# Vizslas vs Labs/Goldens



## VictoriaW (Mar 16, 2011)

This link was just shared on V-Talk. Might be one worth highlighting here on the forum--

http://rmvc.org/vizslalabgolden.html


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

So True - every potential/would be Vizsla owner should read this description, it really sums up the issues that arise from owning a Vizsla


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

I quite like the description, very well written. 
Wish all new vizsla to be owners would read it!

On the other hand I just found this website and I'm really shocked! The vizsla comes up in a list of ten the fifth as the best dogs with kids. 

http://www.petmd.com/dog/top_tens/evr_dg_top_10_for_kids?page=2&mobi_bypass=true#.UJowdPYgHCQ


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## BaxtersMum (Oct 6, 2012)

adrino said:


> I quite like the description, very well written.
> Wish all new vizsla to be owners would read it!
> 
> On the other hand I just found this website and I'm really shocked! The vizsla comes up in a list of ten the fifth as the best dogs with kids.
> ...


Do you mean you are shocked that it comes in at number 5 because they are not good with kids or because they should be higher?

This is how I found the breed by searching for dogs that are good with kids and make good family dogs. Obviously I also wanted a higher energy dog because we have an active lifestyle ;-)


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Having owned all five breeds Lab, golden, vizsla, collie (ranked 7TH) English bull dog (ranked 10TH) on being best with kids.
I would say by far the vizsla is more mouthy as a pup. I don't see them being good with young kids. Mine have left bruises and broke the skin, all in the name of play. It was no big deal to me while they were learning No bite. This same action with a small child would have them crying. You would be over correcting the pup and having to separate them from the child. Where does this leave the pup? Most of the time stuck in the kennel or left outside.


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

I'm shocked cause I don't think the vizsla should be on that list at all! I didn't say they are not good with kids but generally they are not for people who just want a family pet... 
The main quality of the vizsla is not that they are good with kids. That should be the last to mention and for that reason I don't think they should come up as fifth. 
And anyway who decided to be the fifth on that list? What kind of research has been made to state it? 

How come that none of the other pointers are on that list? 

I had an English Pointer when I was 11. The dog was for me even though the whole family looked after her she was my dog. I have to say although she was a high energy dog too now that I can compare them I think she was a lot more suitable for a family than Elza right now.


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## Phoebejane (May 10, 2012)

I have young children and a puppy.. It hits a nerve with me that you assume owners with young families leave they're puppy's outside perhaps you have came across this but please don't make this judgement on everyone as it's not true.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Tex I hate lists - so here is mine - the V as a family dog with young children - 1-10 10 being perfect - the V -1 - do your homework and find a great hobby breeder - meet the dam and sire - see if they are raised as part of the family -that adds points - realize your children will grow up - leave home - as a good parent they are ready - the V is still with you - a responsibility eVery day - do it right and the V is almost a perfect MUTT ! LOL


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## Kermit_days (Sep 24, 2012)

I'd like to echo PhoebeJane's comment. We too are a family with young children. We didn't go into owning a V with our eyes closed. We spent 18mth doing research, meeting owners, learning about the breed. We are an extremely active family and without a dog I would walk 5 miles most days and my husband runs most evenings and we walk most weekends. Our lifestyle has barely changed. She is always with us, and NEVER left out on her own.

There are good and bad owners with kids, just as there are good and bad owners without.


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## Angie NG (Jun 6, 2012)

We have 2 boys aged 10 and 8, we trained the kids on what to do through the nippy stage and made sure Bella who is now 6 months old was not left alone with the boys while she went through that particular stage. She loves the boys, she waits for them to get up in the morning and kisses them to death once they do get out of bed.

My friend has a Rhodesian Ridgeback and said her dog was ten times worse as a puppy than Bella is 

That was the only old thing about the breeder we got Bella from, she had young children so we knew Bella had been around children from an early age


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

I think all breeds of dogs have the possibility to be good with children. It really comes down to how the dog is raised and the temperament of the dog. Ruby is 6 months old and she loves children of all ages. I grew up with beagles and they are supposed to be wonderful with kids. One of our 3 beagles was great with the children in our family but did NOT like any other children. It just goes to show you how much it really depends on the individual dog.


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## VictoriaW (Mar 16, 2011)

Vizslas are GREAT for families & families are GREAT for Vizslas! But I think it's essential that any "best breeds for kids" lists emphasize the lifestyle needs of a happy V. 

My friends see my sweet puppy snuggled on the sofa and want to own one just like her. Some of them I encourage...but some I don't!!!


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

I think a few of you have taken this thread a personal attack on yourselves. It is not. Nobody here has said that any of you are a bad owner of your Vs or not treating and training them right. 

We are talking about Vizslas in general and just because you have a vizsla that is good in your family it doesn't mean that all of them are. We are saying that more aren't right for a family with young children than are. 

This forum has always been about talking and discussing V stuff so we have the right to talk about it freely. Nobody pointed to anyone and mentioned names or members. 

So please take it as a general discussion as always. We all have different experiences in our own life, in our own circumstances so let's share it and don't get offended when someone has a different thought on things. 


By the way, Elza is also great with kids. She loves to kiss them and stopped jumping up on them but would snatch any food out of their hands if she could. My partners sister has an ill child and she was also great with him too even though he has grabbed her a few times. We made sure nothing could happen though!


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## Kermit_days (Sep 24, 2012)

I agree to a certain degree, but only because the Vizsla is only really suited to active families, and many young families aren't that active (in the outdoors sense). The breed should be chosen to suit the family. For us a small lapdog that's 'good with kids' would have been a cruel choice as we spend so much of our time outdoors. A small breed like a pug for example wouldn't be able to join in many of our outdoor activities and would have ended up spending much of it's time alone. But the same would be true of an old lady, for whom the pug would be ideal.

