# Puppy Proofing



## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

My wife and I are working on getting a Vizsla and an actual lead came along so it mighhhhht be sooner than we originally planned. It's possible (fingers crossed) that we will will be bringing home a 3 1/2 month old... working out the details now.

In anticipation of this, I'm wondering what tips people might have for puppy proofing our duplex apartment. Currently we have a cat but she does not claw things or eat furniture or cords or remotes.

The puppy will be in his crate when we are not home but will be out all other times. We will have dog walkers coming during the day when we are in the office.

I'm wondering what kinds things you realized you should have done but didn't think to, in preparation. Or, even anything that needs to be done that might be obvious. 

Our previous neighbor had a Great Dane (at one point 3 of them) in her apt. Same apt as ours, mirror image layout. It seemed to do well there, but she was crazy (long story). I would hear it in the evenings walking up the wooden spiral staircase. I wonder if a Vizsla can get up stairs like that (I assume a pup will have a problem). I also wonder what I can do to make it safe so my buddy doesn't fall! I fell down them and broke three ribs... somehow I doubt my V will be drinking "heavily" though (another long story).

_*by "heavily" I mean a lot for me, which is usually very little. Hard to drink regularly while in year-round marathon training but I wanted to note it since I'm not sure how I'll be judged and am new to the forum!!_


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://www.amazon.com/Before-You-Get-Your-Puppy/dp/1888047003http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AFTER%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf

Good start. Ian Dunbar is an excellent dog man.


http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/07/purchasing-vizsla-so-it-doesnt-end-up.html

Good luck.


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## SweetCaroline (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi! 

I have a Vizsla boy that will be 2 in Nov. and I could go on and on but I'll keep it short.
After, as Redbirddog has pointed out, that you have decided that Vizslas are for you remember the following (keeping in mind that Vizslas vary from on to another  ) :



[li]Puppies like fringe, tassels, etc. If you have a nice blanket that has a border - put it away for 1 yr.[/li]
[li]Same for clothes - got nice clothes that you don't want damaged? Store them away (You're welcome! I just saved you whole bunch of cash!)[/li]
[li]Don't allow behaviour now that you don't want an adult to do - e.g The couch - We allow ours on the couch, cause that's how we roll but I know not everyone is a fan.[/li]
[li]And most importantly - BE PATIENT! Vizslas puppies are notoriously crazy but with obedience training, consistency and PATIENCE you'll end up with a lovely companion.[/li]

Hope that helps!

[/list]


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

Congrats on your potential new addition!

-Stairs may be tough for a little while. I would maybe put a baby gate until he/she is big enough to navigate them. Even then, vizslas tend to be pretty clumsy at first!
-Prepare your potty training plan. There's a lot of info on this here. Just b/c a pup is potty trained in one location does not mean that it transfers that info to another house. Be patient & know that you may have to reintroduce the rules.
-Prepare a crate training plan. That seems to be a challenge for a lot of people. The first week caused me so much anxiety b/c I thought my dog was going to howl in the crate for life. not the case, thankfully!
-Figuring out a schedule for the puppy and for me helped the puppy to adjust and for me to retain a tiny bit of sanity at first.
-As stated above, as soon as the puppy is yours, begin rewarding polite behavior. If he/she is doing things you don't like, teach the puppy what you want him/her to do instead. Praise profusely after you teach this. With time, the puppy will choose the behavior that gets the most attention (so reward the correct ones!).
-Training and walking on a loose leash take TIME. Don't sweat it. I thought I had to have my dog trained in the first 2 wks of owning him. I needed to calm down. Keep the rules consistent but realize that you both speak different languages and it takes time to learn a new language!
-Most importantly, realize that a lot of the behaviors you see at first are a product of being a puppy. They grow out of a lot of it! Attacking your pant legs? Don't worry- he/she shouldn't do this as an adult. When my puppy did this, I was already so tired and frustrated, that I began to cry and think that I somehow chose the possessed one. I laugh about this now. He thought the pants were fun and he was playing. 
-Finally, exercise to exorcise (the demons)!

As a runner, please recognize that your pup shouldn't run your pup on asphalt! Once he/she is older- about 6 mos- it's ok to begin running him/her for small increments of time like 20 min (if still under a yr, run the dog on trails only) and build up gradually.


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the comments and links.

I've read some accounts of pups eating remote controls or blackberries (the BB might not be so bad, actually!) but what about cords for electronics? I have an entertainment center with a lot of cords and stuff. They are all bound together in a tight neat package, but is there something sold that can go around the cords so they won't get chewed? I don't want him to get electrocuted!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

"They chew 'til they're two!" 

