# Considering a Vizsla after owning Boxers



## FrankT (Mar 8, 2020)

I’ve lived with six boxers over the years and love the breed. However, the last two died last year - both from cancer within 6 months of each other which was heart breaking. I took a break and reconsidering the breed.

I was interested in the Vizsla but I’m not certain what I’m getting myself into and wanted to reach out to the forum to be educated.

What I like about the Vizsla is that they sound a lot like boxers but are longer lived (big plus), smaller (nice) but are likely much higher on the energy scale which will be fun assuming they don’t get neurotic or destructive.

I‘m trying to compare my experience with Boxers to what I should expect with Vizsla to see if this is a good fit.

My experience with boxers was that they had high energy but it was manageable. They were extremely playful/goofy which the entire family loved. The dogs LOVED my 2 and 6 year old kids. They where an integral part of the family travelling frequently with us. Things worked well even though both my wife and I worked I think because we lived in a warm weather state where the dogs could spend long days in the back yard where they had each other to keep company and the kids and I would play/keep them busy when we where home. We also had an awesome doggy daycare for when we travelled for a week or two once a year.

The Vizsla sound like they might be ideal breed as they share a lot of traits with Boxers except they are on an entire different energy scale than boxers.

Things I’m considering changing if we where to get a Vizsla:
1) I’m thinking of getting one vs two dogs now that I have a bigger family to keep the dog entertained and engaged.
2) My wife is working from home so there will be someone around during the day and my wife loves the ideal of a Velcro dog.
3) My family just moved to North Carolina which is colder so we can’t plan on leave the dogs in a .5 acre back yard during the day. However, I’m thinking of adding a doggy door so that the dog can let itself out to run around. The back yard is adjacent to a large watershed that can’t be built on so though our yard is small, their is an additional 15-20 acres of wooded land with a meandering stream to walk the dog in. 
4) Additionally, the home came with an electrically fenced backyard. I may not need to fence the yard but I‘m not 100% convinced yet. The electric fence seems to work for my neighbors dogs but I’m curious what other folks experienced has been with electric fences.
5) My new job is demanding ... there will be times I won’t be able to walk the dog which is a big concern for me. My wife could not walk our boxers as they where too powerful for her when something goes wrong. She might be able to walk a single Vizsla but it’s not a sure thing in my mind.

What are folks thoughts? Does the situation sound workable for a Vizsla given their high energy needs? My family and I had a boxer that would follow me everywhere, lean against me when I stopped moving or would sit on my foot to keep track of me and I know I‘m ok with that. Training is a given. I’m intrigued but not certain about the sport dog / obstacle course training though I don’t hunt. I‘m comfortable that things would work with a boxer in our new situation but the Vizsla energy stories have me worried.


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## Hayley777 (Aug 1, 2020)

Hi, shame no one replied on here as I have similar question.

Partner had boxer previously but now I am very interested in Vizslas! No wonder they r rare as pets in UK, think people get worried. 

What did u do? Did u go with Vizsla and how getting on?


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## PhilipL (Sep 28, 2018)

Hopefully some of the more experienced Vizsla owners than me will add to this discussion and be able to answer all of your questions better than I can.

I have a two years old male Vizsla called Rafa, he is my first dog so I can only compare with what I have seen of other dogs.

He is very large for a Vizsla 66 pounds and still growing, but he is the goofiest, happiest most loving dog and every evening turns into the Velcro dog that typifies Vizslas.

Energy level is off the scale, my wife has had Dalmations before and she said those 'coach' dogs can run all day and not tire, that is pretty much the case with my Vizsla. Walks on a lead do not tire him at all whatever the mileage, he doesn't hunt, but he does need off leash time to use up a lot of that energy.

The 'sharkies' puppy nipping stage is a Vizsla trait, we had that for about 4 months, never drew blood and their way of communicating with siblings.

When he first got large he was so strong he pulled over my wife and daughter, we tried front fastening harnesses and all, but the simple solution was a gundog style rope lead that when twisted into a figure of 8 and put around his muzzle instantly cured the pulling, like walking a lamb ever since.

My wife and I are both active and at least one of us is at home every day with him now, at first there was one day a week when we weren't at home with him for a few hours, the seperation anxiety resulted in some rather large holes in the lawn!

