Puppy Raising

I. The Vizsla Personality: Living with and Training Your Vizsla

A. TEMPERAMENT

Vizslas are extremely loving and demonstrably affectionate family dogs who thrive in the hub of family activity. Vizslas are very active, curious, intelligent and devoted family members. Consequently, they do not thrive when ousted to the back yard or kenneled or separated from their family for prolonged periods. For your vizsla to reach his or her full intellectual and emotional potential, (s)he must be treated as a respected and valued member of your family and included in family activities.

B. GREETING GUESTS

When someone arrives at your home, you can expect your vizsla to put you on notice! Vizslas are quite good watch dogs. If you are anxious about the person at the door, your vizsla may sense your anxiety and hang back in a protective manner. Otherwise, (s)he will probably become very excited, and start jumping around or at the guest, all the time "talking". Many vizslas will grab a toy in their mouths, or perhaps the guest's arm. Vizslas are incredibly sociable.

As soon as the greetings have been made, your vizsla should settle back into his or her normal self. However, this exuberant greeting may be overwhelming to some guests, particularly those who do not favor dogs. This greeting can be controlled by training your vizsla to follow basic obedience commands, such as sit and stay.

C. PREVENT FORMATION OF BAD HABITS

Vizslas are very intelligent and possess very good memories. If there is some conduct in which your puppy engages that is unacceptable, or that will be unacceptable when the puppy is an adult (no matter how cute the behavior may seem now), IMMEDIATELY DISCOURAGE THE BEHAVIOR from day one, each and every time the behavior occurs. For example, no matter how cute it may be for a 12 pound puppy to jump on the kitchen table and watch/point birds at the feeder, such conduct most likely will not be acceptable for a 55 pound dog. Therefore, forbid the behavior. Firm and consistent discipline, whether positive or negative, is the key. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO PREVENT FORMATION OF A BAD HABIT THAN IT IS TO BREAK A BAD HABIT THAT ALREADY HAS BEEN FORMED.

D. DISCIPLINE: TYPE AND METHODS

Because vizslas are so sensitive to their owners, and so intuitively aware of what is expected, I have found that a minimal amount of "negative" verbal discipline is generally all that is required to train. Vizslas react much more favorably to positive reinforcement for good behavior than to negative reinforcement for bad behavior. Physical discipline is rarely, if ever, required.

There is a lot you can do to construct a safe environment for your puppy, thereby eliminating many problems for which discipline otherwise would be required. Putting up baby gates to confine the puppy to a space where (s)he can be supervised, using a crate when the puppy is left alone, putting away fragile items and houseplants until the pup is older, keeping children's toys out of the puppy's reach, and putting a lid on the garbage can are all examples of measures that you can take to help your puppy stay out of trouble.

If your puppy is doing something that (s)he should not be doing, verbal discipline (a few sharp "No's") is usually enough to stop the unacceptable behavior, because your puppy will so want to please you. After the puppy responds to your verbal command, immediately praise the puppy and then distract the puppy into a permissible activity. For example, when the puppy stops chewing your antique chair in response to your verbal command, give the puppy a dog bone or chew.

I am generally opposed to physical discipline of the vizsla, because I don't think it is necessary. In fact, physical discipline does more harm than good, damaging the relationship and trust between the vizsla and people and creating problems that otherwise would not exist. I limit physical discipline (a "take down" and muzzle grab for complete attention) to extreme and rare cases where I believe the verbal command needs to be emphasized because of risk of injury, such as when a puppy runs into a street or refuses to come, or challenges a human member of the family to move up in the pack (there sometimes is a challenge from a puppy between 12 and 20 weeks, which if properly handled will be the one and last issue).

THE FOLLOWING ARE ESSENTIAL TO EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE:

1. Make sure that you have your vizsla's FULL ATTENTION when your are meting out discipline. Get eye-to-eye contact with your vizsla, which often will necessitate your holding his or her muzzle (a naughty puppy may not want to look you in the eye because (s)he is ashamed for not pleasing you).

