Questions and Answers

1 How Can I find a vizsla Puppy to Adopt?
2 How much can I expect to pay for a vizsla Puppy?
Twilight Covey

3 Why do many breeders ignore me after I tell them I only want a pet?
4 How do I know I've found a good breeder?
5 How do I know my new vizsla puppy is normal?
6 Are vizslas good with children?
7 What are some of the health problems to watch for in this breed?
8 What is a "puppy mill"and why should I avoid getting a pup from one?
9 What about pet store puppies?
10 What does a good quality vizsla look like?
11 How can I find other vizsla owners to talk to?
12 How do I find a local vizsla club in my area?
13 What benefits do I get from joining the VCA or from joining any other dog club?
14 Where can I find help in getting my dog trained?

1. How can I find a vizsla puppy to adopt?
To get a good healthy vizsla puppy, you need to contact a reputable breeder. You can be referred to member-breeders of the Vizsla Young Pie

Club of America by emailing flopete4@aol.com. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire as well as receive information on the breed. You can also contact the regional vizsla clubs that are listed under “Local Clubs” on the VCA website. http://clubs.akc.org/vizsla . You may also order the VCA Breeders Directory from the VCA store on that website.
    Other avenues to explore are attending local dog events (shows, agility trials, hunting tests, pet adoption fairs, etc.) and asking the people there about vizsla breeders. Out of courtesy, try not to ask while someone is waiting to go into the show or obedience ring. Please wait until they are finished. Many times, owners of other sporting breeds will know of vizsla breeders, so ask even if you do not see any vizslas. You can also ask area veterinarians and dog trainers.
    Allow plenty of time for finding your puppy. Vizsla bitches normally are bred only once every year or two, and the perfect puppy for you may well not even be born yet when you begin your search.
    Only rarely are very young puppies available for adoption through the VCA rescue program, although there are many fine Dog and Man

adolescent and adult dogs available that way. For more information about the rescue program, contact the local rescue coordinator in your area. These people are listed at www.vizsladogs.com and at http://clubs.akc.org/vizsla under the heading “Rescue”.

2. How much can I expect to pay for a vizsla puppy?
Prices will vary somewhat across the country, because breeders’ living costs vary from area to area. A reasonable nationwide average, as of early 2004, would be from $600 to $1300. Some breeders may charge more or less than the average for good reasons having to do with that particular breeding. Ask; the breeder should be willing to discuss pricing openly with you.

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3.Why do many breeders ignore me after I tell them I only want a pet ?
A responsible breeder should be willing to discuss vizslas with you – at that breeder’s convenience, of course – whether or not you are a potential buyer for one of their puppies. But there are valid reasons why “just a pet” can act as a “red flag” to many breeders. Twi and Puppies

A good breeder wants his or her vizslas to be family companions and pets first and foremost, but that same breeder is also vividly aware that vizslas must have a “job to do.” Vizslas do NOT do well if left alone for long periods of time with nothing to do. Breeders sometimes fear that “just a pet” might mean that you are not prepared to provide the time-consuming training and mental stimulation that is vital for vizsla sanity. Many breeders have had to rescue vizslas from homes that wanted “just a pet” and that then failed to raise that vizsla properly, with sad consequences for both vizsla and humans. Be prepared to demonstrate to breeders that you understand the needs of a vizsla and are prepared to meet those needs.
Another issue that can arise is that of AKC titles. Many breeders have put years of effort into producing a winning bloodline, and understandably wish to see their pups prove themselves in competition. If a breeder strongly wishes for a particular pup to be shown or field trialed, but you have no interest in AKC competition, you may have to ask for a referral to another breeder. If the breeder likes you as a potential home and offers some contractual arrangement that involves having your vizsla complete titles, make sure that all parties involved are completely satisfied with all clauses of the contract before you sign it. The American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) can offer you further guidance on contracts, co-ownerships, and dog competitions in general. In any case, please do not shut your mind in advance to the possibility of participation in dog events. Many

breeders know that vizslas enjoy learning and competing and don’t want to see the owners and dogs miss out on events they may come to enjoy. The VCA has many members who wanted “just a pet” and now enjoy every possible AKC event with their dogs.

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4. How do I know I’ve found a good breeder ?
    If you’re visiting the breeder in person, look around: are the vizslas clean, happy, healthy, and friendly ?
    Ask for references: the breeder’s veterinarian, owners of vizslas from previous litters, other vizsla breeders and club members, etc..
    Ask about lifelong support: will this breeder always be available for help and advice, throughout the entire life of the dog ?
    Ask why this particular female was mated to this particular male: the answer should involve a discussion of which traits were being bred for, and why.
    Expect a good breeder to be concerned with matching you with the right dog for your family, even if that “right dog for you” turns out to be from another breeder’s litter. A good breeder will also tell you honestly if he or she thinks a vizsla is not the breed for you, and it’s important to listen carefully if they do.

