# New vizsla puppy is wearing me out!



## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

Hey guys, I appreciate all of your responses to my posts, I just don't always get a chance to respond to them because i just got my 8 1/2 week old on Saturday. I just wanted to say, I read all the posts on here about a new vizsla but I just did not realize or comprehend how hard it would actually be!! I'm doing it by myself and I am sleep deprived! Sometimes i just want to break down and cry! I definitely have noticed some progress in crate and potty training since Saturday but it's still very hard! His cry is so loud and piercing and it gives me anxiety to hear it for 45 mins straight sometimes when he's in his crate! I just needed to vent on here. There's definitely good times, but no one can prepare you for this breed. If I could go back, I would wait until my boyfriend got home from his internship next Friday because this is so hard to do alone!


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## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

Just once?? I thought it was every 2 1/2 hours.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Puppies can hold it at night much longer than during the day. Miles needed one pee break at night until he was 11 weeks, Chase has slept through the night since 9 weeks. I recommend keeping the puppy awake for 1-2 hrs before bed, cut water out 1 hr before bed, one pee break at 4 hrs. But if he's sleeping don't wake him.


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## solefald (May 16, 2013)

Yeah, Dre does not seem to like the crate either. I had him there with the door open chewing on a bully stick for about 30 minutes, but the moment I moved from the floor to the couch, he abandoned the bully stick, climbed onto the couch, attached himself firmly to my side and passed out. That right there is a Vizsla 

Potty training is going all right. 0 accidents in the house so far. He responds to "outside" and runs downstairs with me. Once outside, it takes him all of 15 seconds to go. I take him out every 2 or so hours, then at 2am and 5am. Ill see if we can do a longer period of time tonight. At 7 we wakes up, I take him out, feed him and he passes out on the bed with us for another couple of hours. I am going to do more consistent crate training though. Was just giving him couple of days to adjust, plus he just got his shots yesterday. That and the cat has been extra mean to him.


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Hi Vizslalover925 - it gets easier so quickly I promise!

Our V is just 14 weeks and we stopped waking up in the night at about 12 weeks I'd say. He's only had one night time accident since then. He only cries when we put him to bed now if we mess with his routine (guests in the house or too much fun too close to bed), and even that can be sorted by letting him outside, letting him back in, a few strokes, and then ignoring him.

My other half is a doctor who is constantly on call at the moment so I do know how you feel, but Morris is already amazing company and fun rather than being a drain on energy. 

Chin up - he looks gorgeous and you'll soon be getting proper sleep and feel yourself again (I had a couple of tired cries in the first week too, I'm sure it's common!)


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

I never thought it would get better! at 10 weeks old Dharma is just putting together the sleeping through the night, the feeding routine and we are just working on the crate training as we speak. She is actually quiet in her crate her at my side in the office. She sleeps in her crate in the office one floor below us.(pretty amazing). I have come to learn that the crate is "a necessary evil" for the safety of her and the house and the other occupants of this house. We got Dharma at 7-8 weeks old and then were on vacation away from home which didn't help much. Believe me when I say it will get better and just be consistent, firm and patient.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Vizslalover925 said:


> His cry is so loud and piercing and it gives me anxiety to hear it for 45 mins straight sometimes when he's in his crate! I just needed to vent on here. There's definitely good times, but no one can prepare you for this breed. If I could go back, I would wait until my boyfriend got home from his internship next Friday because this is so hard to do alone!


He is training you. 
But, I would keep him close to me, on leash tied to my waist. That way I always know where the dog is and what is does. I did this for months at the beginning and it turned out great. Although it is hard at the beginning because it must go every you go...
Makes basic training a breeze, food luring into heel, teaching his name, look, sit, down...

http://www.raisewithpraise.com/


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

In this new book I am reading "Before and After Getting Your Puppy" the author Ian Dunbar says to give the puppy a KONG chewtoy stuffed full of kibble & treats when you put him in his crate... always... so he learns to love it in there, and learns to chew on appropriate item... like KONGS, and not shoes... etc. Dunbar actually says, all of the pups food for the first couple of weeks home, should come out of the KONG.
I get my pup next week, so I haven't tried it out, but I plan to!
Try it out, so you can let me know if it works...


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Morris is fed in his crate with the door open, and as soon as he sees me holding his bowl sprints to his crate, throws himself fully into the crate with a crash, and gives me his very best smartest sit as if to say 'look how good I am, please can I have my dinner now please!'... not all puppies are quite so food motivated as him. 

Any time he is put in the crate for a few hours he also gets a stuffed kong (with a portion of his food which has already been weighed out for the day, so he doesnt get overfed, blocked in with a piece of carrot, broccolli stalk, or turnip, with a smearing of peanut butter on top) and he will also throw himself into his crate for that and settle down straight away with no barks (that took a couple of weeks)!


