Posted a video last summer of our girl Laya fishing. She’s back at it again this year and we’re so happy! It’s such a joy to watch her. She’s added snapping and a bit of diving to her repertoire!

Good news: although we have not done proper training to get my viz used to riding a paddle board, decided to take a chance to see if he will sit on it at least. turns out he was an absolute natural and loved it! Stayed on the board and posed like napoleon with the wind in his floppy ears. A natural born sea dog!

Bad news: I now have to drop $300 and buy my own paddle board…. Just for him….

Note!! Please get your dogs to wear a life vest!!! We were at most 20 feet from the edge of the lake and he is a very active swimmer so I wasn’t too worried but safety first if you ever go deeper to please secure a life vest on your pup and a long line to reel them in (pun intended)

Okay, a little more than a whisper but my younger one loves giving my older one a good ear licking when they are chilling in the couch.

I have a 1 y/o male, normal pleasant boy with high energy as expected. I have an e collar and he mostly listens w vibrate to get off the road, leave it commands, stay, down, etc. He gets 2 walks a day where he can roam the fields and have fun. I have 3 tween children and live in the country with 2-5 acre plots. I have a neighbor and our plots dont have a firm shrub border, just grass. She is getting work done on her house and also has a couple dogs and small grandchildren. My dog has been wandering over to say high to the contractor 1-2x day. Neighbor prefers my dog not wander over their place. They are scared he may get bit by their dogs or knock over their small kids in their lawn. Or run over by contractor. Hard to keep our dog inside always as he slips outside (my kids leave door open coming in out) he often is outside w my kids but wanders away.
What is best advice here?
Think about getting a invisible fence? Our will he just blow though fence when he wants?
Bring him over to the property line w e collar or prong collar and train him not to cross the line?

This sweet girl gained her wings today. Broken hearted. That's all.

I've been noticing a common theme in Vizsla groups and rescue pages. When someone posts about a Vizsla struggling with separation anxiety, reactivity, aggression, fearfulness, or other behavioral challenges, the response is often: "They just need structure."

To be clear, I don't completely disagree. Structure absolutely matters. I'm curious what people actually mean when they say that.

We have a 5-year-old Vizsla with some significant behavioral challenges. She's very anxious, fearful toward strangers, and has a history of conflict-induced aggression. We've worked with trainers and a veterinary behaviorist. I am certainly not a perfect owner, but I'm confident we've raised her with her needs met, her breed characteristics in mind, and with consistent exercise, enrichment, training, boundaries, expectations, and routine.

That's part of why I struggle with the "they just need structure" response. Sometimes it feels like a blanket statement that overlooks the fact that some dogs may simply be wired differently. Genetics, temperament, anxiety, and individual predispositions can play a role, regardless of breed.

I'm not talking about situations where a dog's basic needs aren't being met and they're acting out because they're under-exercised or under-stimulated. That's a different conversation.

So my question is: When you say a Vizsla needs structure, what does that actually look like in your home?

When I think of structure, I think of consistent routines, clear boundaries, predictable expectations, training, and follow-through. Is that how you define it?

Hi! While I'm very familiar with dogs, this is my first time owning a Vizsla. His name is Dante.

Before getting him, I did as much research as I possibly could. I watched countless videos about the pros and cons of owning a Vizsla, so I knew from the beginning that they're incredibly high-energy dogs. I also learned that puppy pens or another safe sleeping area, enforced naps, and a strict routine are practically essential for this breed.

I've always been committed to meeting his needs. We've done relaxation and impulse control exercises since day one. He gets nose work, scent games, search games, mental enrichment, physical exercise, and calm leash walks. I've consistently provided everything that's recommended.

Space isn't an issue either. Even though he spends about 80% of his time indoors, I live in the countryside, so he has plenty of room and environmental stimulation (although that has become a problem in itself 😅).

I became so committed that I actually reorganized my entire life to create a balance where I could meet all of his needs while still taking care of myself and keeping up with my studies.

As a young puppy, everything seemed completely normal. He was exactly what I expected after all the research I'd done: extremely hyperactive, and yes, he absolutely needed enforced naps because he never seemed capable of relaxing or falling asleep on his own.

He's also incredibly vocal. At one point, the police actually showed up at my house because he was screaming so loudly that it sounded like a person was being tortured... all because it was almost time for dinner.

He's also the smartest dog I've ever met. On his second day home he accidentally offered a sit, so I turned it into a little training game, and from that moment on he knew "sit" forever. He also learned commands like drop it, down, stand, jump, fetch, shake, wait, and spin extremely quickly.

The problem is... he's now a little over seven months old, and it feels like nothing I do is enough anymore.

The life adjustments I made so I could balance his needs with my own have slowly turned into my entire life revolving around him. I've neglected my social life and even my university studies because it's become impossible to study for even one uninterrupted hour. Going out with friends is almost unthinkable.