2. Make sure you and your vizsla know that you and the other people (particularly children) in your home are TOP DOG in the household pack. Do not ever let your vizsla think that (s)he is or has a shot at being top dog over the people in your household. Many vizsla puppies will test the limits, establishing where they fall in the pack. The test might be a grumble when you push him or her off the sofa, or a growl when a 3 year old child pounces on him or her while asleep. When tested, I would do the following: a. scold the dog; b. make him or her follow your command; and c. put the dog down on its back until (s)he submits (relaxes).

3. Viewing the goal of discipline as preventing recurrence of an unacceptable behavior that your vizsla has viewed as acceptable, rather than as a punishment, DISCIPLINE SHOULD BE METED AT THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE OF THE UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR or immediately thereafter. Discipline meted even 10 minutes after the unacceptable behavior is likely to be ineffective in preventing recurrence, because your vizsla may not even understand the reason for the discipline. (I must say, however, that my vizslas have had guilty looks on their faces for misconduct engaged in hours before I find out!)

4. Use FIRM, CLEAR, CONSISTENT DISCIPLINE. Firmness is achieved by changing your tone of voice to a lower tone when meting discipline, so that the puppy knows you mean business when (s)he hears that tone. Clearness is achieved by everyone using the same terminology. To avoid confusing the puppy, everyone in your family should try and use the same words to achieve a desired behavior (e. g., the puppy will take longer to learn that (s)he shouldn't jump on the counter if confronted with different commands - no/off/stop/down). Consistency is achieved by applying the same rule all of the time. You can not let you puppy sit on the couch one day, discipline the puppy another day for sitting on the couch, and expect the puppy to understand that the couch is off limits. Everyone in your family must send the same message all of the time.

E. FORMAL TRAINING: SHOW, OBEDIENCE, FIELD, AGILITY, TRACKING

In approaching any formal training situation, whether it be obedience, show, agility, tracking or field training, remember that you know your vizsla better than any "expert". Be extremely cautious of any trainer who applies a single training techniques across the board, without taking into account the attributes of the breed and the unique personality of the individual dog.

Vizslas are extremely biddable and willing to please. If they understand what you want them to do, they will try and do it, if only to please you. However, they are very sensitive and very intelligent. It would take only a small amount of mishandling/mistraining to create problems that might be impossible to overcome. Do not ever be intimidated by an "expert". When it comes to your vizsla and his or her training needs, you are the expert!

In selecting a trainer, look for a trainer whose approach is gentle and positive, rather than rough and negative. Generally, vizslas respond well to positive encouragement (e. g., praise for a job well done). Vizslas do not respond to negative or coercive approaches (e. g., shock collars; physical restraint or forcing). Ask the trainer what training methods they use. Be wary of any trainer who does not individually tailor the method to the dog. Also, try and determine if the trainer has any preconceived notions or prejudices against the vizsla breed, and make sure that the trainer is aware of the sensitive, tractable nature of the vizsla breed.

Formal training has many advantages. At a good formal obedience class, you not only have the benefit of training under a knowledgeable instructor, but your vizsla will have the advantage of learning by watching other dogs. In a basic obedience course, your vizsla will learn his or her name and the basic commands: Sit; Down; Stand; Stay; Come; Heel; Off; Drop. Also, most obedience classes now enroll quite young puppies in "puppy kindergarten," with basic training mixed with continued socialization with other dogs. Competition training classes prepare your vizsla for the rigors of formal competition, and familiarize you with handling techniques that will help you achieve whatever goals you set.

A good formal field trainer will help you prepare your vizsla for hunting or for field competitions. Positive exposure to birds, teaching of the whoa command, and careful exposure to the sound of the blank pistol will prepare your young vizsla for later training for steadiness to wing and shot. My vizslas have always been very birdy naturally; exposure to birds has been sufficient "training" for obtaining junior hunting test titles (we have not yet tried to train a vizsla steady to wing and shot in preparation for a senior hunting test title).