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

I think I read else where in the forum that there wasn't a big interest in food or treats in the beginning. I know Dharma did not like milk bones, pumpkin treats or her Kong stuffed with frozen peanutbutter. Just now this has started to change. She is an aggressive chewer. I found that the only treat that really worked is Pure Bites freeze dried beef liver dog treats.


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

We take Dharma for a long walk before bed. I am having trouble with getting her tummy to settle with most foods so putting stuff in her Kong is scary. However I guess we could try stuffing other food into it to spark further interest.


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Mine had a delicate tummy to start with but it's really settled. In the kong the bulk of the filling is his dry kibble. Then just enough of something solid to wedge in the neck of the kong to block the kibble in and give a bit of a challenge, then peanut butter smeared just to get an immediate interest.

Another one that keeps M interested for ages is a plastic bottle with dry kibble inside. He'll chew it until it's so flat that half the kibble comes out and the other half is stuck inside forever, providing an exciting rattling noise to keep him trying! That's stomach friendly as it's literally only his own food in there. Also put some dry kibble into an old smelly sock (yum) and tie a knot in it. They'll spend ages chewing happily on it.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

When we were attempting to crate train Ruby, she'd wake up every 2 hours needing to go out. 2 days of that and I put her in bed with me and she slept ALL night! ;-) And you'll sleep better too, because they are sooo cuddly and wonderful to sleep with.


But, yes...it does get better. Vizslas are very demanding puppies!


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## Vizslalover925 (Mar 15, 2013)

Thanks guys! Last night went a lot better, he only woke up once to go potty and no accidents! We slept for 8 hours! Now my question is, is it normal for a V to cry for an hour straight when I leave the home? I'm trying to prepare him for when I start work next week. He has a playpen where he can go potty, eat, drink, sleep, and play. I have a live camera to watch him. Monday I left him for an hour and he cried the whole time. Tuesday i left for 2 hours (yesterday) he cried for about 5 mins and then fell asleep for about 40 mins, and then cried for an hour straight. Today the plan was to leave for 2 1/2 hours. I just hate to hear him cry. Even if I have to shower and put him in his playpen he'll cry the whole time. Or if I'm making dinner right near the pen he still cries. Is this normal??


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## Rufus Tiberius (Dec 18, 2012)

For the first week RT, was in his new home, at night I put him in a big cardboard box that he could not crawl out of, with the top open, next to my bed. Had his bed in there plus the blanket his breeder sent with him. Put a KONG toy with dry kibble mixed with yogurt and honey for him to chew on. Woke up every 2 hours or so and took him outside to relieve himself. Or just let him sleep until he woke me up telling me he had to go. 

He did cry, wanting out of the box, but I was strong and ignored him. He was usually asleep within 20 minutes or so. After a week in the box, I transitioned him to his crate next to my bed. Same procedure, put his bed and blanket in there, along with a toy to chew on. Five to ten minutes of whining, then asleep.

The first week or so that I had him I was up at least 2 times a night taking him outside. Within 3 weeks he was sleeping almost the whole night. If I had to get up, in the middle of the night, to answer natures call I got him up, asleep or not. Still do that to this day. 
Potty training him was a breeze. He only peed in the house 3 times, only because I didn't pay attention to him or recognize the signals he need to go out. 


I did what datacan did. From day 1, whenever he and I were up and about, he was tethered to me. He went were I went. I was teaching him, not the other way around. He learned the only furniture he was allowed on was my recliner in my office, while I was in there working. This really helped us to bond. Kept him on that leash for 6 months. Put him back on the leash when he returned home from his field trainer. Needed to let him know he was back home, my rules again, not his trainers, and I was in charge of him, not his trainer. Worked out just fine. 

Will probably do it again when he gets back home from his summer in South Dakota.

Saved my furniture and shoes, by having lots of toys for him to chew on.

Hand fed him for 3 months, never had an issue with him resource guarding. Gets fed in his crate when at his trainer and summer camp.

I learned a lot of these tricks from reading posts on this blog. So far, very positive results.

RT


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

This may sound a little bit evil but........ You have to just build up an immunity(strengthen your backbone) to it yourself or you will go insane. This is what my husband and I did. Not sleeping and not crating her is not an option in our house. It just takes a lot of patience and a routine. It will come........ I after 3 weeks with am finally getting somewhere with the whole arrangement.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

Like MCD said, patience and routine are key. It takes a while for them to get to a point that they are okay with you leaving. Berkeley is 9 months now and he still occasionally cries for a bit when we leave, depends on his mood. Since he loves his crate is not that big of a deal for him to be in there, we dont leave him alone past 5 hours. My wife works from home during the day and half the day he is sleeping in his open crate (and at night he switches constantly from our bed to the crate). I think that helped our process a lot. 

