# Considering a vizsla



## jennifertoo

Hello-
We are looking to get a puppy and we are considering a Vizsla. I have been trying to do lots of research to determine if it is the right breed for us, but I would like some input from actual vizsla owners. 
- We want a dog as a family pet, not for hunting or showing. 
- We have kids ages 6 and 11 (We had dogs before, but the last one passed away 4 years ago. We waited until now so that our kids would be older.) We have lots of kids in and out of the house too.
- We want a medium sized dog- 40-60 lbs would be ideal.
- I work part time so a dog would be alone four days a week for 6 hours. We would need to crate train.
- We have chickens, so we need a dog that can be trained not to go after them.
- We are fairly active (jogging, biking, soccer, camping, hiking etc.) and we want a dog to join us in our activities but also one thats willing to just hang out with us at home. I'm worried that 2 hour walks/runs arent going to be a possibility during the weekdays.
- We want a dog that we can take to the park and let off leash without it taking off. I know training is the key, but we had one dog that never went further than 20 feet away and another that would be gone in the blink of an eye (its hard to train when you can't catch them!) 
I have considered GSP, hounds, labs, rescue dogs but I keep coming back to the vizsla. Do you think it would be a good fit?


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## Crazy Kian

Have you considered this video... it's a great eye opener for some.
;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSm5-e7uga4

Yes, they make great family pets but they do need exercise and training. It will be tough at times but in the end the reward is HUGE.
Make sure you do your research for the right breeder. Ask lots of questions here and the more experienced owners will chime in. 
In the end the decision is ultimately yours.
They will change your lifestyle a little...for the better of course. You seem like you lead an active life already so this won't be new to you.

Good luck.


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## gunnr

I'll try to answer in order.

-Yes V's can make good family dogs, but it depends on the family. If you have an outgoing family that likes to engage in more physical activities like running, biking, camping, hiking, surfing, swimming, skiing, etc.. The V will become your partner in these activities. These are not really good dogs for more sedentary lifestyles. They need to get out and blow off energy.
- Your kids are old enough to know to respect the dog.
- At 40-60lbs the V is an easy dog.
- Yes, you're work schedule can accommodate a V. There may be some "accidents" early on, but that will take care of itself.
_ You may get the dog to leave the chickens alone, but it will take time, maturity and training if it will work at all. Keep the chickens in a tractor, or a penned coop until you're sure.
- Once mature the V will be content to be a little couch potato, but ready to go at a moments notice. You're looking at about year 2-3 though. Prior to that it's usually non-stop go.

- The V will need to be controlled for the first year or so with a check cord, or collar in a public situation like a park. They can disappear in a blink of an eye too, but as a breed they usually are somewhere nearby. 20 feet would be too close, 20-40 yards more likely, and when turned loose in a forest maybe 100-200 yards. They don't get far.

These are great dogs. They need to be an integral member of the household to really thrive. Make them part of your everyday lifestyle and you'll love having them about.
The first two years they can really try your patience, but they settle out. It's worth the wait and aggravation though.


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## SerCopper

If you can't get at least a 1-2 hour off leash walk/run/hike the dog will be more difficult around the house. If you aren't sure you can get it that everyday I might consider another breed. Sure you can miss a day here and there but home time is difficult if those missed days start pilling up.


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## redbirddog

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/07/nice-into-to-vizsla-video.html

Good introduction video to the breed.

RBD


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## MilesMom

I think the 6hrs would be difficult for at least the first 4 months. Our puppy is 8 months and if we are gone more than 4 hours we get someone to come let him out and walk him, which you could always do until the puppy gets older. In regards to exercise, we have found that ours needs at least 2hrs, but majority of the time 3hrs of exercise a day to be a good boy in the house. If we miss a day, or even a part of a day, we don't sleep much that night. We are hoping that as he gets older he will be more forgiving if we are having a busy day. A typical day for Miles is a 45min to hour run in the morning (he likes off leash better), a 45 min walk at lunch, and then at least 1.5 hours of off leash running/ fetch/ or dog park at night. If he gets all this exercise and we keep him occupied in the house with toys then he will sleep at night. Best of luck! They are great dogs and we can't wait for another!!!


