# 9 months and a bit to iron out..advice



## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

Ruby has come on a great deal. She's a Vizsla, she was the pup her breeders considered keeping for hunt training ( no fear/ attempted to escape the whelp ing box ) she swam at 5 months and if I compare her to the V s I know she's the enthusiastic, outgoing but rough child. Not a bad bone in her body, loves all dogs and people and thinks they ll love her. 
We have cracked most house issues ( still in crate though as they chew til they are two) she's over sharkies, she respects no upstairs , she generally doesn't counter surf or excessively bark, she just about keeps her bone in her bone blanket, she has started to let me sleep in til 7.30 and no longer barks to be let out if her crate. 
Outside and on a lead we have a generally good heel and her recall is pretty good but not good enough when she is distracted .
She kangaroo jumps and barks when she sees a dog ahead but will come back to be put in the lead if I recall her. Yesterday though she was ranging ahead if me in a path and I witnessed the perfect point ...followed by her running into a badly fenced field and woofing at cooped hens and chasing around a gaggle of geese. She s done this with horses too.I was straight in after her but she took some distracting before she would stand for me to leash her. 
What training should I concentrate on now to nip this in the bud? Should I take her around hens etc to train her to leave them ? What can I expect if her at this age ?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

> I witnessed the perfect point ...followed by her running into a badly fenced field and woofing at cooped hens and chasing around a gaggle of geese. She s done this with horses too.I was straight in after her but she took some distracting before she would stand for me to leash her.


If at 9 months old you were able to distract her and get her to stand to be leashed. You are way ahead of the game. Most hunting bred Vs that are not ecollar trained would have chased until you finally caught them, or they caught one of the birds. Its genetics that make them want the birds, they have a overwhelming smell to them. With her being such a biddable pup, have you ever thought of having her trained for hunting? If not you might consider running her on a check cord. Let her point things that she finds interesting, but stop the chase before it starts.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Lyndam,
Your pup sounds like a great dog for the field and you can do nothing of greater respect for her and her breeding then to channel that drive. 
Do not know what side of the pond you live in but I would get her into Junior Hunter test training and NAVHDA natural abilities training. Time to look for a trainer.
With her prey drive an e-collar would be very useful.
She will one day bring you a bird. Best that it is a game bird and not a chicken.
You are doing very well with and for her. How far are you willing to take this adventure? Whatever pleasure your Vizsla will get out of it, your joy will be 10 times greater being part of it.
Happy trails and trials,
RBD


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm in the uk. The north east. Not sure about how to go about this although I'm friendly with Kevin ( Hegy) who has done this himself, a family friend who hunts witking labs and another trainer ( of none vizslas ) who does hunting trials. 
So I guess I have informal contacts but as a total beginner and female I wonder if something more formal may be more suitable for me to help her channel this ?


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## VelcroV (Apr 25, 2013)

Kudos! You are doing a great job! No ideas how to fix that (I'm about to make a post about the behavior problems we've been having with our 9month old V). My question is how did you get him to stop counter surfing? Our trainer recommends mousetraps to scare him but we have a cat...so that won't work.


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

This was an early success and a combination of being diligent about leaving out anything tasty and trapping the counter with spoons lol 
A spoon every 8 inches or so and first time she tries it she gets a cascade. Gave her a little shock and alerted us to come and follow up admonish. Spoons on the bottom step of the stairs did the same job and she still is just a downstairs dog.


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## Kevin (Dec 29, 2012)

As TR and RBD say you seem to be doing well. ;D

If you are wanting to just work on that recall then 20 mins of long line training a day will polish that up no bother.

If you are wanting to hunt Ruby then there is a bit more involved.

As you know, to get Hegy to where he is now has took me about 15 hours a week for the last year. 

The Hegster is 1 and 1/2 years old now and has ran his 1st shooting season (21 days). He will quarter to 150 yard turns, hold points for ever and is steadying out nicely on shot to flush (close bolting ground game is his weakness, the ecollar does bring him inline within a few seconds mind). We have had 50+ pheasant taken as a pair and he's retrieved 50+ for 'No Dog' guns. He'll will blind retrieve over walls, rivers and thick under growth from whistle and hand directions. He will even point on and retrieve snipe and woodcock - he's got a great nose! 

This has taken quite a bit of work, yup theres some natural ability there but the training was needed as well.

It awesome when it comes together and you will love it, it just takes a lot of time.

If you want we can run her through some birds and see what shes like and take it from there. I got spare dummies, starter pistols, launchers and dozens of wings. 

I could lend you some gear, write down some retrieving drills and lend you some of the books I have.

I thought about using a trainer once and happened to bump into one out training one day. His dogs were good and he knew his stuff. So, I let him run Hegy on a long line to see if he could do anything for the whoa command. The Hegster just shut down. Training a lab or a springer is one thing, they will do what you tell them eventually. However and Vizsla always has that look in the eye of 'why do I have to do it?, whats the benefit for me?' - smart dogs! That was and is the only time Hegy used a long lead in training.

I got a few weeks of working Hegy on a few bird areas left and then they will all be left in peace for summer breeding. Plus, I am off to China on the 21st. Give me a shout and we can give it a go if you fancy.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

> So I guess I have informal contacts but as a total beginner and female


Lyndam, Our Vizsla Club is holding a Vizsla Fun Field Day on April 12th. I have been asked to plant birds again. More than a hundred people come out with their Vizslas and have a wonderful day in the fields seeing their dogs first exposure to birds, or for some of us, enjoying a mock field trial.

Point is, at least half are female and most are beginners. 

"Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk." 

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/01/instructions-for-life.html

RBD


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

Yeah Kevin I think I d like to try her because she does need something ?? Lol . I did try a bit of obedience training with my other friend , Kevin . He s done wonders with dogs and birds if prey but when he got a Viz pup for himself he ended up sending her back to her breeder as she couldn't / wouldn't fit in with the live outside/ wait your turn life his other animals have. He s now got a lab pup and still runs his wirehaired German pointer . He gave me some good tips re heel work and Ruby can walk like an angel on the lead now but fir him she closed down after a few corrections she obviously thought were not her thing lol


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## Kevin (Dec 29, 2012)

Sounds like a plan Lynda 

We can run her on some birds in the local area. may take a few hours to find out where they currently hanging out but should be fine. Hegy started this way and makes them work that bit harder to find the birds as we will only flush a handful 

I can help you with the hunting and (with all the bits n bobs a lend u) u can do the retrieve work and obedience. over time it will all come together.

I'm finished and home for 3pm on Friday, If you can meet then? I'll give you a call and work out location


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm in Edinburgh Friday Kev FB or text me and I lll see if I can fit in with your free time .


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I walked through our hens on a lunge line for about 15 mins, giving a "aht! leave!" if she made a play for them, she seemed to understand the idea 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oZTAtvhAmU

I still struggle if a rabbit bolts out though


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