Improper training, abusive training techniques, pushing your puppy too early, or careless accidents (such as falling off a piece of agility equipment) or careless exposure to the noise of guns in the field could impair your vizsla's ability to fulfill his or her potential (as a hunting dog, agility dog, obedience dog, show dog) for life. All of the puppies in these litters come from strong field background and should possess a strong desire to hunt. If you use a trainer, make sure you know exactly what techniques will be used and toward what goal. Our goal is to produce well-rounded vizslas who can be successful in all aspects of performance...companionship, conformation, hunting, agility, obedience...so our breeding emphasis is on health and temperament first, then conformation and natural ability.

A good conformation trainer realizes that a show dog is one that is happy showing. Rough, prolonged or coercive training methods do not result in a good show dog.

The bottom line is that you know your vizsla better than any expert and you must advocate in his or her best interests. An additional word of caution: Because puppies are so impressionable, you must be extremely diligent to avoid bad experiences. This is often difficult to balance with socialization, which necessitates that your vizsla be exposed to a variety of dogs, peoples and settings. Just be on the alert: make sure that your puppy does not socialize with or get attacked by mean dogs; be aware of situations that are frightening or overwhelming to your puppy. Avoidance is key.

If your puppy does have a bad experience (such as being jumped on by a big dog) or if your puppy reacts with fear to a stimulus that you do not want him or her to be frightened of (such as thunder or gunfire): DO NOT CODDLE AND SOOTHE THE PUPPY, because you only teach the puppy that the stimulus is something to be feared and (s)he was correct to be frightened. Instead, reassure the puppy in a cheerful voice and engage the puppy into some new and enjoyable game or activity, preferably while the stimulus is still around. The puppy will learn that you are not afraid; therefore, (s)he should not be afraid. And even more, fun things happen when the stimulus is around. You may have to act like a goofball, but your puppy will benefit.

II. GROOMING YOUR VIZSLA

Coat: Vizslas have short, easy-to-care for coats that require very little grooming. Your vizsla would probably enjoy a weekly brushing with a soft brush or grooming glove. This will also reduce your vizsla's minimal shedding. We recommend the Zoom Groom.

Bathing: Bathe your vizsla with a shampoo especially formulated for dogs. Because vizslas do a lot of self-grooming, they do not require frequent bathing. In fact, overbathing your vizsla can dry his or her skin and cause flaking. My vizslas often "bathe" by swimming in a lake or river.

Teeth: Optimally, you should brush your vizsla's teeth daily to keep the gums and teeth healthy, and healthy teeth and gums are vital to your vizsla's overall good health. Older dogs sometimes have to be anesthetized to have their teeth scraped, usually because their owners have failed to brush them. Realistically, brush the teeth as often as you are able. My vizslas keep their teeth relatively clean by chewing on pressed rawhide.

Toe Nails: This is a touchy area to most vizslas! Failure to keep toe nails short can lead to deformities of the foot which ultimately could affect the dogs gait and movement. Toe nails should be clipped every week or two with dog nail clippers or sanded down wtih a dremel tool or both A proper nail is short and straight and does not click on the floor. The cut is made at the point of the downward curve of the nail. Always have Kwic Stop or styptic on hand in case you cut too short and hit a quick, because it will bleed (in an emergency, powder or flour could be used). Vizslas really dislike having toe nail trimmings, and it may take two people to get the job done (one to hold and one to clip). If you start a trimming session, do not stop because your vizsla happens to be struggling because if your vizsla learns that misbehavior will stop a session, (s)he will misbehave every time.

Ears: Clean your vizslas ears periodically with a cotton ball or tissue. For very dirty ears, OtiClens is a great ear cleaner. If your vizsla is shaking its head or pawing at his or her ears, (s)he may have an ear infection/irritation and need medication from the vet.

Anal Sacs: If your vizsla is scooting its butt along the ground, it may need to have its anal sacs expressed. I have only seen this done once, but full anal sacs are not uncommon. Ask your vet to express the sacs or to teach you how to express the sacs.