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## threefsh

I found a great, very honest review of the breed a while back and posted it to my blog:

"Vizslas: What's Good About Em, What's Bad About 'Em" 

http://www.ltlor.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-good-about-em-what-bad-about.html

I also wrote a blog post on the most commonly heard phrase from prospective owners, "I read they were good with kids"

http://www.ltlor.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-read-they-were-good-with-kids.html


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## harrigab

I can answer for kids, chickens and V's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oZTAtvhAmU&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP_u_E6OoXg&feature=relmfu


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## Ozkar

jennifertoo said:


> Hello-
> We are looking to get a puppy and we are considering a Vizsla. I have been trying to do lots of research to determine if it is the right breed for us, but I would like some input from actual vizsla owners.
> - We want a dog as a family pet, not for hunting or showing.
> - We have kids ages 6 and 11 (We had dogs before, but the last one passed away 4 years ago. We waited until now so that our kids would be older.) We have lots of kids in and out of the house too.
> - We want a medium sized dog- 40-60 lbs would be ideal.
> - I work part time so a dog would be alone four days a week for 6 hours. We would need to crate train.
> - We have chickens, so we need a dog that can be trained not to go after them.
> - We are fairly active (jogging, biking, soccer, camping, hiking etc.) and we want a dog to join us in our activities but also one thats willing to just hang out with us at home. _*I'm worried that 2 hour walks/runs arent going to be a possibility during the weekdays.*_
> - We want a dog that we can take to the park and let off leash without it taking off. I know training is the key, but we had one dog that never went further than 20 feet away and another that would be gone in the blink of an eye (its hard to train when you can't catch them!)
> I have considered GSP, hounds, labs, rescue dogs but I keep coming back to the vizsla. Do you think it would be a good fit?


Hi and welcome. Please accept my comments as honest and with no intention to offend you. 

Based on your comment which I have highlighted, I would encourage you to research some less active breeds. A GSP is just as active if not more active than a Vizsla, so I would consider one of them carefully if you are already concerned about meeting a two hour daily exercise commitment. 

People will come in and tell you that they have a Vizsla which is OK with only an hour a day. But that is a rare occurrence and you cannot rely on getting a V which will be like that.


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## hotmischief

I would agree with Ozkar, in that from reading posts from members over the past six months, it would appear that most of their Vizsla need a lot of exercise. You may be lucky and get a pup that is laid back and will be happy with what you can provide on the other you may get a pup that has very high energy levels - then what are you going to do??

I had this dilema when I was researching Viszlas. Primarily because we have an elderly Dane that can't and shouldn't be walked for hours. In the end we got a Wirehaired Vizsla, as although they have the same characteristics as their smooth haired cousins, they tend to have lower energy levels and are not so hyper. I spoke to lots of breeders about our requirements and they all agreed that they would be fine on an hours exercise or fine hunting all day!!!

Once I had selected my breeder she helped me choose a pup that she thought would suit us and our life style. Boris has more than fulfilled those requirements - he is cuddly, sensitive, fantastic to train, etc Now he is 8 months old - most mornings I take him (on his own) for a walk off leash and we work on training exercises - just got the retrieve with a tennis ball, bought back and place in my hand (so proud ;D ;D) then in the afternoon he will go for a 40 minutes walk with our Dane. However there are days when I can't walk him in the mornings and he stays at home with my husband, who works from home. He is really good, will play in the yard with his toys and is generally a good boy until he goes for his afternoon walk.

A Wirehaired Vizsla might be another option for you. The other good thing about them is that they don't shed their coats, which I love as we are constantly vacuming up the Dane's hair. There are a few other members that have wirehaireds, harrigab and cristina come to mind, but they are not so commonly seen as the smooth haired!!


