# Need advice, thinking about getting a Vizsla



## termy (Feb 21, 2016)

A few months ago My wife and I lost our yellow lab to stomach cancer. He was a beloved member of our family and losing him was devastating. We are considering getting another dog and after doing some research my heart is set on a Vizsla. I’ve met two Vizsla’s in the last week out and about, both were very loving and sweet, made me want one ever more.

However, we don’t want to be bad parents so I want to see if I can get some advice. I’ve read a lot about separation anxiety and the need to be with Vizsla’s more when they are younger. My wife and I both work 7 to 4. We walked our last dog before work, right after work, and one later walk. We have a house with a decent size back yard for him/her to run around in. 

My wife doesn’t believe in leaving dogs in crates. I’m unfamiliar to the whole idea of crates and the benefits. I’ve read some stories about separation anxiety and Vizsla’s and I’m a little concerned we are not going to be home enough. Same goes for if we got a puppy, concerned we might not be home enough. When we are here he/she will get plenty of love, attention and exercise. 

Does anyone have any advice or tips? Thanks in advance.


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## Abahn (Nov 7, 2015)

Sounds like me about 4 months ago... I'm not expert on dogs, BUT... Like you, I work for a living and am gone all day 5 days a week... In short... She's actually better with adaption than my morkie was... My morkie had huge separation anxiety (only found out what that is on this forum, lol) she destroyed her first crate and gums bled profusely as a result for 6mons actually... My vizsla does protest many things... But never to an extreme.... I think current owners are prolly of a Ritalin generation to say some of the things I read... Reason being, if you show the dog love, tolerance and positive reinforcement for obedience.... No doubt any dog will want adjust and please its owner... Of course, there is always the exception ... Always spend time with dogs parents... Much can be learned there... Do your homework... You sound like responsible folks... So have fun with your future VIZSLA....



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## emilycn (Jul 30, 2013)

That is a big question you've got there! Many of us have struggled with the same one, though. It is certainly a personal choice for you and your family, but perhaps you might find some insight reading the similar questions that have been asked here before (which you've probably already done).

I have one question that might give you a little guidance, and perhaps other forum members might have more...

During the puppy stage in particular, as you noted, these dogs need a lot of our time, so it's right to wonder whether you'll have enough time for the puppy. As a practical matter, do you have the resources to have someone visit the puppy throughout the day while everyone is at work? During the very early days, the puppy probably has to go out every hour at minimum to potty when nobody is home. Could you hire someone to do frequent visits or spend the day there (or do you have a friend or neighbor who could do it)? A little bit later (after all shots) could your puppy spend the day at daycare? That would take care of some of the alone time issues while you're at work. I think many of us use some combination of walks/hikes/play/training and dog walkers or dog daycare to satisfy our dogs' exercise and attention needs.


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

I'd hesitate to recommend the idea.

Vizslas have a very strong breed trait in craving human companionship. This is true generally speaking, even with individual dogs that don't suffer with "separation anxiety." Vs bond deeply, which makes them prized for their affectionate qualities, but do not fare well alone. Even very stable Vs thrive on companionship.

Further they require both vigorous physical exercise daily and a good deal of mental stimulation and training.

They are not like owning a Lab, which is a popular dog for a reason. Vs are high maintanence in comparison. Be realistic about what you would be getting into.

Vizslas are spectacular dogs when their needs are met, and their qualities mesh with the desires of their owners. I could not be happier. But the time favor is huge.

I'd really think about the decision. You do not want to get in over your head.

Bill


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

termy said:


> However, we don’t want to be bad parents so I want to see if I can get some advice. I’ve read a lot about separation anxiety and the need to be with Vizsla’s more when they are younger. My wife and I both work 7 to 4. We walked our last dog before work, right after work, and one later walk. We have a house with a decent size back yard for him/her to run around in.


So, it can be done. But let me say (as someone who works those types of hours) it is NOT ideal. We only make it work by using very expensive dog walkers and doggy daycare. A V cannot be left for that long. Not because of potty needs really, but because they need the stimulation and exercise.

I think in one of his posts, Spy Car talked about how V's have 3 needs: physical, mental, and emotional. That could not be more true! A V really needs all 3 to be happy. Our V needs an absurd amount of physical and mental exercise, but really I think a lot of it is because he doesn't get his emotional needs always met.

