# How is your V in public places?



## Claire (May 21, 2012)

Hi again!
So my Liesel's been doing great, she's 4 months now and in general her behaviour is getting a lot better and she's a lot more responsive to being told "no" and learning tricks, etc.

I took her to the vets this afternoon and she was particularly over-excited, perhaps because she hadn't had a proper walk yet today due to a lot of snow (she'd just been running around in the garden and been around the block a bit on the lead). 
Every person who came into the waiting room she tried to lunge at... I kept her lead pretty short (I've learned from several fearful/grumpy strangers that not everybody loves to be lunged at!) and did my best to keep her in check - keeping her distracted, getting her to sit etc. She would sit for a few seconds, but was generally too over-excited to concentrate and just wanted to greet everybody with kisses and jumping etc.
It's not much of a problem while she's this size - I mean, she's getting stronger every day but I'm still more than capable of keeping her under control when her puppy enthusiasm takes over and she won't listen - but I suppose my question is, how are your (adult) Vizslas with meeting new people in a public place? 

I feel like I'm doing most things right, it just concerns me that this over-enthusiasm for meeting strangers might be a hard habit to break, and as she gets bigger I can't imagine taking her to somewhere like a waiting room will be at all easy if she can't focus on me properly...
Will a bit of maturity as she grows help this? Or will adolescence make it worse before it gets better?? 
Thanks a lot, here's a pic from today - a bit blurry I know, but it was her first experience of proper snow!


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## Claire (May 21, 2012)

I'd also like to add that generally, OFF lead, she's pretty responsive to me and will come when I call her - in the park recently I've been testing it as bikes and people go by, and she's great, she'll listen to me and refrain from running at people. I think a lot of the reason it's harder in a place like the vet waiting room is that I have her on a short lead, so me pulling her back makes her want to go for them even more...


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Ruby's great *off lead* with public, however when she's on her lead and strangers try to come over and pet her I have to tell them not too, she gets very wary. I'm hoping that she'll grow out of it with a lot more socialisation, she's been remarkably better since I started taking her shooting, she's never once shown any nerviness around the beaters and shooters even when we go for a pint in the pub afterwards.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

I had to work with Kauzy when I got him @ 6 monthes old. Like your pup, he was vary eager to greet people. When people would approach, I'd make him sit, then reward, give him the stay command, reward, then have the person pet my pup. I can happily say at 2 1/2 he is a perfect gentleman now. It will take some work, but I think its also a coming of age thing


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## Claire (May 21, 2012)

That's encouraging dmak, thanks. I guess I'm just picturing her, full-size, just as eager to greet people and excitable as she is now, and hard to control... but I suppose it's all in how you handle it. It's good to hear that your Kauzy is a gentleman now that he's a bit more grown up!


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Ruby still gets excited to see people at 2 yrs old but just depends on location. At home, when someone comes to the door we worked with her on not jumping up on people. Now she just frantically looks for a toy to carry and her butt is wiggling a million miles an hour. She also licks feet and hands since she knows she can't jump up. We are still working on that.

I feel at the vet - many of the rules go out the window. The vet techs and other employees get Ruby all excited. We aren't there very often so not as easy to teach manners but I will say it is a difference from when she was little.

It is something you will always work on, but it does get a bit easier the older she gets.


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## Claire (May 21, 2012)

Yeah I can't say the vet staff are overly helpful with the problem, they absolutely adore Liesel and will want her to give plenty of kisses and cuddles - as will a lot of other people in the waiting room, but I have to try and explain to Liesel that not everybody wants them!


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## Carolina Blue (Sep 20, 2012)

Kiya acts the same as yours! They are about the same age, so I feel better that I'm not the only one! We do go to puppy obedience, and we are both learning how to calmly greet people - going to be a long road! I look around in class at the other puppies and they are sitting nice and quiet; Kiya on the other hand wants to play with the other puppies - see what kind of treats the lady next to us has, etc. I'm more worn out after class than she is! On the flip side, she did receive the Leave It Award last week. (challenge was to leave the treats put on her toes.) Below is a photo of her with her award (Yam Chew). The look on her face is perfect - Ya, I won it!


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

Kiya is a beautiful looking pup


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## Claire (May 21, 2012)

Oh my gosh Kiya is gorgeous!!!!
That's nice to hear that she's the same as Liesel - we actually have our first puppy class this weekend and I predict her behaviour will be just like Kiya's, but we'll do our best!


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## Carolina Blue (Sep 20, 2012)

Thank you everyone! . On our 3rd class tomorrow. Long road ahead, but hoping with hard work and practice, she/we will get through these rough patches.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

As long as you keep working with her she will be good as gold when she gets older.
A few months ago I had June at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialist. Its large and covers three stories. I get in there and had forgotten her paperwork in the truck. She stayed with the receptionist while I went and got it. When it came time for xrays she walked of with the vet. Later one of the vets said she was the best behaved Vizsla he had ever met. It did make my heart feel good. What made her this way was while she had been on limited exercise ( leash only/ no running) I had been taking her with me to every store that allows dogs. She had got to where she would pick out her own treats and carry them to the cash register. Plus the fact that June will do anything for a treat or attention.


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## Claire (May 21, 2012)

That's amazing, congratulations!! I'll have to start taking Liesel to more places like that, I know of a shop or two around here that allows dogs so that's a start! I predict she won't be overly easy to take into them but I guess it's much better to do it now than wait until she's bigger.


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