# What do your vizslas do when they’re not exercising?



## Matt C (Nov 30, 2021)

Another question from me as I try to research the reality of vizsla life…

Imagine I’ve fast forwarded through the puppy phase and my dog is over 18 months old. 
I expect to be able to give my dog around 3.5 hours of exercise a day. I love walking and having a walking buddy is a significant driver for my considering a vizsla. It’s likely to be in the following routine for me and the dog:

Early morning 2 hours walk, lots of off leash running and playing with other dogs at the local park
Breakfast
A couple of hours in the crate when I go to the gym.
Lunch
Afternoon at home hanging out with the dog, maybe some more crate training while I do chores/errands etc
Late afternoon 1 hour walk with some off leash running/playing with other dogs
Dinner time
Evening spend time with my partner
Pre bedtime walk 30 minutes, probably all on lead
At weekends the routine & exercise levels might vary to 2 x 1 hour walks per day minimum up to 4 or 5 hours of hiking.

So my questions are:
1) in between these kind of walks, will a vizsla mostly snooze during the day, require a bit of attention and affection but be relatively low maintenance? (by this I mean content to snooze, chew some toys or occupy itself in the same room as me, but not need me to be actively looking after it)
2) will I be creating an ‘exercise addicted’ dog that becomes a nightmare for anyone else to look after if I’m away, assuming friends, dog walkers or dog sitters won’t be able to give 3.5 hours of walking most days.

I’m getting plenty of experience of walking with and exercising other people’s vizslas, but no real experience of what routine downtime at home with a vizsla is like. Any thoughts or wisdom gratefully received.

The picture is of a vizsla I regularly walk, but when I bring her home to my house she never really seems to settle and relax. I’m not sure of that’s just because she won’t ever, or because my house isn’t her home, doesn’t smell right, feels exciting, etc.


----------



## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

1) My V snoozes for about 4-5 hours before she is ‘recharged’. But don’t forget that V stand a for Velcro, so snoozing is done best when touching me. After recharging she starts demanding attention and exercise. 
2) I believe it not the length, rather than the intensity they easily get used to.


----------



## Matt C (Nov 30, 2021)

Frida010 said:


> 1) My V snoozes for about 4-5 hours before she is ‘recharged’. But don’t forget that V stand a for Velcro, so snoozing is done best when touching me. After recharging she starts demanding attention and exercise.
> 2) I believe it not the length, rather than the intensity they easily get used to.


Thanks for responding.

The Velcro sleeping while touching will be lovely while I’m sitting still or watching TV, but harder when I’m doing chores or need to work.


----------



## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Matt C said:


> Thanks for responding.
> 
> The Velcro sleeping while touching will be lovely while I’m sitting still or watching TV, but harder when I’m doing chores or need to work.


Oh yes it can be hard. But don’t worry, they will find a way to make it work 😉


----------



## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I have a Wirehaired Vizsla and they are said to be Vizslas with an off-switch, so take my experience with that in mind.

I'd say mine sleeps or hangs out 80-90% of her downtime with the rest being pacing around the house with a toy in her mouth, watching out the windows, or asking for attention/playtime. I worked on her ability to be calm as a puppy and as she's gotten older I've noticed she's more willing to seek out a comfy place to wait while I'm otherwise engaged. Any hint that we're about to do something means she's alert and ready to go. Even though she may appear as calm as other dogs I've lived with, she's like a coiled spring.

I'm told she doesn't settle well when I'm not around and this was by housemates. So same environment with people she spends time with regularly and she had been exercised–though maybe not to the same extent. She's also calmer after a day with no exercise if she's spent it with me (say I was sick) then a day spent mostly alone, but with exercise. Your proposed schedule allows for both a lot of quality time and exercise and that should meet any V's needs. For those times when you have to be away? Well that's life and your dog will be fine. The kind of behavior you're seeing in your friend's dog is probably what you could expect in your dog when left with others. Would you describe it as nightmarish? I'm guessing not.