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## AKGInspiration

My first impression is there are probably better fits for your lifestyle. I have been a dog/animal person all my life, I have been around many types of breeds over the years through my work... and despite my months of breed research before I settled on a Vizsla I still had moments where I wondered if I had picked the right breed. As others say those first 2 years are hard, they need a lot... and if you don't fulfill those needs they will find other ways to get them fulfilled... usually their choices are not things we like.

Out of your breeds you are considering I think a Lab is probably the best choice. BUT you must do research to find a breeder who is not putting out the high strung more field bred labs. But at the same time having some hunt behind them often produces a more trainable and biddable dog than one who has had those abilities bred out of them since they have been taken out of the field.. Overall labs do not often need nearly as much exercise and mental stimulation as Vizslas do. I live with one and he is so easy to wear out physically and mentally. But I think Luna is also just way too smart and fit for her own good. Though he is up for whatever we are he does not NEED it as much as Luna does to be content.

Though a Vizsla can be a family dog it takes a lot of work in that you will have the needs of your family and the needs of your vizsla... they both have to be met in order to have a good cohesion of the two. Luna was raised with a toddler, but it was a lot of work. I have been exposing her to kids all her life in hopes that by the time I have kids she will both be more mature but already used to how to act around kids. She loves kids but sometimes too much and is always supervised. 

I am by no means trying to turn you away from the breed but am just trying to be realistic. It might also come down to where you live, do you have places you are going to be able to take your dog to get their runs in? I lived in the city with Luna for a year or two and it definitely was hard. We had a park within walking distance but it was not the same as living on or near property for those last minute runs they often need to finally be able to rest at night.

I would look into some other breeds and talk to breeders as much as you can. I also like the idea of a wire haired Vizsla, as I have heard much of the same about them needing a bit less exercise but still being active and ready for you. I have met 2 and liked them, I personally just can't do the longer hair. I like my dogs neat and tidy. They also tend to run a bit bigger than the smooths. But it is a better option for you all than the smooth I think.


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## jjohnson

I love my Vizsla, and I love the breed, but I really question whether they should be labeled "great family dogs". Maybe this comes from us having a very shy/fearful/aggressive puppy that we have had to work a lot with. But also, trainers and vets that we have seen all have expressed that this issue is relatively common with the breed, maybe due to poor breeding in our area. 

We got ours thinking they were like labs, great family dogs, but we have learned that there is more to a Vizsla - they are very smart and alert hunting dogs, and have very different natures than labs! I think if you go with a dog like a lab, you will have a much higher chance of having a more easy-going friendly dog, which is esssential if you are having your kids' friends going in and out of the house all the time. If you do decide to get a Vizsla, I can't stress enough that you need to research the breeders and BE SURE to find a puppy bred for temperment, and meet both parents!


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## kate

Hi - I've just joined this forum and find all your posts invaluable. We've been asking ourselves the same questions as jennifertoo. We have looked at many breeds and since researching Vizslas, now can't see past them. We have a 5 year old son and no other pets. 
I'm so excited but doing as much research as I can as I want to make sure that we're 100% sure on this being the right breed for us. Research research research.....


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## threefsh

Hi *kate* and welcome! 

I highly recommend meeting up with some Vizslas in your area for a nice off-leash walk. You can see how they behave and also decide if they are too high-energy for your 5 year old boy.


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## R E McCraith

A 5yr old son and a V = 1 thing - 2 tired mutts on the couch - that is true!


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## Dmartin336

I just received an email from a parent with toddlers looking for information to purchase a vizsla “just as a pet” for her family because, “after some research we found out that vizslas are great with children.” I posted an open response on my blog: http://vizslanatasharose.blogspot.com/ Includes pictures of our learning curve.
Perspective owners’ often explore breeds to see if a particular breed will be good for them. A quick look online might appear to verify her research on the surface, however reputable breeders and actual vizsla owners cringe when they hear those phrases. I insist that the research must be reframed to examine honestly their own personal and family attributes to determine if *they *are good for the vizsla.


