# Rescued Vizsla??



## Element (Nov 7, 2014)

Hi everyone,
We rescued a dog from an Animal Control about a month ago, they said it was a lab/retriever mix, but I'm not sure I'm seeing either in her. I'm being told she's at least part Vizsla. After reading posts on here I believe they are right. It's good to know some of these tips as we just lost 2 huskies within the past 6 months - both were 12, and this is a very new experience for us. 
She's a loving little girl, but quite neurotic and goes from 100 mph to zonked out. We had trouble with her wetting on the carpet - not sure if she's been an outdoor dog - or just marking and checking us out. We really don't know her story at all - shelter said she was 2-3years old - but vet seems to think 4-5 due to the tartar on her teeth. I've been reading and the stories sound familiar, I am a little concerned about a habit she has of like nipping at the air - sometimes it seems she may have trouble catching her breath or something. Any feedback on that would be wonderful. 
I'm attaching a a couple pics - please let me know if what breeds you think she may be. She has a black nose so I know she's not a pure bred - doesn't really matter, she has our hearts already, but want to make sure we do what's best for her. 
Thanks for any help given


----------



## Rbka (Apr 21, 2014)

She sure looks part v to me! Welcome to the forums!

Not sure about the "nipping the air" habit but when Nico smells or licks something really exciting he clicks his jaw like crazy and moves his ears (and all the skin on his forehead) front and back. At first I thought he might be having seizures but I think it's just how he responds to a stimulus that he finds very interesting... If she's part v then she'll have a good nose. Maybe it's just her way of trying to taste the air!


----------



## Element (Nov 7, 2014)

Thanks Rbka,
I never thought about tasting the air - I did worry about seizures though, that was the main reason for asking. I had read that they were common in this breed, and she yawns at times while she's doing it. She doesn't seem to be distressed though, so I will just keep an eye on her.

Thanks for welcoming me, I just know this is going to be a wealth of information for us, especially since neither of us had even heard of "Vizsla"s until we adopted Elle. She definitely keeps us entertained though ;D


----------



## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi, Element, and welcome!  You have a very pretty girl there in Elle!! She could be part Vizsla and part Redbone Coonhound. You can check out that breed on Google Images. 

The "air nipping" might be what's known as "Fly Bite Syndrome" or "Fly Snapping Syndrome". You can look that up on Google, as well as on YouTube. I once had a dog who did that, and I was concerned, too. In the case of my dog, the behavior just slowly faded away over time. Be sure never to play with her using a laser pointer, as that can be a trigger. Thanks for saving her!! ;D


----------



## Element (Nov 7, 2014)

Thanks mswhipple, I will do research on "Fly Bite/Snapping Syndrome". We have associated another behavior with this action last night. She has wet in the house several times - she's gotten good about asking to go out most of the time now. We've had a few accidents that I've never experienced before - she's peed in her kennel and on OUR BED (we have closed these areas off to her when we are home - at night and when we leave, she is in her kennel and never wets in it). 

We left for a couple hours last night, came home and played and played as she had lots of energy. She started the air nipping and a little more anxious than usual, she came up on the couch next to me and next thing I knew, she peed on the couch :-[ (thank God it's a vinyl couch). We try not to flip out on her, just put her in her kennel, but are flabbergasted and don't understand. She gets our constant attention, we are both retired so one of us are home prob 75% of the time. 

Anyway we are feeling a lil helpless - she wants to please us and she is such a lover most the time. But we can't be having her soiling the furniture (we already have to replace the carpet in living room) and I'd hate for her to be in another room, away from the family. I'm thinking maybe this is an anxiety or slight seizure issue, and don't know how to proceed. I have to be honest, without this forum we would really be thinking we are in over our heads with her. 

I will research on the Fly Biting and I just dug out a Thunder Shirt I purchased for our husky during storms and even though it's large on her, that seems to be helping. We live off a main road, so she can't run free except in our yard, but we throw balls and play tug of war, and this is several times a day. Maybe we aren't challenging her enough - I just don't know.

Any help/advise will be greatly appreciated and again- thanks so much for your help.

Joyce


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Maybe her accidents are involuntary.
You may want to have her checked to make sure she doesn't have a UTI.
Also dogs can have incontinence.
When she lays down to relaxed, she maybe unable to control it in some situations. They do have meds that can help most dogs with the problem.


----------



## Element (Nov 7, 2014)

Thanks TexasRed, 
I am going to take in a urine sample just in case, you are the second person to bring that up to me. But I had a husky that was prone to uti's and she went more frequent and it was dark in color. Not what I'm experiencing now and Elle doesn't do it when relaxed, she does the air nipping and seems overly restless before it happens - just now putting these things together. It's hard when you rescue and don't know what their "norm" is.
As for incontinence - I hadn't even thought of that. Will keep in mind and talk to vet about this - don't want to think about that one yet.
Thanks again!


----------

