All Vizsla owners!!!

[tessa_s212]

If you are a Vizsla owner, a Vizsla breeder, or just know of the breed and maybe some great breeders, please read.

Before this past summer, my dad had decided to get me a new dog. I'd been wanting to show in Jr showmanship and conformation for over three years, but never had a good enough dog. I researched many different breeds, some including the Brittany, the Border Collie, and the Malinois. '

While researching these breeds, I really did start to see breed splits, and even "mind splits", so to speak, between the two different 'kind' of people: the working bred & the conformation bred. Because of all these breed splits, it caused a lot of tension and hatefulness. The working breeders hated the conformation breeders, and the conformation breeders thought the working breeders were just full of....yea, you know the word!

That is how I became interested in the Vizsla. The more I talked to Vizsla owners, the more I noticed that several of them not only compete in conformation, they hunt or field test their dogs!!! They also can do agility and obedience with them! EVERYTHING I want in a dog! And because you don't see the major breed split, I CAN do everything without all that hate and tension between the two separate splits! Right then, I decided that someday I'd like to own a Vizsla!

.....About two weeks ago I made the decision to no longer get that Border Collie pup that I had planned to show in Jrs and conformation. I knew that with Cocoa's seizures, having a new puppy would only put more stress on her and possibly cause even more seizures! Even the thought of that,... It's one thing when they have seizures for unknown reasons, but when you know that YOU put that stress on them and in return they had a seizure you feel like a monster. Like a dirty, city rat that should be dead. In other words, that is the LAST thing I would want to do.

I knew very much that it would be best for Cocoa for me not to get a new puppy, but part of me still wanted to show in Jrs and conformation SOO bad even though I knew it was horrible of me to be so selfish. Just maybe I have found a solution....

This morning I woke from my dream. I dremt that I a Vizsla breeder had visited with me, and brought her adult, male Vizsla. I played with him, and even handled him a bit as if I were in a ring. He knew basic obedience as well.... Still dreaming, I was begging my parents to let me have him. That is when I woke up.

There is just SO much more responsibilities to puppies. I knew if I got a puppy, that alot of time that I spend with Cocoa would be split in half, if not more. I know that that would put stress on her, and she would become jealous. I also understand that I am very busy. I go to school, I am a cheerleader, and I have dog training classes 2-3 times a week. I knew that a puppy could only, and would only, add more stress onto my OWN life as well. The perfect solution: an adult.

So, that is why I am posting this. I know that there are alot of Vizsla owners on this board. I am hoping if they can help me. Do you know of any great Vizsla breeders around Northwestern Ohio? They could probably be up to 5-6 hours away at the most.

I am just really hoping to get into contact with a breeder that just might have an adult dog they'd be willing to co-own with a junior.

Even if I were to find a dog and a breeder, I'd have to convince my mother. The last time I even mentioned an older dog, it was an immediate "NO!" We have a male cocker that is agressive,... BUT, he will usually only show aggression around his food. If I got this new dog he'd sleep and be fed in his/her crate in my room, with Cocoa and away from the other dogs. .....My mother is a very stubborn person, and I have a feeling that I am getting my hopes up for nothing.

If you can't already tell, I am getting desperate. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

[Thadaboykobe]

Hmm, interested that much in the breed huh? They're great. I love Kobe, he's just wonderful. Hmm, I can do some research to check if there are any Vizsla breeders in Northwestern Ohio. But.. you also need to know what exactly you're getting into...

1) Have you done your research?
- Do you know about the breed?
- Health needs?
- Feeding?
- Excercise?
- Living conditions?
- How they get along with other dogs?
- If it's the right breed for you and your family? (Including other pets)

Kobe did very well with 3 other dogs and a cat, but because of his hyper and very playful nature, he was able to hurt the other dogs without trying or meaning it. I see that you want an adult Vizsla, but make sure you are getting an adult that at least has some training already. You dont want an adult that isn't well trained already, it's a little harder to train adult dogs than puppies. Vizslas do very well with training, able to learn a new trick in under 2 days or less than an hour.