III. EXERCISING YOUR VIZSLA

Vizslas are sporting dogs and require a great deal of exercise. The actual amount of exercise depends upon the individual dog: some require more than others. Vizslas are also quite adaptable and should adjust to your routine.

Exercise should be specifically tailored to the individual needs of your vizsla, taking into account:

1. His or her age and overall age and physical condition;

2. The type and degree of exercise to which (s)he is accustomed; and

3. The weather. Introduce changes as gradually as possible, and be alert for signs of over exertion.

NEVER PUSH A PUPPY BEYOND WHAT (S)HE FEELS IS COMFORTABLE.

If the extent of your vizsla's activity has been daily on-lead walks, you can not expect him or her to hunt tirelessly on an all day jaunt. Similarly, to drastically reduce your vizsla's amount of exercise tends to result in a frustrated vizsla with no outlet for his or her energy - and that can be less than fun to live with! If you are changing your vizsla's activity level, do so gradually.

Because puppies are still growing, and their bones are developing, they must not be pushed. Do not expect your puppy to walk miles with you at your pace. Never jog or run with a puppy. Let your puppy determine the amount and pace of activity. You can do permanent damage to a puppy by pushing him or her beyond his or her physical limits (and being so willing to please, the puppy will try its best to keep up). Be alert to signs of fatigue. If the puppy cries, lies down, jumps on you or shows other signs of being tired, pick the puppy up and carry him or her. Ideally, adult vizslas should have an opportunity to run off lead in a safe place at least three or four times a week. Sometimes the weather (extreme heat or icy conditions) and life interfere!

IV. HOUSETRAINING YOUR VIZSLA

From as young as three weeks of age, vizsla puppies leave their blanket and try and potty on newspaper - vizslas are very clean and do not like to potty their nest. Your vizsla has already been started on a potty learning regiment. Once your puppy goes home, though, NO PAPER TRAINING! no newspaper in your home or in the crate!

TAKE YOUR PUPPY OUTSIDE TO POTTY:

1. Upon waking from a nap;

2. After each meal; and

3. At his or her request or indication.

Otherwise, to start, take your vizsla outside every half hour, gradually increasing the amount of time in between visits.

Verbally encourage the puppy to go potty, consistently using whatever terminology you prefer. Immediately after your puppy goes potty outside, give lots and lots of praise. If you want your puppy to potty in a specific place in your yard, take the puppy to that spot each and every time you go outside to potty. If you catch your vizsla going potty in the house, firmly say "No" in your discipline voice, pick the puppy up (preferably in mid-potty), and take the puppy outside. If the puppy finishes outside, give lots and lots of praise.

To large extent, the number of accidents and quickness of potty training depends upon how attuned you are to the puppy's signals. However, each puppy develops physiological bladder control at a different age, before which the puppy can not prevent accidents. I have found that males potty train more easily than females.

V. FEEDING YOUR VIZSLA

When we send your puppy home, we will give you explicit feeding instructions. Puppies are on three meals daily until 14 week, at which time they can receive the same amount of food in two meals (around 14 weeks, you will notice that your puppy is not that interested in a lunchtime meal). When your puppy reaches a year of age, I would recommend switching over to a grain free formula (which has many of the benefits of feeding raw). When the puppy is an adult, you may want to cut back to one meal daily, or you may wish to keep your vizsla on two meals. There are differing opinions as to which method is better, and you should choose the method with which you are comfortable.

If you want, you can mix in a small amount of moist meat (use a premium meat or fish moist meat). The amount of food to feed is determined in part by the product (digestibility) and in part by your vizsla's calorie needs, a function of metabolism and amount of exercise. The best way to determine whether your vizsla is eating the right amount is by evaluating how (s)he looks:

If your vizsla looks fat (you can see no trace of a rib), cut back on the food and/or increase the amount of exercise. If your vizsla looks too thin (you can see more than a trace of ribs, or the backbone or hip bones are protruding), increase the food intake.

