Vizslas-
1) 20-40 lbs. No. Some, if you get a smaller female will be close. My girl is 42.
2) Able to be taught tasks such as pawing or nosing when my name is called, when a baby cries, when a car horn blares. Probably ..although, I'm pretty sure they'd make a shitty service dog unless you put A LOT of time in.
3) Able to recognize when I've been still too long and nudge me then and/or help me get to an escape route. Again, probably because mine does this all the time when we are ignoring her& being sedentary Not sure it's the way you want though and not sure they would lead you to an escape route. They are very driven dogs and are STRONG. Deceptively strong. I'd be nervous to suggest one as a service dog. Penn is 13 months now& just starting to learn handler focus and it still fades in& out.
4) Athletic enough to keep up with an active human who is interested in dog sport. Definitely. But, keep in mind, a Vizsla NEEDS activity. As in, they will not settle unless they get a good, good off leash romp and mental stimulation. Penny gets about 10- 15hrs/ wk of off leash running, swimming& hiking. It's the only way to make living with her bearable LOL!
5) Should go without saying, maybe, but biddable. I don't wanna be fighting the dog to want to do what I want. They very much match this requirement. Small, short sessions from the day you get them helps build their focus on you as well. You do not want an unfocused Vizsla. Scary.
6) Voice must be non-screechy. So no mini schnauzers or any of those voiced terriers. They do bark. They are quiet as long as they are getting everything they need when they need it. They will bark a fair amount to get your attention and let you know they want something. And they generally won't stop until they have it. It's a very high bark. I don't find it excessive though.
7) Heat tolerant. Yes.
8) Prefer a coat that is soft to the touch or a nice flat coat like a hound. They feel like velvet and their ears are what childhood dreams are made of.
9) Would prefer a dog that's not overly social but that isn't massively territorial either. Penny was WAY too willing to run up to everyone and love them until about 2 months ago ..I don't know if she just grew out of her puppy stage or what, but now she is much more reserved around strangers. I love it. Edit- if a person is persistent, she will eventually warm up to them& it's by no means an aggressive thing. It's more- I don't know you, I'll ignore you. OH! You want me to know you? Maybeee .. I'll think about it.. OKAY! You can pat me. Andddd that's enough ..goodbye!
10) Prefer a dog that is relatively good with children, provided good socialization occurs. This would be a non-issue. They are great with children as long as they are exposed to them& taught rules re--: no jumping or chasing.
11) Purely aesthetic and not necessary, but I tend to like dogs that are either very leggy (danes, italian greyhounds) or very stub-legged (corgis, vallhunds).
They are not scary long legged but they do have lovely long legs& lack of long hair means you see them in their full glory
12) Dog must have a face. I prefer dogs with a decent amount of snout. Yup!
13) Durable and healthy--minimal known health issues within the breed. This is a very healthy, hardy breed. Avg lifespan is 11+ years. When we went to visit our breeder, we meet Penn's mom, dad, grandmother on both sides& 1 great grandmother who was 14.
14) Preferably not too stunningly beautiful. I have a Dane now and flashy dogs are not my thing because they attract douchecanoes. Vizslas don't fit this requirement. They are a very crowd attracting breed of dogs. You get people stopping you to guess her breed, ask where you got her, can they pat her, etc etc.
Hope that helps!
1) 20-40 lbs. No. Some, if you get a smaller female will be close. My girl is 42.
2) Able to be taught tasks such as pawing or nosing when my name is called, when a baby cries, when a car horn blares. Probably ..although, I'm pretty sure they'd make a shitty service dog unless you put A LOT of time in.
3) Able to recognize when I've been still too long and nudge me then and/or help me get to an escape route. Again, probably because mine does this all the time when we are ignoring her& being sedentary Not sure it's the way you want though and not sure they would lead you to an escape route. They are very driven dogs and are STRONG. Deceptively strong. I'd be nervous to suggest one as a service dog. Penn is 13 months now& just starting to learn handler focus and it still fades in& out.
4) Athletic enough to keep up with an active human who is interested in dog sport. Definitely. But, keep in mind, a Vizsla NEEDS activity. As in, they will not settle unless they get a good, good off leash romp and mental stimulation. Penny gets about 10- 15hrs/ wk of off leash running, swimming& hiking. It's the only way to make living with her bearable LOL!
5) Should go without saying, maybe, but biddable. I don't wanna be fighting the dog to want to do what I want. They very much match this requirement. Small, short sessions from the day you get them helps build their focus on you as well. You do not want an unfocused Vizsla. Scary.
6) Voice must be non-screechy. So no mini schnauzers or any of those voiced terriers. They do bark. They are quiet as long as they are getting everything they need when they need it. They will bark a fair amount to get your attention and let you know they want something. And they generally won't stop until they have it. It's a very high bark. I don't find it excessive though.
7) Heat tolerant. Yes.
8) Prefer a coat that is soft to the touch or a nice flat coat like a hound. They feel like velvet and their ears are what childhood dreams are made of.
9) Would prefer a dog that's not overly social but that isn't massively territorial either. Penny was WAY too willing to run up to everyone and love them until about 2 months ago ..I don't know if she just grew out of her puppy stage or what, but now she is much more reserved around strangers. I love it. Edit- if a person is persistent, she will eventually warm up to them& it's by no means an aggressive thing. It's more- I don't know you, I'll ignore you. OH! You want me to know you? Maybeee .. I'll think about it.. OKAY! You can pat me. Andddd that's enough ..goodbye!
10) Prefer a dog that is relatively good with children, provided good socialization occurs. This would be a non-issue. They are great with children as long as they are exposed to them& taught rules re--: no jumping or chasing.
11) Purely aesthetic and not necessary, but I tend to like dogs that are either very leggy (danes, italian greyhounds) or very stub-legged (corgis, vallhunds).
They are not scary long legged but they do have lovely long legs& lack of long hair means you see them in their full glory
12) Dog must have a face. I prefer dogs with a decent amount of snout. Yup!
13) Durable and healthy--minimal known health issues within the breed. This is a very healthy, hardy breed. Avg lifespan is 11+ years. When we went to visit our breeder, we meet Penn's mom, dad, grandmother on both sides& 1 great grandmother who was 14.
14) Preferably not too stunningly beautiful. I have a Dane now and flashy dogs are not my thing because they attract douchecanoes. Vizslas don't fit this requirement. They are a very crowd attracting breed of dogs. You get people stopping you to guess her breed, ask where you got her, can they pat her, etc etc.
Hope that helps!
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