# Vizsla doesn't listen.. Tips? Frustrated..



## AbigailsMum

My 8 month old girl is the first Vizsla I've ever had. And I admit I am terrible at training dogs. I've always had cats, so I just don't really know what to do with a dog.. She is completely house trained, and has been for a few months. She's great with the kids, (ages 4-2) My oldest keeps her well exercised! They play all day. She has definitely adapted to our lifestyle. She "hangs out" when we do, and plays when we do. So she is doing great in those ways. She is so sweet and smart, and loves me but she doesn't want to hear me. At all. She comes, she goes out, she follows me if I ask her to. But she eats off the table, she licks the dishwasher while I am loading it, I tell her no, she comes right back.. She really has no respect for me! I am a soft spoken little lady. I don't know how to get her to "hear" me. She has "picked" me over my husband, as her master, but she listens to him better. Except for going places.. She will follow me anywhere and always wants to be near me. It seems like she picks and chooses what she wants. And I don't know how to get her to understand I am the alpha over her. Any tips or advice would be appreciated. I am totally in the dark. We are planning on getting her spade soon.. Will that help? Will she listen more as she ages? 

Thanks so much!!


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## Lyndam

Have you crate trained her or have a safe place you can leave her. You don't have to have a loud voice but you do have to be firm persistent and most if all clear. Get a a whistle, think about clicker training perhaps and use what she likes best ...you . If she misbehaves remove that , turn your back , put her in the crate or out the room . Yeah she won't like it and she needs to be able to connect her action to the removal of you but if you persist and focus in clarity for her she 'll adjust . You maybe in teenage phase and age may settle a bit but training us essential , it doesn't just come. 
I see it less being alpha than being sure if what you want out if your dog and setting firm none negotiable boundaries while understanding they communicate differently and have different drives so they can easily mistake what you want. Show her. Good luck.


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## Henning

Hi AbigailsMum,

Have you considered getting a trainer to help you? If she doesn't respect you then she probably doesn't see you as the alpha, it seems she sees you as a playmate. 

What comes to mind is that a small thing, for instance she must sit before you feed her, will go far in changing her view of you from playmate to alpha. That would be my starting point and I will build from there. 

Basic training isn't as much a skill but rather having the knowledge how to and being consistent in implementing it. It's achievable for anyone  and a good trainer will help you grasp the reasoning behind the training methods.

Henning


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## AbigailsMum

We do have a crate and we use it when we aren't home or can't give her supervision. Lucky for her, I am a stay at home mom, so she isn't in it very often. She is very happy because she gets to be with the family 24/7, so we don't have any destructive problems. I admit while I give her lots of toys, especially the stuffers, and nylabones to keep her busy, I don't get to "teach" her as much as I'd like. My kids are 4 and 2. Our day is active, and before I know it, over. 
As much as a trainer would be nice, I live in a very rural area, and I just don't have the time/help with the kids. I think we're going to have to make a game of it, to teach her tricks each day, carve out the time for that specifically. Because as a member of the family she is awesome. She's so loving and great with the kids and other people. Is there a book recommended for Vizsla training that may help? 
From reading other posts, I'm starting to wonder if this is just how a Vizsla behaves and that she is in the teenager phase. She seems like the "classic" Vizsla when it comes to the other posts, she has the same issues. I didn't realize about them being such scavengers for example. And I happily informed my husband that it seems most Vs jump and run like a loon for guests because of all the love they have to give. This forum is really giving me such great knowledge on the breed. And I do have to give her credit. She is very good overall. My daughter is so tiny and she immediately sensed not to knock her over and to be gentle with her. After she realized my kids were fragile, she stopped zooming around the house.. She really "gets" our home and us. Which is lovely! She just seems stubborn. But I'm sensing they all are?? (She just found a sock and was chewing on it, as soon as I turned my back, she found the mate!)
I do notice my disappointed face and tone of voice "bother her". I use the same tricks on my kids. They all get so concerned and perk up. 
I'd say the main issue is that she is always counter surfing and sticking her head in the garbage. I try and look at the positive though, she's made me keep my kitchen spotless! haha


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## redbirddog

I think you have a smart Hungarian Vizsla who, as you said, is now a teenager. Good practice for you. * Set boundries. *
As far as counter surfing or trashcans, a good line of pepper or hot sauce on the edge a few times might help her understand. Like a teenager they have to test their and your limits. 

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/07/notice-to-people-who-visit-my-home.html

RBD


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## WillowyndRanch

Intellectual property removed by Author.


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## lilyloo

I think you need to go back to basics and train her as you would a new puppy. Things would have been easier if you were able to do so from the day you brought her home, but since she is a Vizsla and she's smart, she'll pick up on it and soon realize that you are the authority figure. The most important thing is being consistent. There are a lot of good training books. I referred to "The Versatile Vizsla" a lot with our first days with our girl.

The most useful thing we have taught our Vizsla, Ruby, is the "place" command. 

If I am loading the dishwasher I tell her "place" and she either sits on her dog bed, our stair landing, or our lounge chair in the living room. These are all locations that we have taught her are "places". When correctly trained to the command, the dog will not leave this "place" until you release them. It comes in SO handy. We use it when guests enter our home so that they can walk in without getting jumped on. I "place" her when I mop the floor so that she doesn't follow me around and get footprints on floor. She gets "placed" when I am making dinner so that she can see me but not be underfoot or counter surf. Really, the uses are endless. 

Here's a good article that explains how to teach the dog the place command. http://www.lcph.us/placecommand.html


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## jld640

If you are soft-spoken, then try changing the pitch (not the volume) of your voice. You probably already do on some words anyway. Think about how you say her name first thing in the morning versus telling her to sit. Use the pitches deliberately. 

Savannah responds to me better when I either lower the pitch of my voice (mostly for commands) or use a higher pitch happy voice (for interactive situations like games or grooming) than when I use my normal speaking voice.


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## Nelly

Hi AbigailsMum, 

I was with Nelly all of the time for her first couple of months and should have been with her less. As said previously she saw me as a playmate, all shark attacks on me, ignoring me etc.

It took me quite a while to find a mutual respect between her and I. I change my voice quite literally when commanding her (not shouting) I suppose kind of like how I imagine a judge would speak (ha!) dramatic and serious but no louder than normal.

I took control of walks for a while and did a lot of on lead training, walked with purpose and didn't let her linger around. There was a week during this that my partner did the walks and we were back to square one so consistency really is important.

We still have a similar routine to when I started this with her which means fun and play comes after a little training session. We can probably go for about half an hour now (11 months) before she starts to lose focus, then we go out for an adventure so she is rewarded for her hard work.

Whistles really worked for us, we whistle every meal, she comes = reward. We do this on the beach, she comes = reward.

I have never dominated her and she is not spayed. She listens to me well now. I also had to stop 'mugging her' with affection despite her cuteness : Instead she comes to me and I ask for a paw, or something, then we cuddle. I also ignored any whining or nose nudging for attention and she learned that I call all the shots. 

My partner didn't have to do any of this, he obviously had a natural air of leadership the **#¥!!?' ;D

Good luck.

Chloe


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