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## Kristina

We are set to pick up an 8 week old Vizsla on Saturday and I'm wondering if I'm doing too much research and scaring myself. I have read so many different views. My breeder said in his 17 years expierence the dogs do NOT need to run 2 hours a day, but would be fine with reasonable exersize. We have a big house, a big fenced yard, and a huge park across the street (2 kids ages 3 and 6). I thought a 30 min walk in the AM, 30 min walk at night, and about 20 minutes of a vigourous game of fetch would be enough...is it? Someone will be home with the dog all day and really, would only be crated at night in the beginning (unless running a quick errand). We have LOTS of love and attention to give...I plan on being diligent with training both at home and in puppy school - doing out of the house training once a week starting ASAP and will continue with dog training weekly for about a year.

IS THIS ENOUGH? I'm really nervous about getting the wrong breed.


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## hotmischief

Kristina, I think you need to read back through this post - I don't think there are many members of this forum that would agree with your breeder. You might be lucky and choose a layed back pup and that might be happy with an hour or so of exercise, but the majority of vizslas will require more like 2 hours a day - some owners would say 3.

The thing you need to remember is that if your vizsla doesn't get enough exercise it might well become destructive in the home. 

Better to have second thoughts now than to take on a pup that you then have to rehome because you can't exercise it sufficiently.

Good Luck.


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## kate

Thanks for the info. We're going to see a breeder on Saturday (we stay north of Glasgow) and have a whole list of questions to ask. I've been looking into pet insurance also. Most of them state vet fees but no mention of whether this covers medication. Anyone recommend a good pet insurance? I know I'm thinking ahead but can't be too prepared.
The other thing I was going to ask advice on was which dog training courses are more suited to this breed? 
Thank you!


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## hotmischief

Insurance - Pet Plan are excellent but very expensive. You may find your pup comes with 4 weeks free insurance with the Kennel Club so use this time to look at different insurance companies.

I used Sainsburys for a year for my Dane and then found the second year it went up drastically despite the fact I hadn't made a claim. My Dane breeder recommended AXA direct(you can only do it on line) and by co-incidence they are the underwriters for Sainsburys and a lot of other companies. I have found them very good - not the cheapest but reasonable and they have always paid out quickly.

Hope this helps. Re dog training find a local puppy obedience class - generally in your local village hall.
That will start you off and then you can look for a more specialised class if you need to.


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## Ozkar

Kristina said:


> We are set to pick up an 8 week old Vizsla on Saturday and I'm wondering if I'm doing too much research and scaring myself. I have read so many different views. My breeder said in his 17 years expierence the dogs do NOT need to run 2 hours a day, but would be fine with reasonable exersize. We have a big house, a big fenced yard, and a huge park across the street (2 kids ages 3 and 6). I thought a 30 min walk in the AM, 30 min walk at night, and about 20 minutes of a vigourous game of fetch would be enough...is it? Someone will be home with the dog all day and really, would only be crated at night in the beginning (unless running a quick errand). We have LOTS of love and attention to give...I plan on being diligent with training both at home and in puppy school - doing out of the house training once a week starting ASAP and will continue with dog training weekly for about a year.
> 
> IS THIS ENOUGH? I'm really nervous about getting the wrong breed.


See my reply in the post you started with the same questions as above. In short.... NO it's not enough.


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## adrino

Honestly? You really need to think about getting the right breed to you and your family. This I address to anyone who's just about to or want to get a vizsla. 

Me and my partner have no kids (for now), we work 40 hours a week (each) and spend almost all of our free time exercising or keeping our Elza happy. When she was just a few months old we would only walk her 30 minutes 2-3 times a day then play with her at home and the rest she would cuddle with us on the sofa. This has been achieved by us working opposite shifts. He does nights I do days at work. She's only left alone home for max 4 hours and even that is between 8pm-12am, a time when most dogs rest anyway. Now at almost 10 months old she gets minimum an hour at the morning and an hour at the afternoon. Some play at home too or chewing an antler. If we work the same hours she goes to our dog walker for the full day! On those days she gets more exercise. 

