# How do you juggle your lifestyle with a V?



## Janu

Just asking if there are any parents out there with young (human) kids, a work life, who also like to entertain. I am reading so many consistent msgs about how much attention Vs require, and I wonder how they would fit into a lifestyle like this. Ofcourse you would give it time to burn off energy off leash and lots of attention, but if you have work (only leaving the pup for a few hours though (3-4), young kids and want to also have a social life/guests, is this realistically even doable with this breed? In all aspects, this breed is drawing us back time and time again, but the hundreds of exhausted posts are truly concerning! Thanks!


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## nyrangers10

I'm definitely not an expert compared to a lot of people here, but we have a 1 year old Vizsla girl. 

So my wife is a teacher and I work a normal 8-5 job. We are relatively active and social people, so we have to leave Alvarez (Alvie) quite frequently in her kennel. 

I know people will say they require a ton of attention and release of energy, and that is true. If we are gone a lot and can't exercise her one day, she will be very naughty when we let her out of the kennel. 

But we work around our lifestyle for Alvie. I wake up super early and walk her. We take her to the dog park or for a 3 mile walk almost every day in the afternoon. We will tell people no or leave early to make sure Alvie is not in her kennel for long. I'll play with her for an hour. Basically we make sure she is exercised every day for at least an hour or two.

It helps that my wife is off for the summer too. So basically she is crated from 7 am to 5 pm every weekday, and sometimes again in the evening. But we still have a happy, healthy pup.

If you truly feel you can't put any time in for your Vizsla, you probably shouldn't get one for their sakes. But as long as you can exercise them and show them love at some point during the day I'd say go for it. They will love you unconditionally.


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## skillingsworth

A V and really any pet is a commitment. I'm probably not telling you anything there. However, I would say that V is more like adopting a child than having a pet fish. They do NEED human interaction and they thrive on the connection with the owner. Mine is at the door waiting for me everyday when I come in from work. He is by my side wherever I go. He wants to be a lapdog whenever I let him. He is great with other people and loves attention. That said, if you can't give him at least a degree of this type of commitment, then a V may be a little too much right now. As I think back to my earlier labs, I did not have the ability to give them the attention I can now give my V....kids activities, work, social life and just pure exhaustion. Labs were better about less attention than a V so I think we made it work but they certainly were not the best they could have been had I had more time. Hope that helps.


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## Janu

Thanks! That does help gain some perspective. I've had demanding breeds/pups in the past, but I know Vs are unique in their intense level of exercise and attention (which we would definitely commit to anyway). I would just have to determine when the right time is to get one, since I really want a happy, social and obedient dog that I can present any situation to. Thanks again! Lots to think about.


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## gingerling

Janu said:


> Just asking if there are any parents out there with young (human) kids, a work life, who also like to entertain. I am reading so many consistent msgs about how much attention Vs require, and I wonder how they would fit into a lifestyle like this. Ofcourse you would give it time to burn off energy off leash and lots of attention, but if you have work (only leaving the pup for a few hours though (3-4), young kids and want to also have a social life/guests, is this realistically even doable with this breed? In all aspects, this breed is drawing us back time and time again, but the hundreds of exhausted posts are truly concerning! Thanks!




I answered your other similar post, but let me add more here.

Yes, you can have a life with all the things you've mentioned, but you have to see the Vizsla's extraordinary needs as a priority along with all those other things, do the math and see if it fits. 

If you are active, outdoorsy people, then a V will fit in fine. If you as a family routinely hike and swim, and do a lot of physical things, then it will work. If you have a beach house you go to on weekends and in the summer, it will work. If you vacation at your Paris apartment, no, it won't. If you want a dog who will go outside for a quick potty and come in and be OK, or go for a few leash walks and be OK, then no, it won't work. If you want him to occupy himself outside unattended, no. If your friends do not like canine participation in whatever social event you've invited them over for, then no, it won't work.


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## Janu

Thanks for the feedback. I'm asking as many questions as I can now to get a feel for the different experiences. Are we hikers? Not particularly but we can and have gone on hikes and will from time to time. We have trails and the beach closeby. We have a huge off leash park...but are we athletes? No. We are generally active. Realistically, the pup would get 45 mins at an off leash park, another long leashed walk and lots of love and attention and games during the week...but we are a working family with a moderately full social life. On the weekend we can occasionally take him on little hikes and adventures as well. We'd love to take him to fairs and events for socialization too.Not sure if that is enough...and if a kid is around within a year or so of getting the V, if the V is able to adapt well is another question. Thats something I'll have to figure out with the breeder when discussing compatibility?...


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## gingerling

"Little" hikes won't do it! Long leash walks won't be sufficient, either. Dog parks are good for fill ins and socialization..depending on the mix of dogs and the amount of space.


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## texasred

I really want a happy, social and obedient dog that I can present any situation to. Thanks again! Lots to think about.

That takes tons of work, and on going training. First is picking a good breeder.
Just as a example.
I don't expect a 6 month old puppy to walk at heel when outside. I don't see most 1 year old vizsla's walking at heel outside, for extended amounts of time.
The more distractions you add, the harder it is for them to concentrate on what you are asking of them.
It's building blocks. We start small, laying a good foundation. Then keep building on that foundation. 
Shine, my new puppy has just started puppy class. She will be in some type of training, for years to come.
To many people do a early class, and then stop. They run into problems when the pups hit adolescence age. I find it better to do ongoing training, instead of after you have a problem. 

So yes you can have a dog that does everything you want. It just might not be in the first year, or two.


