[msdizzydolores]

;D

Good Morning Everyone,
My name is Dolores and I am new to the forum. I have been searching for the past year for a dog to adopt and I thought I had up my mind on a Mastiff, but with the current state of affairs with the economy, I've decided to get a small or medium sized dog.

I've been a Vizsla lover for many years and this breed intrigues me and has captured my heart.

I'm hoping to learn a lot about the breed and to have many of my questions answered.

I currently do not have a dog; I've had dogs growing up, but have never owned one on my own. I currently own my condominium and I'm concerned that when I'm applying to rescues/shelters that I will be denied because I do not have a fenced in yard. I am active (not as much as some people), I run and jog and I think the Vizsla will be the perfect breed that will up my program and be a great companion over the coming years.

I hope you can all give me some insight about adopting with no fence and not having a vet (another prerequisite I can't fulfill, so how can I give a vet reference if I've never owned a dog????) reference. It's killing me that I don't have this requirements and I'm becoming easily disencouraged about possibly adopting.

Thank you for any comforting words you can offer. I'm about to give up and I really don't want to.

Dolores

 

[DixiesMom]

WELCOME!! You mention "adopting" a V and I take that to mean that you are interested in a rescue dog. If this is the case I can give you a few pointers--

1) look at adult dogs, they do not require the amount of exercise that a young dog will and they are past the point of chewing everything thay can get their paws on and normally they are already housebroken

2) be realistic about your expectations, there are MANY great Vs in rescue that need loving homes, but if you are looking for a young female that is housebroken and is good with children and other dogs you had better be prepared for a very long wait

3) be honest with the rescue organization they can be your best ally and may be able to recommend a great vet in your area

I will be happy to give you some info on V rescue groups in your area if you are interested send me a PM.

 

[kockazat]

Delores,

I have a 3 year old Vizsla after meeting and getting to know the breed in Hungary. There are a few unique things about owning a Vizsla that differ from other dogs, so you do need to be prepared.

1) Vizslas have a lot of energy and are very high maintenance. When we go to the dogpark, if i want to tire-out my vizsla, we pretty much need to go through a Shephard, Boxer and a Whippet before she shows any sign of slowing down. (The other dog species will have long since passed out from exhaustion). Plan on a run offleash every day. You must have access to somewhere to run off-leash as Vizslas must run.

2) Unlike other breeds of dog, having a fence in your backyard is not required as you have no need of the backyard. A Vizsla is also known as a "velcro dog" because it will stick to you no matter what. It cannot be left in the backyard by itself. My Vizsla, if left in the backyard will just whine at the door and will never exercise herself. ... Also, my Vizsla can climb a chain-link fence so only tall wooden fences work anyway. Great for your exercise program as you will get out every day. By the way, if you don't get out because of rain or snow, expect the Vizsla to unload excess energy by doing "crazy Vizsla circles" through the house at full speed.

3) Jogging is great for the Vizsla, frustrating for you. That is, when i jog with my Vizsla, she absolutely loves it and is completely obedient (in the zone, no distractions, doing her job). Frustrating for me though because while i'm running my * off, she's pretty much just walking fast beside me. You will be exhasted at the end of the jog, whereas your Vizsla will be warmed up and ready to start. The good part is, when you get tired, she can help pull you up the hills.

4) you will get sick of everybody on the street walking up to you and telling you how beautiful your dog is. Even crossing the street or walking on the sidewalk, be prepared for cars to stop and compliment your dog.

5) The Vizla will offer you unending love and is the most affectionate dog you will ever meet. Great with kids (except for knocking over little ones by accident), great with adults, and great with other dogs. Not an aggressive bone in their body (except toward squirrels and birds).

When we got our Vizsla, the breeder was reluctant to sell her to us because we live in a city. We persuaded her that the dog would get enough exercise because we would jog with her. Dog parks are a life-saver in this regard.

... did i mention how much energy they have? The Vizsla is a lifestyle that only other Vizsla owners can understand. I would never give up my Vizsla for another type of dog, but you do have to be prepared for the amount of energy they have.

 

[Crazy Kian]

I hope you can all give me some insight about adopting with no fence and not having a vet (another prerequisite I can't fulfill, so how can I give a vet reference if I've never owned a dog????) reference.

Dolores,
My girlfriend and I live in a big city but not right downtown. We have an apartment which is on the second floor of a house. We have no backyard but a school yard 7 houses away and a trail system 2 blocks away. We have a nice dog park that is about a 10 minute drive from our place and another one 20 minutes away.
Now, when we were looking for our guy no breeder would consider selling to us simply because we were in the city and had no fenced yard.
Persistence.....after calling about 6 breeders I convinced the 7th that this dog would get the attention it deserves....and boy does he.