The first 4-6 months are hard. And when I say hard I mean **** hard. I was ready for it but my partner wasn't. We almost gave Elza back to our breeder!!! We sat down and talked about it, then we talked more. We of course managed to get through it but I have to say my partner had to put his thoughts together and realise if we keep the training up and stick to it, it will get better.
She wasn't even the crazy nipper-biter as many others v was/is. If she would have who knows what would have happened. :-[

In the last few weeks Elza needs more exercise than ever! I could be out with her at the morning for 1 1/2 hours and get back home and carry on bouncing off the walls! While my partner needs to sleep! I try to keep her quiet which is hard since she could do her rooroos or zoomies inside the flat. That is everything but quiet. ???

I love her to bits and wouldn't change a thing but I wonder if all those information out there are true about the vizsla. And trust me I did my research and I was familiar with the breed since I had an English pointer before. 

Sit down with your family again and talk about it. Vizsla is beautiful but you should not get this breed because of the look!


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## VictoriaW

I'm going to go out on a little bit of a limb. 

I think that most of the V owners whose Vizslas need to run 2+ hours/day are childless people/couples who work outside the home.

If Gracie were crated during the day, she would go bonkers unless she got an inordinate amount of exercise to conk her out. As it is, she'll sleep on someone's lap all day as long as she gets in a good run. 

Today that meant 40 minutes of running hard during an off-leash bike ride in the woods...yesterday it meant zooming through an off-leash park while I walked a couple of miles...on Saturdays it means a trip to see her bird trainer and probably a big outing that afternoon...this summer when it was hot she often had to get by with only 50 minutes of running on the beach before 9AM. So she is thriving on *some* kind of run nearly every single day. We have a fenced yard where she likes to chill out but that doesn't count toward her exercise needs. 

If you can put the puppy at the center of your family life -- involve her in your activities, take her on your vacations, fold her into the mix of whatever you are doing, pup will likely thrive. Do you hike and bike with your kids? Are there nearby places you could take the whole gang and meet everyone's needs?

I am assuming that your kids are both entering school/preschool and that you will have at least a couple of hours of kid-free time to call your own at least three days during the week. Plan on spending most of those hours with the puppy. A big kid-free walk (luxury!!!), training, a puppy class, a vet visit...those precious few hours will get chewed up fast. But if that's how you want to spend your time at this stage in your life, it can be done.

Re: the breeder's opinion. Is he reputable? Involved in the V community? Are the parents titled? Has he spent time with you AND your kids and grilled you about you will care for his precious pups given everything that you have on your plate? Has he had other litters and does he keep in touch with those puppies and their new families? Has he watched your kids interact with the mom? If so...then I would trust his opinion. (IF NOT...RUN!!!!! But that is another thread.)

And yes, you are spending too much time researching -- at least on the Internet. . Go find some real live Vs, ideally related to the puppy you are considering, and see for yourself!

Good luck...keep us posted!   

Victoria (kids 8, 6, and 3 when puppy came home 8/29/2011)


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## R E McCraith

Would I recommend a V as a family pet NO! Would I recommend a V as part of a family YES! when you see what that means get a VVVVVV


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## Crazy Kian

Kristina said:


> IS THIS ENOUGH? I'm really nervous about getting the wrong breed.


There are many owners here that will say that you are going to be over your head.

You are going to have to go with what you feel is right for you and your family. If you think getting a V is a right fit for your family and lifestyle then do what you want to do. Don't let a bunch of strangers coerce you in to changing your mind.
Do your research, meet some owners and pick their brain matter. See first hand what a V is like. have you seen a V in action other than on youtube? I've met some V's that are more chilled than a fat bulldog and some that are wired like a 6 month old puppy.

