Puppy Inquiries Welcome

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Even when we don't have puppies, we are always happy to help you find a reputable breeder! 

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 Frequently Asked Questions About Adding A Vizsla Puppy

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BEWARE OF CO-OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS OR REQUIREMENTS

THAT YOU MUST SHOW OR BREED YOUR VIZSLA

 

Is the vizsla the right breed for me?

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Vizslas are very active and energetic and require daily exercise. Vizslas also tend to be very needy and want to be with you all the time. These same qualities that make Vizslas so endearing to those who are devoted to them can drive some people crazy. This breed is not right for you if you want a low-key dog who is content to lie down in the back yard and not demand much from you. Vizslas who do not receive sufficient exercise or attention can develop severe separation anxiety and become very destructive. There are creative ways to make sure a Vizsla’s needs are met, even if you work – day care, pet walkers, play groups – but it takes planning and involves a serious commitment.

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Especially in homes that are not dog experienced, we generally recommend that the youngest child in the household be four years of age or older before you add a puppy. Adding a vizsla puppy with a toddler is extremely difficult, and the joy of raising and enjoying a vizsla puppy frequently turns into a burden when trying to juggle a toddler and puppy – which is not good for anyone. Vizslas are usually very accepting of newborn humans added to their existing families.  Vizslas raised with cats also usually do well with them.

 

Should I get a boy or a girl?

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There is no simple answer to this question, and it makes more sense to focus on the personality and conformation of each individual puppy, rather than its gender. That said, we are willing to make a few generalizations, noting that there are exceptions to every statement. We think boys are just a bit more devoted and needy; girls are a little bit more self-reliant and independent. Boys tend to be larger (50 to 60 pounds) than girls (40 to 50 pounds). Boys in our experience have been easier to housebreak than girls, but boys can also destroy shrubs and mark in the house if not trained. For a variety of health and development reasons, we feel very strongly that no puppy should be neutered or spayed prior to reaching its maturity (i. e., a female will have had at least one heat; a male will be lifting his leg).

 

 How do I get on your list for a puppy? 

The process starts with a questionnaire (we also send you a sample contract). Your answers will enable us to help you decide if the breed is right for you, and will help us in matching the right puppy to your family. After completion of the questionnaire, we ask that you come meet us and our Vizslas to so that we can make certain  the breed is right for you. Families are welcome to visit the puppies as frequently as they want after the puppies reach three weeks of age. We are always willing to assist you in locating a breeder whether or not we are breeding at the time. To obtain a questionnaire, contact us at szizlin3@aol.com or carol@szizlin.com.

 

Do you require me to co-own my  puppy with you?

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No. We urge you to beware of co-ownerships.  We are disturbed by a trend toward so many breeders insisting upon a co-ownership arrangement for their puppies. Instead of conveying full legal interest in a puppy to a prospective family, some breeders require that they retain an ownership (and control) interest in the puppy. In our opinion, except in certain arrangements between experienced breeders, most co-ownership arrangements provide no benefit to you; they simply give breeders a way to control you and can cause a myriad of legal problems. We personally know two vizsla families that recently ended up in litigation due to problems stemming from co-ownership arrangements. As stated by the American Kennel Club, “It has been our experience that all too frequently, severe and complicated problems result from disputes over conditional sale, conditional stud and co-ownership contracts or any contract or agreement relating to restrictions or limitations people try to place on the sale or breeding of a dog.”                                                                                       http://www.akc.org/contact/answer_center/faq_resolveconflict.cfm.  

 

Do I have to show or breed my puppy?

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No.  Unless you want to, you do not have to show or breed your puppy, nor do you have to give us litters or  puppies back down the road. Showing a puppy requires considerable expense and commitment on your part - it can be a lot of fun if you want to do it, but it can be very difficult if  it is not your area of interest. Before agreeing to any such requirement, make sure you understand with some specificity exactly what is required. Breeding a vizsla is a huge responsibility and commitment, so please think long and hard before you agree to any requirement that you breed your puppy, or any demand for puppies back to a breeder. Again, these provisions are not in the best interest of you or your puppy. Breeding involves a tremendous amount of research, time, money and stress on you, and puts your female at some risk. Bitches can be lost in whelp, and puppies can be born with problems. You are responsible for the offspring that you produce. Breeding is best left in the hands of professionals who have committed themselves to carrying the bloodlines forward. That said, we (like most breeders) are thrilled to involve newcomers more actively in the  breed - twenty-seven years into vizslas, it is pretty clear to us that we need breed guardians for the future, and nothing makes us happier than to help  mentor,   coach and assist new vizsla devotees who  want to commit their energy to preservation of this wonderful breed. If you want to show and breed, we are thrilled to help you in any way possible! but in our opinion no person or family seeking a companion puppy should ever be coerced into these activities.

 

 What does it mean if  you give me a limited registration?

