# Opinions Needed on Troubled Vizsla Puppy



## Mark Montana (Aug 17, 2012)

I have a 14 week old vizsla, the last pick of the litter, that I received at 9 weeks from a reputable breeder with championship bloodlines. When I picked up the puppy I was told that he was on the more dominant side and that he would be great for hunting ( I don’t hunt) but should also be a great family dog. I did everything I could to prepare for bringing a vizsla into my life, including having a relative willing to watch the puppy for me at night since I work 3pm-11pm. I have been taking the puppy to “puppy kindergarten” as recommended by the breeder and I have also worked on basic obedience at home with the puppy, which he has excelled at. I have clearly outlined the rules of the house but still let the puppy up on the couch after he sits for me first, I also make him sit and stay before we go outside and also before he eats, I always go up and down the stairs first and walk through doorways first etc. The puppy is very well socialized as I have taken him on numerous walks in varying environments and he has had the opportunity to play with several dogs and briefly meet several people. I have always noticed that he has an independent spirit as often times he prefers playing with toys away from me and falling asleep in adjacent rooms for naps during the day. However, over the past couple of weeks his playful puppy nips and bites have become more than just playful and on a couple of occassions when I tried to correct the puppy by grabbing his snout for biting me, he has lashed out and growled showing his teeth and then aggressively attacking my hand. This has also recently occurred if I try to take something dangerous out of his mouth (small stick, pine cone, rock etc.) or move him away from something dangerous, or pick him up from the floor or couch. I have made some changes now to his routine where he no longer goes over to a relatives house (since he has snapped at them and they are unable to control him), and just stays in his crate while im at work except for someone stopping by to feed him and also for a neighbor who brings over their dog to play with him ( I live alone in a city but have a fully fenced yard). I have also been incorporating the “stay down” exercise when he acts up as a way of controlling his dominance. I recently enrolled him in puppy day care which the breeder recommended and he will be going 3 days a week. My problem is that while he is great most of the time, outside of the standard puppy mischief, his growling, often times followed by a show of teeth and a bite, greatly concern me. I have done my research on the breed for the past couple of years and selected a vizsla because of my active lifestyle, the vizsla’s great temperment and “velcro” like personality. I want to incorporate the dog into all facets of my life including taking him to parks, outdoor activities, social gatherings, laying on the couch with me, and eventually sleeping in my bed. I spoke to the breeder who told me that its not aggressive behavior and that the puppy is too young to be aggressive even though he is dominant. I have grown up with puppies and dogs all my life, including labs and german shepards, and expected playful biting and nipping while interacting with them but I have never witnessed a puppy lash out like this and I would certainly never expect it from a vizsla puppy. The puppy has even demonstrated this behavior with a relative of mine as well as a friend both of which bites were unprovoked and in the same aggressive manner resulting from them touching the puppy. As a result, I haven’t been able to take him into any situation where there is a chance he might lash out, which is not what I wanted at all. I plan on taking the puppy to the vet for bloodwork to make sure there is not an underlying medical issue I’m missing and I’m also planning on seeking out a behavioral specialist for an assessment. 

Is this behavior just typical vizsla puppy behavior or is it really aggression? Will the puppy grow even more dominant as he gets older or should it subside with maturity? Will I be able to do everything I want to do with the dog in terms of incorporating him in my life and everyday routines? Am I providing the proper home environment for this vizsla with my current work hours and the lifestyle expectations I have for him? Im not so much looking for training tips, just honest opinions regarding the above questions and the background I have given.

I want the situation to work out, but I want the puppy to be happy as well. I have always formed close and tight bonds with my dogs but don’t feel as though this puppy is completely accepting of me being his handler. I’m not looking for just a hunting dog that can’t ever be on the couch with me, sleep in my bed, or get along with strangers at a social gathering, and needs to spend nights in his crate. I want the active companion with the “velcro” personality that I can be confident bringing anywhere, anytime, and incorporate him in any daily activities.


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

I am a first time Vizsla owner. My boy is now 17 months old and I got him at 10 weeks. I was not prepared for the nipping stage and I also had some resource guarding issues in the beginning. My breeder also told me that my pup was on the more dominant side, but this was not an issue as I don't plan to have kids. Anyway, I would suggest working on the issues and not putting them aside as it sounds like you are doing. Just my opinion, but I feel like your situation won't get better if you isolate your pup from the situations happening. You want to put your pup in these situations and try to correct the behaviour, otherwise, how will he learn? You specifically said that you don't want tips, but I'm going to give them anyway. Oh, first. I can't determine if your pup is aggressive or not, it does sound like he could develop more aggression by what you describe, but I believe there are ways to fix it now while he is so young. So from personal experience when Oquirrh was that age, I had to be extremely careful of my mood. If I was frustrated and I tried to correct Oquirrh, it would only make the situation worse. Grabbing his mouth only made him more mouthy. Try to find another way to distract or correct the behaviour. I also and am still working on his resource guarding. I've found that it is much more helpful that I keep calm and that I am not in a "I'm the boss!" type of mood. I'm learning that it's a mutual relationship and when I need to take something away from Oquirrh, I calmly and confidently approach him and take the item away. I don't try to dominate him as this only makes him more possessive of the item. My two cents. Not sure if this is the response you are looking for.