Rather than the focus being on kids, I think it should be on the lifestyle. Which would exclude a lot of young families, but for the right reasons.


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## Flint14 (Nov 1, 2012)

I think this thread is really interesting. We're on day 3 with 12 week old Flint. He's nippy and jumpy, and we have an 18 month old son. Both dog and boy are getting used to each other and their boundaries. The first day, Flint couldn't stop jumping and biting my son's ears. After just a few days, he doesn't jump, but we're still working on the nipping and biting of clothes. Thankfully, my son just says "Nononono!" and asks to be picked up. Flint is wonderful at listening and learning commands. =) 

My son also had to learn boundaries, like no poking the puppy eyes!! And that if he takes Flint's chew toy away, he has now made HIMSELF the chew toy. 

We are an active family, we hike regularly and we have lots of room to play and take Flint for walks. I'd say that most families I know with young kids would not tolerate the puppy-like behavior, and that it really isn't the breed that's at fault, but the parents who aren't ready. It's all about patience. 

By the way, we're also a very young family. I'm 21 and my husband is 22. I'll honestly say that a lot of people we know that are our age are NOT ready for this type of lifestyle and definitely not this dog.

This is a picture of my little guy walking Flint (who was really mellow and didn't even need the leash, so he wasn't pulling or dangerous).


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## Angie NG (Jun 6, 2012)

Looking back through this post I suppose it does look like people with children have taken it personally me included.

I haven't at all, I was just trying to put my point across about my family. It is very true that it is down to different owners that have children and vizsla's and whether they can give this breed what they thrive. Top of that list is Exercise and if you can't give them that then don't even think about getting a vizsla


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## BaxtersMum (Oct 6, 2012)

I didn't take offence at all. My question was simply to ask if the op thought a v should be 5th or lower/higher. Sounds like play your cards right lol.

I made my first box to tick that the dog we got HAD to be on a list for being good with kids. Although like I agree every V is different and it depends on the training with the breeder and the forever home there are other breeds of dog that are on a list that says they are absolutely not good with kids. You say your choice for a V should be lifestyle as a priority but V's also like to be with people and we all know they love to snuggle on our laps. You could say that a V isn't suited to a person living alone. They could get all the exercise in the world but that one person can't devote their whole time to their pet. They have to work, leave the room for bathing, getting ready to go out etc. In our house with the husband and 2 kids we always have a full house, I exercise Baxter while they are out at work and school and when everyone is home it is wonderful company for him. This is why we chose a V. He will get plenty of exercise, a full family to play with and snuggle up to, come camping with us and for days out at weekends walking on the beach and in the woods and give us the joy of training and exercising to make sure he fits in well with our lifestyle. It's all about the versatility! Isn't that why they are called the Versatile Vizsla. 

The main thing is to ensure the kids are trained as well as your V! We chose a breeder to ensure we for on the right foot for a family dog. If you want a hunting companion you choose a breeder for that. Our breeder has four children, 4 V's and a cat. His first 8 weeks he was handled and played with by children and he is great with my two. Yes we have the play biting issues and the jumping but my two children know what to do and I never leave him alone with them while he is in a very bitey mood but that's by staying with him and sending the kids upstairs and making sure if I need to go upstairs then I shut my kids away not Baxter lol. They just go in the lounge to watch tv and stay out of his way. I never put Baxter in his crate for play biting as I don't want him to see that as a punishment. 

I hope that anyone that has children and wants a V does what we did, research and ensure you choose the right breeder attend puppy training and involve the children and get it right from the start!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I wasn't trying to imply that ALL vizsla owners with kids are bad. I did want people to think about ALL THAT IS VIZSLA. They can be sweet, loving and want to be with you always. They can also be little red sharks that like to race track through the house. There are people (with and without children) that don't think it through. They see great family dog and want one. Then later the pup needs a new home.
I will say out of all the different breeds of dogs I have owned, the V is much more mouthy as a pup.


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## BaxtersMum (Oct 6, 2012)

Yes Baxter is very mouthy and like you say not so good with kids that way. He is learning though and not a problem for us while we manage it well. Does anyone know why some breeds are more mouthy when pups?


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I've two young boys aged 6 and 7, and apart from the puppy stage shark attacks Ruby has fitted in seamlessly into our family, yes it helps that as Ruby's primary carer I'm self employed and in a position where I can pick my jobs, thus enabling me to give her all the exercise she needs. As a kid I had a Black Lab and there's no way he could've kept up with Ruby's energy levels although he was a peach of a family dog, as was my parents Golden Retriever. All in all I'd say the labs and retrievers make better dogs for families in general, but with mine and my family's situation and lifestyle pass me a V every time


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

BaxtersMum said:


> Yes Baxter is very mouthy and like you say not so good with kids that way. He is learning though and not a problem for us while we manage it well. Does anyone know why some breeds are more mouthy when pups?


Hunting dogs tend to be more mouthy because they are bred to pick up and carry things.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

threefsh said:


> BaxtersMum said:
> 
> 
> > Yes Baxter is very mouthy and like you say not so good with kids that way. He is learning though and not a problem for us while we manage it well. Does anyone know why some breeds are more mouthy when pups?
> ...


I took "mouthy" as "vocal" Ash ,,,least that's what it means in UK


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Gives mouth, in hounds means vocal when trailing. In our pups. mouthy means they nip the crap out of you.


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