(Editor’s Note: The following was deciphered from Mike Kende’s original handwritten text by Dick Buhman. The text is exactly as written, blanks are words that couldn’t be read. Mr Kende’s passing was reported in April 1969 VIZSLA NEWS.)

On an afternoon, one of my friends visited me and brought a female Vizsla. He told me he bought the dog as puppy and he tried to teach her, but he had no success. The dog had picked up bad habits. She springs after a hare and she ran howling after him. He told me he does not take the dog home again, but if I don’t accept her, he leaves it on the street to meet her fate.

I looked at the Vizsla well and found out that, externally, she is a 1^st class dog; her ability will be perfect too. I gave my friend permission to leave Dora with me.

I took Dora at first on a long stick and ______with her the primary training. She showed great intelligence; she realized every sound, every movement of the hand. Afterwards I took her on my hunting territory. I worked her with a long stick here too. At first she stood for partridges. They were about 80 feet from her. She suddenly stood fast and stiff. I waited and watched, I made a distant tour opposite to Dora, so that the parties were between me and the dog. Then I came nearer the partridges. In the moment of flight I payed attention to Dora, but I shot for that reason two partridges. Dora made 1 or 2 steps after the birds, but after my hiss she threw herself on her stomach. One of the partridges died. The other one ran with wounded wings in the cover. I praised Dora, she was lying so quiet. I took her to the place where the partridges fell. I found a feather and let her smell, marching in the direction where the partridges ran. I showed her the ground and told her “Search it, my dog.”

I repeated several times. Dora understood it while she pressed her nose on the earth. She went after the smell of the partridge. At this I picked up the dead partridge and observed Dora. She went through a field of _____, afterwards a field of turnips and went in a field of corn where she disappeared. I couldn’t see her. I waited about 5 minutes. At last I saw her coming out of the opposite side: she was running in a heavy trot; the partridge in her mouth. She came with it to me, threw it on the earth and didn’t wait till I got it. The partridge sprang on his feet and began to run. The rush began again; after 3 or 4 minutes Dora caught the partridge she brought it to me, threw it on the earth. The partridge ran away. Again, the dog went after him and brought it back. When she was 3 feet from me I ran to him and took the partridge. I saw that with wounded wild it is all right, but she must learn to bring the game to the handler.

I went hunting on a territory where there is a large meadow. I liked to see how she behaved herself. During this time, I shot 6 partridges till we came to the meadow. In the meadow, I let Dora run against the wind. She searched in a nice long track. Once she threw her head right and in small steps she went forward opposite the wind. She stands, looks straight in the bushes. I went 30-40 feet, far around the bush; in a zigzag pattern. When I was not farther than 6 steps I saw a hare spring out, but the dog sprang after him too. I could not shoot. Dora was very near the hare and when I shot she could run in the shot and it could injure some noble part of her.

Dora continued to chase the hare. I whistled, but my Dora chasing and barking after the hare, could not hear. I saw down in the grass and thought how can I teach her to not run after a hare. I didn’t run after her because I knew the custom of the hare followed by a dog; it always comes back to his first place. I saw already she is a good trackkeeper at 3 years, but how can I teach her to forget her bad custom to spring after a hare. Suitably I remembered the boomerang. I knew a sentinal who can throw with a bent cane so that when he does not find the object, the cane is coming back to him. In this time Dora came back, her tongue at her knees. I put her on the strong, let her sit beside me, that she repose herself and found out I must speak with this sentinal. I wrote him a letter, asked him to visit me and bring his bent cane with him. The sentinal answered immediately he will be next Saturday at my apartment.

Saturday he came, I told him my plan, he liked it; we took a taxi and went on my hunting territory on the part which is the richest in hare. We agreed. I let the Vizsla search and if the game springs and the dog springs too, the sentinal should hit her in the side with the boomerang. I took care that her search would be short. After some minutes Dora was standing, the hare sprang, the dog sprang too, but the boomerang puffed in her side. Dora was afraid, it hurt her; she runs to me. After 6 trails, I remarked that Dora is still more afraid of the boomerang, made only 3 steps after the hare, stood and lay down. I ran to her, praised her, petted her, because I knew I won the battle.

We made the boomerang story 10 times still, but in this time she didn’t spring any more. Next day we went on such part of my territory where were more different types of game. By chance it came at first a partridge, then a pheasant, at last a hare. When the hare sprang, Dora made some steps, she got the boomerang. She never sprang again.

After this lesson, I corrected minor faults so that Dora became a racing Vizsla and got the first prize always.

In the year of 1938, I gave her to one of my cousins and Dora hunted until the year 1944