# What is the ideal age to purchase and begin house-training?



## Vizsla-noob (Jul 25, 2014)

Hi there,
I am in the process of purchasing my very first Vizsla pup! I am having a very difficult time finding a good pup at a reasonable price that isn't half way across the country. (ps if anyone has any leads within 5 hours of Philadelphia, PA please let me know!)

But the real reason for my post, is because I am not sure what the ideal age is to first purchase and begin training a new puppy. I did find one seller in Ohio with a 12-week old puppy, but a lot of the materials I have been reading does mention starting the training process as early as 5 weeks! 

Should I hold off and wait to identify a younger pup, so I don't find myself trying to make up for lost time?

Thanks for any guidance! Feel free to email directly with any extra info too!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

personally I'd hold off for now, don't take this as a slight or "elitist kinda remark, but a lot more homework and research is needed on your behalf first (imo)


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

You won't find a good breeder that will release a puppy at 5 weeks old.
They work with the pups, until picked up by their new owners.

harrigab is right you need to do more research.
If price and location are your top concerns, you could wind up with a pup that's going to cost a lot more money in the long run.


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## Duke14 (Jul 20, 2014)

We researched breeds for months before settling on a Vizsla (settling, I should say we fell in love). We then researched breeders in and around our area. Price and location were not at the top of our list. We wanted to find a good, reputable breeder who provided more than just a dog. Vizslas are a member of the family, they aren't your run-of-the-mill pet. 

You need to do more research and understand why price and location should not be at the top of your list. If you just want a dog that won't cost you much, try adoption, but even if you find a Vizsla, be sure you understand their unique needs. 

Our breeder is more than two hours from our home, which is pretty close considering people from the other side of the country have found their pup through her and she worked with them to safely arrange transport to them. 

I don't know where you read that you should start training at 5 weeks old. Yes, you should start right away but I would question any breeder who would let their pups go that young. Our breeder won't even let us visit before three weeks old on recommendation from her vet. Our pup won't come home with us until he is at least 8 weeks old. 

I don't pretend to know everything about Vizslas or even owning a dog. This will be my first Vizsla but I spend every day reading about the breed and doing my research. It's like preparing for a baby, especially if you've never had kids. 

I cannot stress enough that if price and location are your main concern you need to go back to the drawing board. There are already too many great Vizslas in need of rescue because their owners didn't know what they were getting into. Also, you get what you pay for and puppy mills and "backyard breeders" do little more than cause problems for the breed as a whole.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

A good breeder will not release a puppy before 8 weeks. This time with the mom and litter mates is very important. We got Miles at 9 week and Chase at 8 weeks. 

In regards to price, we paid 1200 each for the dogs. We have healthy dogs, and this is only a fraction of what they have cost us. When you add up food, dog walker/ day care, treats, toys, training, crate, beds, shampoos and grooming supplies, leashes, harnesses, license and registration, e collar, coat/ cooling vests based on your climate, hotel fees for having a dog... gosh the list goes on and on. A trip to the vet for a vaccine or an injury quickly adds up. So if you are worried about the price of the dog, I too would recommend waiting. 

I highly recommend doing some research on what qualities a good breeder entails when you interview breeders. A good breeder should interview you too to make sure you can handle one of their pups, not just vice versa. In regards to your 5 week comment, that's the breeder's job, not yours. Our breeder worked on basic training, exposure to water and safe outdoor environment, and socialization before we got our boys.


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

I have the same breeder as Duke14. We were able to go and visit the puppies for the first time at 3 weeks old. We had to wait until their eyes were open. The breeder works with the puppies and the mom.We were able to bring her home at 8 weeks old. We did some basic commands and leash work at first. Dharma went to puppy training at 12 weeks old which is pretty standard to start obedience.
A breeder who cares about the breed and their puppies is pretty important. All of the breeders I was in contact with have questionairs and waiting lists. We also had to place a deposit which was returned if no live puppies were born or we didn't get the sex of puppy that we wanted. Average prices for the breed are probably(in Canada at least)$1,500 or greater(Based on trying to find a puppy). 
This is such an important decision to make- and yes vizslas are not just any dog either.... Please do not just consider price and location.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I agree with everyone else. 8 weeks is typical, though 7 weeks wouldn't be unheard of. Socialization and training does start before that, but a lot of that is with littermates and mom. If you've ever heard about the Superdog program, for instance, socialization begins day one by exposing them to different temps, surfaces, etc. While there could be a perfectly legitimate reason for the breeder in OH to have a 12 week old, I would want to know that reason. Had they kept it to evaluate the breeding? Did a buyer back out? Many reputable breeders have puppies sold before they are even conceived, so to have one leftover past the typical 8 week mark is unusual and _could_ be a warning sign.