Bearing this in mind, there are really only two ways to deal with it: 1) Keep puppy in crate or other suitable confined space while you are away or otherwise occupied, and 2) when puppy is being allowed freedom in the house (well, outside, too), you need to supervise constantly. That's about it. Always remember that they are still babies for quite a while after they APPEAR to be adult dogs. They chew 'til they're two.

If, by chance, puppy does destroy something around the house, go get yourself a newspaper, roll it up, and smack yourself over the head with it. You weren't watching closely enough.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't know if some said this already -> A 42" metal baby gate, with a good latch. We actually have 2 gates, which keep Copper or his buddies in the kitchen, where the floor is tiled and easy to clean.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Here is one more option for your cord bundle. Even after a day or two, your puppy will look to you for information regarding his new home. He will explore everything that interests you and avoid things that displease you. With that in mind, watch him and when he goes to sniff the cord bundle, get really, really angry at the cord bundle. Put the puppy behind you where he can see what you are doing, but be out of the path of your wrath, then yell at the cords at the top of your lungs and shake your finger. BAD CORDS!! BAD CORDS!! Don't tempt the puppy!! BAD CORDS!! Lots of emotion. Lots of anger. Your puppy has to believe that the world has just ended for those cords. To make the point, I would yell at the cords for a bit, then turn and softly tell Savannah she is a good puppy, then turn back and yell at the cords some more.

If you use this technique, keep in mind a few things. 
1) You must be beliveable. If you feel ridiculous and the puppy can tell, it will not work. Think of the danger to your puppy. Your acting will get very good, quickly.
2) You cannot be mad at everything. Pick 3 things, max. I had a bad trash can (next to Savannah's food dish), a bad azalea bush (next to our sitting rock), and a bad cord bundle (next to her bed). Savannah is a year old and she still does not mess with these three objects.
3) You cannot transfer the behavior to similar objects. I have one bad azalea bush that she will not chew. The others are fair game in her mind and I keep her on a leash in that section of the yard.
4) You still must be vigilant until you are sure he knows the cord bundle was the offending object.


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

the above advice may have worked well, but I'd be very leery to yell at all in front of the puppy especially at an age when he/she is the most impressionable. As mentioned in the past, these dogs remember everything that's given them an emotional response. You want to build this dog's confidence and make the world a positive place and not a scary one. It makes you appear to be an out of control leader, rather than a calm, benevolent one. I can understand that it could very well be effective at deterring the behavior, but at too great a cost, IMO.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Don't worry, you will figure it out soon enough because they chew on anything. Socks, remotes, paper...
We live in a house and our experience might be slightly different.

The cat may be a problem, it has nails! Your puppy will attempt to chew on your cat and the nails will come out. Luckily, our cat ran to the basement and stayed the for a month.

* We did not worry if puppy made a mistake and bumped into things. They don't hurt themselves much. We acted as nothing happened and he figured it out on his own. Our Sam did not even attempt to go down on stairs, he learned that later one step a time. We put baby gates in rooms that were off limits.

We have a raised sitting area above the garage and every time Sam jumped the step he fell and tumbled. If I would have rushed and picked him up and inspected him every time he did that, he might have developed a phobia around steps.

We also bought a 36" wire crate Sam called home since the moment he arrived. 

P.S. When you arrive home take the puppy into the back yard and let him/her potty first. Because the moment their feet touch ground they will pee/poop there.
==================================================

jld640 that's some seriously funny stuff, never read this before. I'm tempted to try it with Sam when he chews on shoes.... ;D


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## Mendeldave (Aug 1, 2011)

Excellent advice everyone. You're making me very excited (and hopefully much better prepared/informed!)


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I forgot to mention the sleepless nights that are sure to follow. 
These dogs are high energy, high motivation, non stop long distance running machines, once they are old enough. I remember reading somewhere they should not run too much until fully grown, which is about 18 months???

Great training companions. I run with my 5 month old Sam 1.7 miles almost every day (weather permitting) and at the end of the mile I look exhausted. The dog looks at me wondering when are we finally going to start doing something? I usually have to take him on the treadmill for another 20 min.

One thing to watch for and I am always concerned with is bloat/torsion. Please be aware that deep chested dogs are prone to this devastating disease.
http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,371.msg14753.html#msg14753

All the best,
Julius


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