Common Sense Feeding Tips

1. Avoid strenuous exercise immediately before or after a meal.

2. Leave at least one hour after a meal before taking your vizsla in the car.

3. Do not feed your vizsla at the table. Once a beggar, always a beggar.

4. Use common sense in giving "extras" to your vizsla, and aim for a nutritionally balanced diet. Most premium dog foods (like Innova) recommend against table scraps, though I permit reasonable amounts.

Avoid sugary products. Never give chocolate to your vizsla because chocolate is toxic to dogs and in sufficient quantity can cause death. Likewise, onions are toxic to dogs. Raisins and grapes can also be toxic. Never give cooked bones because they can splinter. Extremely acidic or spicy foods and most milk products can cause diarrhea. For safety be sure that the garbage is out of your vizslas reach. Also, antifreeze is very appealing to dogs and even a small amount can be very deadly - keep antifreeze stored away from your vizsla and be careful not to spill. Many plants are poisonous to dogs. Note that intense ear scratching or paw licking could be the sign of a food allergy.

5. Watch your vizslas weight and attitude. If you can see all his or her ribs, backbone or hip bones, or if (s)he seems hungry, increase the food intake. If you can't see a trace of ribs, (s)he may be too fat. If in doubt, consult me or your vet for advice.

VI. MEDICATIONS AND VETERINARY TRIPS

Always use common sense. Consult your veterinarian for exact details as to all of your vizsla's preventive medical needs/schedules or any time you believe something is not right. Of course, it would also be wise to touch base with me, because perhaps I will have experienced whatever you are going through. You know your vizsla better than anyone else, and your veterinarian must rely upon you to provide information as to symptoms, changes, etc. In addition to your annual preventive trips to the vet, consult your vet if you notice unusual behavior. Watch for signs of reaction to routine shots and vaccines. Sudden housebreaking violations may be indicative of a urinary tract infection (not uncommon in young puppies); ear pawing may indicate an ear infection. Follow your instincts. If you think there is a problem, there probably is!

1. Health Exam and Puppy Shots: Your puppy was examined by a licensed veterinarian and found to be in good health. Your puppy also received the first set of shots that same day. A certificate of innoculations and examination indicating the date and type of shot administered to your puppy is included in each puppy kit.

Bring the health record to your veterinarian on your first visit so that (s)he will know the date and type of vaccine your puppy has received. Your vet will provide you with the inoculation schedule you should follow. Under Connecticut law, your puppy will need a rabies shot at three months of age (this shot should NOT be done in conjunction with any other shots). In addition to the balance of the DHLPP series, I would ask your vet about the Lyme disease vaccine series and the bordatella vaccine. After the puppy series has been completed, the next DHLPP shot will be administered about one year later. After the DHLPP puppy shots and the 1 year booster, I titre rather than give these shots annually. Bring a fecal sample to every vet visit. Opinions on the appropriate vaccination protocol vary widely - however, recently the trend has been away from overvaccination because of the harm done to the animals' immune systems by overvaccination. A typical schedule might look something like this (please discuss your vaccination routine with your vet - if something doesn't sound right, please call me to discuss):

Around 8 weeks: DHPP shot #1 (Given by my vet during the puppy exam)

Around 12 weeks: DHPP shot #2 and get Heartworm Preventative

Around 14 weeks: Start Heartworm Preventative

Around 16 weeks: DHLPP shot #3

Around 18 weeks: Rabies shot

Around 20 weeks: Bordatella (and some may opt for a "safety net" parvo shot)

One month before the next big tick season: Lyme series (2 innoculations)

Frontline - try to wait until your puppy is at least 6 months

Around one year later: Booster the DHLPP. Thereafter, ask your vet to do annual titres to ensure protection (no more shots ever unless titre is insufficient). Rabies Every Three Years (or as required by state law). Annually have a snap test done (checks for heartworm, lyme & canine ehrlichiosis)

I administer three weeks of doxicycline each December because my dogs have such high tick exposure. If your dog has very high tick exposure, you might consider asking your veterinarian about doing prophylactic doxicycline. Be on the alert for signs of tick borne illness (sometimes the main symptom is that your dog is just "off" - also check for red lines in the gums, which is a big red flag for parasitic illness).

