# Vizslas in NYC?



## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

My wife and I reaallllly want a Vizsla but are not quite certain when we will get one. Over the past year I've developed a strong case of doggie fever so we will probably get one sooner than later. We currently have a cat (Sushi), whom we love to death 

In the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone in my neighborhood (Park Slope) has a Vizsla. I'd love to chat with you about him or her... and if you need an occasional dog runner, I'd love to volunteer!!!

Also, if you have any experience owning a vizsla in an urban area, I'd love to hear about it. We have a duplex condo, no backyard, but we specifically bought in our neighborhood so we could be by Prospect Park (2 blocks) because we are both competitive distance runners and love the outdoors. Our future Vizsla will be spending a great deal of time each day running with us in the park and in the off-leash dog area and pond. 

Thanks!
~Dave


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://urbanmutt.blogspot.com/

Enjoy and take your time understanding the breed. They are high-powered hunting dogs at heart. 

Rod
http://redbirddog.blogspot.com


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## charlie2011 (Jul 26, 2011)

Greetings! My husband and I moved from NYC to Chicago last year and we just added a Vizsla to our family  He is now 9 weeks (we got him at 7 weeks) so we will keep you posted on our adventures! We are also runners, so we are looking forward to having a running buddy in the future. We live in an apartment, so the potty training is turning into quite the production! We also have two cats and we are very protective of them at this point. They are Oriental Shorthairs, so they have dog-like personalities, and they really want to play with the puppy. Long story short, we monitor all play and they are NEVER alone. The puppy plays like a puppy, which can be a little too much for the cats. Like I said, we are new to owning a city pup, so we have a lot of challenges ahead. Feel free to email with any questions  We highly recommend the book "The Art of Raising A Puppy" The Monks of New Skete.


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## hollyandnick (Apr 28, 2011)

Hi! My husband and I got our little Lucy in May at 8 weeks. She is now 4 months old. We live in the UWS, closer to Riverside Park than CP. However, we spend alot of time in both. This is our first dog together so no matter what some things have been challenging. But, in reality she has adjusted well to city life. She gets alot of attention, not just from us, but from everyone in our building and neighborhood. She eats it up  We are both runners and cannot wait till she is older to run with us. Right now we take long walks. And because we are in the city there are many puppies for her to be socialized with and play with. Please feel free to message us with more questions. We also can recommend breeders in the area as well. We did ALOT of research before getting Lucy, not just on the breed but on the breeders.


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## charlie2011 (Jul 26, 2011)

Holly- At what age did you start taking Lucy for walks in the city? My Charlie is at 9 weeks and prefers to be in the apartment at all times! He gets shy with the cars, noises, ect. Any tips for raising a city pup will be much appreciated  Tracy


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## hollyandnick (Apr 28, 2011)

charlie2011 said:


> Holly- At what age did you start taking Lucy for walks in the city? My Charlie is at 9 weeks and prefers to be in the apartment at all times! He gets shy with the cars, noises, ect.


We started taking her outside immediately. We did NOT do the wee wee pads. Instead opted for the pick up and take out to potty spots method. Heard to many horror stories about them from friends and neighbors. We also did the pick up and move between them if she did not go in one of the spots. We took her to the park, but of course carried her until she had all her shots. We only went to places that we know lots of dogs do not romp around. After a few weeks with us we would take her to this one asphalt area of Riverside and walk in the middle, so she would get used to walking on the leash. Lucy came everywhere with us. We bought a LLBean canvas bag and carried her in that for longer trips (i.e. parks or cross town to a friend's place). If we heard a loud noise we would not react to it. She did what we did. The vet allowed her to have her last set of shots 3 weeks after the second ones. That helped us tremendously. From then on we walk everywhere and make her walk. The tough one is the rain.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

These dogs can be very skidish. A friend of mine calls the Vizsla a nervous dog. Some just don't like loud noises and new things. Mine will pick up on anything new or out of place. If there is a new bike in the garage, a new garbage can on the street, a new neighbor. It all needs to be checked out and understood. If not they will never go near it or them again; without be dragged in fear for their lives.  Again, this is a generality. Like stated above, don't make a big deal about it, and act like there is nothing different. Also, the more time you spend in these situations while protecting them until their confidence is built, is a good thing. The breeder and the environment the pup is raised in will also effect their attitude to these things.


