# Advice & recommendations for getting our new puppy!



## zozja (Nov 13, 2020)

Hi all!

I am new to this forum and will be a new Vizsla puppy owner in January! Our puppy has been born and we will be picking him up at 12 weeks old. I’m wondering if anyone can offer any advice for those first few weeks at home? It’s been 12 years since I’ve had a puppy!

What are some must have essentials that you recommend? Favorite brands, type of crate, etc.? I have lots of questions and I’m researching a lot online. We are planning on crate training, but I’m also wondering if I should get a travel crate for the car and plan on taking our pup around with me during the day when I run errands.

We are planning on doing extensive training and looking into different local options. Is there a favorite training method for this type of dog? Any crate and potty training tips??

Also, I have a 2 and 5 year old so any tips integrating a puppy into our family with tiny kids would be greatly appreciated as well!

thanks so much!!!!!
Rebecca


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## The Leo (Oct 19, 2020)

I use MidWest LifeStages Double Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate, 42 inches. I don't have travel crate but thinking of getting one cause my 3 months old pup won't really settle down in the car, if you have kids I would def get a travel crate.

My pup started his sharky bite at around 10 weeks, he is now 12 weeks and the bites still going but lot softer unless he is overtired / over excited. If you have young kids, def be more aware. Too much biting / too cranky = crate time = nap time.

My pup starting to sleep through the nite at 12 weeks, day time still need to go potty every 2 hours and 15-30mins after meal.(*Dont give affection or talk or eyes contact when you bring pup out during the nite for potty, my pup would be excited and won't go back to bed easily then, just in and out quick!)

After he learnt sit then we ask him to sit in front of the door every time we go out, now he would sit in front of the door to let us know he needs to go out potty.
*Come back in also need to sit in front of the door and wait for OK command, my pup already would challenge me and won't sit or use his back to facing me, if he still won't listen I would close the door so he stays outside...then he would sit nicely 😑

They are smart at 8 weeks he already knows many commands, remember to follow through and don't give in even they have the cutest puppy face.


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## PinDave (Jul 1, 2020)

Congratulations! We brought Maui home at 8 weeks, and I envy you picking up at 12 weeks!  

Vizslas are very high energy puppies! They are intelligent, and want to play. They play with their mouths, and they have very sharp puppy teeth, so anticipate cuts and scratches, and torn clothes. On this forum, you will see the term “sharkies” or “shark attacks”, and it’s well deserved. Maui doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body, but he wants to play!

Take your puppy out every hour at first until you figure out their potty training needs.

Once your puppy has had his/her vaccinations, start walking. Energy needs to be released, and it’s better released in a walk (short ones at first) than damaging everything you own. Puppies also need a lot of rest too.

Toys. Lots of toys. Cycle the toys, so the puppy doesn’t get bored. Puppies don’t have much attention span, so you need lots of toys to keep them busy. Vizslas are smart and need something to do. Puzzle toys are great for this, so get a few large Kongs. Plug the small hole with peanut butter, fill the Kong with kibble, pour in water, fill the big hole with peanut butter, and freeze the Kongs. Maui gets 2 of his 4 meals like this, and it gives him something to work on. Best advice I’ve got from experienced Vizsla owners! The Kong Genius toy has been a good puzzle toy. Tuffy is brand of plush/tug toys that are fantastic and very durable. They last when everything else we’ve bought has been destroyed in days. Rope toys are good too. Tuffy and Kong toys aren’t cheap, but they last.

These are awesome dogs, but definitely require attention and effort!


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## ana19 (Jun 26, 2020)

zozja said:


> We are planning on doing extensive training and looking into different local options. Is there a favorite training method for this type of dog? Any crate and potty training tips??


Positive reinforcement training! You have awesome crate training tips on Simpawtico dog training youtube chanell.


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## Vizslaz (Nov 14, 2020)

For biting things I recommend the spraying some of the items with sour apple dog spray. It stopped our puppy right away from gnawing on the coffee table and our Sonos sub;(. For biting you, distraction with bully sticks and a stuffy teddy bear has helped. Our 4mth old now goes to find her teddy to proactively beat her up. Also when ours goes into crazy mode I will hold her very snug and keep my hand under her chin so she can’t bite. I growl lowly (I was told this is helpful in the way annoyed mother might to show dominance). I then wait until the whining is over until I get a kiss on the cheek. You’ll know she gets it after she sighs. She seems to really get it and is learning.


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## PinDave (Jul 1, 2020)

Vizslaz said:


> Also when ours goes into crazy mode I will hold her very snug and keep my hand under her chin so she can’t bite. I growl lowly (I was told this is helpful in the way annoyed mother might to show dominance). I then wait until the whining is over until I get a kiss on the cheek. You’ll know she gets it after she sighs. She seems to really get it and is learning.


We do the same thing exactly!!!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi all!

I am new to this forum and will be a new Vizsla puppy owner in January! Our puppy has been born and we will be picking him up at 12 weeks old. I’m wondering if anyone can offer any advice for those first few weeks at home? It’s been 12 years since I’ve had a puppy!
The best advice I can give is to take time off from work for the first few weeks. If you have vacation time, use it. Your puppy will learn more in weeks 12-16 than any other time period in it's life. In this four week period, they go from "puppy brain" to adult functions. The patterns developed in this stage will be with them for life.

What are some must have essentials that you recommend? Favorite brands, type of crate, etc.? I have lots of questions and I’m researching a lot online. We are planning on crate training, but I’m also wondering if I should get a travel crate for the car and plan on taking our pup around with me during the day when I run errands.
 Foods are a subject unto itself and every one comes up with their own solution. I always start out with three or four different types of quality dry dog food and see which one they prefer. Petco is great for this, because you can return the unused portions for a full refund, once you find out which food(s) they prefer. It's more important that their head go in the bowl, than what they are eating.
I use the plastic "airline crate" both in the house, and in the truck. they seem to get their legs hung up in the wire ones from time to time, so I don't use those for puppies.
Yes, you should have a travel crate. For the dogs safety, and yours. Eventually the puppy wil be come a dog and then you make the decision to let them have free roam of the car, but with two kids, not right off the bat.

We are planning on doing extensive training and looking into different local options. Is there a favorite training method for this type of dog? Any crate and potty training tips??
I'm like a broken record on this one. The best training course, is to train the dog as if it will be hunted. If not that then any of the agility training, Search and Rescue, Dock Diving, etc. 
Train the dog with goals in mind, and have a program. Goals that are a week away, a month away, or a year or two away, and work the program backward from there. With hunt training, it is easy, the goals, and timeline, are already established for you. There are also untold volumes, and centuries, of training experiences that work. There is very little that is new in the "program".
Puppies do four things. Eat, Sleep, Play, and go to the bathroom. If they're not activley engaged in the first three activities, they're getting ready for the fourth activity. You may only get seconds of warning, so you have to watch them like a hawk, and every time they wake up, it's out the door.

Also, I have a 2 and 5 year old so any tips integrating a puppy into our family with tiny kids would be greatly appreciated as well!
Make sure the puppy get enough time away from the children. They need 14-16 hours of sleep every day. The little ones might not understand this. 

thanks so much!!!!!
Rebecca


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