He is now 16 months old and goes jogging with me 3 times a week, goes off leash running at least 4 times a week and in the summer it seems that we are up at the cottage every other weekend. He is off leash up there and has access to a large lake where he spends most of his time....I think he is part fish. Let's see, we have a trainer that comes to our place if we need some assistance with him and when it's not so hot out he goes to see his bird trainer to work the field in hopes of getting him his field dog junior status.
They are a lot of work but at the end of the day it's all worth it. He is probably one of the coolest dogs I have known. He may not be the most attentive at times but I chalk that up to him still being young.
He is great around children, he loves them. He's great around other people...he loves attention and loves to play.
If you think this dog is right for you, then go for it. You'll find your V some day and then your life will change.
Good luck.

 

[msdizzydolores]

WELCOME!! You mention "adopting" a V and I take that to mean that you are interested in a rescue dog. If this is the case I can give you a few pointers--

1) look at adult dogs, they do not require the amount of exercise that a young dog will and they are past the point of chewing everything thay can get their paws on and normally they are already housebroken

2) be realistic about your expectations, there are MANY great Vs in rescue that need loving homes, but if you are looking for a young female that is housebroken and is good with children and other dogs you had better be prepared for a very long wait

3) be honest with the rescue organization they can be your best ally and may be able to recommend a great vet in your area

I will be happy to give you some info on V rescue groups in your area if you are interested send me a PM.

Thank you. I am looking to adopt from a rescue. I've sent an email to the Coordinator (Diane Shearer-sp?) for my area. I have not heard from her yet, but I will await her response.

And I was thinking about an adult, not a puppy. At what is a dog considered an adult? Is it 2 and above? And I've only had one female dog my entire life, all others have been male...so I was looking for a male dog who is neutered or will be.

And I'm too honest for my own good. I guess that's the minister in training instilled in me

And I would love more information. PM coming your way.
Thank you again

 

[msdizzydolores]

Delores,

I have a 3 year old Vizsla after meeting and getting to know the breed in Hungary. There are a few unique things about owning a Vizsla that differ from other dogs, so you do need to be prepared.

1) Vizslas have a lot of energy and are very high maintenance. When we go to the dogpark, if i want to tire-out my vizsla, we pretty much need to go through a Shephard, Boxer and a Whippet before she shows any sign of slowing down. (The other dog species will have long since passed out from exhaustion). Plan on a run offleash every day. You must have access to somewhere to run off-leash as Vizslas must run.

2) Unlike other breeds of dog, having a fence in your backyard is not required as you have no need of the backyard. A Vizsla is also known as a "velcro dog" because it will stick to you no matter what. It cannot be left in the backyard by itself. My Vizsla, if left in the backyard will just whine at the door and will never exercise herself. ... Also, my Vizsla can climb a chain-link fence so only tall wooden fences work anyway. Great for your exercise program as you will get out every day. By the way, if you don't get out because of rain or snow, expect the Vizsla to unload excess energy by doing "crazy Vizsla circles" through the house at full speed.

3) Jogging is great for the Vizsla, frustrating for you. That is, when i jog with my Vizsla, she absolutely loves it and is completely obedient (in the zone, no distractions, doing her job). Frustrating for me though because while i'm running my * off, she's pretty much just walking fast beside me. You will be exhasted at the end of the jog, whereas your Vizsla will be warmed up and ready to start. The good part is, when you get tired, she can help pull you up the hills.

4) you will get sick of everybody on the street walking up to you and telling you how beautiful your dog is. Even crossing the street or walking on the sidewalk, be prepared for cars to stop and compliment your dog.

5) The Vizla will offer you unending love and is the most affectionate dog you will ever meet. Great with kids (except for knocking over little ones by accident), great with adults, and great with other dogs. Not an aggressive bone in their body (except toward squirrels and birds).

When we got our Vizsla, the breeder was reluctant to sell her to us because we live in a city. We persuaded her that the dog would get enough exercise because we would jog with her. Dog parks are a life-saver in this regard.

... did i mention how much energy they have? The Vizsla is a lifestyle that only other Vizsla owners can understand. I would never give up my Vizsla for another type of dog, but you do have to be prepared for the amount of energy they have.

Give me a few minutes and I will respond to this post.

 

[Pineapple Princess]

Delores,

I worked with Diane Shearer when we were attempting to rescue a V. She is great, give her a couple days and you'll hear back.

There just weren't any available rescues when we were looking, which is a good thing I suppose!

 

[msdizzydolores]

I just checked my inbox and she sent an email. I will check it right now ;D

 

[msdizzydolores]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to update everyone that I will not be getting a Vizsla. I will be trying to adopt through a local rescue here in PA. I was approved to adopt this morning and I will be meeting some of the dogs available this Saturday at an adoption event in Willow Grove, PA.

I'm so excited that someone finally will be giving me a chance to adopt as a first time pet owner.

Now, I just have to be patient, look at the dogs available and then wait until Saturday to see which one(s) choose me.

Thank you all for your help. It was greatly appreciated. One day I hope to be able to own a Vizsla...and be able to come back to this board and learn from all of you!