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Vizslas and working outside the home
My DH and I have been researching Vizslas for a while now, and we really feel like it might be the breed we'd like to add to our household. We love that they are active, agile, loyal, and we love velcro dogs! There is only one thing holding us back from taking the plunge.
Some of our research has said that if you work outside the home, a Vizsla isn't the right dog for you. DH and I both work 8-5, and although we plan to excercise any potential pooch in the morning and in the evening, I'm worried that 9.5 hours (after drive time) five days a week is too much time for a Vizsla to be home alone, even with toys, kongs, etc.
Does anyone have a Vizsela and work outside the home? We want to make the right decision for us, but also for the dog.
TIA!
Re: Vizslas and working outside the home
Someone on this board has a Vizsla, and both she and her H work outside the home, however, she's been really busy and hasn't been posting much lately.
I wish I could remember the SN of the poster with a V, but I'm drawing a blank.
I don't have a V, but in terms of the dog being at home while you and YH are at work, would it be an option to send the dog to day care a few days a week and/or have a dog walker come? I know lots of people who have high energy breeds and work FT, so it can absolutely be done, but you have to commit to providing the necessary exercise and mental stimulation for the breed (which it sounds like you are). Walkers/day care can be a great tool to help give your pup what s/he needs (and it can alleviate the stress if you get stuck at work because you know your pup went out a few hours ago instead of 9 hours ago!).
Are you planning to get a puppy or an adult? Puppies obviously require more/different care than adults, so that may be a consideration. For example, you can't leave a puppy for 9.5 hours, and you would probably need 2 visits from the dog walker when the puppy was very young.
Also, are you planning to purchase from a reputable breeder or adopt from a rescue/shelter? Reputable breeders and breed-specific rescues are great resources for information about the breed, and they may be able to help you decide if a V is right for you.
Just in case, I c&p'ed below a post she wrote about a year and a half ago, about what life with a V is like. It doesn't exactly address your concern, but gives you an idea of what life with one is like.
Ditto Caz & Redhead! I also 2nd the rec for doggie daycare if you do decide to go w/a V!
V's are awesome dogs! But high high energy! It sounds as though you've already done some research & are headed in the right direction (props to you for that, I see too many owners of high energy breeds who haven't done any research, & don't exercise their dogs & its just disaster).
Anyway, I have a GSP which is similar in breed, although Im quite certain V's are more hyper Lol. We got ours as a puppy & I'd say he didn't calm down till he was about.....4? & we exercised him at the minimum 2x a day. That being said, the hyperactivity is managable. You just have to find what works for you & commit to it. It is a LOT of work (I could go on about how who the heck wants to get home at 530 at night after working a long hard day on your feet, its the middle of winter & dark & cold outside & you have to get bundled up to take your crazy as$ hyper dog for a walk or run when all you want to do is snuggle up on the couch w/your feet up!
)
Once you find what works for you, the committment to exercise just becomes routine & your dog adjusts to this life. Your dog is happier, thus you are happier (read: you are not coming home to a manic hyper dog or to 1/2 your house being destroyed from a bored dog), it gets you out, keeps you moving too! I know plenty of high energy breed owners who have couch potato dogs, but you just don't know what "kind" of dog youre gonna get till youre already knee deep in it, if you know what I mean.
GL! & If/when you decide, be sure to post pics!!
Thank you all so much for your advice! I feel slightly less crazy for wanting such a demanding dog now.
Sounds like this might be workable.
DH talked it over and we're thinking we could swing 3 days a week at the local doggie daycare (which also does agility training once she's old enough, pretty excited for that!).
As far as picking a puppy, we're probably a bit away from that. But we have located a breeder nearby that seems to be heavily involved in the NVA. I'll definitely post pictures as soon as we bring s/he home.
Thank you so much!
I have what we believe to be a pit/weim (so similar to a viszla) mix and I seriously cannot say enough about doggy daycare. She's about 3.5 now and is finally starting to chill out a little, but still requires doggy daycare several days a week and runs to stay happy. When she was younger we were taking her up to 5 days a week and that was an absolute lifesaver. I actually had no idea what a weim was until everyone kept asking if she was one so we obviously had no idea what we were getting into. On weekends when she wasn't at daycare, we would take her on 5+ mile hikes or runs. Craziness!
I also want to say that viszlas are super smart and need mental stimulation just as much as physical. We are constantly teaching our dog new tricks and until recently she was constantly getting into things if we weren't paying attention. Training, tricks, and mental games should definitely be a part of your daily routine with a V.
I am the poster everyone was talking about
We have an almost four year-old Vizsla named Doug and both DH and I work outside of the house. We did get him from a breeder as a puppy and had a dog walker coming over everyday for the first year of his life to let him out (multiple times a day when he was a puppy and increasing time alone over time). Doug is crated and I cannot say enough of the positives of crating, especially with Vizslas. A bored V will find something to do and that is not always a good thing.
We are out of the house normally from 7:30-4:30 and as an adult, Doug can go that long without having to be let out. A puppy can't, so that is something to think about now. The above post talked about the amount of exercise we normally give him, but honestly we just moved out of state and into an apartment, so that exercise has decreased greatly. We are trying to do other things like hiking on the weekends and dog parks to kill some energy. Plus, we do training and mental stimulation all of the time.
While the breed is not for everyone, they can absolutely be a great dog for those who work outside of the house. It is all about balance and making sure they are getting the attention, exercise, and stimulation they need. Vizslas are AWs, so honestly there is never enough attention in their eyes. Doug will whine for hours for attention. But, he is the love of my life (aside from DH), so it is all so worth it to me.
There are great Vizsla rescues in the country and I would suggest getting an adult given your schedule. If you decide to go the puppy route, please make sure you are going through a reputable breeder. You can PM and I can try to help if you need it.
Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
P.S. Just to give you an idea of what a bored Vizsla can do, Doug knocked over and destroyed the trash yesterday in the time it took me to quickly shower and today, while I literally put on eyeshadow, he made me crotchless panties. Totally my fault because he is not properly exercised and stimulated, but annoying none the less. He is most likely a lifer in the crate. But an awesome dog.
LMAO!
Oh no!! A glimpse into my future, perhaps?
Thank you so much for your honesty, though. We definitely plan to crate train, although I do worry a bit about that since we have an older basset hound who has free reign of the house. I'm thinking that will make acceptance of the crate a little more complicated.
We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but VERY glad to hear that having both a Vizsla and a job is possible with a little work and strategizing.
It's usually not an issue to have one dog with free reign and another in a crate. Several of us on this board have done it, or continue to do it.
Agreed. Our two resident dogs are crated in our bedroom, but our foster dog has free roam (aka sleeping on our bed) in our bedroom.
How sweet of him! It's the thought that counts.
I agree. For 2 years my dog Abby (tan dog below) was crated while Piper (black dog) had free reign. Abby eventually earned her freedom, but if she had not I would have had no problem crating her for life.