[minnere]

Ok, this may sound silly but I have had my puppy for almost two weeks now and the last two days he has been acting different. He doesn't have as much energy and kind of whimpers at me more. He is only 10 weeks old and we were getting him exercise three times a day. Do you think we kind of over did it? I want to make sure that I am meeting all of his needs. I know that vizslas desire your attention so I let him sit in my lap (off the couch) a lot! I let him sleep in my lap and so does my husband. Do they sleep more when they are growing? Any tips on learning to read his "sounds"? I want to earn his respect and therefore do not want to let him walk all over me but at the same time I want him to trust me enough that he knows I am able to give him everything he needs. I would greatly appreciate any tips on raising a happy, healthy vizsla from puppyhood!! Thanks!

 

[sarahaf]

Always check with your vet if you're seeing loss of energy. Anything else unusual, like loose stools? It's probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. I would err on the side of too little rather than too much exercise at this age, but to some degree you can take cues from the dog. When we took Rosie out as a young pup, if she got tired, she would stop, turn around to look at us, even jump up on us as if to say, "I've had enough" or "pick me up." It's normal for V's to whine for attention, and Rosie to this day needs a couple of naps a day, but it's the change in energy that makes me think you should get him checked out just in case.

 

[minnere]

Thank you Sarah. He actually was a little sick. He ate something outside that didn't agree with him, imagine that, a puppy that ate something outside! We have settled into a little bit better of a schedule and he is doing great. Although, he has started this possessiveness of his chew toys. We are trying to stop it before it gets worse but it is kind of intimidating when he growls and barks at you. He is not a big barker, hardly ever barks. Thanks for your input! He is doing much better!

 

[sarahaf]

Glad to hear he's better. And glad to hear we're not the only ones with a growler. I will say, Rosie wasn't a barker at that age, but she is now. We just ignore her when she growls. It's generally just when we're asking her to move when she's sleeping. She complains about it, but it's all talk; she always complies in the end. I would say we were more intimidated by her at your guy's age because she would go into a biting frenzy late at night. It really hurt with those puppy teeth. She grew out of it, even though we thought she never would.

As far as tips for raising him, I wouldn't worry about much other than bonding and playing with him at this age. If he does things that aren't acceptable, you can leave the room for few minutes as a brief time out. Once he has all his shots, you can start to socialize him with as many different kinds of dogs and people as possible. Later, you can begin working on basic obedience (very brief sessions for his short puppy attention span) and see if he responds to it. If he learns to follow instructions, it can get you out of a lot of sticky situations down the line. It will also build the bond and the dog's confidence. But I'm one to talk--I have slacked off terribly in practicing what I preach with progressing in training Rosie. I do like the Jean Donaldson training DVD Perfect Paws in 5 Days (which I plan on finishing in 5 years lol).