2007
Bottom: Michel presenting Maggie after she was awarded 2nd place at a Minnesota GSP field trial in 2006
Contact Mira Vizslas, AKC Reg'd Kennel:
Ms. Michel Berner
michel@miravizslas.com
(715) 563-1459 between 9:00 am - 8:00 pm CST
E-mail contact preferred for initial contact
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