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## charlie2011 (Jul 26, 2011)

Thanks for the advice and thoughts! Every day Charlie is making improvements. Today he was a brave little pup and wanted to explore everything! It's amazing how much progress he makes on a daily basis. I think the hardest part of having a city puppy (so far) is the potty training. We are using the training pads and hoping for the best! He is also making improvements with his soon to be BFF's (2 Oritenal Shorthair cats), who have no intention of leaving the living room or my side because a dog entered the family. They all want to play with each other, but they still need to figure out how to play best. I monitor ALL interactions, as I am very protective of the cats. Last night Charlie kept stealing their mouse away, and long story short, I sat in the middle of their circle and gave them each a mouse of their own. I'm a little over the top in that respect! If anyone has any experience with getting their Vizsla familiar with their cats I would love to hear about it


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone, and please keep me posted on your progress! And if you're in NYC and would be open to my wife and me sometime meeting you/your dog, let me know. I spoke with the director of the Long Island Vizsla rescue last night and she asked me to try to meet some owners and their dogs. If you're in CP, lemme know


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Also, for those in a city, where does your Vizsla stay during the day? Does he/she get free roam of the apartment, or are they in a crate until you get home or until the dog walker comes (if you have a dog walker)? Or can you take it to work? Curious.


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## charlie2011 (Jul 26, 2011)

Mendeldave said:


> Also, for those in a city, where does your Vizsla stay during the day? Does he/she get free roam of the apartment, or are they in a crate until you get home or until the dog walker comes (if you have a dog walker)? Or can you take it to work? Curious.
> 
> I would love to take my pup to work, however I don't think others would appreciate it, especially at this point in the potty training! Haha! On a serious note, if you are referring to having a puppy in the apartment it takes a lot of planning. The only reason that we can have a puppy in our apartment is because my husband's schedule allows him flexibility to be home most of the day. Our pup is 9 weeks and he has only been left in the crate for 2 hours max. We could NEVER let him just roam the apartment and I say this for his safety, and for our desire to keep a relatively livable apartment  There are a lot of things in an apartment that could hurt the pup (wires, cables, trash cans, ect), so its important for him to be in a safe place when we can't supervise him. I had a room set up for him that was free of "trouble" but he made it clear that he felt much safer in his crate with his toys. I am a new owner, however I am confident saying that a Vizsla is not a good choice for someone working long hours, whether a puppy or an adult. This forum is a great way to learn about Vizsla's and what new owners face on a daily basis. I hope this helps


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

charlie2011 said:


> I am a new owner, however I am confident saying that a Vizsla is not a good choice for someone working long hours, whether a puppy or an adult. This forum is a great way to learn about Vizsla's and what new owners face on a daily basis. I hope this helps


By "long hours" do you mean more than a typical 9-5:30? Just curious. I work 9-5 and many of my friends would laugh if I called that long, but I suppose it's all relative  I certainly never have to work late (though my wife sometimes does).

Thanks for the input btw!!


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## charlie2011 (Jul 26, 2011)

After I typed "long hours" I realized it was a relative term! Because I am new to raising a Vizsla, I should let others comment on this. I feel that if it were not for my husband being home most of the day we could never have Charlie. I leave around 8am, and return around 7pm, which is not conducive to caring for a puppy. I get up with him around 5:30am and we take a walk and have play time until I leave. He then naps for about 2 hours in his crate, but at that time he needs to get out of the crate to relieve himself. I'm not sure how other people manage the early puppy stages, and we have been wondering ourselves. I joked with my boss that I need to request maternity leave for 3 months- he laughed! I hope others comment, as I am interested in how others care for their puppy. For us, we feel like we adopted a human baby! I hope that helped


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

charlie2011 said:


> After I typed "long hours" I realized it was a relative term! Because I am new to raising a Vizsla, I should let others comment on this. I feel that if it were not for my husband being home most of the day we could never have Charlie. I leave around 8am, and return around 7pm, which is not conducive to caring for a puppy. I get up with him around 5:30am and we take a walk and have play time until I leave. He then naps for about 2 hours in his crate, but at that time he needs to get out of the crate to relieve himself. I'm not sure how other people manage the early puppy stages, and we have been wondering ourselves. I joked with my boss that I need to request maternity leave for 3 months- he laughed! I hope others comment, as I am interested in how others care for their puppy. For us, we feel like we adopted a human baby! I hope that helped


Thanks! That make sense.

We're not set in stone on getting a puppy, the more I speak with people (including my boss, who has two pups) the more they tell me I should get a young dog, maybe 8 mos or a year (and of course a Vizsla). That might help with the potty training, assuming we are lucky enough to find a rescue who is training. But who knows, maybe it will be a puppy and we'll just have to figure something out and adjust accordingly!!


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Mendeldave said:


> charlie2011 said:
> 
> 
> > After I typed "long hours" I realized it was a relative term! Because I am new to raising a Vizsla, I should let others comment on this. I feel that if it were not for my husband being home most of the day we could never have Charlie. I leave around 8am, and return around 7pm, which is not conducive to caring for a puppy. I get up with him around 5:30am and we take a walk and have play time until I leave. He then naps for about 2 hours in his crate, but at that time he needs to get out of the crate to relieve himself. I'm not sure how other people manage the early puppy stages, and we have been wondering ourselves. I joked with my boss that I need to request maternity leave for 3 months- he laughed! I hope others comment, as I am interested in how others care for their puppy. For us, we feel like we adopted a human baby! I hope that helped
> ...


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