Hungarian Vizsla anyone had experience?

[madeyemoodysmum]

My husband is keen on this breed as a first dog since childhood.

I have reservations as I read they are not keen on being left for long.

I work from home except one day I'm out for 9 hours but kids would be in after school.

Fridays I'm often out 5 hours in one stretch. Other wise someone would always be around.

Also what are the exercise requirements. We live in a village with great walks but husband works till 7 most days.

I'd rather a border terrier or Norfolk terrier or a wire haired cross breed.

Kids are teens.

My friend has a viszla and she said it's an extremely high energy dog, needs lots of walks and stimulation every day.

We have a 10 month vizsla / lab mix. He is coming on a treat. He is crate trained, we have a camera to keep an eye on him when we are away and he's not anxious. Just have to build it up like any dog.
They are intelligent and do require lots of exercise and chews to wear them out but are utterly doting sweethearts. No regrets.

Lovely dogs, prone to be clingy. I don't think a 9-hour solo stretch is good for a dog, but if you could break that up with a dog walker, you might be okay. You would need to build a puppy up to it, though (we've always started our puppies with short spells of solo time from early in their lives, and never had a problem).

I'm not sure that they're ideal as a first dog. They are highly intelligent and often very driven (and prey driven): if you get one, I would strongly suggest you find a good gundog trainer or training club, to help you learn how to train your dog.

The key thing is not so much the time you spend exercising the dog but what you do with it in that time. If you pack two half-hour walks with 20 mins of retrieving, or finding hidden toys, or sit-stays, recalls and stops, or off-lead heel, and then a bit of free running for ten minutes at the end, I'd expect you to have a well-mannered and fairly chilled dog. Dogs like this need their brains worked, and if they don't get it, they get antsy and bored and destructive. Take a fractious one out for half an hour of Doing Stuff in the woods, and it will come home and chill.

That said, they can run (or work) all day. I don't own one, but I do love them and IME they are much better for being mentally stimulated.

Extremely high energy working breed, prone to anxiety
Need a lot of time, not good for first-time owners
I’d say as your husband is out til 7 then he diesn’t Get to choose a dog he won’t be around to care for!
A border or Norfolk would likely be much steadier in temperament once over the puppy stage. Vizla’s don’t really calm down for 6/7 years

Vizsla is the right spelling. Please.

Is that directed at me @LazyFace?
Fuck off unless you’ve got something useful to contribute and stop spectacularly missing the point and attempting to belittle those of us offering the OP constructive and relevant advice by detailing with irrelevant pedantry

Please.

Thank you for the advise. I do feel the breed it's too much for us. I don't particularly even want a dog myself If we do get one I need it to be a happy chilled relaxed type not a stressed unhappy one that will tie us down too much.

( I do realise all dogs are a tie)
And we also own two cats but obv cats are easier pets.

I don't particularly even want a dog myself If we do get one I need it to be a happy chilled relaxed type not a stressed unhappy one that will tie us down too much.

In the nicest possible way, this is a massive red flag. You don’t really want a dog and your DH has no time to care for one. No dog is guaranteed to be relaxed and chilled and almost all are hard work for the first 2-4 years depending on breed and individual quirks. Are you really able to cheerfully commit to the hard work training, walking and expense of a dog - even when it’s acting like a Dick? Because it will

Perhaps read some of the puppy survival threads in the Doghouse and think about whether you REALLY want a 10-15 year commitment of training, walking (even in sleet and rain), vet care, dog-walkers, kennelling etc.

Love vizslas - my auntie has one and an ex boyfriend had one. In general Velcro dogs and fairly easy to train but they are absolutely NUTS and have endless stamina and energy. I was going to get one but I decided on 2 ridgebacks instead (which are even more hard work but not as nuts ☺️)

My friend had a vizla.

Lovely dog but very high maintenance. Needed loads of input as a puppy and for much longer than other breeds.

Super-anxious and not keen on small children. He was well trained though and used to remove himself from their presence. Visiting parents were always quite surprised to be told the stair gate on the study door wasn’t to protect the children from him but him from the children!

He was intended to be a gun dog but didn’t manage to finish training as found the bangs too upsetting.

He was very loyal and loving. I knew him from puppyhood and my best memory is of being ill in their house while visiting and lying on the sofa and him deciding I needed some TLC. Huge massive adult vizla lying on you is a bit overwhelming! Even into his later years when I only saw him infrequently due to geography he was always delighted to see me and used to cunningly place “his” demand for time around their children.

We have one.
I say don't do it as a first time dog. They are massively high energy, our gets approx 2 hours of exercise a day, much of that needs to be off lead. They also need a lot of mental stimulation, they mature late, are stubborn, I could go on.
Our first two years have been such hard work and despite his loveliness if I could go back in time In not sure I could do it again.