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

Oh BTW, welcome to the forums.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

You said you don't hunt and want a dog you can take any where. I suggest you look into some CGC therapy dog classes for him. A lot of what he is doing is normal vizsla puppy play. Some of it is resource guarding.
No one can tell you if you will get the dog you wanted. Most of it is up to you, how much time and socialization you put into the pup.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

*Re: Needed Opinions on Vizsla Behavioral Problem*

Mark,
I toot my own horn from time to time about my blog.

If you sit down at your computer with an adult beverage and start at the begining of redbirddog blog and move forward through the last three years , you will see a transformation of how I have come to understand these wonderful Hungarian Pointers.

485 posts and still going strong.

Post #1
http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/06/sitting-in-dog-house.html

You'll be fine. Just keep learning faster than your dog. 8)

RBD


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## OttosMama (Oct 27, 2011)

Hey Mark!

Welcome to the forum - you will find a plethora of useful information on this forum. 

Your story sounds SO much like mine! I never intended on hunting or getting Otto involved in any sort of bird training - but - just like yourself, he comes from strong hunting lines ??? what were we thinking?! I wanted a running partner and a cuddle bug! Those were my two criteria  Well we still don't run together and he is not much of a cuddler! 

When Otto first came I had SUCH a hard time with the nipping/biting. Otto broke the skin of my dad, uncle, close friend and stranger at puppy kindergarten. He tore all of my workout pants, some sweatshirts, etc. It was a nightmare and I feared that I had a "bad egg". I used to sit at puppy kindergarten with such mixed emotions. Part of me envied the others with calm dogs that didn't whine or nip like Otto - however, I was so impressed with how quickly he picked up all of the commands - way ahead of the rest of the group. 

I contacted our breeder and he put me at ease, letting me know that the behavior he was exhibiting was common amongst Vizslas. He suggested that when Otto went into a fit, I should grab him by the jowls, lift him off the floor, yell loudly "NO!" 3 times, put him in his crate and shut off the lights, exit the room for 20 minutes and repeat the next time he started a fit of nipping. I had to do this 3-4 times since the first time and Otto got the clue that I wasn't accepting that behavior. He caught on very quickly. However, I did not hold his jowls, nor did I lift him off the ground. I placed my hands under his jaw bones and he sort of stood on his hind legs while I went through the rest. I didn't baby him afterwards (although I wanted to!!) Just "business as usual" attitude. 

Holding his muzzle never worked for us. I wasn't comfortable with it and neither was he. The method we were advised doesn't hurt them, it just lays down the law. I might not take the same path with my next V - I want to try positive reinforcement for not touching my hands from the very beginning. However, it was a little too late (Otto was 14 weeks I believe when we tried this method). 

Others have said that 16-20 weeks the nipping subsides. However, I kind of felt that after we went through the "punishing" with Otto he quit it and also it seemed like he looked at me as more of an "authority". 

FlynnandLunasmom (another member) reminded me the other day of a phrase that Cesar Millan often says: *You don't always get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. * 

Otto has brought me so much joy over the past several months. He is a fantastic dog and has a very submissive side to him (which I never thought would have been the case during those nipping weeks!) 
We take him to a bird trainer and we both thoroughly enjoy ourselves! Like TexasRed says, CGC courses may be a good route. I think just getting him involved in an activity that the two of you participate in is such a great way to bond! Just give him time to mature - he is so young still.

Vizslas aren't docile dogs. They are extremely demonstrative with their emotions and personalities... but... they are all over the place! I definitely did not get the dog I was expecting. That being said - i have gotten so much more! He has surpassed any expectations I had! 

Good luck!


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## CrazyCash (Jul 12, 2012)

I agree that this seems fairly normal - my guy is 10 months old and he's the first V that I've had. I remember when he was that age, he would go into these biting fits and I used to call them shark attacks - he would just get so focused on whatever he was going after and seemed like he was determined to destroy it. I did have thoughts of what have I gotten myself into, this dog is nuts and he's still a baby - what's he going to be like when he gets bigger?