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## armgwag

Janu said:


> Thanks for the feedback. I'm asking as many questions as I can now to get a feel for the different experiences. Are we hikers? Not particularly but we can and have gone on hikes and will from time to time. We have trails and the beach closeby. We have a huge off leash park...but are we athletes? No. We are generally active. Realistically, the pup would get 45 mins at an off leash park, another long leashed walk and lots of love and attention and games during the week...but we are a working family with a moderately full social life. On the weekend we can occasionally take him on little hikes and adventures as well. We'd love to take him to fairs and events for socialization too.Not sure if that is enough...and if a kid is around within a year or so of getting the V, if the V is able to adapt well is another question. Thats something I'll have to figure out with the breeder when discussing compatibility?...


Hi Janu, I recently got my first V. Jaxson turns 1 year old next month and I've had him since he was 12-13 weeks. I can share my experience as I think it may help understand the needs from a first time V owner. Regarding children, I don't have any kids but, when friends bring their little ones over I have to watch Jaxson. He will barrel threw the room and knock them over or play too vigorously if unsupervised. Also since he is such an excited pup his twerking when I get home may be too much for kids. However, I know a couple with a new born and their V is perfectly fine and gentle. He's also 4-5 years old, so that probably plays a little part. 

Regarding exercise, it took me some months to figure out what he actually needs. Jaxson lets me know when he's done and ready to rest. In Houston Texas (not sure where you are) you have to put the dog's needs first. For example, we walk 1 - 2 miles, throw the ball, and smell/play at the dog park around 7AM. Then in the evening we do a similar amount of exercise past 6:30PM. Anything over 90 degrees is too much for my dog. I find that around 2-3 miles each day with high energy ball throws where he can run all out in a field, plus 2-3 times per week he should interact with other dogs. That makes living with him much more manageable. He's also in nose work classes and training class on the weekends, though these aren't required but it helps a ton. Anything less than that I see he is too energetic throughout the day, he doesn't sleep as well, he's more vocal and will pester the s*** out of you for activity. 

Summary - you need to find what works for you, I have seen it done within similar circumstances as you. But one thing that is unequivocal, they are not low maintenance domestic animals. They need jobs and constant interaction from their 'person', otherwise they will make your life crazy! Hopefully that provides a good picture of one person's daily routine of a V in the city. I've learned an exercised, socialized V is the only one you want to live with :wink

Finally, and I can't say this enough...they are the *BEST *dog you will ever have :angel

Good luck in your decision!


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## armgwag

texasred said:


> I really want a happy, social and obedient dog that I can present any situation to. Thanks again! Lots to think about.
> 
> Just as a example.
> I don't expect a 6 month old puppy to walk at heel when outside. I don't see most 1 year old vizsla's walking at heel outside, for extended amounts of time.
> The more distractions you add, the harder it is for them to concentrate on what you are asking of them.
> 
> 
> So yes you can have a dog that does everything you want. It just might not be in the first year, or two.


so true! Jaxson is still working on our heel command. But today he showed much improvement. Distractions are abound :smile


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## Janu

Thank you for the input! It's super helpful. So I spoke to the breeder yesterday who thinks we are fine to raise a Vizsla and had a lot of positive things to say about their adaptability. In fact, some of what they said did not fall in line with a lot of what I have read in the forums- the breeder almost made it seem too good to be true! Either way, after discussing it as a family, something tells us that getting a V right around the time we want to start a family might be too much right now...especially considering the multitude of conflicting (but very helpful) info we are getting in terms of the forums vs the breeder. We think its best to get a lab/lab mix while we have a newborn in the house (not to mention my husband wants a bird...so this all might be too much stimulation for a V pup)...and can always add a V in years from now if suitable. We are dog lovers and will most definitely be providing a loving home to a few dogs over our lifetime hopefully. Thanks again!


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## armgwag

that's great, good luck with your new pup!


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## Largo

Hi Janu,

We have a 19 weeks old V and my wife is expecting a baby for August. Unlike you, we thought it would be the best time for us to have both as they are highly intelligent dogs and very trainable. 

As we knew a baby was coming we have been very diligent in his training and taught him not jump on people and that in the house he must be quiet. The bedroom is also off limit as we don't want to create a jealousy issue.

We do spent a lot of time with our pup and involve him in most of our activities. He goes to the dog park for 1h30 every day to get his excess energy out. 

Things might change when he reaches adolescence but so far we are confident we will be able to manage both.


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## KOP264

We have a 2 1/2 year old male, and three kids ages 19, 16, & 13. My wife and I both work full time. That being said, for the first year and a half I worked from home, so that made crate/house training easy. 
Since day one, our morning has started with a mile run, off leash. I’ve been fortunate to live near nature areas where I could do that. Now that I go to work, that means he and I start our run at 4:30 every morning. It sounds rough but the accountability has done wonders for me. With the run in, he roams the house until the kids get home from school. We have not had a single incident of him having an accident or chewing something up. Occasionally I have a day where we can’t do our morning run and we pay for it that evening with excess energy he has bottled up. 
Having company is not an issue. He is usually overly friendly when guests show up but once he’s checked them out he’ll leave them alone unless they reciprocate and then we may have to ask him to go lay on his bed. 
Raising a good vizsla is a lot like raising a good kid. If you make it clear what the expectations are, are consistent with those expectations, and hold them accountable, then they will make you proud.


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## Mav2015

You should be able to handle it alright with that schedule. I recommend crate training, obedience training, and having everyone in your family learn how to act and react to the dog to reinforce good behavior.

If my V is any indication, you will need to give a ton of active attention until he/she is 9 months or so. After this they will start to become consistent in their behaviors and only require play/exercise for 1-2 hours per day. They do love to be near a person all the time though and another dog will not replace that need.

I would only get one if you can integrate it into your lifestyle so you don’t have to kennel every time you want to go do something or have people over.

I would look for a breeder that focuses on producing family dogs rather than sport or hunting.


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