----------



## Matt C (Nov 30, 2021)

einspänner said:


> I have a Wirehaired Vizsla and they are said to be Vizslas with an off-switch, so take my experience with that in mind.
> 
> I'd say mine sleeps or hangs out 80-90% of her downtime with the rest being pacing around the house with a toy in her mouth, watching out the windows, or asking for attention/playtime. I worked on her ability to be calm as a puppy and as she's gotten older I've noticed she's more willing to seek out a comfy place to wait while I'm otherwise engaged. Any hint that we're about to do something means she's alert and ready to go. Even though she may appear as calm as other dogs I've lived with, she's like a coiled spring.
> 
> I'm told she doesn't settle well when I'm not around and this was by housemates. So same environment with people she spends time with regularly and she had been exercised–though maybe not to the same extent. She's also calmer after a day with no exercise if she's spent it with me (say I was sick) then a day spent mostly alone, but with exercise. Your proposed schedule allows for both a lot of quality time and exercise and that should meet any V's needs. For those times when you have to be away? Well that's life and your dog will be fine. The kind of behavior you're seeing in your friend's dog is probably what you could expect in your dog when left with others. Would you describe it as nightmarish? I'm guessing not.


Thank you, Einspanner,

That’s a really helpful response. Interesting that your girl is calmer after no exercise and time with you than exercise and time alone/with your housemates.

Best wishes


----------



## Vizslaowner123 (Mar 21, 2021)

Hi Matt, 

Our V is 14 months old. He's no trouble at all in his downtime! He sleeps downstairs alone during the day whilst we work upstairs. When we come down for breaks he gets a bit of a fuss and some play each time and then we get back to work and he goes back to count sheep! 

Before we got the dog as a puppy we had already decided that we wanted him to be comfortable in his own space. We wanted to leave him for periods of the day whilst we worked and visited him regularly on our breaks. We were consistent in our approach and we ultimately achieved our goal. 

I've no doubt whatsoever that if you have a goal in mind of what you'd like the dog to do in its downtime, and you work towards achieving it consistently and you stick some form of routine you'll achieve that goal! Our V is so adaptable! 

I'm basing this from my own experience as a first time dog owner with a vizsla - although I may have been lucky with Alvins temperament!


----------



## Matt C (Nov 30, 2021)

Vizslaowner123 said:


> Hi Matt,
> 
> Our V is 14 months old. He's no trouble at all in his downtime! He sleeps downstairs alone during the day whilst we work upstairs. When we come down for breaks he gets a bit of a fuss and some play each time and then we get back to work and he goes back to count sheep!
> 
> ...


Thank you for responding. 

That sounds perfect. I’m happy to give a Vizsla plenty of exercise, love and attention, but will need it to have independent downtime. How did you train Alvin to be happy with his own company/entertainment? Just gradually leaving him alone and building up over longer periods?

Matt


----------



## Vizslaowner123 (Mar 21, 2021)

Hi Matt, 

We achieved it by doing exactly as you described. We made his crate his sanctuary, and always made it a positive place for him with his favourite toys / stuffed Kong etc. Whenever we couldn't be with him he would be in his crate and we started leaving him for longer periods of time very gradually (it was hard at times because he would sometimes cry but we just pushed through it). 

As he got older we gave him the entire hallway rather than his crate so he could stretch his legs if needed. Now he's fine with being left along for a few hours if needed. 

Tom


----------



## rbigarel (Jan 15, 2019)

Hey there. In my opinion work with a breeder to get the desired character you want. Every V is a little different. Eli. Our boy will absolutely chill with me. I work from home and he is great with exercise multiple short spurts per day. On weekends he gets long outings with friends on lots of trails. So this works for us. I specifically asked my breeder for the calmest male they had. They know there dogs and will usually be able to give rough estimates of temperament. He is a more chilled out V than many but he has an on switch. We also actively took part in training g and have been working for 3 years to ensure he had a routine and proper training. All in all you sound super prepared. Good luck!


