# Separation?



## River123 (Jul 12, 2015)

I have to leave my 5 month old vizsla for a few days with my roommate. Do vizslas have separation anxiety? This is the first time he's going to spend the night without me. 

Do vizslas generally like to swim? My 5 month old hates water. We go to the lake all the time and he will never get in. He hates swimming. He loves boat rides. Is he scared of it or just doesn't like it? Is there any way to get them used to it? 

Thanks.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

V's tend to be very attached to their people, but they typically love everyone, especially if they have some regular contact with them, so if you're going away its good to let your roomie spend a bit more time with your bud, feed him and play with him to strengthen the bond of trust..before you go.

V's are naturally water dogs, they have the webbed feet and the instinct..but they need some coaxing and reassurance the first few times. I'd suggest you don a bathing suit yourself and go in with him, it's great fun and you get a very personal experience of them that you don't get on land.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Hi River... Does your pup sleep with you, or is it in a crate??? You might let your room mate know of your regular routine, that way if your 
roomy is willing, they can emulate it. 
RE: Swimming. once your dog takes to the water, if it does, it will most likely love it.... how ever, be prepared for your dog to possibly swim 
awkward at first, they look like they are swimming straight up... if they are retrieving, and get something in their mouth, it flattens them out, and they swim beautifully...


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

River123 said:


> Do vizslas generally like to swim? My 5 month old hates water. We go to the lake all the time and he will never get in. He hates swimming. He loves boat rides. Is he scared of it or just doesn't like it? Is there any way to get them used to it?


Is he birdy? Find a small or medium size pond with a duck swimming in it and let your boy chase that duck. This worked like a charm for our puppy. In our case this was unplanned and we did not even know if he could swim well. He was running in an Open Puppy Field Trial and there was a duck swimming. Although the lake was relatively large, my boy (while chasing the duck) easily crossed it. Then it was just a matter of him practicing and figuring out how to move more efficiently in the water. We were at the lake today and our boy just went to swim on his own (there were no birds in the water) crossing the lake a couple of times and then swimming back to us. My husband said to me: "Look, we got ourselves Michael Phelps!"


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

riv - never had a V that did not love the water -but they are around it all the time


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I've heard of vizsla that do not like water, but mine love it.
I start them out very young, going to places that have slow sloping banks.
They run through the shallow water, and gradually start going deeper.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

River123 said:


> I have to leave my 5 month old vizsla for a few days with my roommate. Do vizslas have separation anxiety? This is the first time he's going to spend the night without me.
> 
> Do vizslas generally like to swim? My 5 month old hates water. We go to the lake all the time and he will never get in. He hates swimming. He loves boat rides. Is he scared of it or just doesn't like it?_* Is there any way to get them used to it?*_
> 
> Thanks.


yep, sometimes you just have to lead by example 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elpLnmnBVoc


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## Vizsla_Luka (Sep 8, 2015)

yep, sometimes you just have to lead by example 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elpLnmnBVoc

Ha! I love this! My V just paddles, but I've never got him to a lake deep enough to have to swim….I lake swim myself so I should bear this in mind!!
Recall from the water


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## SDVizsla (Jun 26, 2015)

Our V jumped in our pool the 2nd day home - and has been a swimmer ever since! If you want to encourage him to swim I would show him the way 

In regards to leaving him - I don't have experience with that yet. I think I would be the one with the separation anxiety at this point


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