[Mandi4hm]

Hi, my name is Mandi and I am new to the Vizsla forum and going to potentially be a new Vizsla owner. I do not have any experience with the breed. I have just seen the dogs and they are beautiful. My husband and I are ready to add a second dog to our household and I have been trying to do as much research as possible on Vizslas. I have even contacted a few breeders, but I am getting conflicting messages from breeders and owners, and I am now torn on whether or not I should make a Vizsla part of our family.

We currently have a 1 1/2 year old boxer that is energetic, loves to play, and will sit in your lap at any given opportunity. We are interested in the Vizsla because a female would be about the same size as our boxer, would be playful, good with children, and like water (we have a swimming pool). Our yard is about 6000 sq ft and has a 6' fence surrounding it. My husband and I do work full-time and we are gone M-F from 8am until 5:30 or 6pm. We are home on the weekends. Two breeders I have spoken with have said that a Vizsla would be a great addition to our home. I was concerned with the whole separation anxiety thing.... we never had that problem with our boxer and we got her when she was only 8 weeks old. She crate trained just fine within about 2 weeks, and she never barked, howled, or cried while we were gone. Our neighbors have said that they didn't even know we had a dog until they saw us walking her one day. Two breeders have said that they don't see separation anxiety during the day being a problem since we already have a dog that is used to our routine. I have been told that the Vizsla will bond with my husband and I, but also with our boxer. I do expect they typical puppy chewing and potentially some digging, but I don’t want to dog that is super anxious when I’m at work. It would not be fair to the dog, plus it would probably make my boxer anxious as well.

So basically the gist is, that two breeders have said that mine and my husbands schedules are not a problem and that with appropriate training and exercise we should be fine. However, another breeder and a Vizsla owner that my boss knows both flat out said that if I can’t take the dog to work with me, or work out of my house then to just forget about owning this breed of dog. How is it possible that I am getting such different answers? All of the breeders are reputable and offer a 3 year health guarantee, as well as a clause in the contract about contacting them first if I cannot keep my Vizsla at any time. Does anyone else with this breed have any thoughts? I realize that some of the answers may just be opinion, but I want to make the right decision.

 

[gunnr]

Mandi

There are ideal conditions, and then there is reality. Vizsla's have been kept in kennels, crates, spare rooms, indoor runs, and outdoor runs, and have thrived. They've had the run of the house and been little demons, and also angels. They've been kept in crates and been the same.
I'll compare my work schedule to just about anybodies for duration and inconsistency, and I have raised, trained, and hunted 5 Vizsla over the past 23 years. All have been good citizens inside and outside the house,and don't seem to have suffered from the experience.
A Vizsla needs to know that it is part of the household. It needs to be a loved and respected family member.
There is a misnomer that these dogs will run without pupose like nuts continuously, and it seems that way at times, in absence of their owner they actually sleep alot. When you're around it's all playtime
The only advice I can give you is to try and coordinate both of your vacation/timeoff schedule to have one of you home as much as possible for the first 6 weeks. Even 1/2 days if you can arrange it. I say this only out of fairness for the dog, so that it is allowed to be potty trained, and get it's feet firmly on the ground. I also wouldn't leave a new puppy alone with an adult dog for quite some time. Maybe even a year or more.
Crate train the puppy.
The weeks from 8-14 are critical for development. Maximize that time.