# W's going to school...how to deal with separation?



## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

After Wilson's successful first two hunting experiences ... We are sending him off for some formal hunt training. First and foremost he is a family pet, but he needs some work on his whoa and forced retrieve. Long story short - there's a kennel about one hour from us that boards and trains pointers and retrievers with experience in vizslas (they breed them). For what we want, the owner is estimating w will need two months there. My question to those who have sent their pups away is: how have you managed? It seems like such a long time to be away and w won't have any bed snuggles or hugs!!! :-\

Here's my goober... Pleading for bedtime and snuggles


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I think I was a little extreme. I bought my second vizsla before my first went off to training. They spent a few days together before Cash left. I wouldn't set a hard timeline for training to be completed. I would rather it take the extra days, or month if the dog needs it. Sometimes they are moving at a good pace through the training program, then hit a wall. Its better to go back to a previous step that they have accomplished for a few days, or even just give the dog a little break from training. They then start the step that was causing them problems, refreshed and ready to train for it.
Just because he won't be getting bed snuggles, doesn't mean he won't be getting praise and rubbed on.

While he is away, get some of the things done that are hard to do while he is home.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

thanks for the advice, texasred! Last night I was up late thinking about canceling the training because I didn't want my baby to go away. A second V isn't in the cards for us right now - although that WOULD be awesome. We are going on an international trip while W's scheduled to be at hunt training, so the boarding works out well (he would've been boarded for 11 days w/ his walker anyway). 

Did you visit your pup while he was away at training? Did you notice any personality difference when Cash came back?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Yes I visited him. Trainers set aside time for clients to come out. You have to understand first that Cash is a very hardheaded vizsla. He is not as biddable as my other two.
FF did wonders for him, and I'm not just talking about the retrieve. He became more of a team player than he had ever been before.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

Interesting. Wilson is a very very biddable vizsla. We did obedience training with him when he was six months old and he basically was eating out of the trainer's hand by the end of it. He's never been formally hunt trained, it's all instinct and genes. We took him out over thanksgiving and new year's and he was a machine. 8 birds the first time (only 6 released). He was even holding some whoas on his own. His retrieve needs work, though. 

He will be 16 months by the time he gets evaluated by the trainer next month. the trainer, over the phone, expressed some doubt as to what he could do -- he prefers to do the training when the pups are between 6-12 months, so I hope W really shines when he's out there. My husband reminds me that he's basically going to be outside, enjoying the nice weather (SPRING!) and playing with birds all day. It's Disneyland for dogs, right?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I think we worry more than we need to, me included.
My dogs love birds, and they bond with the trainer.
When I would visit, I could tell the dog was excited to see me, but I could also tell he liked the trainer.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

The dog will be fine. Usually the owner has more troubles then the dog. I would absolutely recommend you going to the trainer and learning as much as you can about the process and how to handle the dog. I know that many trainers say that training the owner is as important, if not more important than training the dog.


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## Chaos911 (Oct 30, 2013)

I'm glad to see these posts. 
Blaze will be going for in-board obedience training (not for probs) we are going to be gone for 2 wks and a wedding so decided to have him learning instead of just kenneling. He'll be 7 mos when he goes for one month. 
We are also looking to do some formal hunt train as well in the fall. Hoping the two training sessions compliment each other. Blaze is our companion dog first. My goal is therapy training. My husband would like to hunt him but is struggling with recoop from broken ankle so may be a while for him. The obedience trainer will work towards Therapy certification at later time. 
We will miss Blaze terrible, but I'm hoping for great rewards (knowledge!) for Blaze and us.


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