# Vizsla Service Dog



## IndyV

Hey everybody!

I am in the process of training my 1.4 year old vizsla, Indy, to become a service dog. I was wondering if anybody on this forum is training their dog as well, or better yet if anybody has certified their dog. I am hoping to gain knowledge on the best ways to train them, and just overall experiences with this endeavor. 

Thanks!


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## Mischa

Knowing what I do about this breed, I'm amazed that anyone would take on the challenge of making their job a calm one. 
It is an impressive feat to say the least, and I do wish you luck.

We tried walking our girl through a farmers market after 45 minutes of running in the woods today. It was not leisurely! We left after 2 minutes because she was pulling like a bronco to smell all the food. 
I can call her off stalking a robin or squirrel, and get her to walk beside me off leash, but can't get her to heel or even just not drag me around through a market. I'm gonna give her a few years for that one... lol

I believe there is a lady in New England that is training her V as a therapy dog, but I can't remember her screen name. 
finch???


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## IndyV

Thanks for your reply! 

I work with Indy every single day, his biggest struggle is staying on a loose leash and remaining calm. He has improved so incredibly much, but still needs heaps of work. He has such a great heart and a very quick learner, so I am confident that over time he will be a great little service pup! It can be overwhelming, but I find training in shorter increments of time works best for him.

I think I am Facebook friends with finch actually!!!! I will shoot them a message later this afternoon!


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## R E McCraith

Indy - my Vets daughter trained a V to be a service pup for her senior project in high school - the results were fantastic - she got a A+ - my vet would have never have thought of this breed - but after 20yrs of taking care of my V's he knew that they are a breed 2b above the rest - GO FOR IT !


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## harrigab

Mischa said:


> Knowing what I do about this breed, I'm amazed that anyone would take on the challenge of making their job a calm one.
> It is an impressive feat to say the least, and I don wish you luck.
> 
> We tried walking our girl through a farmers market after 45 minutes of running in the woods today. It was not leisurely! We left after 2 minutes because she was pulling like a bronco to smell all the food.
> I can call her off stalking a robin or squirrel, and get her to walk beside me off leash, but can't get her to heal or even just not drag me around through a market. I'm gonna give her a few years for that one... lol
> 
> I believe there is a lady in New England that is training her V as a therapy dog, but I can't remember her screen name.
> _*finch???*_


yep


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## pippa31

Wow! We are in the process of training Pippa to be a therapy dog...and that has been a huge challenge and commitment!! I honestly can't imagine training Pippa to be a service dog...I am in awe 

Please keep us updated!


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## VictoriaW

Who are you working with, Pippa? Would love to know more--


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## kristen

Very cool! 
I get glimpses of Odins calm and his ability to read situations (met a woman in a wheelchair last weekend and he was perfect) then he goes and jumps and licks a kids face in the garden center today...
Best of luck, it's gonna be a lot of work!


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## pippa31

VictoriaW said:


> Who are you working with, Pippa? Would love to know more--


We are working with a trainer out of Newton. Right now, she is working with us on all the Canine Good Citizen training aspects. The Canine Good Citizen certification is a good building block for moving into therapy dog training/certification. We have been attending sessions once a week for an hour to an hour and a half. I attend a class with 4 other dogs (the idea is to provide many distractions in the training environment). We also train out in the community (not in a training facility). To give you a sense, last month we spent 2 full hour and a half sessions just working on walking at a heel, greeting strangers, and being touched/pet by strangers. It sounds excessive, but therapy dogs need to be comfortable with such a wide variety of people, that it's been excellent training. Here is a link to a helpful website about therapy dogs

http://www.tdi-dog.org/HowToJoin.aspx?Page=Testing+Requirements

If you download the brochure, you can see what the Therapy certification entails and the requirements for certification. I'm not at all sure at this point that we will make it all the way there, but for now it's really good (albeit hard) training for both Pippa and I.


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## redrover

IndyV said:


> Hey everybody!
> 
> I am in the process of training my 1.4 year old vizsla, Indy, to become a service dog. I was wondering if anybody on this forum is training their dog as well, or better yet if anybody has certified their dog. I am hoping to gain knowledge on the best ways to train them, and just overall experiences with this endeavor.
> 
> Thanks!


Hi, sorry, I just want to clear up some confusion. Are you training Indy to be a therapy dog or a service dog? They are different things, and I'm not clear on which one you are referring to. If it's service training, that's really awesome. May I ask how you got into that? Did you have to do anything special when it was a puppy? I know some light training often starts right from the get-go.