At first I tried holding his muzzle and staring him in the eye until he looked away - let's say that worked one time, but mostly it just made him more crazy and as soon as I would let go he would lunge at me and try to bite me again. I ended up just redirecting his biting with a toy and then walking away. He did outgrow this behavior and now he's 63lbs and doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

*Re: Needed Opinions on Vizsla Behavioral Problem*

Mark - RBD puts you on the right track - my ? was what do you bring to your V - they never truly grow up - love them for that !


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

duplicate threads merged


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Don't be offended Mark, but I'd be questioning as to wether you have a suitable lifestyle for a vizsla, something which I'd have expected the breeder to have expressed concerns about tbh. You live alone, go out to work, you'll need to sleep....that leaves pup about 16 hours a day to occupy himself. Certainly taking away socialisation situations will only be detrimental to your pup and I'd strongly recommend taking him out more and meeting people, telling them not to make a fuss of him, stroke him, eyeball him etc, this way he should realise that people aren't a threat to him. If he bares teeth and growls at home keep your cool and gently and calmly put him in his crate *straight away*, he should come to realise that unacceptable behaviour isn't rewarded.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi, Mark Montana, and welcome to the forums! Sounds like you have a normal PUPPY. The operant word there is Puppy. At 14 weeks of age, he is still a baby, still learning and trying to find his place in the world. We've had this same discussion, or variations of it, many times before. You have already received a lot of good advice here, but if you have the time, you could browse through some of the earlier threads about puppy behavior. Best wishes!!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Hi Mark and welcome to the best Vizsla forum on the globe!! 

Please don't be offended, but your pup is a mere 14 weeks old. Calling it aggression is probably an over reaction. Sure, curbing the lack of following your requests is important. But at 14 weeks, it's not aggression, it's pup just trying to work it all out. 

Please, please, please don't grab his nose. Dogs noses are extremely sensitive and you can easily hurt them without realising it. In addition to potentially hurting your pup, which I am sure you really don't intend, that type of human behaviour is indicating to the dog that you are not the calm and benevolent pack leader it should look up to. 

From reading your original post, you sound like you are doing all the right things.... Puppy pre school, basic obedience, lots of earn it first behaviour. So in offering advice or suggestions, all I can say is just keep persisting. Repetition and consistency is a mantra I spew forth almost every post in here and it is perhaps the most important aspect of guiding your Vizsla to being a fantastic adult dog, friend and companion for you.

While I understand that your family have freaked out over the nipping, tell them to get a grip. The pup is 14 weeks old FFS! It's like beating up on a toddler for doing something wrong. 

Good luck and I hope your frustrations subside quickly.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Hello and welcome.

Just wanted to outline some of the key things that others have touched on. 

1. Sounds like a normal pup.
2. 14 weeks is way too early to call a pup aggressive.
3. You are doing a lot of good things keep them up.
4. Don't hide the pup away if it messes up. Take them everywhere you can as often as you can. All experience is good experience and a chance for your pup to learn new things.
5. Avoid grabbing the nose.

My pup Mac was a crazy shark until age 20 weeks!!!! I can't correct Mac in any physical way. Bumping, grabbing collar or nose...it doesn't work. He instead gets more intense. I have to get his attention and show him what I want. So this could be getting him to sit or lay down and wait. You can try using pet correcting air, it snaps them out of their crazy times and redirects the attention onto you. Just keep calm and so will your pup. Good luck.


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## SerCopper (Nov 1, 2011)

Hi Mark,

Like others I had a similiar experience when I brought my pup home. There would be at least one occasion every day where he would get a little crazy, bark, growl, bite (Not nip but bite). I found trying to tame him by grabbing his snout or rolling him on his back only made it worse. What worked for me was leaving the room and closing the door if posible for a few minutes. Basically if he acts like that he doesn't get any attention. The behaviour quickly stopped.


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## Jan (Jan 30, 2012)

hi Mark
again similar experiences with kutya . it sounds like most of our puppies !! I did think at one stage that we had chosen a vicious pup as our hands and arms were covered in teeth marks and scratches! I was forever yowling (as has been advised!) when she bit /nipped me to no effect. Like others any kind of confrontation made it worse. 
Eventually they seem to grow out of it, maybe its socialisation, maybe its not teething any more or maybe its just having enough exercise!
The one thing that worked for us was to really really calmly put her outside the room , over and over and over again until she stopped. This is literally for a minute or so at a time. I think its supposed to be 5 minutes but I just send her out, and when she comes back in ignore her and let her stay if she's calm or send her back out if she isn't! (we do this for a lot of things - eg...putting paws on kitchen tops for food!!) I don't know if it works because she wants to be in 'our pack' and be with us or whether it works because we are completely calm but it works!
I think on the whole, that I would just be consistent in whatever you decide because vizslas can smell weakness!!!!
by the way - kuty is now 1 and is a dream! so stick with it.
good luck


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## Shivangi (Jan 19, 2010)

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the forum! I'm in no way an expert on all things dog, but you might find it beneficial to train your dog the 'leave it' command with the help of treats. This way, you'll be reducing the risk of confronting him when he has something he isn't supposed to. 

