We had the book Right Dog For You
on our living room bookshelf for five years before we chose our Vizslas.
The below article was taken from the above website (edited for clarity):
"If you are planning to purchase a Vizsla puppy for your family, there are a few things you should know and consider.
The first is words you should be aware of.
These are Family, Loyalty, Energy, Tail, Intelligent, Patience, Persistence, Rewarding, Trying, Versatile, Love, Exercise, Creativity, Surfing, Nose, Vet Bills, Food, Toys, Bedding.
We get our fair share of Vizslas into rescue from people who had researched information on the internet, which I understand is good.
The Vizsla can be a wonderful pet.
To clarify something, like people, all Vizsla are not created equal.
That is why a good Vizsla breeder will "temperament test" puppies and try to place them into a home that matches the test results.
Picking your own puppy from a litter is not always the best idea. Be honest when a breeder ask you questions. These questions are asked to protect you and the dog.
Taking a Vizsla into your home is a large responsibility, as their life span can be up to 15 years.
Living with one is like having a child.
Vizslas are typically slow to mature. You could end up with a 2-year-old puppy.
They are family oriented.
Don’t stick them in the back yard and expect to have a happy life.
Don’t get one if everyone in the house is not excited about having it.
Expect the dog to be loyal and full of energy. To live peaceably with a Vizsla you must find some way to channel that energy.
The tail, while relative short, starts wagging around mid body and can unintentionally knock a small child down or deliver a series of sharp whacks to your hand or legs.
Intelligent is a common word used to describe a Vizsla. I am a firm believer there are people out there that are not smart enough to own one.
Patience, persistence, and rewarding are words that could be used to describe the training of a Vizsla. They do not respond well to heavy-handed training, but can be quick learners. Some are very head strong.
Watching them execute their training can be rewarding for both their master and others.
Versatile is another word used to describe a Vizsla. The breed can be used for hunting, retrieving, conformation, agility, fly ball, tracking, obedience, search and rescue, seeing eye dog, couch potato and last but not least lap dog.
While they could probably be taught to wave surf they are best suited for counter surfing.
We, as humans, sometimes have hereditary problems that are passed from generation to generation.
While many people know of their hereditary history, some choose not to pass their problems on to their descendants.
Some people only find out of hereditary problems too late and those problems are passed on to their children.
Many people, who breed animals, are in the second group of people I just described, except that they just don’t care. After they get your money any problems they have bred become your problems.
Over the years, pure-bred animals have evolved into many different lines.
Each line depicting assets and traits admired by the breeder of that particular line.
Although descendants from the many lines may look similar, believe me they are not.
There are thing in these lines of animals that may clash with or enhance the offspring of a breeding.
It takes much investigation and ancestral research on a breeders part to satisfy themselves which individuals in the hereditary lines of animals are most likely to produce desired effects when bred.
Even with such research results are not always quite as desired.
What you want in a dog for your family is a loyal and loving animal that is
protective, smart and economical to care for.
While health and temperament problems are some of the problems we see in our rescue program that is not the biggest problem.
The biggest problem is the unscrupulous breeders that are the largest contributors of dogs to our rescue program.
They will acquire several bitch puppies and in five short years will have had four litters with the bitches.
With little care and the lack of vitamin and calcium supplements for the mothers, by the end of 5 years the poor females are worn out and then they are dumped into the dog pound or worse yet dumped onto the street to fend for themselves.
This abuse of dogs will continue as long as puppy buyers continue to support this kind of activity.
If you do your research, have patience in getting your puppy and assure yourself the breeder you pick has the welfare of the puppy at heart, you as a puppy buyer will have done the breed you pick a huge favor.
We can continue taking in and placing rescue dogs, but only you, as a puppy buyer, can stop this cruelty to animals.
Some breeders, "puppy mills," are only into breeding animals for the quick and easy money to be had. They find a popular breed and systematically start to destroy that breed with complacency and lack of knowledge."
Very interesting video from the author of the below book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2OE5QL4XWR58W
Very interesting video from the author of the below book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2OE5QL4XWR58W
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