2) Commitment
- Are you able to take care of this dog properly?
- Check your schedule to see if you are able to provide all the needs a Vizsla needs in a daily basis. (example - Walks, play, feeding, interaction, ect)
- Is this dog for you or your parents to care for?
- Are you able to take the responsiblily to take your dog to the vet and pay for anything it needs? (Are you financially able to afford another dog in your life?)

Okay, so I may sound like a nerd saying all this, but this is what I had to look up and consider before I got Kobe, and I learned even more when I adopted him.

3) Breeder
- Take a background check of the breeder
- How long has the breeder been a breeder of this breed?
- Make sure you're not getting ripped off. (Ask for papers and ask if they showed their dogs at anytime)

Hmm, an adult Vizsla can still be checked on it's background. Whoever you're adopting from, ask if the dog has any papers and if it's registered already. Check if the dog has had all it's shots, if it's been well taken care of, ect. Whatever you think is nessesary to know.

Now I'm not an expert at this type of stuff, but all of this that I'm telling you is what I would do/did to get my puppy. I know you want an adult Vizsla, which probably will work out better than a puppy since they're extremely hyper as puppies and can get themselves into trouble with the other dogs in your family.

Here's a good website I found:

http://www.pawzitivebeginnings.org/windrunnervizslas/

Columbus, Ohio?
Close enough? Not sure which part of Northeastern Ohio you live at so..

Well...I hope you find what you're looking for! But remember, do your research if you haven't already! It's very important so that you and the new part of your family will be happy. Dogs don't come with reciepts, they're forever.

[Thadaboykobe]

Oops, I made a mistake. It's northwestern. Bleh! Hmm, I tried to look again but couldn't find anything. Hmm, I'll get back to you a little later if I find another website in NorthWESTern Ohio.

[tessa_s212]

1) Have you done your research?
- Do you know about the breed? I believe I do. I have read and gone through probably about 20 of breeder's websites. I have also spoken to many Vizsla owners. I've asked questions, and I believe that I have an understanding of the breed.
- Health needs? I may be a bit ignorant on this. Until now, I never thought that I would own a Vizsla this early. I think that epilepsy(???) can be a problem with this breed. I am not certain, though. I am hoping for a reply from the many breeders I have already emailed. I am hoping they could help to educate me more on this breed.
- Feeding? They are obviously a very energetic dog, and larger than your average cocker. I would most likely be feeding this new dog the same as Cocoa's food, for we don't have any other options because of my location. I live in "corn country!"
- Excercise? I know that they will need a lot of excersize. This dog will compete in obedience and agility. That will hopefully keep him/her mentally stimulated. I am also hping for a playful dog that enjoys playing tug, or ball. All of our dogs are getting older, and tire quickly. An energetic, lively, young dog would be a nice change, though he/she might even wear me out!
- Living conditions? I live in a very small town, it is actually considered a village! I have a very large back yard in town that is fenced in. My house isn't huge, but isn't incredibly small. This dog would have a crate in my bedroom. He/She would eat and sleep there.
- How they get along with other dogs? I, of course, would have to get a dog that got along with our others. They would first meet on nuetral ground. Our dogs have accepted the new puppy just fine, and had accepted our adult rescue many years back. I am hoping they would do the same for this new dog.
- If it's the right breed for you and your family? (Including other pets) My sister just recently got an ESS puppy. DEFINITELY more energetic than most of our cockers. BUT, that is what I enjoy about her. She loves to play and run. Very energetic. I practically raised her. My sister would let her run around loose in our house from the time she was 7 weeks old. She would not watch her, and the puppy would have accidents in the house. My sister would then scold and yell at her. Soon, I got very angry for how she was treating this new puppy, and felt sorry for Misha. I started watching her, taking her out every two hours, and playing with her.

