# First time prospective owners - Stranger friendly?



## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

Hello! My husband I are excited to be possible first-time owners of a Vizsla in the spring. We both grew up with labs, so are new to the breed but have done extensive research. We fell in love with the breed while on a pheasant hunt. We live in a rural area, on an Angus beef farm, with daily visitors consisting of family, friends, and customers (including children). We will be socializing this puppy A TON, but want current owner perspectives and experiences of their V's stranger friendliness, temperament with visitors, and protective tendencies. As much as we have our hearts set on a Vizsla, we want to be sure that we have a dog who will happily greet all visitors. THANK YOU for ALL of your input!


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

While nothing in life is a 100% guarantee, you can up the odds by meeting the parents. If both are friendly outgoing dogs with strangers, then your pup has a good chance of being the same way. 
Just like any breed, not all of them will have the same temperament.


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

Hello, and welcome to the forums!! TexasRed is right! Probably your best source of information regarding your dog's temperament is his breeder. The two things that will have the biggest impact on your dog's temperament are socialization and breeding... and of course, you can control one but not the other. 

I can't speak for all dogs, only my own. Because I adopted him from the dog pound when he was about two, I had no knowledge of his breeding, and no control over his early socialization. That being said, he has the most delightful temperament I have ever seen in a dog. He loves everyone and welcomes everyone enthusiastically. He does have a protective side, too, though. If a contractor is inside my house to do work on something, my boy Willie always places himself between me and the stranger. Again, I am not sure if this is characteristic of the breed, or if I just got lucky! ;D


----------



## MCD (May 4, 2013)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

First time vizsla owner too. Yes they are generally very friendly and loving to every one. I often have to keep Dharma from jumping on people when they come to the door. Dharma like all vizslas is Velcro and needs to be around her people. Socialization is a very big key in the development of these dogs. Also it sounds like you have the ideal circumstances for having this type of dog too. Dharma will not go to sleep if we have company and not until every one is settled for the night. She also needs to show every one her toys when she gets released from her crate. As suggested in other posts, it is good to meet the parents of your puppy and talk with the breeder.


----------



## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

We have both breeds - one vizlsa and four labs. Our vizsla is less protective and quicker to befriend someone than our labs. Our vizsla thinks she is everyone's best friend. Our labs are more cautious and much more protective of me (at least our older two are). With proper socialization and training, you will have the dog you want.


----------



## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

I think most V owners would tell you that you'll have more of a problem getting your dog to stop jumping on strangers and kissing them to death than trying to scare them off 

Always a good idea to meet the parents, do lots of socialization, etc. but V's are generally super friendly (almost to a fault sometimes). Our boy thinks the entire world exists to make friends and play with him. 

We now have a weim pup, and it's been interesting, because she is very standoffish around strangers. On our walk this morning, we heard kids giggling while getting into their car. Our Vizsla's tail was wagging and his butt was wiggling, but our weim let out a small bark and backed up.

That being said, our V is a bit protective of our home/yard and the car. He will bark with his big dog voice if he hears/sees someone he doesn't know approach either. As long as that person looks happy to see him, he soon starts wiggling though


----------



## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

It sounds like you have the ideal set up for one of these dogs! My girl is extremely friendly and seems to reign in her energy around children naturally. That's not to say she is calm around them though! She readily accepts anyone that comes into our home and would lovingly beat them to death with her wagging tail if allowed. 

I would never depend on her to protect me from someone, but her keen sense of smell and hearing, as well as some behaviors learned from my very protective chow mix has created a dog that will alert me to any unusual sounds and sometimes bark or growl when people pass our yard, though she quickly stops when I tell her.

I'd also encourage you to meet more Vs and in a different context than out in the field. I had this impression of German Shorthairs that they were considerably less affectionate than vizslas, until I hung out with one in his home. Without the distraction of birds on the mind, he was more than happy to lean against me, give me kisses, etc.


----------



## FirstTimeVizsOwners (Dec 29, 2014)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

Oh my goodness, you all! Thank you for such speedy and thorough responses! Your suggestions and experiences will help so much! As I began reading through some other posts on this forum, I have to be honest, it has given me a touch of cold feet. I know what to expect from a lab, and am nervous about not being able to keep up with a V. In your experiences, do the Vizslas tend to be more needy in comparison to a lab in terms of attention, training, and alone time. I agree completely that socialization and training are critical and key. Our labs and one coonhound were fabulous. We are home A LOT with the busy farm, but do have somewhat of a life and some of these topics have worried me that we may not be able to tend to the needs of a V or ever leave. Your honest experiences and advice are GREATLY appreciated. 

Oh, it should be prospective, not perspective. I noticed that after hitting enter today.


----------



## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

Honestly - having both - Two of my labs are every bit as needy as my vizsla. However, our labs can "take more" if that makes sense. If my husband scolds a lab, they learn and move on. If he scolds our vizsla, she is such a baby about it - she is so soft. If you have the opportunity, spend time with one - offer to vizsla sit and see if the breed is a good fit for you. When I got my vizsla, it was more to have a lap dog. We had just lost my mom, had to put our small dog to sleep, and my grandpa was dying of brain cancer. I wanted a dog that was going to be all mine and cuddle with me whenever possible but I new if m husband was going to go for this new pup, she'd have to be a hunting dog. That is exactly what I got. Two years later, she is still that same dog.  Cuddly with me and a great bird dog for him. Let us know what you decide.


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

You can still have a life, it will just have a dog in it.
They will follow you everywhere, and are game for just about everything you do. Mine will hop on the back of a 4 wheeler and ride, if that's what were doing.
One of the big things with this breed is they want/need to be with you, but also need to be taught to settle alone for periods of times. They need rules and boundaries to be happy. If they are well bred and have the right home, they can be the dog of a lifetime. If you change the equation, that's when most owners run into trouble.


----------



## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

*Re: First time perspective owners - Stranger friendly?*

ftv - you did find out very quickly how protective of this breed the forum is - you will find out very quickly that a V becomes a lifestyle and you will make changes in your lifestye - just a V FACT !!!!


----------

