Allergies

           Viszlas are known to be a very healthy breed; however, like most breeds they are prone to common health issues. My girls never get sick but they do have bad reactions to people food. They will break out in hives or bumps in different parts of their body. I personally do not feed them people food anyone because of this and I do not feel like taking her to the vet just so the doctor can say, “They will go away soon just don’t feed her from the table anymore. Here is your $150.00 bill.” If your Vizsla does have bumps or hives they will usually go away within a day or so.

         If you have a Vizsla or are thinking about getting one I would strongly recommend not feeding them people food because they are prone to allergic reactions and ear infections. I would also recommend feeding them a higher quality brand food to reduce the chances of your baby getting an ear infection.  It is worth paying the extra money for quality food to save your dog the pain of an ear infection. Currently, we give Drexel and Scarlet the Natural Balance brand dog food.

         Since Vizslas are hunting dogs so they go crazy when they see anything that is flying. This includes bees, wasps, and hornets. This summer Drexel and Scarlet have eaten many of those insects and guess what, they broke out in hives. Normally, ingesting these insects will not harm your dogs but I strongly recommend stopping them from catching one if you see them hunting them. Scarlet went after a bee last year and her lips were swollen for three days. We took her to the vent and they said she would be fine but she will be in pain for a couple of days until the swelling goes down. Save your puppy some pain and make sure your backyard is hive free.

(If your Vizsla has bumps, hives on their skin, or shows signs of swelling and it does not go away within 2-4 days I strongly recommend contacting the vent to rule out any serious health problems.) 

These are pictures of what hives on a Vizsla look like from Drexels latest allergic reaction to eating wasps: 

Velcro Dog

I had to sleep on the floor last night. Want to know why? Because I have Vizslas. You heard me right...I slept on the floor because my twin bed isn’t built to hold Drexel and I. This is another trait that makes Vizslas so unique. They need to be with you all the time and not just with you but ON you. Vizslas have received the reputation of being a "Velcro dog" they always have to be touching you no matter what you are doing. If you’re cooking in the kitchen they will walk up to you and just lean on your legs as you stand their cooking. It is adorable and cute when you are on the couch but the bed situation is a whole other story. In the 3 years I have had Drexel and scarlet they have always slept in a bed with someone. Always. Even when we go them as puppies they first night they just cried and cried in their crate until they were placed in the bed with someone. They are very social animals so they really do need to be with you. So last night as I was trying to get comfortable I realized the only way I could sleep soundly was if I surrendered my bed to Drexel once she fell asleep. When she woke up in the morning she left the bed and laid with me on the floor. It’s not that they refuse to lie on the floor they just want to be wherever you are.

Since they need to be on you all the time, if you are looking for a breed that sits in the corner and would be happy to sleep on a doggie bed at night then this is not the breed for you.

If you want a breed that will snuggle with you on the couch, bed, and everything in between then you have found the most lovable breed out there.

Bad Habits

Although I love my Vizslas they do have some bad habits that are pretty hard to break. Have no fear though!! Vizsals are very, very smart and easily trainable! There are some bad habits that a particularly hard to break because it is a part of the breeds personality. Since this breed grows very attached to their owners, which I will expand upon in next week’s post, they do develop anxiety when they are left alone. If you leave your Vizslas alone for a long amount of time they will chew and tear things apart. No joke. I have come home to a sea of cotton because Drexel decided to tear apart 4 brand new pillows. Here’s the catch with Vizslas, they will not chew random things in the house such as furniture when they reach adulthood but they will go after items that smell like you the most. They will also snuggle with these objects to cope with their anxiety because your scent calms them. Things such as pants, blankets, pillows, and underwear seem to be there go to. The more you use something the bigger the chance of coming home and seeing your Vizsla chewing or cuddling with it. Breeders and Vizsla families classify it as separation anxiety.

If you travel a lot for work or take vacations all the time Vizslas really are not the best breeds for you. It is unfair to the dog because they do get very anxious and you also don’t want to come home all the time to a destroyed house. It is also dangerous health wise to a Vizsla to leave them alone for long amounts of time. If they do chew on fabricated items to try and calm themselves, such as underwear and pillows, they will swallow the fabric. The fabric will not breakdown in their tiny stomachs and can result in a large vet bill and a very scared, injured Vizsla. Leaving them alone for a 9 hour work day is fine but I would say they should not be alone for more than 10 hours a day.

How do you fix this?? Easy!!! There are two possible great options! One, you can sign them up for doggie day camp! There are many around the South Jersey area and most general pet stores have a camp for dogs. Two, make sure you pick up EVERYTHING before leaving the house. Don't tempt them by leaving important things lying around. It is also a good idea to only give them access to general living space. Close your bedroom doors! As they get older they will get better with being alone but, hey....they just miss you!!!!

Family

Vizslas are a great addition to a family even if there are kids around.  Since vizslas love to run around and play, they will defiantly enjoy having kids to run, cuddle and play with. I have never had a problem with my vizslas, Drexel and Scarlet, not getting along with children. They love that kids have all of this energy and they will play in the yard with them for hours! However, I will say that they act a little strange around infants/babies. We were watching my 6 month old cousin the other day and Scarlet seemed to get protective of us when the baby would cry. She didn’t get nasty, bark, or growl but she seemed to try and get in between the baby and whoever was holding him when he cried. We are not sure if she just didn’t know how to handle the situation or if she saw the baby as a threat to us. Or maybe she was just trying to get him to stop making a crying sound, we won’t really find out why…trust me I tried asking. The only concrete idea that I have is the fact that Drexel and Scarlet have never been around a child under the age of 7 before. That was kind of a red flag to us. I don’t think we really had them around any younger kids at all. In fact, and I will talk about this more in detail when I talk about adding a new puppy to the family, Drexel was TERRIFIED of Scarlet when we first brought her home. They just are not use to smaller puppies or kids because our specific family doesn’t encounter them too often.

If you want your vizsla to be comfortable around smaller children, or dogs, I would recommend introducing the dogs to them when they are puppies (around the 1 year mark or so). This way babies and smaller dogs are no big deal. Other than that vizslas are a great addition to a family especially if you have kids!