5. How do I know my new vizsla puppy is normal?

Vizslas are good with children whose parents are good with vizslas and children. Vizslas are a sensitive, highly reactive breed, so they must be carefully socialized to children and to human handling in general. Simultaneously, the children must be taught how to properly interact with dogs. This requires CONSTANT adult supervision and participation. One cannot simply put a puppy and a child together and trust that all will come out right. (In fact, no dog of any breed should be left unsupervised with small children.) Vizslas are very, very “good with children” if the PARENTS work hard to make that so.
    Also, since vizslas are an active sporting breed, they may sometimes be TOO friendly for younger children. It is frightening to many toddlers to have a forty to sixty pound dog bouncing around them, and happy vizslas often bounce four or five feet in the air. A typical vizsla will also want to carry the child’s toys around in its mouth, and take hold of the child’s arms with its mouth. This can be quite upsetting to a small child.
    The high-pitched voices and rapid movements of babies and children can resemble prey or fellow puppies to a young dog, triggering instinctual responses that a child is not equipped to handle safely.
    As the vizsla matures, he or she may also feel the need to guard “his” child against visitors. Parents should plan in advance to spend additional training and socialization time with their adolescent vizsla, no matter how excellent the early puppy training was.

7.What are some of the health problems to watch for in this breed?
     Vizslas are normally a very healthy breed. Potentially inherited problems that may occur in a minority of vizslas and should be asked about are:
    Hip dysplasia and/or elbow dysplasia: Vizslas used for breeding should be at least two years old and should have OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, website www.offa.org) numbers if their hips are normal.
    Von Willibrand’s disease: a blood clotting disorder similar to hemophilia in humans; breeding stock should be tested and found to be normal.
    Certain eye problems, particularly entropion : CERF registration indicates that a dog’s eyes are normal.
    Hypothyroidism: Tests are available and breeding stock should test normal.
    Epilepsy: No tests are available as of 2004, but the parents and grandparents should be known to be free of seizures.
    Sebaceous adenitis: A hereditary disorder of the skin follicles. Parents and grandparents should be normal SA-free dogs.
    Cardiac problems: No hereditary cardiac problems reported in this breed to date, though random accidental defects can still occur. OFA has a cardiac registry. Parents should have normal hearts.
    Allergies: Some people feel that vizslas are especially prone to allergic reactions; other people, including many veterinarians, think that the incidence of severe allergies in vizslas is no higher than it is in any breed. There is increasing evidence that allergies can sometimes be related to poor nutrition and to over-vaccination. It is a complex and controversial topic, which your breeder should be ready to discuss openly with you and your veterinarian.
    Cancer: There is a suspicion that certain bloodlines of vizslas might be genetically susceptible to lymphosarcoma, a type of cancer. Maverick

The Vizsla Health Foundation has funded a study into that question. Your vizsla’s breeder should be able to tell you the health history of your puppy’s ancestors.
As a general guideline, you should trust that a breeder who openly tells you about potential problems in their bloodlines is a breeder who is working hard to produce the healthiest possible dogs. Bear in mind that vizslas, like humans, are biological organisms and thus cannot ever be physically “perfect.” The way you rear your vizsla will have a major influence on his or her health.

8. What is a "puppy mill" and why should I avoid getting a pup from one?
The term “puppy mill” has no precise definition, but most people would apply that term to an operation that raises dogs purely for profit, sells to brokers for resale to pet stores, and does not individually socialize the puppies they produce. Responsible breeders try to make sure that they breed a healthy dog to another healthy dog, they do not breed any dog that has a poor temperament, and they go to great lengths to properly socialize puppies. That last point is the one which should most concern the potential dog owner. The birth to twelve week old period in a puppy’s life has been scientifically proven to be a critical learning period, during which the brain is shaped. Puppies that do not receive the appropriate experiences during that time are handicapped for life, and often develop very serious behavior problems. Young puppies need to be carefully raised in a home environment in order to be ready to succeed in your home.

9. What about pet store puppies?
Refer to the preceding question and answer about puppy mills. Pet store puppies come from brokers or from individual “breeders” Twila

who behave as their own brokers. The pet store itself, no matter how nice a store it is, is not the optimal place for a puppy to grow and develop properly. You can get a much better puppy, often for less money, from a caring individual breeder. The pet store is likely to tell you that its puppies “all come from individual breeders.” Yes, they do, in the sense that those people are the AKC “breeder of record” which means only that they owned the female who gave birth to those puppies. However, no truly responsible breeder will ship young puppies off with a broker to be sold to strangers. A responsible individual breeder will insist on screening each potential home personally in order to determine that this home and this puppy are truly a good match with one another. That breeder will also be working hard to correctly socialize each puppy before it goes to its new home. Neither of those objectives can be met by a pet store.

10. What does a good quality vizsla look like?
The best way to learn that is by looking at good quality vizslas! Go to dog shows and other dog events where vizslas are entered. Order the breed standard video from the American Kennel Club and study it. Trust your own eye; if a dog looks handsome to you, it probably is. Many dog magazines and books contain pictures of vizslas; compare those to the written breed standard and begin building your own mental image of an “ideal” vizsla.

If the list of regional clubs at http://clubs.akc.org/vizsla does not list a club anywhere near you, there probably isn’t one yet in your area. Try contacting the closest all-breed club. The American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) can provide you with a list. If you live in an area where there are only a very few vizsla owners, your local all-breed club will likely be your best resource for personal contacts. You can also apply to join the national club and receive the Vizsla News magazine bi-monthly.

14. Where can I find help in getting my dog trained?
Ask your dog’s breeder, your veterinarian, and vizsla club members. One site that lists a number of professionally certified obedience trainers is www.apdt.com (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) Another professional group is www.nadoi.org. (National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors) Your veterinarian may be able to refer you to others. Hunting field trainers do not, at this time, have a similar “umbrella” organization; ask your dog’s breeder, and ask people with other dogs whose hunting style you admire. Fellow vizsla club members are often able to help you with training – another reason to participate in your local club. There are also many excellent training books and videos available from sources such as www.dogwise.com.