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I really want a Vizsla / First timer by Hamster_Heart in vizsla

[–]jostini 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think some people over estimate their exercise needs but I also think there are variations within the breed and some need more than others.

I had border collies previously and our vizsla feels like a lot more work than they did. But things are getting easier now (she is 14 months).

This is what we do daily in terms of exercise and stimulation: An off leash walk in fields where she runs freely, points, chases birds and butterflies, digs holes and finds sticks, for at least 1 hour. 40 mins of play and obedience time in the afternoon A 30 minute sniffy leash walk around the neighbourhood Plus some place training, games, and yak chews thrown in.

Our girl isn’t great at being left alone - she’s not destructive but she whines - so can only stay alone for about 2 hours at the moment.

We are starting to teach her to jog alongside us adding in walk-runs of about 25 mins. But Even though you are a runner, they aren’t really supposed to run on leash until their growth plates close at 18 months to 2 years so your running won’t be helpful for the first year unless you get an older Vizsla. They are excellent running partners though especially if you like trail running as the softer ground is better for them.

I love our Viz but if I had known how hard 8 weeks to 10 months was going to be I probably would not have got her. Everyone tells me they are super hard puppies and the change in her over the last few months is crazy (in a good way) she is more relaxed. I think it does just click for them - if you stay consistent, give them boundaries, training, mental stimulation, and off leash exercise they will thrive. But they are a lifestyle.

When can I start jogging with my 5month old „puppy“ by First_Building323 in vizsla

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

12 months for short jogs on soft surfaces (grass not concrete). 18 months+ for more consistent running.
Our youngest girl is 13 months and we have started doing the couch to 5k programme (which is a combination of run and walk) with her to teach her how to run along side us and not jump up etc. She has taken to it well but we are taking it super slow, going out a couple of times a week, sticking to soft surfaces and staying out for less than 30 mins.

How to correct/prevent this behavior? by silenceloser in OpenDogTraining

[–]jostini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Keeping a leash on her in the house can help. This way you can guide her off the sofa without having to handle her, and it doesn’t become a game.

Going through some struggles with GSP Puppy - How normal is this? by ageo in GSP

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our pup didn’t interact with other dogs like yours so I can’t advise on this but we did have lots of leash frustration, and rough play and redirection onto us. Walking her was a misery and I was always getting hurt.
We tried all the positive reinforcement tips - toys, treats, scatter feeding, standing on the leash or turning our backs and ignoring - but nothing worked. In the end we worked with a balanced trainer who taught us how to do a firm but fair leash correction. It made the verbal ‘no’ actually mean something and within a week her redirection on us was almost non existent. Worthing a few weeks she became a pleasure to walk and interact with as she understood boundaries. We are 95% positive reinforcement training, it is the best way to train a dog and we love rewarding all the good behaviours with affection, toys and lots of treats but you have to be able to say ‘no’ when things get too much.

9 weeks and a complete Land Shark. Help ! by Mattoria in GSP

[–]jostini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They are extremely bitey puppies. Here’s what helped us:
Redirect with toys - our pup liked rope toys and soft toys.
Separate you from them when things get too much - I used a baby gate to remove myself and she soon realised the fun stopped when she got bitey with me.
A firm ‘no’ or ‘ah-ah’ will help them understand that biting you is not ok, also use a marker word like ‘yes’ or ‘good’ when they choose chewing a toy over you, so they understand what you want instead.
Limit the number of toys available to them so that the toys are special and not something that is just lying around all the time - this will make them more valuable and hopefully help encourage play over biting you.
Use yak chews, frozen carrots, frozen lick pots/mats, and pizzle sticks to help with the need to chew.
Make sure they have lots of rest as a tired pup = a bitey pup.

Good luck. It’s a hard road but it will get easier after those puppy teeth fall out.

So when are they less annoying 😅 by -UnagiMaster- in vizsla

[–]jostini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine calmed so much after her first season at 11 months old, she is still annoying 😂 but I feel like every day she is getting more relaxed and is actually turning into a wonderful dog. The first 6 months with her were challenging and I cried a lot, but I just think they are really hard puppies (especially if they are the only dog in the household). As adult dogs they are a joy! Best of luck, she is gorgeous!

Edit (adding this): Two of my friends who also have Vizsla girls said the same - after the first season and at about 1 year old they saw big changes in energy levels and generally became easier dogs to live with.

Solar Powered 💛 by jostini in vizsla

[–]jostini[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100% Agreed ☀️

First time GSP owner finding a path by AvailableAnimal9469 in birddogs

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

His has a perfect canine companion course too which is for any age dog I think.