If you don't want a dog and have a stipulation that it needs to be a happy chilled type I would say don't get a dog.

I am coming to the conclusion that there is always something about any dog that is a bit of a pain, even if that doesn't bother you. If you don't really want a dog and it needs to be like those in adverts that sits by the fire iykwim then you are taking a risk. I know dogs that have been 'easy' compared to mine but drives their owners potty with yapping all the time. Others that have resource guarding issues, recall challenges, chewing etc.

I love the looks of a vizla but discounted them as they didn't fit with my lifestyle. If you still go ahead with getting a dog despite not really wanting one for yourself then look at the breeds 'worst' traits and ask yourself whether you want to manage them.

Someone I know has just gotten a Vizsla puppy, I can tell it's a very sweet dog but totally insane and nervy. They are really having a difficult time with it. Definitely not helped by it being completely the wrong fit for their lifestyle (don't think it's walked often and not off-lead) and isn't being socialised with other dogs. They need a hell of a lot of daily exercise - they are working dogs. You'd probably be better off with a terrier if you just want a family pet. Or better still, rehome an older adult dog with a calmer temperament - puppies are really hard work!

I have never ever met a calm vizsla!

A neighbour of ours got one at the same time we got our beagle. They're almost two years now and the vizsla is still absolutely mental. She gallops everywhere, is massively high energy and extremely clingy. She's also quite an aggressive dog and will go for dogs she doesn't like. Although that's not necessarily the breed.

I wouldn't recommend one as a first-time owner. They need a lot of work and wouldn't manage being alone for five hours at a time.

Unless you are all 100% on wanting a dog I wouldn't get one.
All dogs take at least a few hours a day walking, cleaning feeding.
Do your research you need to know everything warts and all about the breed, I am cautious of any dog with children and also bringing a working dog in to a non working environment.
We have had dogs for 30 odd years, we have had good experience in the past with small kids and Lhasa Apso's, easy to maintain good sleepers so if crated can be left.
We currently have working Terrier, but she is bread for being quiet so not yappy, but coat is higher maintenance than some, she travels well and can be crated so she goes where we go, if she cant come in a shop we dont go it.
Remember if a working dog smells prey it will be after it, it cant be trained out in our life time.
How are the cats with dogs?
Make certain the breeder will take it back if it doesn't work out

Remember if a working dog smells prey it will be after it, it cant be trained out in our life time.
It can't be trained out, but it can be controlled. I have a high drive working-bred dog. I know when she's found scent, and I keep a very close eye on her. She flushed a pheasant this afternoon, but she stopped on command. I've stopped her even starting to chase a running deer. I've called her away from a deer she flushed. You have to work at it, but you can get a decent level of control.

I agree but it can take a lot of work and be difficult so its another consideration

Remember if a working dog smells prey it will be after it, it cant be trained out in our life time.

I had about 6-8 months of hell with my working cocker but now he will stick with me off lead walking close to deer and next to a rabbit holes as we walk in the countryside. That's because we haven't trained him to ignore prey but we have focused his instinct onto us so he knows it's more fun to hunt and chase 'with us' rather than doing his own thing. Was bloody hard work (we focused on this over most training that people do e.g. no trick training until he was an adult) but it has paid off.

Thank you for the advise. I do feel the breed it's too much for us. I don't particularly even want a dog myself If we do get one I need it to be a happy chilled relaxed type not a stressed unhappy one that will tie us down too much.

Can I suggest that you stop worrying so much about the breed, this suggests you are after a puppy and that WILL be hard work and a massive tie for the first few years. Instead please talk through the realities of dog ownership and make sure you can really give a dog a good home, then look around some reputable rescues. A golden oldie may suit you and your lifestyle better. Rescues aren't necessarily "problem" dogs, I got a lovely black lab from a couple who had split and neither were in a position to take it, other friends have taken dogs where their owners got Ill or needed residential care. Please look into this, puppies look cute but they sound like more work than you're prepared for just now.

Remember if a working dog smells prey it will be after it, it cant be trained out in our life time.
@Funf you might want to expand your understanding of working dogs beyond terriers

In the nicest possible way, this is a massive red flag. You don’t really want a dog and your DH has no time to care for one

This. Dogs are a HUGE amount of work and cost. No dog will cope well with 9 hours alone one day a week.

If your DH wants the dog but won't be there to look after it - the massive responsibility will fall to you!

My point is a working dog has a long history of working so the working aspect has to be considered if it's going to be a pet and not worked. I think that would apply to any working dog?
I feel its all about taking your time, finding a good breeder and fully understanding what you are letting your self in for.
A dog should be an integral part of the family and should be able to go 90% of the places the family go

Thanks again all. I think I have convinced dh to forget the vizsla

We are going too look at Cross breeds Won't be for ages as we need to move house and let our cats settle in first. That will be at least 6 months.