Do I regret jumping in at the deep end and getting a Vizsla? Absolutely not, he has been a wonderful addition to the family. He has never displayed any aggression to people or other dogs, he loves watching or chasing birds, he wants to play a lot and likes leaning against me whenever he can. He cuddles up and velcros a lot.

Met a lovely couple from Darlington last week with a 6 year old female Vizsla, she calmed down aged 4 years and at the two years old stage they were still wondering if they had made the right decision. No regrets at all now, but had a hard time with her at first.


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## Hayley777 (Aug 1, 2020)

Thank u for the reply appreciate all the opinions! 

Think I know what u mean by 8 shape harness as we use on my parents strong German Shephards or think when they were 6-15months would have pulled me along much more! (Now dreams to walk) even with 2 at once.

I do want a dog that diesbt require a lead on most walks.

The Viz would b with me/us 98% of time it's just that 2% I was worried about and an unhappy dog. But also getting confirmation it's about the training and the specific dogs personality and they arnt totally ridiculous with alone for short periods after walks so think need actually not worry as much.


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## tiki and stormy (Aug 18, 2012)

My two Vs learned the boundaries of our electric fence in a few hours. It was really amazing. After a few months we didn’t even need batteries in the collar since as long as they were wearing the collar they respected the boundary. 0.5 acres is sizeable and is great space if they can roam that. Two would exercise each other and keep each other company.

Of course they are not “outdoor” dogs and they really do better with both exercise and human attention. Both of ours were demanding when they needed to get outside and just as demanding, if not more so, when they wanted someone to sit or lay down with them. I’ve had other dogs and Velcro doesn’t even begin to describe our Vs.

At times this can be overwhelming, particularly when we were raising children. But they are worth the effort, you really feel a bond with them, an emotional connection that at least I have not experienced with other dogs or pets. They are also protective, especially our male. Our female is the first one in family to make sure someone is ok if they hear the occasional crying, staying by their side and trying to lick their face. Really amazing animals.

Our male died, probably from cancer, right after he turned 11. He was part of our family and with his quirks and demands (like insisting that we remove the wrinkles from a blanket before he would hop on bed or couch to lay down on it...and on an on, he had us very well trained) and superstitions we sort of thought of him as a person and his death was more difficult than any of us would have imagined — and my wife and I both had other pets that had died. His dog walker visited to see him before he died and he somehow mustered the strength to get up, wag his tail and give her the sweetest and most gentle kiss. Our female is 10. I think average life span is about 12.5 years. They are great companions and like all V owners, I wish they lived longer healthier lives.


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## Saffi the HWV (Jan 17, 2021)

I know this a little out of date but registered to answer you.

My family have had 2 Boxers and a Hungarian Wired Haired Vizsla who have sadly passed away over the years, and now we have Saffi who is also HWV although she is more like a standard Vizsla in her looks and only has a a very short coat. Both Saffi and my previous HWV have been very different temperamentally though.

Boxers are lovely playful fun clever dogs. My first Boxer knew over 120 words. People think they are not clever they are just in a very special Boxer way. Boxers are more prone to fight and both my Boxers liked a good ruff and tumble with other Boxers and me. They did not need tons of walking 45 minutes a day would be good enough. They barked at strangers coming to the house but then wanted to play. My first Boxer did the brilliant thing of helping my step daughter get over her fear of dogs. Both my Boxers had health issues though. One died of a heart attack at seven, and I had to have another put down at 3 because of his Epilepsy. We searched for another breed with better health and so enter HWV.

They are very different from Boxers. 
1. They are very sensitive indeed. Training needs to be with treats, and gentle words of encouragement; noting harsh at all.
2. They are far more high energy. A good hour's off the lead walk daily is essential. Ours runs all that time. Then a later 20 to 30 minutes outside brain training keeps her calm in the evenings. Brain training involves using dummies as if they were quarry to collect for me. 
3. They are incredibly affectionate and want to be with their human all day. They will not fare well alone for any length of time. If you have to go out to work then another dog is essential for company. Preferably the same size for equal play, and think about the sex of the companion to avoid dominance fights. 

Watch youtube for Vizslas hunting. You will be blown away by their innate skill and it tells you a lot about how to keep a family pet happy.


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