Anybody familiar with Vizslas? (1 Viewer)

[fjdemon]

Looking at getting a pet in the near future and am considering this breed.

I want a dog that is medium sized, athletic, and doesn't shed a lot.

Apparently Vizslas don't really shed and never have odor.

Just curious what current owners think and to get some first hand knowledge.

Thanks -

 

[doug720]

We have had a Vizsla for 13 years and he is a great hound!

The good and bad...

Bad:
As they age, the get lumps, most benign cysts and kind of wart like growths. Not terrible, but our vet said common.
They have light nose, eye and belly meat, that is sensitive to the sun. Marco loves to sun tan and his nose and eye surrounds have turned dark. He also had pre-cancerous growths removed from his belly.
Our's has gone deaf from ear problems, but he is a great watcher and he goes camping with us all the time.

In between:
All dogs can stink
They still shed, but not too much and it's a short course hair that is easy to clean. After a bath he sheds and they loose a thicker coat in the spring.

Great:
A good all around dog.
Loves kids and people, but still has some protector in him
Easy to train
Athletic and loves to run, romp and play. Especially camping!
Good with other dogs
They have a regal look to them.

Great dog I would recommend.

First 2 pictures age 8, last one age 12. A little gray and bit slower, but still loves to camp!

 

[abuck99]

Awesome dogs, I miss mine dearly. They are not for everyone: high energy, need space to run, need attention.

Very sensitive animals and tuned into being a member of your "pack". It's the type of dog that becomes a family member, its not garage dog or a live out doors dog. They are super smart- but training ( you) is key.

It's a "working" dog, they are very high energy and need run, swim etc: need a lot of excercise every day-or they will tend to find things to do or chew. If you get as a pup, expect the high energy behavior for 3-4 years- then they start to chill out .

Breeders can be pretty picky who they offer their Vizslas to. Do your homework and understand the breed ahead of time so you know what you're getting into. They are wonderful dogs, but require a serious comittment.

 

[fjdemon]

Super good information! @doug720 Great looking dog. Thank you both very much for the advice. You both confirmed exactly what I read while doing my research. I like that they are dogs that want to be part of the family. I read they are nicknamed the "velcro" dogs because they always want to be near people and attached to your hip; I personally like that quality. I want a dog that will be with you and not just napping in the corner 24/7.

My only concern is that I am in the city and have a smaller sized house with a small yard. My neighborhood however is super dog friendly and every evening people are out walking dogs. There is also a park about 500 meters away from my front yard. We are pretty active and if I had a dog I think I'd be more inclined to do trips just to get the dog out.

I've been looking for rescue dogs, but have not seen any Vizslas. I think getting one 3-4 years old would help out a dog in need an allow us to get one a little more mature versus a puppy. I know a puppy is a ton of work, which is okay because we will create a bond with it knowing it it's whole life. I guess either way is good. This is the one I am looking at now.

 

[abuck99]

Rescue Vizslas are pretty rare. We looked for over a year unsuccessfully. Typical practice with Vizsla breeders is that they are obliged to accept them back should at anytime you not be able to care for the dog, and they get placed quickly. Overall the breeder integrity with Vizslas is very high, this keeps the breed standard high as well.

 

[doug720]

I forgot to add, Marco was a rescue. He was returned two times before we adopted him. Others said he would chase cats and was too hyper. We never had a problem with either situation.

My wife knows of a Viszla rescue here in SoCal, and I will get the contact.

Most of our dogs have been rescues and I think they can make some of the best dogs and companions...I think they know you!

Velcro is true, and they do love their people.

 

[fjdemon]

This is the little guy we are going to look at Sunday.

 

[fjdemon]

The father is 9 years old, around 50-55lbs and the mother is smaller sized (didn't catch her age). Neither have had any health issues to date.

 

[splitshot]

I grew up with them, all were wonderful. Doug and abuck's comments are spot on. They do make excellent bird dogs and love the gig with passion if you are into it...

 

[fjdemon]

Follow up: We ended up adding a new member to the family. Henry is our 11 week old Vizsla puppy. We picked him up the Sunday before last and it has been a complete change of lifestyle! He's a great puppy, very smart and loving. He's literally like a baby duck and follows me everywhere. We've been crate training him and he's done very well with that too. Currently we are at the point now where we go about 4 hours at night without having to go out and when he's in the house he will let me know if he needs to go out. I'd say he's 85% house trained at this point. He sits, stays, and follows most commands. The biggest issues we had to break was getting on the couch and begging for food every time we went in the kitchen, but I blame that on the family we got him from and their kids lol.

