# Insatiable "play" drive!



## Penny (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi there, it's been a while since I last posted on this site but I am a regular reader and find the forum extremely helpful. Our vizsla Penny is now just over 18 months old and is really great in every way. I only have one pretty minor (but at times very annoying!) quibble - she is obsessed with playing with other dogs. Once she sizes up a potential playmate on her walks, she dives in, and all recall training goes out the window. If the other dogs owner is happy with it I let her have a play, because it's good for them to have some fun together. But she is insatiable! Once it's time to move on she completely ignores me. I have at times in total exasperation spoken harshly to her, and she will reluctantly come with me then, but I really don't like doing this. I carry her favourite treats with me all the time for these situations but she couldn't care less about them when another playful dog is about. We regularly walk with a golden retriever/ lab cross 12 month old pup and they have a great play for 15 min or so until the lab has had enough, then she pesters the lab to continue playing. I know it's very much a puppy thing which I hope she will grow out of soon, but she hasn't changed yet and I am beginning to wonder when ( if ever!) she will get to the stage where we can meet other dogs, say hello, have a play and then move on. And needless to say, her intensity of play is very typical of vizslas, so not every dog (or more often, owner!) appreciates her enthusiasm! 

I guess I'm really just looking for reassurance that she will outgrow this stage, and when? Should also mention that she has lots of exercise so it's not that she has pent up energy from being kept in. She is just as likely to play madly at the end of a long hike as she is at the beginning. Thanks for any input!
Paula


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Penny said:


> I guess I'm really just looking for reassurance that she will outgrow this stage, and when?


LOL! Sorry to laugh, but I highly doubt she will ever "outgrow" her playfulness. My advice? Find some other high-energy hunting dogs for her to play with.


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Insatiable play drive is part of the definition of a V....lol

Ruby is the same age and is the same way. I just look for dogs with the same energy level. Even better find another V for her to play with.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It sounds like a recall issue not a play issue.
I haven't met a v that doesn't love to play.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

My boy is 16 months now..wow just realised that. 

Anyway same issue with Mac. He loves dogs and so will pull like mad to get to them and if off lead will go over and recall is ignored. He is starting to get better at understanding if another dog doesn't want to play and therefore coming back to me.

He does however have real 'pester power' with dogs that do play with him that have then had enough and decide to stop playing. 

It is proving hard for us to tackle this problem but what we are trying to do now is set him up for success. So allow him to play with our dog walker's dog on a long lead and then call him back. No response equals a lead correction. It is starting to help over time. 

I too am hoping that he gets better and better about reading dogs. Yes you can try to control the dogs that he is around but if you are hiking a trail as I often am you can't just expect that you are only going to come across high powered hunting dogs. You will come across all sorts. At it's core it is a recall issue but one that is hard to tackle.


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi Paula,

My v is almost 10 months old and we had similar issues when she was younger. Now I can happily say if she's in full play with another dog and I walk away and call her she will come with me. I also whistle trained her for recall which is a lot better than shouting at her. I just give two short beeps and she's coming. 

I can suggest you a few things how to try to train her to follow you when you walk away. First one I have read it here is mastering the 'zigzag walk' :. Vizslas are very clever and sort of they know which way you're walking. If you go for a walk next time walk in a zigzag line so Penny will not know which way you're heading. Sometimes even turn around and backtrack. Do not call her but keep an eye on her that she follows. If she follows carry on in a zigzag line, she must not be able to predict which way you're going. This has to be done for a couple of weeks. If you see some improvement then its great. I suggest you push on the recall training too. Go back to basics. I highly recommend the whistle. I love it. We've got an Acme 211 1/2. 
About 99% of the time she will come if called with whistle, verbally it's about 85-90%. I still work on that. 

Another thing is that when she's in full play mode try not to call her. It will just reinforce the bad behaviour. I always try to wait for the right time when I see a little pause in the game then call. We give a lot of praise and yummy treats when she comes back although I try to give less treats now but my girl is very food driven so it worked for us. 

I hope this helps, let us know how you're getting on!


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## Penny (Sep 22, 2011)

Hi all, thanks for the advice and suggestions. I agree with the comments that recall is an issue. This has proved to be by far the most challenging thing to teach her! I have been working with her for quite a while now on improving her recall and, though far from perfect, we are improving - she will happily come to me when there are no distractions of the 4-legged canine variety, and will heel when asked. Sometimes, when she doesn't come immediately, i think she is not obeying, when in fact if i give her a few more seconds, she likes to finish whatever she is sniffing at before she come to me, which, if I'm correct, is another typical vizsla trait? 

I think that in general, Penny has quite an independent personality. Though stuck to me in the house, she happily ranges quite a distance when out in the woods, etc. I dont mind this at all, and she will come back to me when I call her. Unless, of course, she spots another dog, or even more appealing, low flying swallows! I like the suggestion to try zig zag walking to get her to follow me more closely, and will work on this. The children and I regularly hide on her while out for walks and it's funny to watch her frantic search when she finally notices we aren't there - always feels bit mean doing that to her! But, as I said before, she is great - obedient, etc - just as long as there are no other playful dogs (or low flying birds) around. 

Unfortunately I don't know many people with high powered hunting dogs who she could play with on a regular basis. I do know of a few other vizslas in the area and we bumped into one recently, who was very happy to play with her till he got bored and she started pestering him! I am often tempted to just keep walking and see if she will eventually follow me, but I suspect not, and I don't like leaving her with the other dog and owner. I have read that vizslas don't really mature till they are 2 or more so I am hoping that by continual repetition of the recall training, along with all the other general training, and with some more maturity, her overpowering obsession of playing with other dogs will diminish, so she will eventually meet and play, then carry on with me once I call her. Is this realistic?

We would love to add another vizsla to the family, and maybe this would help a lot in that she would have a companion to play with, but I want to be sure she is a good role model first, so holding off for at least another year or two. Would love to hear how adding a second vizsla affects the first - would they become each others play companions rather than constantly having to seek out other doggy playmates?

Sorry for rambling on - its late...

Thanks,
Paula


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