thinking of getting a vizsla but I was told it would not make a good outside dog. they need constant affection and somone around them all the time I heard they cant be left alone for more than 3 hours or they will have anxiety problems. Can someone tell me if this is true and tell me i can keep this breed in an insulated kennel alone while im at work or at night
vizsla
- Thread starter daryl1801
- Start date
bauerline
Well-known member
We have two vizslas in our house. They are left alone inside the house together and do not have seperation issues. One dog is 2 and the other is 6. We did crate each dog for the first year we had them. They are always happy to see us when we get home. It does not matter if it has been 8 hours or 15 minutes. I do not think they would do as well in an outside kennel. In my experience and with talking to other vizsla owners, the dog does need to be a part of the family. If you think your dog will be in an outside kennel overnight most of the time you may want to consider a different breed.
Agree. I have five in the house now, three are mine, two are fosters.
They all live in the house. If they are outside, and see me walking by the screen door that leads to the backyard, they end up all wanting to be around me.
They typically do better as a part of the family.
Dakota Swede
New member
The thing aboutr a Vizsla is ---- you may soon want it to be laying by your feet in the house. 
bobeyerite
New member
Check out the dog very closely. There are a lot of "Show Pedigree" being sold as top line hunting stock. I have a buddy with one. It don't know "squat" about hunting. He then learned the difference.......Bob
One reason there are a lot of show lines in Vizsla is due to the breed bench standard which specifically states that field scars and imperfections cannot be used in judgement of the dog, only the conformation standard, so as to encourage dual champions. I have very limited exposure to the breed, but think the language in thre breed standard is something I'd personally like to see in all the field dogs.
moellermd
Super Moderator
I have no idea why all breed standards would not say that.
He is right. I've heard them called as "Scars of Honor".
I also agree with another poster who says they may be a bit thin skinned for the ND weather.
If you have questions about different lines, drop me a PM, I'll help out however I can.
You will not find that language in any other breed that I am aware of. Field dogs are routinely descriminated against. Most dual dogs get their bench championship first, and then get trained for the field, so the developement stage is frequently sacrificed in regard to developing working skills. Can't trim a setter for field work and hope to place in a bench show, for instance. The Brittany club and GSP club do not allow certain colors that are common to the european breed standard. It should all be changed, but I wouldn't hold my breath
I have personal experience with 4 different Vizsla's in Nebraska. We had a 20x10 kennel in the back yard, 2 dogs at a time. We would leave them outside all the time in the summer and bring them in only during the hottest days, and then back out at night. During the winter, we would bring them in at night once the temps dropped below 30ish. In the morning, they were back out. We just shove a bunch of hay that we get from our family friend that farms into the dog house. Never had any trouble with them. Occasionally they'll see something at night that gets there attention and they'll do what all dogs do, bark, but nothing omg crazy.
As for hunting in the crazy cold, only one has shown a dislike for snow. She'll try to tip toe through the snow. But all the others would bust a 2-3ft drift and love it. We've had some $#@% cold hunts and the Vizsla's stuck it out and showed less complaint then I did.
As for hunting in the crazy cold, only one has shown a dislike for snow. She'll try to tip toe through the snow. But all the others would bust a 2-3ft drift and love it. We've had some $#@% cold hunts and the Vizsla's stuck it out and showed less complaint then I did.
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pnsballard
New member
I have one in Minot, ND. I would not leave him outside during winter (they are such a fun and loving breed you'll want them around you anyway). What ultimately convinced me to go with a V over a GSP was the fact it IS such a great family dog when not in the field. I did a lot of research and found feedback consistently stated the GSP is a great upland game selection but when home it is always looking to go out to the field again and is not much of a family dog. Would rather be out hunting than spending time with the kids. The V on the other hand can turn that off. They are great with the kids and are protective. I am not in the field but 4-5 times a year so his time is mostly spent as a family dog but his inate ability in the field is fun to watch. When we get out the gear and get to a spot it's "game on" but at home he is genuinely excited to see every member of the family (I have 3 girls). I believe for my situation, I made the right choice. This is an exceptionally smart breed and tend to outsmart the owner. We crate and I have trained him basic commands plus some field commands. Beautiful dogs but do require a lot of exercise to bleed off some energy. My treadmill has come in handy for that! LOL. Hope this helps.
pnsballard
New member
I have one in Minot, ND. I would not leave him outside during winter (they are such a fun and loving breed you'll want them around you anyway). What ultimately convinced me to go with a V over a GSP was the fact it IS such a great family dog when not in the field. I did a lot of research and found feedback consistently stated the GSP is a great upland game selection but when home it is always looking to go out to the field again and is not much of a family dog. Would rather be out hunting than spending time with the kids. The V on the other hand can turn that off. They are great with the kids and are protective. I am not in the field but 4-5 times a year so his time is mostly spent as a family dog but his inate ability in the field is fun to watch. When we get out the gear and get to a spot it's "game on" but at home he is genuinely excited to see every member of the family (I have 3 girls). I believe for my situation, I made the right choice. This is an exceptionally smart breed and tend to outsmart the owner. We crate and I have trained him basic commands plus some field commands. Beautiful dogs but do require a lot of exercise to bleed off some energy. Crate comes in handy when he's like a kid hopped up on too much sugar or a simple 5-10min session in the backyard throwing whatever he wants to retrieve (run their @$$ off). My treadmill has come in handy for that! LOL. Once I get that pent up energy spent he's good to go. Hope this helps.