# Having a really difficult time with Lizzy



## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

Lizzy is now 12 weeks old and has been with us for 5 weeks. She is our third Vizsla (Amber 1980-1994 and Maggy 2000-2013). Lizzy is proving BY FAR the most difficult puppy to live with - the situation is making us very unhappy - exactly the opposite to what we'd hoped for. 

From the beginning we let her sleep on our lap. It was fine for the first couple of weeks (and we loved it) but *I now know that this was a HUGE mistake* because as she got older she didn't want to sleep on our lap but wanted to play - wriggling and fighting with painful play biting of fingers, hands shirt collars, shirt buttons or the arm of the chair.

Of course we put her down immediately with a firm "NO" and for the last 3 weeks she has not been allowed onto our laps. However even after several weeks she is still unbelievably insistent. WHENEVER we sit down she tries desperately to climb on our lap even to the extent of forcing herself between our legs or over the side of the chair. She is incredibly insistent and will keep this up for as long as we can stand it.

Unfortunately she gets badly worked up when we continue to stop her (it doesn't do much for our nerves either). Her final resort is to sit directly in front of us (looking up at our face) and continuously going "bark, bark, bark - bark, bark, bark" in a very angry manner. 

We have tried ignoring her and just letting her bark in the hope that she would get fed up before we did (but she just goes on and on). 

If we give in and play with her she's fine - but of course we don't always want to play. Any time one of us is sitting down she will not play on her own (however she will play happily on her own when neither of us are sitting down).

The only solution that we have found that works is to put her in her pen when we want to sit down and read or watch TV. When we do this she barks for maybe 3 or 4 minutes then goes into her crate to sleep. We don't like doing this but cannot think of any other solution

Our house is open plan and it not possible to isolate her in a separate room.

She has her own comfortable bed between our armchairs and is happy to use it - that is until one of us sits down.

Any suggestions on how to get Lizzy to understand that she is no longer allowed on our laps would be very welcome.

Bruce


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It sounds like you have already found the solution, when she starts demanding to be in your lap put her in her pen.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Lizzy is just trying to use you as substitutes for the littermates she started out life with... And time will solve the problem of painful play biting. It really will.


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

A good chew on a raw meaty bone could provide her with mental enrichment to chill out.


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## number10 (Jun 2, 2014)

Bruce said:


> The only solution that we have found that works is to put her in her pen when we want to sit down and read or watch TV. When we do this she barks for maybe 3 or 4 minutes then goes into her crate to sleep. We don't like doing this but cannot think of any other solution


I agree with TexasRed! Don't feel bad about her being put in her pen and going to sleep - that shows it is working. I know you would rather have her near you but on her bed, but for now that is close but not close enough to what she wants! I often have to send 4mo Eszti away to her bed in the playpen when I'm sitting watching TV (or she's bothering the cat, or just plain hyper). She sometimes grumbles like a cranky old man as she curls up and falls asleep, especially if the cat is sitting on my lap while she is banished. So funny to listen to and makes me laugh!


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## Sydney (Jul 28, 2014)

Uh oh... does this mean I shouldn't put Trevi on my lap to sleep anymore?  :-\


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## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

*TexasRed, mswhipple, number10* - Thanks for the reassurance that what we are doing is ok (not too unkind) - just makes us feel guilty I guess. We just hope that she gets the message soon and takes to using her bed between the armchairs.

*organicthoughts* - modified your suggestion last evening and gave her an edible nylabone to chew in her bed (the one between the armchairs). That kept her happy for about 40 minutes while we sat on our armchairs and watched TV (which is an improvement) after which she started pestering to get on our laps again - so sadly into the pen she went where she fell asleep after a few minutes barking.

*Sydney* - We'd love to have her back on our laps to sleep but as I said, nowadays when she's on our lap she mostly just wants to play (which invariably involves play biting). If Trevi isn't a biter then maybe you'll be ok. We had no problem with our first dog Amber and she used to sleep on our lap even when she was an old lady (sure our legs used to go to sleep but......). Our second dog Maggy never play-bit as a puppy but preferred her bed to our laps.

