# Over Protective Vizsla



## ARWalt (9 mo ago)

Hello, I have a 2 year old vizsla who I received at 8 months old. When I got him it was clear he had not been socialized to people and the vet believed he had been mostly in his crate for the first 8 months of his life. I spent the first six months socializing him to everything. Then, while I was in college my parents took him for the next almost year and worked with him. With my parents he has made astounding progress and is completely friendly with people and never growls, barks, or seems afraid. When I come to visit he is still protective of me with strangers. I have a heart rate condition and when it flares he gets even more protective. This dog is the sweetest dog with kids and absolutely loves them. They can grab him or roll all over him and he just sits there and lets them. But, he even growled and barked at my 6 year old cousin when she got too close to me while I was sick. He actually tried to bite her when she was trying to help me. My mom is who he is attached to second most after me. Other dogs get attached to me at the hip when I have a flare too, even dogs I don't know. I've never had one get aggressive like this though.

Are Vizsla known to be protective of people with health conditions? Or dogs in general? Or could it be because he wasn't socialized as a puppy? My parents want to keep him because they are worried he will bite my fiancé one day or one of my kids. It seems right to me as well since they have actually lived with him longer than I have and he doesn't have any of these behaviors when with my parents. I'm just so attached to him and he is completely attached to me. I'm worried this would be a problem in the future if I were to get another vizsla as I will always have the health condition. I am extremely attached to the breed now too.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Each dog is different, and Vizlsa's are no exception. Why they naturally choose to provide more protection for one person tyhan another is locked up in their little brain.
When my wife was recovering from surgery, and had visiting nurses come over, Gunnr, went absolutely bonkers and had to be put away. She didn't want the visiting nurses in the house at all!!
Can your Vizsla detect, or hear a change in your heart rate, or "tune". I believe so. It's also a change, and dogs can go on high alert when anything changes outside of the parameters that they have accepted as their "norm". 

I can't tell you what to do in the end, but having a dog, of any breed, that might actually bite a child would worry me. If he can live a nice healthy, loving, life with your parents, that may best for him.
Do what is right for him. It's hard, but you are his only advocate.


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