# My Vizsla has no interest in birds



## chesterpawz (Nov 9, 2015)

Hi All,

I have a 11 month old V which was sent away to a trainer for a month of hunt training. He was on live birds but had 0 interest. In the yard he goes crazy for rabbits and squirrel. Prior to sending him to the trainer i did a little work with feathers on the string he seems to enjoy that. He is from a show line where sire and dam were both junior hunters. The trainer is apparently the best around and specializes in pointers. Any suggestions on how to get my V on birds? Is he too young? too old?


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## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

He isn't too young to be around birds.
I don’t even think there is an age that is too young.
I know when i brought my boy to the NAVHDA club for some bird training it seemed like he didn’t have interest at times with the birds.
The trainer picked up on it and said "I bet you are thinking your dog is not interested, he is just over stimulated."
There are 12 or so dogs with handlers all of which he didn’t know.
There was usually a full day of training .
By the time in the day he got to the birds he was so tired and stimulated he didn't show interest.
I'm not saying that’s what is seemingly wrong with your V, but don’t forget he is without you too.
He may just grow out of it

My boy is now 2 and is a crazy fiend around any birds.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

He's not to young, or old.
You said the trainer was good with pointers, but you didn't mention if he was good with vizslas?
They are softer on training than some of the other pointing breeds. Bird prey drive is something they are born with, or without. You can't put drive into a pup, you can only work with what nature gave them.
You only have a couple of choices.
1 Have someone that trains vizsla reevaluate him.
2 Buy a few quail. Take one and clip a wing to see if you can get him interested in it. Let him chase it if he will, and don't be to quick to take it away from him. You don't want to get on to him, even if it goes bad and he eats the bird. If you can get him interested in the bird, put two of the other birds in a field with decent cover. Turn him loose just like your going on a walk. You might have to walk close to where you turned them loose, if he can't find the bird on his own. Again don't get on to him for any reason. If he points great, if he pounces in and chases, that's fine too. Do the same thing the next day.
If he shows you he is interested in finding birds, find a trainer with a long track record of training vizslas for hunting.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Ken (willowynd ranch) is sometimes on the forum, he is light years ahead of me on working with vizslas. Maybe send him a pm, and see what advise he has to offer.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

ches - have always said - if you have the time - train with the pup & the trainer - you both learn - V,s are just too owner sensitive - it is YOUR PUP !


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

TexasRed said:


> He's not to young, or old.
> You said the trainer was good with pointers, but you didn't mention if he was good with vizslas?
> They are softer on training than some of the other pointing breeds. Bird prey drive is something they are born with, or without. You can't put drive into a pup, you can only work with what nature gave them.
> You only have a couple of choices.
> ...


This. I'd almost say, if he eats the bird, great. 
When I was trying to build drive in a dog that didn't have much drive, the first bird I'd wing clip or whatever. Let the dog do whatever it wants. Eat it, chew on it, carry it around. All positive stuff. 
Then, build some desire buy letting the dog chase birds around and such. Pretty soon, he will love em as much as the squirrels.


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