Bruce


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Sounds like a really good step has been made. She will figure out what her options are eventually, and realise she'd rather be chewing on her nylabone near you rather than in her crate.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Wilson spent most of his first four months inside the house in his kennel. It was a constant cycle of outside walks and play,
Inside. Trying to get him to settle. Kennel when that didn't work. I'm happy to report that by about 6 months, he got the hint and could be out. Now he is almost 2 and we almost never crate him at home and he doesn't even zoomie in the house

Puppies are like kids - they are each different. Some crate time won't hurt while she learns the boundaries


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## Sydney (Jul 28, 2014)

*Sydney* - We'd love to have her back on our laps to sleep but as I said, nowadays when she's on our lap she mostly just wants to play (which invariably involves play biting). If Trevi isn't a biter then maybe you'll be ok. We had no problem with our first dog Amber and she used to sleep on our lap even when she was an old lady (sure our legs used to go to sleep but......). Our second dog Maggy never play-bit as a puppy but preferred her bed to our laps.
[/quote]

Thanks for the tips Bruce! Trevi is a biter, so we usually have him on our laps with a pig ear or something else. If he starts biting us, we put him on the floor and we throw some toys for him.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

Bruce,

since the nylabone was somewhat effective, I'd get a few other chew toys to put into rotation. That should make the chewing experience novel and exciting every time. Antlers, bully sticks, himalayan dog chews, various raw meaty bones (chicken wings and necks are a good size for a puppy), dehydrated tracheas, or stuffed and frozen kongs are all great options. I'd personally avoid rawhide as it doesn't break down well and can cause blockages--something the forum educated me on!


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## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

Thank you for your support everyone - we really need it. After quite a good day yesterday Lizzy was particularly bad today being even more demanding of attention than usual and barked in her pen for almost an hour and a quarter this evening before going into her crate and falling asleep. This was after a day that included two particularly fun walks (for her and for us) in the local nature reserve. 

We did try the chew again and it worked for about 40 minutes - then she immediately started frantically trying to climb onto our laps again until we had no choice but to put her in her pen.

Please let tomorrow be a better day!

Bruce


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Five Kongs filled with peanut butter frozen. Give her two at a time. Not too hard to get to the peanut butter but not easy either. Exercise her mind on how to get the wonderful stuff out of the Kong.

Change up to small pieces of meat mixed in with the peanut butter. Peace and quiet.

Have fun and soon you all will be hiking together.

RBD


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

40 minutes is a success at her age!!! She'll get there.


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## MeandMy3 (Feb 27, 2013)

Bruce - if the nature walks were new to her routine, she may have been overstimulated. I think most will agree - an overtired/overstimulated vizsla is just as bad as an overtired/overstimulated child. 

To add to what eeinspänner said about the nylabone, I would get them in different textures and sizes too. We have two 4 1/2 month old lab pups and they tend to go from one texture to another. We have round ones, bone-shaped ones, larger ones, textured ones, smooth ones, etc ... 

Hang in there! It is SO worth it!


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## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

*einspänner and redbirddog* - plan to give your frozen kong suggestions a try. 

*MeandMy3* - Have ordered a number of different puppy safe Nylabones.

Thanks for your help,
Bruce


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

I just wanted add with the nylabones that are not the edible ones. If your pup doesn't show interest at first rub it on something hard to rough it up a bit so it releases the smell/flavour. We did this on the recommendation of a friend and Aspen went from no interest to loving it -- the edible one he loved right away. 

Lots of chew toys are a must - pups have a short attention span so variety is important. When our guy was younger our friends/family joked that we travelled with more toys for our dog than most people do for their kids. However, he has never chewed shoes, furniture, clothing, etc and I'm sure that us giving him alternatives to focus his attention on has really helped (combined with some luck!)


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## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks for the tip Canadian Expy 

Bruce


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

A range is good as Morris will be all about his kongs one week, the next it's the bacon flavour nylabone, then it's the antler... although the most reliable way to get him obsessed with one of his toys is to have his vizsla friend over who will pick a toy to chew for a while, and for at least a fortnight that is then Morris' favourite!


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## redd (May 25, 2014)

We are about 6 weeks ahead of you with Redd, and I promise you it does get better. We knew when we got him that the Vizsla is a lap dog, but nobody tells you what that really means....when you are sitting they want to be in your lap!! All the time!!
I sat on the floor for the first 4 weeks when reading my ipad, drinking coffee, watching TV, etc all the while Redd in my lap chewing a bone or toy. My husband and I switched back and forth. He gradually started playing fetch and dragging around bigger toys (pillow pet, the BEST, his favorite!) which got him off our laps. Then I moved up to the couch, with the dreaded spray bottle and when he was barking and jumping and pawing me I'd spray him in the face. Took a few times and then he was over it. He does need a lot of direction, ie play, me throwing something, showing him a bone, so I don't know how long I can actually sit on the couch without getting up at this point, BUT, we now sit on the couches!! Success!
Hang in there. We didn't mind giving him the attention because we knew he would basically outgrow it. The phases keep on coming, so be prepared! And like one of these wise V owners told me- Relax, have fun, and let them be pups.


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## Bruce (Jul 1, 2014)

Thanks for the encouragement Redd - great that you're making good progress .


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