I have seriously never been around such a unique dog. Everything you guys said and everything I read was pretty much spot on. I'll post up a photo soon.

 

[4mydogs]

Sounds like he's doing great, and that you all are doing him right.

Congrats!

 

[jakerudy]

I've had 2. First one was probably the best bird dog I'll ever have. Great nose, never broke point, learned to honor after one time seeing my Setter on point and was as good a family dog as you could ask for. Had professional trainers offer me stacks of hundred dollar bills for him. Lost him at 5 years old to a rare disease and got another from the same breeder.

2nd one is the dumbest dog I've ever had. First time I planted a quail for him he scented it, ran away, and hid quivering between my legs. He is afraid of quail and must be ADHD as you can't teach him anything. I've never seen a bird dog act like him so I don't think he is representative of the breed. The only redeeming quality he has is he wouldn't hurt anybody but I've seen him run smack into a 12,000 lbs tractor.

They are called velcro dogs for a reason. He will be touching you anytime he can. Give him time to mature and accept the energy level they have and they can be wonderful dogs. Don't use a heavy hand as they tend to be sensitive.

 

[jakerudy]

One other tip for one of the best lessons I've ever learned to teach any dog. Teach him "leave it" by holding a treat in your hand in front of him. As soon as he moves for it close your hand, pull it away, and say "leave it". Eventually he will sit there and give the command "take it" and let him have it. Once they learn this it will apply to many situations with the dog. Whatever you want them to avoid just give the "leave it" command. It is surprising how often this lesson is useful if you do it correctly.

My 1st Vizsla was with me on a pheasant hunt in Kansas and the group had a fish fry party at night. After a full day of hunting over my dog one of the hunters tried to give him a piece of fish and he would not accept it so they asked me what is wrong with him? I told them to give him the "take it" command and he became the hit of the party. He was an exceptional dog but this lesson works if you will put in a little time.

 

[fjdemon]

We went away for the weekend and unfortunately Henry couldn't go so he stayed with the people that we got him from. He was so excited to see me when I went and picked him up. After the initial welcoming he walked over to the door and sat down almost saying " I'm ready lets go!" then slept the whole way back. The poor guy was ready to go home and worn out. They said he was very upset the first day we dropped him off; crazy how fast he has bonded. He won't let me out of his site most days, but even more so the past half day sine we got back.

 

[4mydogs]

We went away for the weekend and unfortunately Henry couldn't go so he stayed with the people that we got him from. He was so excited to see me when I went and picked him up. After the initial welcoming he walked over to the door and sat down almost saying " I'm ready lets go!" then slept the whole way back. The poor guy was ready to go home and worn out. They said he was very upset the first day we dropped him off; crazy how fast he has bonded. He won't let me out of his site most days, but even more so the past half day sine we got back.

View attachment 1565689

Those first several weeks are critical bonding time.

 

[fjdemon]

So I have worked around K9s and I understand how to do basic training, as well as how to instill discipline, but are there any good books on this subject you guys would recommend? I've got a clean slate and want to make sure he gets the proper training.

 

[jakerudy]

The Other End of the Leash has good info on how the dog is thinking so you can approach training from their perspective. If you are going to hunt him Gun Dog by Wolters is a classic.

 

[Dparo]

Two people I know have them and both dogs have epilepsy.

 

[4mydogs]

Two people I know have them and both dogs have epilepsy.

"Epilepsy can occur in all breeds of dogs. Those most affected include the Belgian Tervuren, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, Keeshond, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Saint Bernard, and Wirehaired Fox Terrier."
How to Treat Epilepsy and Seizures in Pets

I am on Labs #3 and 4. One of the four is epileptic. It can occur in any breed dog and in mixed breeds, too. Typically if the dog doesn't exhibit epilepsy by 3 years of age it won't have it. It can't be cured, but is can usually be managed through medication.

 

[fjdemon]

He's getting big! I'll post a photo shortly. Honestly he's such a unique puppy, super smart, and very affectionate. We did a ten hour road trip to Georgia and then another ten hours back. He did awesome the whole trip, however he's a terrible co-pilot; within the first 5 mins of our trip he was asleep lol.

He has down sit, stay, leave it, take it, etc. Super smart pup.