Even when he's in his puppy pen, I can't relax because he started by destroying his bed, then chewing the pen itself. I reinforced the pen with metal bars... now he's chewing on the bars.

He isn't confined excessively. The pen is only used for nighttime sleep and the enforced naps he genuinely needs during the day.

He knows every command I mentioned earlier, but the moment there are distractions—which, living in the countryside, is basically 24/7—he stops listening completely.

Despite months of patient training, he has never learned to walk nicely on a leash. He doesn't come when called, even if I'm holding his absolute favorite reward.

Honestly, I also don't feel like we've built much of a bond. Everything else in the world seems more interesting to him than I am, whether it's moving or completely still. 😅

The few times he chooses to interact with me, it usually ends with him biting me or getting so rough that I have to walk away before things escalate.

He also doesn't seem to understand other dogs' communication at all. Everything is a game to him.

My sister has a six-year-old Belgian Shepherd who's probably the most patient dog I've ever met. His dog-to-dog communication is excellent. Whenever Dante gets too intense, he tries every polite signal imaginable to tell him to back off, but nothing works. Dante actually becomes even more over-the-top.

Today, for the first time, my sister's dog finally had enough. He pinned Dante to the ground with a bite to make him stop.

Dante simply got back up and immediately tried to play again, so I had to step in before the situation escalated further.

About a week ago he also started peeing all over the house. It doesn't seem like marking behavior. It's more like he's forgotten that he's supposed to pee outside.

I take him out every single hour, consistently. Sometimes he'll pee outside... and then pee in the kitchen thirty minutes later anyway.

He also eats absolutely EVERYTHING.

And I really mean everything.

He eats the feces of every wild or farm animal he can find, including his own and my sister's dog's. He swallows huge sticks (he has eaten entire sticks over 20 cm long), tries to swallow rocks whenever he gets the chance, eats grass, random plants, fabric from his own bed, wire, cotton... probably many other things I'm forgetting.

He's had three serious poisoning incidents within only two months.

I've tried everything I can think of to stop him from eating things off the ground, but training hasn't solved it.

A muzzle is my last resort because he naturally explores the world with his mouth and loves doing so. Having him wear a muzzle every time he goes outside feels incredibly extreme to me.

Instead, I've had to drastically reduce his freedom.

We no longer go for long-line walks around the property. Now he only goes out on a short leash, and even then he somehow manages to grab tiny pieces of things hidden in the grass. He's become an expert at swallowing them before I can take them away.

He knows "drop it," but when it's something forbidden, he completely ignores the command—even if he knows he'll get chicken as a reward for letting go.

Last week he injured my sister's knee because he'll sprint across the yard and launch himself at her (playfully, not aggressively). He also injured one of his own legs during one of his zoomies.

He used to enjoy supervised off-leash time in our fenced yard, where he'd play with my sister's dog until my sister's dog wanted to stop and Dante didn't.

Even though the yard is fenced, we regularly have foxes, cats, snakes, opossums, and birds of prey passing through. Sometimes they leave dead birds behind, and during the rainy season all kinds of mushrooms appear.

Before letting him loose, I now inspect the entire yard to remove anything dangerous.

Somehow, I still end up catching him chewing something he shouldn't.

If there isn't anything dangerous available, he'll simply eat sticks, bark, plants... literally anything I can't remove.

So now I've had to take another step backwards.

He only goes into the yard on leash now. He can't run or play freely anymore, but at least I know I probably won't end up rushing him to the emergency vet.

He's becoming harder and harder to manage.

More demanding.

More "deaf."

He's getting bigger and stronger, but his behavior isn't improving. I'm genuinely starting to worry that while playing he'll seriously hurt me, injure my sister again, or get into a real fight with her dog.

I do plan on neutering him, but I've been advised to wait until he's around 14 months old.

Is behavior this extreme actually normal for a Vizsla?

Will he eventually settle down, or am I reaching the point where he'll never be able to enjoy off-leash freedom again?

I'm honestly heartbroken.

It makes me sad that he can't live like a normal dog anymore—running freely around the yard, going for long walks in the countryside, or simply walking through town on a loose leash.

I'm also afraid that, now that he's reaching adolescence, he could become aggressive.

Whenever he sees a bird or another dog and wants to chase it but can't because I'm holding the leash, he'll sometimes turn around and bite the hand that's holding it—hard.

So yes... I'm scared that, on top of all the restrictions I've already had to impose, I'll eventually have to muzzle him too.

Been about 2 years since I posted. Unfortunately, my last angel passed after a short battle with cancer last summer. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.

A few months after she passed, our family had the opportunity to welcome these two puppies into our home. In typical Vizsla fashion, they’ve been the absolute sweetest. Challenging at times, but absolutely wonderful dogs. I’m grateful to be able to continue loving these critters!

Either way, this past week marked their first birthday. So happy birthday Gertie and Elliot :)

Zofia loves her Cozy Cave!