----------



## Red dog lovers (Nov 30, 2021)

Matt C said:


> Another question from me as I try to research the reality of vizsla life…
> 
> Imagine I’ve fast forwarded through the puppy phase and my dog is over 18 months old.
> I expect to be able to give my dog around 3.5 hours of exercise a day. I love walking and having a walking buddy is a significant driver for my considering a vizsla. It’s likely to be in the following routine for me and the dog:
> ...


Hello, you care to do right for the breed will only right for all off you. Yes they love to have fun and work, but they also LOVE thier family. Velcro is a perfect name for them. We have two now, our first time with two at the same time. We have had four total and love this breed. The two now Nellie a 2.5 year old and Sunny a 8 month old have the same mom. They do all you mention even with two of them. They are fine with themself but they love the touch of thier family the most. It’s funny how they work themself from one family member to the other as they need to. And we are an active family without them also. We are in the middle of a home improvement project and they are just fine. However keep in mind if you get on the floor doing whatever they will come to you and have a seat it you let them. As I said we love Vs we do not think you could go wrong and with you being concerned to do right by them and you, you can only have a great experience. Take care and BEST wishes!!!


----------



## hmills22 (11 mo ago)

I recently spoke to a vizsla breeder and owner over many years after stressing about crate training while we work. She was amazing and right in saying Velcro dog or not they adapt to your life style just like any other dog and yes they love people and being around them but will also adapt to how u raise them!! Routine is key as well. Also she said having them calm before going in a crate is important for them to settle. Any dog will crave attention and struggle when left to start.


----------



## Pogaca (Dec 17, 2021)

My V is 13 mo and I do less and less dog park and more and more serious hunt training as well as more quartering, whistle work, nose work etc. For physicals I run with my dog, giving the canicross basics etc, got a light agility set, slalom poles, all that jazz. I find spending time with me instead of other dogs and putting his itsy bitsy brain to work helps him settle better than running around for hours.

I do not think you will be doing a bad job with 3.5 hours of exercise. That is about the same time I spend with my dog but the quality of exercise is superior to quantity in my opinion. You need a strict training/exercise schedule and fill these hours with the exercises you want to direct your dog towards. Vizsla is a very versatile dog and even kept as a pet /companion, I firmly believe when a dog has to potential to excel in what he does, he must be given the means to do so. Therefore, I would suggest picking a work/sport and puppy accordingly. So that all these exercise time can be put into mental work and becomes rewarding hence helps the dog have structure, helping them settle better.

P. S. For example my V is a bit of sleepy head and if i try to wake him up at 8 he will push me back into bed, will lay on top of me and will force me to sleep a bit longer because he knows he will go straight to the physicals first thing in the morning before breakfast. and, god, does he love his sleep before that happens.


----------



## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

And the short answer to your question is:

Sunbathing 😉


----------



## Matt C (Nov 30, 2021)

Thank you everyone who replied. 
Over the last few weeks my Monday vizsla has got used to my house now and has become much more relaxed when we’re just at home. We even had a little snooze together on the sofa earlier.


----------



## austin.james.1979 (12 mo ago)

I know I'm chiming in late here, but I wanted to share my experience.

I walk my Zumi 30-40 minutes every morning. She gets two 30 minute walks during the day, then 45-60 minutes of running/play when I get home from work. Weekend routines are similar but hikes will go anywhere form 3-7 miles for me, 2x for her. She gets plentiful and regular activity. But here is the interesting thing I found... one day when I was home from a COVID exposure and I was feeling cruddy, I simply didn't give her the same exercise. It was a nice day so I let her out on the patio to lay in the sun. She stayed up all day watching bugs, watching cars go by, pedestrians, and whatever else was going on. That day it was cemented in my brain that physical activity is only one way to exercise your dog. Mental activity comes in many forms and will wear your dog out just as well, sometimes better than physical activity. 

We are floating a river in a couple of weeks and I'm not worried about her level of physical activity. The moving water, fishing coming aboard, birds, water, rapids and everything about the new experience is going to wear her out, i'm sure of it. True, I'll still hike in the evenings and maybe she will point a bird or two, but four days of mental simulation will wipe her out.

Put their mind to work as well as their body. Chasing water skippers in the creek works really well for my V! Then, they sleep!


----------