2) Commitment
- Are you able to take care of this dog properly? I believe so. My family owns seven cockers. All of which I help take care of. Our oldest cocker has ear infections. I am usually the first and only kid(of us four) to step up and take the responsibility to clean her ears every day--no matter how nasty it is. I also stay home on the weekends to bathe and brush the dogs. Usually I bathe and brush two dogs per weekend. Each dog has their own weekend for certain weekends of the month. They usually get bathed every 2-4 weeks. Usually I only end up caring for our two oldest cockers, my own cocker, and our little rescue girl. My sister and brothers each have their own dogs, and my mom tries to make them care for their dogs by themselves.
- Check your schedule to see if you are able to provide all the needs a Vizsla needs in a daily basis. (example - Walks, play, feeding, interaction, ect) I usually at least have 2-3 hours each day that I am not busy. For those days that I might only have 1-2 hours extra, those are the days I have dog training classes. So, technically, I woudl still be excersizing and caring for this new dog.
- Is this dog for you or your parents to care for? My mom is a stay at home mom. She will most likely let him/her out of his/her crate multiple times throughout the day when she takes the other dogs to go outside for a potty break. Other than that, I will feed this dog, I will bathe it, I will train it, I will play with it, and I will excersize it.
- Are you able to take the responsiblily to take your dog to the vet and pay for anything it needs? (Are you financially able to afford another dog in your life?) For several years we were barely able to afford our seven that we did have, due to my dad being laid off. This past year his factory/company has taken off. We are financially able to afford another dog.

3) Breeder
- Take a background check of the breeder
- How long has the breeder been a breeder of this breed?
- Make sure you're not getting ripped off. (Ask for papers and ask if they showed their dogs at anytime)
I will certainly check for ALL of this. All of our previous dogs have come from horrible breeders, puppymills, and BYBs. We didn't know any better. Now I do. Because we didn't know, most of our cockers all have health problems.
I will be looking for a very strict breeder. One that requires spay/nueter contract on pets, and a strict contract on breeding--something like they need to be informed of the breeding, the sire or dam...etc etc etc. They have to treat their dogs well, train them, and field test their dogs. I will be looking for a breeder that has their dogs living inside, competes in conformation and maybe some performance events. Just as they should ask to see my references, I'll ask to see theirs.

[tessa_s212]

Thada--Thankyou So much for that website! I looked through it and read. I really liked them so far and have emailed them. I am awaiting their reply. They are actually only about 3-4 hours away from me. Again, thankyou. You have taken a lot of time to reply and search around for breeders! Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Thadaboykobe]

=) I'm glad you're taking all of my advise. It's always good to know that there are responsible owners out there. Good luck in finding a breeder near your area, I couldn't find anything. =( Looks like you know exactly what you're doing.

[DexyDoo]

If you are looking for an older Vizsla, I would recommend e-mailing Marcia Folley of Vizsla Club of America Rescue Coordinator . She actually covers Kentucky and Ohio areas. Marcia is a breeder and has been for many years, so she will have all the answers you are looking for. I believe it will be harder to find a breeder w/ an older dog to allow you to do your Jr. showmanship with.

I do have to say, they are loving, fun, and energetic dogs! Just to let you know, I have 2 of them and hopefully a pup here shortly. One of them we show, run aligity, and do conformation. The other is a house pet. She comes from a champion line, but due to her bite we were not able to show her.


Marcia Folley
e-mail : classicv@mis.net

[tessa_s212]

Thankyou, so much! You have been really helpful and I sincerely appreciate it. I have emailed quite a few breeders. I just got a reply today from one of them. I think she is willing to help me find a dog, though she does not have one available. I will also contact Marcia.

[JackLover]

I too am considering getting a Vizsla, i will pm you a site that I found a few breeders in my area, I then emailed them, they have been very kind I explained that I wnated to learn more about the breed before I decided that they are the dogs for me, the breeders have invited me to meet their Vizsla's and to go to shows with them so I can see them in action, maybe you will get a great responce too, i also went on my local Kennel club site and you can look up breeders on there too