Good luck.


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## Rachyd03

I agree with crazy Kian. It has to be your decision in the end as it is you that has to live with the dog. Everyone on this forum give lots of brill firsthand advice. That's what I love about it. Sometimes it may not be what you want to hear but it is all honest good advice.

I have a 4 1/2 month old pup alled Flynn. I also have 2 young children aged 4 and 1. I'm lucky in that I am home all day an that was one of the deciding factors in getting Flynn. I did lots and lots of research before getting him and I don't regret it one bit, however it hasn't been all easy. Everytime somebody stops me on the park and admires Flynn I can see the clogs start turning and they ask where I got him from and how much etc and the first thing I say to them is that they are not the easiest breed by far. No breed of dog is perfect they all have their faults but I would say having had a number of puppies throughout my childhood and now that Flynn has been a bit more of a challenge. We are also just beginning as they are puppies till about 2-3. I took a long hard loom as to wether I wanted to split my time with my children because that is what they need, your time. I decided that I could afford the time as I don't work but maybe if I did I would have chosen not to get a pup let alone this particular breed. I'm nor trying to put anybody off as they are beautiful and what we get back from Flynn is sooooo worth the extra work but sometimes I do wonder if some people just pick this breed because of their beauty and don't actually realise what the breed is actually like ( not aiming that at you, just people in general). I listened to a really good interview with Deborah from dragons den the other day. She has 3 vizslas herself. It was a really good interview and a good insight into the breed. A very honest account. I will post the link if I can find it.

I am no expert by any means but I do have alot of friends with v's and regulaly meet up with a group I have now joined and about 30 v's altogether go for a walk so I have a pretty good idea of adult v's aswell as puppies


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## Rachyd03

http://intellidogs.com/blog/talk-to-your-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-14232.

Here is the link I think. Let me know if it works. If not I will try and find a different link.


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## Kristina

Thank you for this link! Going to give it a good listening tonight.


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## Rachyd03

It is quite long. 46 mins I think. Only half way through is the interview with Deborah so maybe fastforward a bit till you get to it but it is deffinatly worth listening to.

She talks about the exercise needs, socialisation needs etc. With my boy Flynn we have been VERY lucky so far that Flynn is not a manic v that some people have to deal with. He gets walked twice a day at the min for 20/25 mins each time ( you have to be careful not to overdo it at first because of joints etc) and he is brill in the house. Not a massive chewer and hardly any nipping biting etc but that is so far. Like I say he is still very young so may change. Just to add aswell on the subject of vizslas in general. Any puppy you have to socialise but we Flynn we have had to do this so much more than with a standard pup. He was very nervy to begin with. He is loads better now but we have literally had him out everywhere all over, pub crawls, vizsla meet ups with about 30 v's etc where there are lots of people and lots of dogs. If we hadn't done this I think we may have had a problem. This is typical of a v. They are very sensitive and are nervous of new things, which can lead to a fear aggressive dog in the future if not socialised enough. I can't stress that enough from my experience with Flynn and a few other adult v's I have come across that havnt been introduced to new things as pups. Sorry for long replys  just my two penneth


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## OttosMama

Victoria W - I was hoping you'd give your opinion! You are the only person I know that has a V and children as far as I can remember and you make it all work - you even get Gracie in shows and hunt tests  it's nice to hear from someone with first hand experience! Personally, I can't imagine juggling kids and Otto - but it can be done!

IMO - the best advice is to go see first hand what your in for and bring your family along! I'm sure you could even find some V owners from the forum somewhere near you.


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## veifera

Hi Kristina:

I was also very worried about the amount of exercise. My dog is only 6 months old so I cannot say for sure, but my experience so far with running has been different. 

Any Vizsla will need an opportunity to run, they are genetically related to hounds, after all. It's in their DNA. They were bred to perform in the field for several hours at a time, which means they are like athletic sprinters - capable of tremendous bursts of energy and it will need an outlet.

