Male Vizslas around a female during "that time"

Put one young female just out of heat,
three under two-year-old intact males together on an off-leash walk and then mix in about ten other Vizslas of different ages. What do you get?

One interesting walk.

Young adolescent male Vizslas are excess energy all balled up in short red fur.

Add to the hormone soap the intoxicating scent of the female just out of heat and you get a lot of what is called "posturing" which is just before the "fight". There must have been 20 short "posturing" sessions as we all walked along between the three male dogs. A quick "knock it off" would get the dogs to move along. Interesting that it was always only two males and never all three at a time.

Bailey got his first introduction to a female just out of heat yesterday. He would NOT leave the poor girl alone. Finally I had to leash him up and take him into some fields away from the group.



Later in the water, a young male the same age (about 15-months-old) and Bailey did a "stand off" about 25 feet out in water . Two red statues in water chest deep.

There they stood. Every muscle tight as piano wire. Their tails standing straight up and their heads posed right next to each other. Solid they stayed, even as we tried to call the dogs back in by yelling at them to come.

Finally after about a minute, Bailey broke off and came about half way back to shore with the other male right behind. Then all of a sudden, Bailey turned and the two dog's teenage pent-up testosterone took over. The fight lasted maybe 1o seconds before we broke it up. One slightly bloody ear later it was over.

Both dogs were placed on leash and we walked them back to shore. We then headed back to the cars on on different trails taking Bailey away from the intoxicating smell.

Bailey is testing adulthood. He is testing me now. These are interesting times in raising an intact male. Never done this before. Casar tells that during this age dogs are "given up" to shelters. That cute puppy is no longer cute nor a puppy any more when the "true dog" comes out in them.

Bailey never did try to mount the female, for which I was grateful, but the poor girl's ears sure were wet from all the licking he did.

So here is another part of learning how to deal with this highly spirited, bright and strong-willed male hunting dog.

I know this stage will pass. In the meantime, Bailey will have to KNOW that I am the Alpha male. He may stay on leash a lot more over the next few months. His training will be tougher and commands stronger.

And yes, I did order our nice new training collar with a 1/2 mile range. Should arrive any day.

In my opinion, all teenage boys (including human ones that date our daughters) should wear one.