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 A limited registration means that your vizsla will be registered with the AKC, but no litters produced by your vizsla are eligible for AKC registration. This type of registration is appropriate for companion vizslas who are not going to be shown and bred. It is like an AKC-sanctioned non-breeding agreement, without the problems noted in the preceding section.  A vizsla placed on a limited registration is not eligible to compete in dog shows, but is eligible to be entered in other AKC events (such as hunt tests, field trials, agility, obedience and tracking events).  If we give you a limited registration, we can change that limited to a full registration if  such a change is warranted.. http://www.akc.org/reg/limitedreg.cfm

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 What health clearances on breeding animals are required?

 You will note a disparity in health clearances amongst breeders. Many elective clearances can be seen at www.offa.org and  http://www.vmdb.org. At this point, the national parent club for the vizsla breed, the Vizsla Club of America, Inc. requires only OFA hip clearances. However, elective clearances are sometimes obtained by breeders – some common clearances include eye clearances (CERF), cardiac clearances (OFA), thyroid clearances (OFA), sebaceous adenitis evaluations, elbow clearances (OFA), Von Willebrand clearances,  and Penn Hip evaluations. We have historically done OFA clearances as required by the VCA; we had not done other clearances because we had not had problems in those areas. However, we have recently done some CERF clearances because of a couple of problems -  the difficulty with meaningful CERF clearances (and some of the other clearances as well)  is that they are only valid for one year.

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Please note that the fact that a breeder is doing more than the required OFA hip clearance does not necessarily mean that the breeder has had problems. AKC has recently developed a CHIC program for each breed encouraging breeders to do certain breed specific tests on their breeding animals (for Vizslas, this now involves testing hips (one time after age 2), eyes (each year), and thyroid (once a year until age eight years), but once the first of each of these tests is done a CHIC number is issued when test results are entered into the database satisfying each breed specific requirement (i.e., OFA database) and when the owner of the dog has released the results into the public domain -  a CHIC number is not rescinded if the recommended  annual follow-up clearances are not performed.

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Also of importance is that a dog could fail all tests and be issued a CHIC number.  “The CHIC number itself does not imply normal test results, only that all the required breed specific tests were done and the results made publically available.” Remember,  the CHIC number is not rescinded even if the recommended subsequent annual CERF and thyroid exams are not done. Also, if the vizsla specific requirements are modified, existing CHIC numbers are not revoked. Again, a CHIC number is issued to a vizsla who has completed all the required tests at a given point in time. See CHF Links.

http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/chicinfo.html http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreqs.html?breed=VZ  vizsla specific/optional tests

 

 What about purchasing my puppy on-line and having it shipped?

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Absolutely NOT a good idea, and we never do it. Be careful.  A fancy website does not equate with a well-bred or well-raised puppy. We will  not subject our puppies to the rigors of being shipped as  cargo -   it is our belief that the risk is too great and that shipping places  an undue stress on such a young life.  You should always go see where your puppy was born and how the puppy was raised - and meet the mom! All puppies we place must be picked up at the appropriate age at our  home in Connecticut. No exceptions. Because of the breed's growing popularity, sometimes it does seem more difficult to get a well-bred puppy nearby as quickly as you may want, but please be patient. You are  adding a family member who will be with you for a very long time -  you may have to wait a few months, or drive the little extra distance, or take that flight and bring the puppy back under your airplane seat to give him/her the best possible start. Use common sense and trust your judgment. One of the advantages of working with a reputable breeder  is  that you are entering a long-term relationship with someone that cares about you and your puppy - working with a breeder you actually have a chance to meet  provides you with the opportunity to  see where the puppies come from and how they are being raised,   meet the puppy's mom, etc.  Some red flags we have noted when looking at some of the on-line websites that are worth careful investigation:  (1) Breeders who raise more than two litters at the same time (having raised two litters at the same time, we know how much work is involved to do even two litters right); (2) Breeders marketing puppies from multiple breeds of dog at the same time; (3) Breeders who accept PayPal and credit card payments; (4) Breeders who do not do health screens on their breeding animals or veterinary exams on their puppies prior to placement; (5) Breeders who keep an "on-site" stud dog and use him  to breed with  all or most of their bitches; and (6) Breeders who make no effort to utilize their expertise to match the right puppy personality to family, but instead foist the selection process on to the families.   In evaluating these on-line sites, pay particular condition to the environment in which the pups are being raised (is there access to family and external stimulation? do the mom and puppies have adequate comfortable bedding? do the conditions seem sanitary?),  and be mindful of the relationship between the puppies and mother dog to the Breeder (both should be drawn like magnets to the humans in their lives). Also pay attention to whether the pups look healthy (eyes should be clear; noses not running).  All puppies are adorable, but sadly some puppies are not given as good a start as they deserve - and this can lead to problems down the road.

 

For tips on raising your new puppy, click on the “Puppy Raising” button.

Any other questions, feel free to contact us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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