We also give him time-outs in his crate when he is being naughty, and then let him out when he is quite and laying down. 

Berk cries more when we one of us is in the shower or in a closed room than any other time. He seems to be okay with being totally alone but when we are separated by some sort of barrier and he knows where we are, he doesnt like it. It's kind of funny. 

Good luck and remember it takes a lot of patience! The first few months are the hardest.


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

Hun, I feel your pain...

Listen, it'll pass. If you cannot tolerate the screaming at night, take the little darling into bed with you, it'll be OK.

The last thing you want here is to develop a bad dynamic btwn you and V..those are the hardest to fix. Do what you need to to sleep and relax and enjoy your puppy.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Sometimes it's easier not to reinvent the wheel and see every setback as a training opportunity. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUzF0g0PwY4 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLGFNkouakU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGxhcb-itO4&feature=youtu.be

*How do I teach my dog to love his crate?*

The basic premises to crate training is teaching your dog that all good things come from the crate. As with all training, set your dog up for success in your crate training sessions. Most dogs are food motivated, so this means associating the crate with not only your dog's regular meals but also high-value treats that your dog DOES NOT GET FOR ANYTHING ELSE (probably dried fish, LOL ;D).

If your dog is familiar with the crate and will enter it willingly for a treat:

1. Feed all meals exclusively in the crate. Feed him with the door closed, wait until he finishes, then open the door. If he won't eat with the door closed, you can work up to closing the door for the duration of the meal by beginning with him eating his entire meal with the door open.

2. Leave treats in the crate for your dog to find randomly. Early on in his training, you can drop treats in the crate every 10–20 minutes without him seeing. He will start entering his crate to look for magically-appearing treats. The time can be varied and extended once he is used to this.

3. Once your dog knows the "crate" command, you can make this a game for him and play several times a day. Have him enter the crate for a treat, obey other commands while in the crate (sit, stay, etc.) for a treat, and exit his crate on command for a treat.

4. Command your dog into his crate. Close the crate door, and immediately treat him and open the crate door. Close the door again, and immediately treat and open the door. Slowly increase the time the door is closed in varied intervals with shorter (easy) times periodically, making sure your dog is calm during each step. If your dog whines or barks, go back a step and lower the time

5. Command your dog into his crate, and give him a special treat that will take him awhile to eat. If he exits the crate with his treat, command him back in or put his treat back in the crate. If he continues to exit with his treat after three tries, take the treat away. The idea is that your dog is making a choice. He can choose to have a delicious treat (in his crate), or no treat.

6. Crate him with a treat WHILE STAYING IN THE ROOM, so that he doesn't associate the crate with you always leaving. Time can vary.

7. If you are leaving your dog in the crate for a long period of time, your dog should be given a high value treat that will last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. A Kong stuffed with peanut butter, cheese, or other high value food is good for this. Visit www.kongcompany.com for Kong recipes.

8. If you are leaving your dog in the crate for a long period of time and the dog is familiar with you, leave an item with your scent, such as an old t-shirt, in the crate with him.

9. Your dog should be crated with a few crate-exclusive, safe toys/chews along with his treat. If you have several of these toys, they can be switched out from day to day. These toys should be taken away and hidden when your dog is not crated.


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## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Hun" : 

Good grief :-X

please Ozzy stop the scam"


look in da'
tool section 

and rabbit foods section ;D

4 boxes 1 dollar



On a real note we must be smarter then the mates

they can never wear you out if there worked high cardio training and exposed to most of natures gifts

raw real not a back yard or crate

they must taste freedom and the wilds to match there dna and be much happier mates ;D

each dog requires a different Tool box and efforts

and we all can get fluffed up at times.



Breath deep set standards only you can fill or exceed

exercise with the pup don't just watch

they will remember much of it

if needed take him or her off your home site meet others with other skills

learn listen and enjoy it all

The Great V always gives more then he gets to me

and we grab the doors and chairs all Ladies coming in 

and say thanks for letting me seat you

Hun a very big red flag unless its you mate 

Green cards No Mas ;D


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Yes, Vs love to be with you all the time. Its part of their personality that draws us to the breed.
My boy Cash used to try and do everything with me as a puppy , including jumping in the shower. Trying to attack the broom/mop, catch a ride on the vacuum cleaner. Pounce on the clothes I was trying to fold. Climb in the dishwasher I was trying to load.
It took so long to get anything done.
Then I decided I didn't want to spend 4 hours a day doing house work. I started physically and mentally tiring the pup out first. Then I would put him in his crate, and get my work done. It worked out great, and left me more time to take him to the fields. 
These dogs are smart and always learning. What they are learning is up to you. They can learn if I howl, she will come get me, or I might as well rest and my owner will come for me. You have to teach a pup to be patient, its not something that comes natural to them. 
One day you will look back and miss the puppy days.


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