Either way, though, this is commendable! I thought about doing therapy work with my dog, but haven't really started the process. The one thing I can say about him is that he is fearless--he is not spooked by walkers, wheelchairs, canes...nothing. So there's a start!


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## IndyV

redrover said:


> Hi, sorry, I just want to clear up some confusion. Are you training Indy to be a therapy dog or a service dog? They are different things, and I'm not clear on which one you are referring to. If it's service training, that's really awesome. May I ask how you got into that? Did you have to do anything special when it was a puppy? I know some light training often starts right from the get-go.
> 
> Either way, though, this is commendable! I thought about doing therapy work with my dog, but haven't really started the process. The one thing I can say about him is that he is fearless--he is not spooked by walkers, wheelchairs, canes...nothing. So there's a start!


wow! sorry for the slow responses to everybody! I did not expect to receive so much feed back! 

I am hoping Indy will become a service dog, but so far I have very little experience with service dog training. We are meeting up with a k9 good citizen dog trainer tomorrow morning, I hope that she will be able to shed some light on local trainers who can help me teach Indy. 

The only thing I did when Indy was a puppy was take him to puppy classes haahaa! I enrolled him in a series of 2 puppy courses with Sirius dog training and he graduated from both. I always train him at home though, but I make little games out of learning new things which helps to reinforce and strengthen the lesson.

I will post back after I meet up with the trainer tomorrow.... hopefully I will be able to share some advice!!!


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## IndyV

R said:


> Indy - my Vets daughter trained a V to be a service pup for her senior project in high school - the results were fantastic - she got a A+ - my vet would have never have thought of this breed - but after 20yrs of taking care of my V's he knew that they are a breed 2b above the rest - GO FOR IT !


That's amazing!!!  Did her daughter completely self-train the V? Or how did she go about doing this?


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## Ozkar

Mischa said:


> Knowing what I do about this breed, I'm amazed that anyone would take on the challenge of making their job a calm one.
> It is an impressive feat to say the least, and I do wish you luck.
> 
> We tried walking our girl through a farmers market after 45 minutes of running in the woods today. It was not leisurely! We left after 2 minutes because she was pulling like a bronco to smell all the food.
> I can call her off stalking a robin or squirrel, and get her to walk beside me off leash, but can't get her to heel or even just not drag me around through a market. I'm gonna give her a few years for that one... lol
> 
> I believe there is a lady in New England that is training her V as a therapy dog, but I can't remember her screen name.
> finch???


Yep...Finch it is........calling Finch....calling finch............


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## redrover

IndyV said:


> redrover said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi, sorry, I just want to clear up some confusion. Are you training Indy to be a therapy dog or a service dog? They are different things, and I'm not clear on which one you are referring to. If it's service training, that's really awesome. May I ask how you got into that? Did you have to do anything special when it was a puppy? I know some light training often starts right from the get-go.
> 
> Either way, though, this is commendable! I thought about doing therapy work with my dog, but haven't really started the process. The one thing I can say about him is that he is fearless--he is not spooked by walkers, wheelchairs, canes...nothing. So there's a start!
> 
> 
> 
> wow! sorry for the slow responses to everybody! I did not expect to receive so much feed back!
> 
> I am hoping Indy will become a service dog, but so far I have very little experience with service dog training. We are meeting up with a k9 good citizen dog trainer tomorrow morning, I hope that she will be able to shed some light on local trainers who can help me teach Indy.
> 
> The only thing I did when Indy was a puppy was take him to puppy classes haahaa! I enrolled him in a series of 2 puppy courses with Sirius dog training and he graduated from both. I always train him at home though, but I make little games out of learning new things which helps to reinforce and strengthen the lesson.
> 
> I will post back after I meet up with the trainer tomorrow.... hopefully I will be able to share some advice!!!
Click to expand...

Very neat! I hope this isn't too intrusive, but is there anyone in particular that you would like him to work for? Or is it just something very fun to do together? 

I knew a family that used to house the puppies that were eventually going to be brought up through a service dog program. They said it was kind of sad--they would have them as puppies and do the training games, but they'd have to send them away to "school" so they could learn to be service dogs. They'd get updates, of course. I think they eventually got one of the puppies back after it was retired as a service dog, which was pretty sweet.

They stopped for a little bit, because it was very difficult for their young ones to understand. Once the kids were a little older and could understand the concept, they started back up again.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Good luck with your meeting, and keep us updated!