If I had it to do over, I wouldn't get a V. (A lot of this might depend on the actual dog though. I know our weim is totally content with the hours we work - and a lot of weim owners have dogs more like our V.) If nothing else, because I feel so guilty all the time! How are you going to feel when you want to go out after work, etc? I just don't do it because I won't leave our dog all day + all evening. But most other dog owners will do it without blinking and don't understand. (They don't have V's, haha.) I love our V and would never give him up (our working situation will also change here in the next year or so) but I don't really think it's been fair to him. (If you can't tell, it stresses me out a lot, too!) V's are incredibly high maintenance. I don't worry about our weim (very chill) half as much because she's just not as needy.



termy said:


> My wife doesn’t believe in leaving dogs in crates. I’m unfamiliar to the whole idea of crates and the benefits.


There are tons of benefits to crate training! But the biggest one for me is safety. V pups are notorious for chewing/eating everything (which can lead to bowel obstructions, electrocuting themselves on wires, etc.). They are like little red wrecking balls. Even if you're not worried about them destroying your house, they can really hurt themselves without supervision.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

termy said:


> We are considering getting another dog and after doing some research my heart is set on a Vizsla. I’ve met two Vizsla’s in the last week out and about, both were very loving and sweet, made me want one ever more.


If your heart is set on a V, you might want to look into adult rescues as well. They wouldn't be *quite* as needy and most would probably be fine to be left uncrated during the day (also making the longer time periods more doable).


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## termy (Feb 21, 2016)

Thank you for the responses. Probably not want I wanted to hear, but I would rather do the right thing. My wife and I both work 20 miles from home so coming home during the day won't work. I'll look into it a little more, however the obstacles seem tough. Thanks again.


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

Could you hire a dog sitter to come by around 11 or noon each day to play with the dog for about 30 minutes? That would help a lot - especially when he/she is a puppy.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

There's days a forum member, or two would loan you a V to see if the breed is right for your household. 
I have one that still smells a little skunky from a weekend encounter you could hang out with.  She does require daily treats, or she will roo at you until she gets one.


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## Spy Car (Sep 3, 2014)

termy said:


> Thank you for the responses. Probably not want I wanted to hear, but I would rather do the right thing. My wife and I both work 20 miles from home so coming home during the day won't work. I'll look into it a little more, however the obstacles seem tough. Thanks again.


You sound like the sort of responsible-type person we'd all like to encourage to be a Vizsla owner (under the right circumstances), but there are realities to this breed that removes "boosterism" from Vizsla clubs and owners organizations (and this forum). 

All the best,

Bill


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Our lives have been seriously centered around our V in particular. Crate training is essential. Not just because it is a safety thing but also because it is breeder enforced in our case. We try to take our pets where ever we go but that is not always possible. We are always saying we have to go home and see our dog and let her out of her crate. We (3 adults) go to college, work 7AM-4PM Mon-Fri and my schedule is any day 5 days a week and often mid morning to mid evening.
This being said........ I get so much joy out of just watching her and cuddling with her or playing in the back yard or being in the field or with her dog friends. Sometimes she even goes crazy in the house.
My vizsla is my therapy.


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## Abahn (Nov 7, 2015)

^^^^^^ BIGTIME ^^^^^^


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## Janders (Feb 27, 2014)

We had labs before we decided on a Vizsla. Since you've read up on them you know they're high energy, needy, velcro dogs. I read all that too. What I didn't realize until we got Gus is just how accurate all those descriptions are. He is truly something special. He is VERY different from our labs. There's not a minute of the day that he doesn't want to be around us. I had never crate trained either but wanted to do this "right". Gus did start out in a crate when he was a puppy. It was essential for me to get anything done - clean the house, shower, eat, work, etc. We took small steps towards letting him have the run of the house. I believe the crate is one of the reasons he was such an easy puppy. He was a breeze potty training and he didn't chew (much). I do work from home. I can't imagine leaving him for hours at a time. I've left him for maybe 2 hours max. He doesn't tear up anything but is just heartbroken when we leave him alone. Good luck with whatever you decide.


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## antsmarchin (May 17, 2013)

We both work 8-6 M-F, live in a townhouse in the big city.
We wake up at 7, play with her for the hour while we get ready.
She goes in her crate at 8.
Dog walker comes in at 12, takes her for an hour walk/run (Sometimes longer depending on weather - $15/Walk).
We come home at 6, take her out for an hour.
Come home play while making dinner.
Snuggle in bed with the pup and start all over.

Weekends, we take her all over the city, dog parks, trails, etc.

She doesn't mind the crate, it can be done.

At 8 weeks, my gf took a week off of work, i took the next week off at work. We had a dog walker come in 2 times a day after that for a couple of weeks.