2. Heartworm Preventative: Your puppy should be started on heartworm medication immediately. Discuss the various heartworm protection options available when you take your puppy to the vet. I use the once-a-month heartworm, Interceptor. Because no heartworm medication is 100% effective, you should have your vizsla tested for heartworm. DO NOT USE PRO HEART 6. Until recently, I was opposed to using any tick preventative. However, after so many problems with equine ehrlichiosis, I am now using regular (not plus) FRONTLINE on my dogs in heavy tick months. This goes against my intuition, but having first-hand experienced that tick-borne illness, I now believe leaving the dogs totally unprotected is a greater risk than the Frontline (most vets with whom I have consulted have said this is the safest of similar products on the market, and the only one some would use).

3. Worming Medication: As a routine precaution, worming medication was dispensed; the type and date of administration is shown on the back of the health certificate.

4. Menses/Puberty: The time of first onset of menses in the female, and the time of subsequent cycles, varies from bitch to bitch, but generally falls between 11 and 24 months. My girls have first cycled from 11 to 15 months and then every 6 to 10 months thereafter. "Normal" encompasses a broad spectrum. Each bitch is different, and each cycle for a bitch may be different, or not. Males generally reach puberty between 8 and 12 months (e. g., lifting their legs to urinate). Deviations from these ages may be perfectly normal.

5. Over-the-Counter Products: BE CAREFUL! Read the labels, follow directions, and watch for reactions. Consult your vet if you have any questions. Many products that are safe for an adult vizsla are not safe for a puppy. I have had two puppies react to overdoses of flea products - use these products sparingly. If a product sounds too good to be true, maybe it is.

VII. CRATE TRAINING

Crate training is highly recommended. Not only does this give your puppy a safe haven when (s)he wants to be alone (probably not too often), but it gives you a safe place to keep the puppy when you can not watch what the puppy is doing. Crate training can also assist in housetraining. A few tips:

Do not use the crate for punishment.

Do not use the crate for more than a few hours at a time (exception: if the puppy sleeps in the crate overnight).

Keep children out of the crate - this is the place to which the puppy can escape if (s)he needs some quiet time.

VIII. LEAD BREAKING

The first few times you place your puppy on a leash, let the puppy lead you around. Then, gradually begin verbally coaxing the puppy to come with you. If the puppy is pulling, try walking the other way and coaxing the puppy along - treats may prove helpful. Don't forget to bring lots of treats to "encourage" your puppy! :-)

IX. USEFUL WEB SITES

www.szizlin.com My Web Site

www.vizsladogs.com General information on vizslas

www.infodog.com List of dog shows and dog show results

www.k9info.com Pedigree information; Superb site!

www.offa.org Hip x-ray information

www.akc.org Web site of the American Kennel Club

There are also volumes of books on vizslas…a few of popular ones are The Vizsla, by B.C. Boggs, The Versatile Vizsla, by Marion Coffman; and The Complete Vizsla, by Gay Gottlieb.

In my opinion, every dog owner should subscribe to the AKC Gazette. Not only does it include a monthly schedule of events, but it has wonderful articles on dog training and dog care. I HIGHLY recommend subscribing. To subscribe, call 919-233-9767 24-hours a day. The cost of a yearly subscription is about $30.

There is a national club (Vizsla Club of America, Inc.) and there are also regional vizsla clubs. If you are interested in becoming a member of any vizsla clubs, let me know and I will get you the paperwork.

Some web sites for on-line shopping:

R. C. Steele 1-800-872-3773 www.rcsteele.com

CAREALOT 1-800-343-7680 www.carealotpets.com

NE Serum 1-800-637-3786 www.NESerum.com

JB Wholesale 1-800-788-5005 www.jbpet.com

Cherrybrook 1-800-524-0820 www.cherrybrook.com

Fosters&Smith 1-800-826-7206 www.drsfostersmith.com