Our dog is three years old now and still manages to grab things every now and then. The treats always work in giving her a good enough incentive to leave whatever she has. 

Good luck!


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Hi Mark,

I've written a lot about my "problem child" on various posts on here so I won't get into it in detail here, for everyone's sake. I hope you are able to get a handle on things and that things get better/easier for you. 

I just wanted to say that even if your dog does continue to have the occasional dominant/aggressive streak as he get older (mine is 7 and he still does sometimes), it doesn't mean you can't take him places. It may mean that you don't let strangers (or strange dogs) visit with him, but who cares? There's no need for him to be a social butterfly with everyone he encounters. 

Yesterday, my husband and I thought the dogs needed a "mental stimulation" day so instead of a hike in the woods we opted for a picnic and a long on-leash walk in a busy harbor-town. Lots of people, boats, seagulls, distractions etc. We found a park bench by the water for our picnic. Our vizslas sat quietly while we ate (they knew full well that if they were good, a few bits of chicken and a potato chip or two would find their way to them when we were finished). 

People walked by with dogs, children, etc. and we kept our dogs focused on us - visiting. Many people commented on how beautiful our dogs were. A few asked if they could pet our dogs and I politely said "I'd rather you not. They're excitable dogs and we're working on some training exercises right now" and the people went on their merry way. 

My husband sometimes feels guilty telling people No, but I don't. We don't know these people. We don't owe them anything. We'll never see them again and frankly, who cares if they think I'm a bitch for not letting them pet my dogs. I'm doing it for everyone's safety. I know Flynn is unpredictable and uneasy around children - but I also know that it's important for him to see them, hear them and learn to be calm when they're around. I'm not keep him hidden away. 

Later, while we were walking, we encountered a woman who said "Oh vizslas, I used to have vizslas growing up. May I say hi?" We said, "You can definitely say hi to Luna. We'll have to see about Flynn." So, as she was petting and fawning over Luna, Flynn decided he was jealous and he sided up to her wanting his own pet/attention from her, which he enjoyed very much. 

We let him call the shots when it comes to socializing. We've learned to read his body language. We know when he's uncomfortable. We know he's usually not interested in others touching him or leaning over him (unless they're close friends/family and even then there are only a select few who can get away with this), so we don't let it happen. But that absolutely doesn't mean we don't take him to parks and outdoor situations and incorporate him into our lifestyle in all areas. We do. We just control the situation. My point in telling you this is that it can be done! 

As I said earlier, hopefully your pup won't have any long-term issues and this won't even be a concern for you in the future.


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

I just want to echo the post above. We also have a"problem-child" and I was really upset at first when I realized that our dog would never be the outgoing, social, happy dog that I wanted. I initially wanted to give him back to the breeder ( he is terrified of strangers and snapped at a child when he was 10 weeks- not a play snap, a growl, bare teeth, try-to-bite her face snap). Anyway, my husband said "what if we have kid someday that's not perfect; you going to send him back too"? And that shut me up!

Since then, we have totally learned to understand our dog, and like flynnandlunasmom it doesn't stop us from taking him in public. We still walk in public places, let him run off leash at crowded beaches, etc. We just have put extra effort into being in control at all times when in public, training him to listen to us, and watching our surroundings. But don't despair if your dog isn't perfect! At home, when its just us, he is the sweetest most perfect dog, and I wouldn't trade him away for anything now!


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## Lincolns Parents (Aug 6, 2011)

We to have problems with strangers. Lincoln is NOT a social butterfly.  We take him places but have to give extra care when out and about. Hes a great dog for our family just not a great choice to take in really crowded places. We respect the fact that he needs space from "everyone" else and let him show us what he is comfortable and not comfortable with. Its always a new training day for us.


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## VbarK Vizslas (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Mark!! I have had wonderful advice from here. Lots of good ideas and lots of wonderful stories. Don't give up on your pup. He is a baby and requires lots of patience, consistency and love. Maybe instead of hunting you could get him doing agility trials or swimming. Tire that boy out is my theory on pups. Good luck.


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