Vizsla seems spooky/on edge

[Waterfowler21]

Hi all,
My V is almost 5 1/2 months old. The last week or so she has seemed very "whiney", jumpy, and has been barking a lot. Loud noises have been freaking her out. She hasn't really acted like this before. We had traveled quite a bit the last week so we think that may be it. Is that normal behavior?

[Sharon]

I don't know if that is normal behaviour for a Vizsla - I would doubt it.

I do know that dogs change over their life time, particularly during year one. Fear problems often appear around the age of your dog.

[Spy Car]

Hi all,
My V is almost 5 1/2 months old. The last week or so she has seemed very "whiney", jumpy, and has been barking a lot. Loud noises have been freaking her out. She hasn't really acted like this before. We had traveled quite a bit the last week so we think that may be it. Is that normal behavior?

Does "we" (as in we were traveling) mean the Vizsla was with you, or at home with you gone?

Bill

[Waterfowler21]

She was with us. Friday Saturday Sunday. Then Monday I dropped her off at a relatives with two other dogs (they play well together). My fiancé and I were going to a concert so we picked her up the next day.

[Spy Car]

She was with us. Friday Saturday Sunday. Then Monday I dropped her off at a relatives with two other dogs (they play well together). My fiancé and I were going to a concert so we picked her up the next day.

My bet is you are experiencing the double-edged aspect of the "velco" nature Vizslas tend to be famous for as a breed trait.

The upside of their nature is they form really deep bonds with their humans. Are willing to work for praise, and are very affectionate. The downside is many Vs have degrees of separation anxiety. Even pretty calm and well-adjusted Vs tend not to like being away from the people they've bonded with. And some have it worse.

Sorry to hear you're experiencing this. It is not uncharacteristic as a breed trait (especially at 5 months, which is a hard age).

Bill (Vizsla owner)

[Waterfowler21]

Thanks for the response Bill. That is what I was believing to be the cause from my own judgment and from what I had read online. Just going to have to keep working at it to lessen the anxiety! Any other advice?

[Spy Car]

Thanks for the response Bill. That is what I was believing to be the cause from my own judgment and from what I had read online. Just going to have to keep working at it to lessen the anxiety! Any other advice?

For the noises, I would try to counter-condition in just the same way you'd do with a gunshot. Have the noise lead to a reward (while building up the intensity/proximity of the noise slowly).

The separation anxiety is tricky. The great bonds that comfort and assure Vs also make absence harder. Not bonding with the dog isn't the answer. They thrive on attention.

Many Vs do better crated for short periods when owners need to be absent (although this is not universally true).

It can help to do things like leaving the house and coming back fairly quickly, or going through the normal motions of "leaving," but then not really exiting (and that sort of thing) with the aim of acclimating the dog to being alone, and de-conditioning the stress of exit routines (like gathering keys, phones, etc).

Maturity helps. Vizslas are also very slow to mature typically. Understanding they tend to be emotional dogs (which is in striking contrast to their physical toughness) helps in at least knowing where they are coming from. Individual dogs with-in any breed vary, but the velcro nature of Vizslas is pretty typical. A 5 month old V really is a "baby" on an emotional level.

All the best,

Bill

[Waterfowler21]

Thanks for the advice we appreciate it!

[Vman]

All advice given is sound. But I would recommend that you board her at a kennel next time. Boarding is good for the pup providing you have a good Kennel that gives the pup plenty of play time with other youngsters. But I also believe you are experiencing the effects of a pup that was removed from the litter at 6.5 weeks. Pups leaving to early have a higher chance of separation anxiety and less confidence. JMO

[ezzy333]

All advice given is sound. But I would recommend that you board her at a kennel next time. Boarding is good for the pup providing you have a good Kennel that gives the pup plenty of play time with other youngsters. But I also believe you are experiencing the effects of a pup that was removed from the litter at 6.5 weeks. Pups leaving to early have a higher chance of separation anxiety and less confidence. JMO

Amen

[Sharon]

All advice given is sound. But I would recommend that you board her at a kennel next time. Boarding is good for the pup providing you have a good Kennel that gives the pup plenty of play time with other youngsters. But I also believe you are experiencing the effects of a pup that was removed from the litter at 6.5 weeks. Pups leaving to early have a higher chance of separation anxiety and less confidence. JMO

Where did you read that he got the pup at that age? I can't find it.

[Vman]

[quote]Where did you read that he got the pup at that age? I can't find it.

]

From a previous PM.

[Waterfowler21]

Vman is correct. She's been doing well since I first posted so seems she's settled back down. I am going to start boarding her from now on but the few reputable kennels around Fargo ND only take dogs that are 6mos+. So wasn't able to do that when I posted this. Thanks for the responses!

[Spy Car]

Socializing your Vizsla with other dogs is really important, the early adoption makes that even more vital.

However, I'd be very cautious boarding the V in an unfamiliar kennel. For a highly social dog this might go well, but for a dog with separation anxiety it could be a very bad choice. Since your V freaked out over a low stress situation, I'd really think twice about this idea.

Bill

[Sharon]

Where did you read that he got the pup at that age? I can't find it. quote Sharon

From a previous PM. quote V man
................

Ah ha. If we had known that in the OP's post it would have saved a lot of typing.

[uplandviz]

Your V is going through a fear stage. A lot of dogs do. My vizsla went through the stage around 6 months. Loud noises still scare him and he is always on edge. Once in the field, he is different. He hunts hard and could care less about the loud shots. This took a lot of time and effort though. I suggest that you keep socializing the pup and not acknowledge when she is scared. Don't baby the dog. She will look at how you are and through the fear stage you have to show the dog to accept new hinge not reject them.