She really is the best dog in the world. She is 1 year old right now, and very playful loving and non destructive. We have trained her well.

The pup will grow accustom to your routine and your schedule.


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## jean (Feb 17, 2015)

We work full time (between the 2 of us, out of the house 8:30 - 5:30), and I come home for about an hour at lunch. The dog goes out for about an hour hiking on the trails in the morning (off leash), a shorter walk at lunch (off leash), and a shorter walk in the evening. Do you have a commute on top of the hours? Can you stagger work schedules at all? 

You'd need to pay a dog walker or daycare if you can't come home during the day, most likely the life of the dog. You might be able to get away without it once the dog can have run of the house, but the dog may be lonely. Crate training is essential for safety if you can't keep your eyes on them, and you'll probably have to use the crate before the pup is actually crate trained.

The very young puppy days would be hard. You can stretch to ~2 hours between breaks, but you'll need someone to come in at least 3 times if you can't stay home for a week. 

You'd need to have a solid plan for all of this in place in order to get breeders to consider to you. Our breeder works full time and is unmarried, so was more understanding than others who expected that one of us would be able to stay home.

It is possible, but be prepared to budget for the extra care, and expect all of your free time for ~6 months to be dog focused. Then you can drop it down to 90% of your free time  Other breeds may not need quite so much.


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## miru (Sep 9, 2014)

Hi,

It's unbelievable but true:Vizslas change our lives.

I would say that we adapted to Leo and in response he adapted to us.
After bringing him home at 9 weeks we took our vacations one after the other so he was not alone at all for a month.This helped him get potty trained soon and helped us understand a vizsla puppy .

We got attached in a way that provokes anxiety separation more in us then in Leo .He was never crated,did not destroy things and stayed alone for progressively longer periods but never longer than 4 hours at a time.For a while he went in day care two days a week.He was happy but we missed our two hours walking running with him and in the evening he was to tired to play with us.
Now at 22 months old Leo stays alone for 6 hours a day after 1 hour run in the morning .We leave him with a kong,the TV going on so he can hear voices, and the door open to the garden .A dog walker comes for an hour walk two times a week.
He seems happy and stable and in the evening he gets another running hour and lots of love and play.

So ...life seems ok for our working family Vizsla.
Wish you could be happy with yours too!

All the best
Miru


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## Rafalinho (Nov 2, 2015)

So we got our Vizsla at 7 weeks old in summer of 2014. Originally my parents came to stay with us and were to take care of her while she was younger and we are at work. My dad was not feeling well and my parents had to leave about a week after the dog came. We have a not too big a house with a yard but regardless of that from that point on she stayed home alone for next few months without any trouble. We would put the crate against the kitchen entry and let her roam around the kitchen and sleep in the crate. We had a neighbor come once a day to let her out. From the very beginning she did excellent with this, never had an accident or went in the house. After she was about year we stopped having the neighbor come over and she is fine home all day. Shortly after I started working from home once and then twice a day so her alone time is limited to 2-3 days a week but she never had a problem with this. She likes to run when we go out but when home loves to just sleep and snuggle with us. They do like to be right next or on top of you all the time but we found she does fine alone.


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## emilycn (Jul 30, 2013)

^^^ I think we have a new winner on the low-energy spectrum


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I have always said, IMO.. a V will adapt to the life style you give it... all it needs is LOVE. SECURITY, FOOD, and it's Human regularly.
If you have a routine... the V will adapt... it is in their nature. 
They need THEIR place and the security that YOU will return when IT IS time. Dogs have amazing interior clocks... even with daylight savings time in
CA... My dogs know when it is time to wake up, eat, play, eat, sleep... 
example... I forced the dogs to WAIT today our normal play time is between 8:30-9 am... we didn't go until 1:30pm (i was working)
we took our friend Max and returned around 3... they tried to coax me in to more snax...
at exactly 4:00 PM... Pearl (who had been flat out sleeping from exhaustion from our play time) was under my arm... flipping my elbow in the air, telling me it was ... HELLO... dinner time!!!!!!
Yep, it sure is... and Fergy is the one that ALWAYS tells me when it is time to GO PLAY!!!!
He will not usually take no, or wait for an answer, so I have to fool him with short Play spurts, I have become quite good at fooling him..


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Just from my limited experience with the breed, they do best with a routine. And while we think we know our dogs very well, it's nothing compared to how well they read our actions. I don't know if l'm able to fool mine, or if they just let me think I have.


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