At the same time, I don't believe that the hunters that created the Vizsla breed several hundred years ago took their dogs for a daily 2 hour run in a park or hunted them every single day of the year. 

When I talked to various breeders, most of them insisted that a well-bred Vizsla will adapt to most _active_ lifestyles. When I asked very specifically about running for 2 hours a day, the response was - if you do that, what you're doing is literally training your dog to require and to expect a two hour run. Feeding commercial food designed for highly active dogs that work (field dogs, for example) will provide extra energy, so it becomes a self-reinforcing circle: the more the dog runs, the more running it can handle and suddenly running for 2 hours becomes the best part of the day, something to look forward to, etc.

I want to be very clear here - there is nothing wrong with running your dog for 2 hours a day. In fact, if you want to get fit and have the time, a Vizsla might be just perfect for you. 

But I don't think 2 hours is a requirement. What I have seen so far in my own dog and dogs that I admire is that a Vizsla needs to be active, involved and doing something _much more_ than it needs to be racing around in circles without purpose just to get physically tired. 

So, in my opinion the challenge isn't so much about finding 2 hours to stand and watch her run around like mad. (That won't happen until your dog is old enough anyway, so not for several months). 

My dog loves to fetch and we play very very vigorous fetch about 4 times a day, 10 minutes at a time. I always try to find something for her to do when I'm doing things around the house - even if it is just carrying the toy around as she follows me and giving her a treat for a job well done - because it gives her something to focus her mind on. 

Once a week, we go to a farm field for training and she runs in a very focused style, looking for birds. It's very different than just running around because she has to think about what she's doing and use her nose. It tires her out like nothing else.

I wish you best of luck. For what it's worth - the night before I knocked on the breeder's door, I had a panic attack. Didn't sleep until 3 am and spent that time convincing myself I was about to make a huge mistake. Turns out it 6 months later I'm loving every minute of being with my dog and have fun learning things I never knew were so much fun.


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## kate

Thanks for info re pet insurance. I'd rather pay a bit more for a decent insurance package, so will check out a few including the ones you mentioned. There's a few local puppy training classes which I'll check out and enrol nearer the time. I just need to find out if there are some people nearby who own Vizslas that I meet up with. It's a breed that you see very often around here.
Roll on Saturday so I can meet some in person when we visit the breeder! Can't wait


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## kate

that should read "a breed that you don't see very often around here"....it's getting late


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## Ozkar

Count yourself lucky to have a low energy Vizsla. Even my most relaxed dog puts up with only two hours off lead walking daily. i walk 10klms they run 50............ and then we do even more on a weekend especially if we are out Deer hunting.


veifera said:


> Hi Kristina:
> 
> I was also very worried about the amount of exercise. My dog is only 6 months old so I cannot say for sure, but my experience so far with running has been different.
> 
> Any Vizsla will need an opportunity to run, they are genetically related to hounds, after all. It's in their DNA. They were bred to perform in the field for several hours at a time, which means they are like athletic sprinters - capable of tremendous bursts of energy and it will need an outlet.
> 
> At the same time, I don't believe that the hunters that created the Vizsla breed several hundred years ago took their dogs for a daily 2 hour run in a park or hunted them every single day of the year.
> 
> When I talked to various breeders, most of them insisted that a well-bred Vizsla will adapt to most _active_ lifestyles. When I asked very specifically about running for 2 hours a day, the response was - if you do that, what you're doing is literally training your dog to require and to expect a two hour run. Feeding commercial food designed for highly active dogs that work (field dogs, for example) will provide extra energy, so it becomes a self-reinforcing circle: the more the dog runs, the more running it can handle and suddenly running for 2 hours becomes the best part of the day, something to look forward to, etc.
> 
> I want to be very clear here - there is nothing wrong with running your dog for 2 hours a day. In fact, if you want to get fit and have the time, a Vizsla might be just perfect for you.
> 
> But I don't think 2 hours is a requirement. What I have seen so far in my own dog and dogs that I admire is that a Vizsla needs to be active, involved and doing something _much more_ than it needs to be racing around in circles without purpose just to get physically tired.
> 
> So, in my opinion the challenge isn't so much about finding 2 hours to stand and watch her run around like mad. (That won't happen until your dog is old enough anyway, so not for several months).
> 
> My dog loves to fetch and we play very very vigorous fetch about 4 times a day, 10 minutes at a time. I always try to find something for her to do when I'm doing things around the house - even if it is just carrying the toy around as she follows me and giving her a treat for a job well done - because it gives her something to focus her mind on.
> 
> Once a week, we go to a farm field for training and she runs in a very focused style, looking for birds. It's very different than just running around because she has to think about what she's doing and use her nose. It tires her out like nothing else.
> 
> I wish you best of luck. For what it's worth - the night before I knocked on the breeder's door, I had a panic attack. Didn't sleep until 3 am and spent that time convincing myself I was about to make a huge mistake. Turns out it 6 months later I'm loving every minute of being with my dog and have fun learning things I never knew were so much fun.


