# Confused Vizsla chasing shadows



## alomb1971

We have a 1 year 9 month old Vizsla and he's become confused lately. I don't hunt, but I do take him in the field to let him be a Vizsla. Lately, he's developed a new behavior. He's chasing the shadows of birds as they fly bye. He became obsessed with shadows around 1 years old and I worked to break it with some success. His desire for birds overcame his desire for shadows, but know he seems to be confusing the two. Is this just a phase? He will spend hours running around my yard chasing any shadow or anything he sees. I am planning on putting him on chucklers this weekend to see if the scent of the bird helps. 
Thanks in advance!!


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## treetops1974

My male V is about the same age (born 9/23/08). 

Although V's are typically well rounded upland bird dogs ... they aren't created (or bred) equally for the same purpose. If your V's breeder breeds them for the field - though you don't hunt - you may have a field dog on your hands. In that case, you would be wise to get him on birds or better yet - get him field trained. We sent Rio away to be trained when he was 9 months - the best investment I've made in my dog. Now, when he's in the field he knows what his job is. He's never been a dog to chase squirrels, cats or shadows ... but the field training has helped to remove some displacement behaviours that could have made him a difficult dog to have.


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## gunnr

Your Vizsla has developed his own game to mentally stimulate himself. He's not confused, he's just trying to work out and respond to his instincts, and he's a little bored.
You have the right idea of getting him on birds, but I would caution you do begin to approach it in a systematic manner. Simply throwing out the birds and letting him chase them around won't really straighten him out. It may relieve his boredom and response to instinct for a short while, but he'll be back at it again.
Chasing the shadows at his age really isn't a bad thing. Mine chase dragon flies, moths, deer flies, basically anything that moves,and they will also chase the shadows of the birds and bugs. The behavior isn't destructive, and eventually he'll look up and realize the birds are in the air, of course then you'll have a dog trying to climb trees to get birds.
Start working toward training him to hunt, even if you have no desire to hunt yourself. He's got the desire and the instinct, and it really sounds like he looking for something to do.


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## alomb1971

Thanks All. I am going to be going out with another dog that's being trained to hunt. We have had him on quail before(they where hidden in a field and he pointed and retrieved them) and he did very well. I believe you are right regarding him just working out his instincts and desire to hunt. I do believe he's got very strong "field"instinct. I am planning on joing the Vizsla club in my state(NY/NJ) and I am considering training him for field trials. Thanks again!


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## Coya

Hi alomb,

I happened to come across your post through some searching. My female V is 10 months old and she is obsessed with shadows! It all started when someone at our local dog park had a lazer pen...from that day forward she was hooked...though we never exposed it to her again. If she catches any sort of shadow or reflection she goes nuts. When she's in the backyard she will try and go after the shadows of the bees and bugs. NOTHING will get her attention.

She also has been taking an interest in birds. We are not planning on field training her but I know V's are bird dogs so it's in their blood. Some nights it gets to the point that it will take us up to 30 min to wrangle her during our walks on the trails. We are completely lost.

I'm wondering what techniques you used for your V and how they worked?

Thanks!


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## R E McCraith

PIKE spends 99% off leash - 50% of that time is spent doing some type of DRILL - this gives him a focus and he loves it - with drills you control the energy level - give the pup a goal and PIKE thinks we are playing - so I would try drills this might put the focus back on you and not the shadows - good luck - but then again pups will be pups LOL


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## veifera

REM: 50%? That's amazing! What do you do (and how)??


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## R E McCraith

Vief - bumper drills - sit stay - hand signals - whistle drills - turn my back Pike does a 180deg turn & back in front of me again - put on heel ( he hates that ) hide and seek (loves to find me and increases his focus on me ) hide pheasent wings ( his favorite ) anything that puts his focus back on me - the rest of the time is his gun n run time but I expect him to check back with eye contact every 2-3 min - mostly what you may consider play can always be turned into a training lesson - good luck!


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