# Vizsla socialization problems



## zelbond (Jan 4, 2015)

I have a good friend who has a very small vizsla male that's over a year old (only about 30lbs) and I have a german shepherd puppy (male) that's 6 months old now (so about 55lbs) and lately the vizsla has been displaying weird behavior when we have play dates together. 

Background:
They first met a couple weeks after we got our shepherd and have played together probably 6 times or so since. The first few times they played the vizsla was obviously bigger and would play nonstop with our dog and try to dominate him (humping, etc). They played again together about 6 weeks ago when our shepherd was about 45lbs so now bigger than the Vizsla. This is when the problems started. The vizsla would mostly just run away from the shepherd when they were playing outside but would sometimes engage in normal dog playing like biting, throwing to the ground, chasing, being chased, etc. Then when we brought them back inside the vizsla would mostly just jump between the couches in an attempt to get away from the shepherd and since we don't allow our shepherd on the couches he was actually being good and not jumping up. Although he would put his front paws up and attempt to keep playing with the vizsla. The vizsla would just peel back its lips, bare his teeth and "Hiss" at the shepherd. Eventually the shepherd would get a hold of the vizsla's neck skin and try to pull him off but the vizsla would mostly just jump back up again in an attempt to flee. 

The last time they had a play date there was almost no playing and the vizsla would just run and jump on the couch his owner was on and lay on his owner's lap. The owner kept coddling him and wouldn't make him get off the couch. The whole time whenever our dog would try to get the vizsla to play he would growl, bare his teeth and hiss (what's up with the hissing btw?). 

Is this normal for a vizsla? I just don't understand why he wouldn't want to play especially since he's still a puppy himself only being a little over a year old. My puppy plays nicely and has never hurt the vizsla or anything. Do you think it's because the vizsla owner babies her dog too much? She would just coddle him when he would growl and hiss and would never discipline or correct so I think this reinforced the behavior and gave him more confidence in not playing. 

It's annoying because it seems like the vizsla would only play when he was able to dominate our puppy and now that our puppy is much too big for the vizsla to dominate he just acts like a spoiled brat and hides behind his owner and growls and bares his teeth at our dog. Any advice would help because I know that as much as we socialize with the owner that they will be around each other a lot in the future. How can we get the vizsla to actually play? And again, do you think it's exacerbated by the fact the owner coddles him too much? Even though our dog is nice and well socialized I dont think once he matures he'll tolerate this kind of behavior the way he does now.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

No, you should not coddle a dog if its doing something wrong, and you should not let a dog keep chasing one that does not want to play.
It sounds like the V did not consider your pup a threat when it was small, but now at 55 lbs., it does. It is not uncommon for a dog to run to its owner for protection. If the other dog keep coming, your going to see growling and teeth.


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## zelbond (Jan 4, 2015)

Another thing to add is if anyone besides the vizsla's owner tries to touch him while he's up on the couches he will bare teeth, growl, and nip at them. I just want them to play together and be friends


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

> Then when we brought them back inside the vizsla would mostly just *jump between the couches in to an attempt get away* from the shepherd and since we don't allow our shepherd on the couches he was actually being good and not jumping up. Although he would put his front paws up and attempt to keep playing with the vizsla. The vizsla would just* peel back its lips, bare his teeth *and "Hiss" at the shepherd. *Eventually the shepherd would get a hold of the vizsla's neck skin and try to pull him off *but the vizsla would mostly just jump back up again in an attempt to flee.


Because both of you let this go on, its the reason the next play day went so badly. They picked up exactly were they left off. The other owners needs to socialize the vizsla with other dogs it feels more comfortable with, to build back up its confidence.


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## Watson (Sep 17, 2012)

Hard to say without seeing, but my V has never played well with a GS. To me, the two breeds seem to play so differently, and are so different in temperament. I've never heard a dog "hiss", but my V and others I know can be very vocal/grumbling when they play, almost in an enticing "come and get me" way. 

It could also be an age thing. At a year, my boy started to get very cocky with younger dogs, almost as if he was too good to play with them. He did grow out of it at around two.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

hides behind his owner and growls and bares his teeth at our dog

That is what made me think the vizsla was not playing any longer.
A timid dog will tuck its tail and run from other dogs. It doing this makes other dogs want to chase. That just reinforces the timid dog to run.

You said the dog resource guards the couch from people. That's a separate problem, unless its only doing it when chased by another dog. 

It may just be easier to stop having play dates with the dogs, and do on lead walks together. Its a way of getting them to tolerate each other.


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## Hbomb (Jan 24, 2012)

Agree with TR. It sounds like the vizsla is a bit nervous and intimidated by your dog so backing off. Your dog isn't reading the signals that the vizsla is uncomfortable, and so keeps trying to play with it. As he's only a 6 month old pup it is understandable that he doesn't have the best doggy manners yet, but it's important to correct him if he is being over boisterous with another dog who clearly doesn't like it.

When H was a 6 month old puppy, he was the same, wanting to play with every single dog he met. It took us correcting him, time, plus a few tickings off from older dogs but from about a year and a half on his dog manners got a lot better. Now he's pretty good at reading the signs other dogs give off, and if they are nervous/not wanting to play he'll give them a wide berth. 

At the moment it's probably not the best idea to force the two dogs together all the time, but as your dog gets more mature (and hopefully the vizsla gets more socialised and more confident) then hopefully they'll get on. Even if they aren't charging around play fighting all the time, they should learn to be relaxed in each other's company.


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

It is a good idea to stop the game once you see one of the dogs no longer enjoying the game/ wanting to play. When I see my boy stops to play (usually, when he gets tired or he is the one being chased and other dogs don't want to take turns and be chased), turns around and shows his teeth or his tail goes down, I know he is no longer enjoying the situation/ game and it is time for me to intervene. The command is "all done" (this is for my boy to indicate I know he wants to stop, as others are not necessary know/ use the same command), then step in and tell other dogs to back off (this is more to signal to other owners I want them to call their dogs off), and command "this way" (for my boy to follow me). Then we both (by this time, my boy's tail is up again) heading off to other from others direction. I find my boy's confidence has grown as well as his trust in me. 

Sometimes, when Vs turn one year, they do not want to play with puppies (similar to what happens with teenagers), but this should pass at around age of two years old.


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## zelbond (Jan 4, 2015)

Really appreciate all the replies everyone! I did keep telling my puppy to go to his bed and back off, which he would do for a few minutes at a time but you know how puppies are and he was back at the couch barking and inviting the vizsla to play again. He's just really playful! 

I'll make sure we reintroduce them under different circumstances and continue to separate if the vizsla doesn't want to play. Hopefully as they both mature they can find a way to play or do something else together like walk.


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