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## mswhipple

If anyone has purchased the book called The Vizsla,by Bernard C. Boggs, you can see a photo on page 77 of a blind lady named Beverly Oliver and her seeing eye dog, Bobby. It is in the section of the book called "The Vizsla - Owner Relationship". This part of the book is called "The Vizsla as a Guide Dog" and begins on page 75. ;D

p.s. Sorry I haven't figured out the underlining thing.


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## IndyV

redrover said:


> Very neat! I hope this isn't too intrusive, but is there anyone in particular that you would like him to work for? Or is it just something very fun to do together?
> 
> I knew a family that used to house the puppies that were eventually going to be brought up through a service dog program. They said it was kind of sad--they would have them as puppies and do the training games, but they'd have to send them away to "school" so they could learn to be service dogs. They'd get updates, of course. I think they eventually got one of the puppies back after it was retired as a service dog, which was pretty sweet.
> 
> They stopped for a little bit, because it was very difficult for their young ones to understand. Once the kids were a little older and could understand the concept, they started back up again.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Good luck with your meeting, and keep us updated!



Don't worry about it! I don't mind your questions one bit! I am just hoping to have Indy work with me, I have no plans of having him work for anybody else. I definately view it as something fun to do together, while furthering his education! haha 

That's a very sweet story, but I cannot even imagine sending my little pupper dog away.. I would feel like something was missing!!! 
That is so great that they are helping others get service dogs though.

----

The meetup with the trainer was good, but not what I expected! 

She did not relay much information other than what I had already assumed:
She said that becoming a therapy dog was a step towards becoming a service dog. 

She said that Indy was half a year younger than her typical therapy dog in training (which is 2 years old) and tested him on the current training knowledge he had in the middle of a crowded pet store. He had him sit, stay (with me walking away, and when a squeaky toy was dropped behind him), down, and to hold eye contact. He passed with flying colors, and now Indy is officially enrolled within a therapy pup class! I am hoping this class will help reinforce old material, as well as introduce new material that will help him become a service dog in the future. I have to take baby steps with this little guy!


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## IndyV

mswhipple said:


> If anyone has purchased the book called The Vizsla,by Bernard C. Boggs, you can see a photo on page 77 of a blind lady named Beverly Oliver and her seeing eye dog, Bobby. It is in the section of the book called "The Vizsla - Owner Relationship". This part of the book is called "The Vizsla as a Guide Dog" and begins on page 75. ;D
> 
> p.s. Sorry I haven't figured out the underlining thing.





Thanks for this reference!!!


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## finch

Thanks Indy for clueing me into this thread! I started a new job recently and haven't had as much time for the forum as in the past  

Yes, I am working with Finch toward Therapy Dog certification... She just turned 1 in April and so far we have done the following classes: Puppy Playschool (Socialization), Basic Manners, and Good Anywhere Dog. The next class in the series is the CGC/Therapy class, but I'm not sure when it will start. I was supposed to start last month, but I live in a rural area and my trainer has had trouble getting enough people for the class. It has been a few months since we've been in a formal class, so on our own we've been perfecting her heel & recall and I bring her everywhere I possibly can with me. My favorite places to bring her are Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores. She meets lots of people there and it is great for training w/ distractions and socialization. 

When she gets her certification, I am going to work with a local domestic violence women's shelter to establish a reading program for the kids. We have also been getting involved a little bit with a local Dog Scouts troop... many of the dogs are therapy dogs and and they do lots of reading programs and social outreach.

IndysTail - you mention you are training your dog to become a service dog. In case you or others who read this are not aware, while you can train any dog to learn the skills of a service dog, they are not legally allowed to wear the service dog vest and go in any public place unless they are accompanying a person with a disability. Service dogs perform actual, specific tasks for people with disabilities: signal dogs for the deaf, guide dogs for the blind, assistance dogs for those in wheelchairs, alert dogs for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics, seizure response dogs, assistance dogs for persons with certain psychiatric disabilities, and medical alert dogs. It is considered fraudulent in the dog training world to call your dog a service dog if they are not working with a disabled person.

For anyone without a disability looking for something fun to do with your dog to elevate their training and strengthen your bond, consider Therapy Certification, Search & Rescue, Dog Scouts, Agility, etc.

Good luck!


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## Cavedog

Three years ago my beloved Lab passed away and after a while I began thinking about getting another companion. 

I was in a restaurant with a friend and at the table next to us was a blind man and his family. On the floor next to him was his seeing eye dog, a beautiful Vizsla! She was calm, but attentive and I wanted desperately to go over and pet her, but I knew she was working and should not be disturbed.

