Meet Chambers
September 1, 2009 · Posted in customs and traditions, logistics by natalie
So, you’ve met me and you’ve at least been introduced to Brian, but you haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know the other member of our family: Chambers.
Chambers is our one year old Vizsla and the above picture is by far my favorite of him. Brian took it the first time Chambers saw snow this past winter (he loved it).
The reason I wanted to tell you about Chambers is to get your thoughts on having him in our wedding. We are planning to have him be the ring bearer (he’ll be walked down the aisle by a friend of ours who knows him well), which, while I’m excited to have him around since he is a big part of our lives, I have to admit, I’m a little nervous that he’ll inadvertently cause a minor disaster… You see, he’s a little rambunctious and a smidge mischievous… My big fear is that he lunges out of his handler’s hands when he sees me walking down the aisle and tries to leap into my arms, but instead ends up tearing a gaping hole down the front of my dress.
I do think much of this fear can/will be quieted by making sure he is exhausted before the wedding begins, but I’d love some tips from any brides out there who’ve had their dog in their wedding. Are there any tricks for keeping him quiet during the ceremony? What about what to do with him during the reception? Any help you can give would be much appreciated!
And, for your viewing pleasure, some more cute pics of little Chambers:
The above picture was the day I brought him home! He still tries to sit in my lap like this even though he weighs 50 lbs…
He was a cowboy for Halloween. This outfit stayed on for about two miliseconds after this picture was taken.
Does it get any cuter than that?!
Awwwwww Chambers is adorable! I’m sorry, I don’t have much advice for you being a cat owner.
Maybe if you’re too nervous about him walking down the aisle, you can take some pictures with Chambers beforehand in your wedding attire? So he’s still included in the wedding, but in a calmer setting?
Is there someone who could drive him back home during the reception?
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awwwwwwww!
he he, Princess, our lab, weights over 100 and will sit on your head during a thunderstorm, lol. She thinks she’s itty bitty.
As much as I love my puppies, and even though they’ve calmed down considerably in their old age, I wouldn’t have them in the wedding. If it were 10 people I think they’d be OK. 200? Not so much. I think he could be the most tired dog in the world and still freak out walking down the aisle. On the other hand, he’s about half the size of my dogs and as long as he’s on a leash, I don’t see how he could cause too much trouble.
ohhhhhh my goodness HE IS SO CUTE! Ok I have some advice for you. We have a 1 year old very rambunctions VERY loveable Chesapeake Bay Retreiver/Chocolate lab mix and a puggle who are our ring bearers…no real rings though, Brutus (the lab mix) eats anything he can get in his mouth. They are being walked by my sisters boyfriend whom they both know and love. We’ve done a few trial runs. Make sure someone plays HARD with him that day, especially the 2-3 hours leading up to the ceremony. I mean hard. Fetch, run, swim (if that is available) tug of war, anything, then let him be to mellow out. Here is the thing - he’ll get a sudden burst of energy when he starts seeing a lot of people coming around, so you’ll need a good 20 minutes to let that initial shock of “YES! PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE!” wear off before he gets tired again. Good luck, he will make for some ADORABLE photos!
If all else fails (try this method before the weding to see how he reacts) you can go to the vet to get some travel-Eze or talk to them about Benadryl…drug him up! I dont recommend that, but as a last resort it could work. Be careful with Benadryl though…my Brutus is one of the VERY FEW dogs (happens with kids to) who happen to have an oppoiste effect with Benadryl…it makes him BOUNCE off the walls uncontrollably. Made that mistake on a car ride once, it was a really unpleasant 4 hours. =o)
I recently videoed a wedding in which the brides dog was a part of the wedding party. He was an older dog and very gentle. The Groom lead the dog in when he came in (outside wedding) and then turned the dog over to the brother of the bride who was a groomsmen. I know it made a wonderful memory for both the bride and groom to include their pet in the ceremony. However, I would not include a one year old dog in a wedding unless he/she was very relaxed around large groups of people and you have someone who can quietly keep your pet under control. Good luck with your wedding!
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I totally agree with the idea of REALLY tiring him out - not just that day but maybe also the day before. I feel for you because I know with a Vizsla the whole tired thing is really a relative state.
Here is what I would recommend in addition to that.
1 - Get him used to large gathering groups. If you live in a city find a theater or concert hall that people wait outside of before a shoe - ballparks work well for this too. Bring him out and walk him around the through the crowds to get him used to the idea of large excited groups of people. Then the excitement of the day is a little more common place and you avoid the potential for him to get scared or overly stimulated by a new situation.
2 - As much as you may want to - try to keep your distance before the ceremony. Dogs pick up on our mental and emotional states very easily - and the excitement, nervousness, and anticipation you may feel right before you walk down the aisle may confuse and upset your dog. Granted this is different for every owner-dog relationship - but its something to keep in mind.
3 - How about some specialized training before hand. Find a stand-in dress that is reminiscent of your wedding gown. Even just a large piece of similar fabric wrapped around you will do. If you are going to wear a specific/different perfume on your wedding day spray some of that on the fabric too. Then practice with your dog. If he usually jumps when he sees you walking towards him then practice walking towards him in your get-up. When he jumps say “To Bad!” and immediately turn around and walk away. Then try again. The first time that you are able to approach him without him jumping up - give him a treat and praise him. Then repeat repeat repeat. He will get the idea that when Mom is dressed up like that I can’t jump no matter what. If you do decide to try the training route make sure you do this at least 3 times/days - in other words 3 different sessions to make sure that he understands.
4 - For the ceremony to keep him quiet you may want to consider a frozen stuffed Kong type toy to keep him occupied. There are some great recipes for Kongs here and this will keep him busy and in one spot for quite some time. http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/02/dog_recipes_for_kong_chew_toys.php
5 - Another trick for the ceremony if your worried about keeping him in one place is to either bring his pet bed or a blanket. Dog’s are so intelligent and he will understand that his bed is a place to relax and chill out. Throw the Kong in with him and he is going to be the happiest dog in town.
6 - Lastly, I would caution against the medicine/tranquilizer route. I know for my dog, medications tend to make him nervous, whiny, and disoriented. Yes, he will stay in one place but it all probability he will feel out of sorts somehow. Spending the time to prepare him before hand will work so much better than drugging him the day of the ceremony and hoping for the best.
Hopefully at least one of these ideas helps. Good luck and Congrats - I hope you both (and Chambers) really enjoy your day!
I know nothing about how to incorporate your lovely pooch into your wedding–I know its risky, but if it is important to you, then do it!
But, I just had to say he is GORGEOUS. And, as a dog lover and someone who loved naming my own dogs how did you come up with his? It is wonderful! (And I am often thinking of names that reflect on parts of my life–and being an attorney I am always thinking of “legalish” names–I have never heard one as perfect as Chambers!)
Wow, your dog is gorgeous! I love Vizlas, but we need a BIG backyard before we can get one so he can RUN.
I look forward to hearing how he does on the big day. We’ve been trying to figure our lab Ollie into the wedding day; he’ll only be 16 months old so he will still be plenty rambunctious!
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Wow! This is all amazing advice - THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will get to work on this and let you know how it goes. xo