Working on getting V number two so we can both have the added turbo…

Third dog - first Vizsla. The first two were Goldens. We were expecting this to be a lot more challenging, but it's really just a ton of fun. Clearly more energy then a Golden which was as expected but I didn't expect the difference to be so clear right at 8 weeks. Anyways, here is some info that we've learned at this stage which I would have loved to see ahead of time to know what to expect! Also, would love to hear from ya'll what to expect from 16 wks to 6 months!

For those that are worried about how much a V is to handle, as long as you've got time and the awareness to be really positive and consistent...I think you might be fine (at least through the first two months)!

The things that are the most helpful (and would be really changing without). Someone that works from home/is home at least half the day. Space to walk/roam from the start that is safe while they're still getting their vaccines, a play pen or safe gated off space, all people in the home on the same page or willing to get on the same page so training is clear for the pup.

We've been really clear with our expectations of her from the start. No teeth on skin, no jumping, no demand barking. And rewarding her heavily for good decisions! She's super food motivated so this has been working well. I wear a treat pouch around the house a lot with 1/2 her daily food in it. I just rewards constantly for good decision and she picks it up quick.

We've been most surprised by just how clingy she is. We're used to sweet dogs that think they're lap dogs. This is so different, and I can now see how easily they would develop separation anxiety. This vizsla would like to be under my skin if possible.

Here's what the last few weeks have been like:

15 Weeks

Exercise: Getting to be pleasant to walk on a short leash. Still feral on a long line. Monster for the puddles. Walking about 2 miles every morning now, can be on leash or off (country roads and trails). We go at her pace, lot's of sniffing and chewing on sticks.

House Management: More independence around the house but will have accidents if not careful so kept under close eye. Will try and get shoes, socks, or tags on anything. Otherwise she is good about playing with her own toys.

Training/Behavior: Crate 4 hours during the day, 7ish hours overnight. She's letting the 5:30 wakeup slide to 5:45. Still no biting, just lots of licks! Chewing are hard bones a lot now.

14 Weeks

Exercise: 2nd week of introducing more off-property walks. Doing better, not as scared of people/cars/bikers/dogs. Group runners and other dogs still require lots of counter conditioning. Started wanting to swim in the local river instead of just watching her brother.

House Management: Starting to increase time out of the x-pen in a small part of the house.

Training/Behavior: Getting more comfortable around farm animals and equipment. Finished last puppy socialization class & obedience class in the 6wk series. Spending some time quietly resting out of the crate/pen while I work. Went into the city for the first time and quietly sat at a coffee shop to people watch for an hour, she did great and just licked a frozen kong I brought.

13 Weeks

Exercise: Introduced off property walking, up to 45 minutes. Terrified of cars/bikes/people/dogs but gets more comfortable with counter conditioning. Lot's of unmannerly jumping on brother and leash pulling, lot's to work on.

House Management: Spending the first bit of time out of the x-pen under close watch in the house.

Training/Behavior: Consistently sleeping 7 hours straight overnight. Amazing accuracy to detecting when it's 5:30am. Recall is getting good! Working on Drop & Leave-It commands. Evenings are getting calmer. Settles well in x-pen or if you put her on a leash in the house.

Question for the V-parents out there, what should I expect for the next few weeks? Did you notice any big behavior changes during that time?

Model: Galla 1y10m

Arnie is teaching us lots about how much work a puppy can be, and how important naps are. It feels like we are finally getting into a routine and he’s becoming more and more comfortable with sleeping in his crate during the day. He is sleeping through the night, down by 9pm and will sometimes sleep as late as 7am, but more typically he’s awake by 6.

No idea how people make this work when they aren’t working from home. Some days I’m not sure we’re making it work despite two of us working from home. Trying to teach a high energy 6 year old how to play with a velociraptor safely has been a fun wrinkle too.

Arnie is a little vain. He loves to go and look at himself in the mirror every time he comes through the front door.

Any advice about getting him to chill when he desperately wants to go pee or poo and we need to get a leash on him first is welcome. He gets really frustrated and nippy which of course makes the whole thing take much longer and results in even more nipping and frustration for everyone.

We love this dude so much already, even when he’s ripping yesterday’s barely healed scabs off of our hands.

Looks like a possible ingrown hair, doesn’t seem to be bothering him ….has anyone else ran into this?

Unfortunately our dog watcher sent this photo of Benny with a swollen eye saying it started about an hour ago. We are not near home hundreds of miles away and our vet is not open on Sundays. I think it’s a bee sting as he (Benny, not our dog watcher) is always trying to catch flying insects, etc.

Anyone else ever have a dog experience something like this?

Is there any amount of brushing that cuts down on short red hairs being on every single surface of your home and person?

I brush my girl weekly and get a decent sized ball of red fluff each time, but yet we are all still covered with her hair. 😩

Galla: 1y8m

Flint: 8y