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## kate

Hello! Any V owners in Glasgow area who we could join in a walk with? Went to see a breeder today and our names are now on the puppy waiting list ;D Unfortunately we need to wait until around March next year but gives us time to do lots more research and puppy proofing our house/garden, as well as meeting more of these great dogs.
Need to find out some good places for walks where we can safely let the dog off the lead to run wild. Roll on March...


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## doublemocha

Great news!

How did it go with the breeder? Did you feel comfortable with them and gain answers to all your questions?

We have had one bad and one good experience so far but collect our puppy early November.

March will seems ages away but at least you will be well prepared


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## kiki

We adopted a V from a rescue site 3 months ago. He is almost 5 years old. He has adapted well to our family (son, age 10 and daughter, age 16). Because he is older, he is a couch potato at times but also loves to get outside and run around. We make sure he has play time or a good walk every day and he's been fine in the house when we are at work all day. He's alone 3 days per week during the day and just sleeps. Adopting an older dog has been the perfect situation for our family since we didn't have the time or a person at home every day to train a puppy. Good luck getting a dog for your family!


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## kate

Hi doublemocha - couldn't have went better with the breeder. Lovely couple who we clicked with and they tick all the boxes. Dogs are everything we expected and more. We all felt very comfortable with them and I just wished I was taking one home with me to see me through til March! I was a bit worried that my son would be a bit wary as the breeder let 3 of the dogs have a run around with us in one of their fields. He had so much fun with the dogs, even though he's at the wrong height just now - just at the dog's head height and so got licked to death but thankfully found this funny. Our ears are in for a pounding until March.... Wish it was quicker too but it will be well worth the wait. 
I had emailed a couple of other breeders in the area but I had a good feeling with this one and he's owned Vizslas for 40 years, so plenty of experience. He still works some of the dogs but you can see that these are very much family pets too...
We're 4th on the list and our preference is for a dog. Just hope that the others haven't requested the same. Question that I forgot and need to ask.
Not long until you get your puppy but bet you're still counting the days....


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## datacan

I would like add my view point as well..., Vs are high energy dogs and pretending any different is simply not fair. 
While breeders suggest that Vs adapt to anything if you really ask them, they admit these dogs NEED more than average exercise.


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## R E McCraith

a V has one purpose - they need to V worked! hunting - agility - search & rescue - aide pup - etc - if you can not bring that to their lives - do not get 1 !


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## Dmartin336

I was contacted about getting a vizsla as a pet. I ended up putting much of my response on my blog. You may find it helpful in learning if YOU are right for the vizsla-
http://vizslanatasharose.blogspot.com/2012/09/vizsla-just-as-pet-because-theyre-great.html
It includes photos of our learning curve with our dog and what I have learned along the way with her.
Donna Martinez
http://vizslanatasharose.blogspot.com/


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