I had heard of the breed, but knew nothing about them. That night I started researching V's and the more I learned about them the more I liked.

So yes, Vizslas can be service dogs and if it had not been for one, I would not have my boy Dax.


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## IndyV

finch said:


> Thanks Indy for clueing me into this thread! I started a new job recently and haven't had as much time for the forum as in the past
> 
> Yes, I am working with Finch toward Therapy Dog certification... She just turned 1 in April and so far we have done the following classes: Puppy Playschool (Socialization), Basic Manners, and Good Anywhere Dog. The next class in the series is the CGC/Therapy class, but I'm not sure when it will start. I was supposed to start last month, but I live in a rural area and my trainer has had trouble getting enough people for the class. It has been a few months since we've been in a formal class, so on our own we've been perfecting her heel & recall and I bring her everywhere I possibly can with me. My favorite places to bring her are Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores. She meets lots of people there and it is great for training w/ distractions and socialization.
> 
> When she gets her certification, I am going to work with a local domestic violence women's shelter to establish a reading program for the kids. We have also been getting involved a little bit with a local Dog Scouts troop... many of the dogs are therapy dogs and and they do lots of reading programs and social outreach.
> 
> IndysTail - you mention you are training your dog to become a service dog. In case you or others who read this are not aware, while you can train any dog to learn the skills of a service dog, they are not legally allowed to wear the service dog vest and go in any public place unless they are accompanying a person with a disability. Service dogs perform actual, specific tasks for people with disabilities: signal dogs for the deaf, guide dogs for the blind, assistance dogs for those in wheelchairs, alert dogs for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics, seizure response dogs, assistance dogs for persons with certain psychiatric disabilities, and medical alert dogs. It is considered fraudulent in the dog training world to call your dog a service dog if they are not working with a disabled person.
> 
> For anyone without a disability looking for something fun to do with your dog to elevate their training and strengthen your bond, consider Therapy Certification, Search & Rescue, Dog Scouts, Agility, etc.
> 
> Good luck!


That is so great that, I hope you and Finch are able to make a lot of people happy on your visits to domestic violence shelters, I bet the kids would love to meet Finch!!! 

That is very valuable information! I completely understand that it is illegal for a dog to wear a service vest and act as a service dog unless he/she is certified, I would never abuse this! I am in no way hoping to confuse people, Indy is not yet a service dog but it is something I am hoping he can become.  

Thank you so much for your input, Finch!!! Good thing that Indy and Finch are Facebook friends, now they can keep track of each others progress haa ha!!! ;D


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## IndyV

Cavedog said:


> Three years ago my beloved Lab passed away and after a while I began thinking about getting another companion.
> 
> I was in a restaurant with a friend and at the table next to us was a blind man and his family. On the floor next to him was his seeing eye dog, a beautiful Vizsla! She was calm, but attentive and I wanted desperately to go over and pet her, but I knew she was working and should not be disturbed.
> 
> I had heard of the breed, but knew nothing about them. That night I started researching V's and the more I learned about them the more I liked.
> 
> So yes, Vizslas can be service dogs and if it had not been for one, I would not have my boy Dax.


Sorry to hear about your lab, my family had a yellow lab who passed away a couple years back as well.. :-\

That is so great that the man's "service V" inspired you to research the breed! I am so glad you are happy with Dax!!!


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## datacan

http://hubabotond.blogspot.ca/ (use Google translator, it's a small world we live in)

They train them for dual purpose... as hunting dogs and as service dogs. It is possible, I guess.


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## jld640

I saw a V service dog at the airport a couple of weeks back. He was wonderful! He was calm and well behaved even with all the stressed people around him. The flight was delayed by a couple of hours and as soon as his person settled into a chair, he crawled up into her lap and went to sleep. I never heard a peep from him the entire flight (he was several rows behind me). 

Good luck with the training - it can be done!


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## Servicedog101

IndyV said:


> That is so great that, I hope you and Finch are able to make a lot of people happy on your visits to domestic violence shelters, I bet the kids would love to meet Finch!!!
> 
> That is very valuable information! I completely understand that it is illegal for a dog to wear a service vest and act as a service dog unless he/she is certified, I would never abuse this! I am in no way hoping to confuse people, Indy is not yet a service dog but it is something I am hoping he can become.
> 
> Thank you so much for your input, Finch!!! Good thing that Indy and Finch are Facebook friends, now they can keep track of each others progress haa ha!!! ;D


Please remember thought that service dogs are not certified only therapy dogs are.


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