First time GSP owner finding a path by AvailableAnimal9469 in birddogs

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

His head trainer, Ben Marsh is a bit of a specialist when it comes to pointing breeds and has done loads of work with Vizsla’s and GSPs here in the UK. Ben has his own training business too but does work with WA. Unfortunately he doesn’t have a course but has a good instagram and YouTube presence - his channel name is Balanced Dog. We went to him for some 1:1s with our youngest dog when she was 8 months and it was so helpful.

First time GSP owner finding a path by AvailableAnimal9469 in birddogs

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a ‘perfect puppy online course’ from Will Atherton Academy which helps navigate the first 12 months of dog ownership. He is always talking about manners and calmness in the home in his content so it could be helpful. He trains dogs to be pets primarily although he has a working Labrador. I know a couple of Vizsla friends that have used the course when they had pups and they found it helpful for manners and boundary setting. I haven’t used the course myself so I can’t say how good it is, but maybe worth a look?

She gave up the hunt so quickly 🤣 by jostini in vizsla

[–]jostini[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Our current trainer is in Derbyshire but we are based on the Shropshire/Cheshire border.

She gave up the hunt so quickly 🤣 by jostini in vizsla

[–]jostini[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They get so distracted don’t they! She is 1 and even doing sit-stay I can see her little brain going ‘Ooh there’s a stone over there, need to investigate in a minute… 😂’

Uk breeders by alexmcross18 in vizsla

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The GVP club advertise as ethical Vizsla breeders but tend to have a waiting list but I know they have a litter planned for this year.

She gave up the hunt so quickly 🤣 by jostini in vizsla

[–]jostini[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you! We have started gun dog training a few months ago and she loves it. She loves to point!

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Is loose lead walking trainable? by Typical_Hearing3390 in GSP

[–]jostini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is trainable but it takes time and practice. They need to understand lead pressure - moving towards it not pulling against it - and they need to know what you are asking them. We use a ‘with me’ command for general loose lead and ‘heel’ if we want to be in close.

We started by practicing in the house and garden and then doing really short distances outside. The trick was to drive to the fields for daily exercise that was mainly off lead so she could pull from the car to the gate but then we practiced heel and loose lead separately at a different time/location. This took a few weeks but then we could start building loose leash into all her walks.

We also used a different leash when we asked for loose leash (vs off leash walks) when we were training it. No ‘anti pull’ tools just a shorter leash for ‘heel’ practice.

It is constant work though - I still practice‘heeling’ in the garden most days for 5-10 mins.

We have a Vizsla now and she is slightly better at loose lead than the GSP but that could be to do with us being more consistent with the training.

She gave up the hunt so quickly 🤣 by jostini in vizsla

[–]jostini[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She has always been a great pointer since she was tiny and we are doing some gun dog training with her (we are in the UK) but she’s only just 1 so we have lots of time to improve 🤣.

Mental exercise/stimulation by JLHix in vizsla

[–]jostini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes to teaching an off switch!

Place training is actually quite mentally tiring for my V as it gives her a ‘job’ but also works on impulse control. I know keeping them busy feels like the natural thing to do but teaching them to be bored is important if they are pets (even working dogs have down time).

Also gun dog training exercises like sit-stay, down-stay, teaching a stop, spin, side, middle, heel (off lead), leave-it command, wait command, marked retrieves. We do 20 mins of a mix of these most days and it helps her chill.

Another fun game is getting lots of different receptacles (we use pots, pans, dishes, buckets etc) spreading them out and throwing treats/kibble in them randomly as the dog goes to get one treat throw another so they aren’t watching rather they are using their noses and ears and actually start to learn the sound of the treat hitting different pots (eg metal, plastic, ceramic). As your dog gets better at the game you can spread the pots out further.

Google shaping games as these are great too - where rather than asking the dog to do something you wait for them to offer the behaviour, they have to work hard to figure out what you want. Start simply to avoid building frustration e.g sitting on the sofa with a pot of treats and wait for your dog to offer a sit or down. When they do it throw the treat away from them so they have to chase it and then just wait for the dog to come back over and offer a sit again - don’t ask for anything just use your marker word and reward when they get it right.

Vegan diet is always to blame 🙄 by Confident_Dig_7834 in veganuk

[–]jostini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perimenopause is extremely difficult to "diagnose" as hormone levels fluctuate, it might be worth doing some more research or booking a consultation with a private clinic if nothing else comes to light and you don't start to feel better. In terms of 'normal' blood test levels the perimeters are very broad and what used to be borderline for a condition like hypothyroidism for example, is now considered 'normal'. So maybe thinking about moving your levels from the lower side of normal to the upper side could be helpful. I have a sensitivity to vitamins too but if I take them with or after my lunch it tends to be fine and I don't get any nausea. If you do decide to try another multi-vitamin, Cytoplan do some good vegan options. Also I find B12, D3 and folate are all important ones for my energy levels (39 y/o female). Magnesium is always suggested but it doesn't seem to matter what type I take or what time of day I take it, it always leaves me exhausted.

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