I spent about a year reading the forum and other sites before I got a puppy, so it's definitely a great resource. I'd also recommend getting out there to shows and field events to meet these guys in person. You'll find out about great breeders who don't advertise that way. Since we're recommending you do more research, are there any other questions we can help you with. Best of luck!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

noob - you opened a can of worms with that ? - #1 did you take anytime to research your ? on the forum ( think NOT ) #2 Price ? - this is with luck at least a 16yr investment ( with a V in your life the rewards always out weigh the cost ) #3 this forum is not here to find you a cheap pup close to home - it is here to help you find & train a well bred pup that will continue what they were bred 4 !!!!!!!!!!- my advice DO NOT go with a V - you already set your standards to low to have one in your LIFE !!!!!!!!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Depending on a persons experience with V's, their ability to train, and their personal relationship with the breeder/trainer. 
_*Some*_, socialization and elementary sensitivity work can occur with a puppy younger than 8-12 weeks old, but I highly doubt any reputable breeder is letting puppies go out the door at 5 weeks old. That's just way too young. A breeder/trainer can facilitate some early work simply because of their facilities, and proximity but it's extremely doubtful that most purchasers can provide the same environment.
I prefer them to be young 7-8 weeks, but I've been doing this with V's for 25 years, and have had dogs my entire life. So I'm not on a learning curve when they come through the door any longer. They have a plan, a program and an end result/goal in place. 
You would probably be better off getting an older puppy, that the breeder has done some initial work with, or a rescue that is already good to go.

As for cost?? That should be a distant secondary to obtaining a good pup, from established breeding, with a proven track record for performance and overall health. What you believe you may be saving on a purchase price can easily be lost at the vet's for genetic health issues These are not cheap dogs. Never have been, or will be. These are high wire act dogs that can run all day long, and any potential buyer needs to understand that. They are a "a lot of dog". Read through this forum and you'll find countless threads of dogs running their owners ragged.

As for the training;
Train these dogs as if you intend to hunt them. The programs are already in place, the training plans developed by folks with multiple decades of experience doing it. These dogs will do everything expected of a more "normal" dog, 50 yards out in deep cover, with shotguns going off, at a dead run. However, it takes commitment, experience, patience and hundreds of hours of work to get them to this point

R E is a little more direct than I am, but is right. You really need to assess if this breed is truly the best choice for you.


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## oliver (Jul 27, 2014)

I live In Delaware, about an hour away from Philly. Took me almost a year to find a breeder that was good for me. I emailed and talked to many different breeders that I found through Google and stuff like that. I finally found a breeder that wasn't a jerk and someone with enough experience that I trusted and was actually in Delaware. Most reputable breeders wont let their pups go before 7 weeks. In my experience its better to wait for a good breeder you can get along with and know your pup will spend its first few weeks in good hands then to rush into the unknown. I waited over a year for my Vizsla and it was worth it.


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## Sydney (Jul 28, 2014)

You should find a breeder that gets the tails docked and clips the 5th toe. Make sure you do more research on how to find a good breeder. If you can get your V for $500, (for example) then that is probably not a responsible breeder.


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## aliciavp (Mar 14, 2014)

Hi there,

We are Australian so supply and demand is very different here. Pups are 1600-2000 AUD, the breed is not as common here as in the states - so you don't really find many Vizsla's in rescue groups, you'll find them through breeders.

The waitlists here are usually about 12 months unless you get lucky. We did 4 months worth of breed research before choosing a Vizsla, plus waited an additional 3 months for our Lazlo (and for Australian standards, we got lucky because our breeder had 10 boys, essentially knocking out half the waitlist of people who wanted girls). 

Having never had a dog before - we did a lot of research. We spoke to new owners, we spoke to breeders, we spoke to breeders and owners of other breeds. We came up with a list of non-negotiable's (e.g. had to be curly/short haired, would make a good jogging buddy, wanted him to be more affectionate than average)...

We drove 3 hours to get our little guy, and picked him up at 7.5 weeks. We started training as soon as he got home. Nothing too intense, but things like crate training and toilet training are necessary from day 1. As the others mentioned - research will tell you whether this is the right breed for you. Even with the amount of research we did, we still found the first couple months hard. 

You may have already done your research and decided on a Viz, if so, great! If not, do a little more reading and browse this forum... If a Viz is the right dog for you, then start looking for a reputable breeder. Distance and price should really be the least of your worries. When you go to pick up that wrinkly-faced ball of love, the last thing you'll think of is how long a drive it took you to get there.


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## TDog (May 19, 2014)

I won't repeat anything that's been said already as I definitely agree. I am also in Australia and we had a 20 hr round trip to pick up our little fella, the drive was actually really great bonding for us and now he loves car trips.


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