You have decided you want to welcome a Vizsla into your home!
PLEASE TAKE CARE !
Unfortunately, in this world, there are many people breeding and selling dogs irresponsibly. Hungarian Vizsla breeders are increasing in this country overwhelmingly, as the popularity of the breed increases.
Many do not care about health issues, temperament, or working with their dogs in any way. Many”backyard” breeders treat their dogs harshly and do not feed them adequately.
They are breeding for one reason only – money. Amazingly, these “so called” breeders often charge more than the genuine breeders who take great care, and spare no cost, to insure that their dogs’ progeny are true representatives of the breed, that their lines have no apparent health issues and that their dogs have proper temperaments.
They often do not raise them in a loving environment. The first 8 weeks or a puppy’s life is so important as this is the period when he/she learns to socialise, trust and grow with confidence, and without fear, in a caring home. If young puppies are deprived of the proper care, love and interaction in those first crucial weeks of their lives many problems can occur later.
If you are looking for a Vizsla, which for me is one of the most special dogs alive, make sure you research the breed. Remember that this breed is NOT for everyone! They are called Velcro dogs for a reason!
They want to be with you 24/7.p, and they do suffer badly from separation anxiety.
Check with your local Kennel Club for Accredited breeders.
Do not necessarily assume that all dogs advertised on Dogzonline are trustworthy.
Do not assume that all breeders who are registered with their local Kennel Club are reliable.
Ask questions!
Are your dogs hip scored? What are the scores? Do you show your dogs, or do tracking, agility etc. What Titles do they have?
It is not always possible to visit breeders and choose your dog. Many breeders do not choose which dog they will keep at home for the future until the litter is 7/8 weeks old, so even if you live nearby, it is not always possible to choose which pup will be yours. It is however a great idea to visit your breeder and to meet their dogs; to observe the temperaments of the dogs and to see the way they live and interact with their owners.
Often you live interstate and it is impossible to visit the breeder, but you can ask all the questions you want – any decent breeder will have time to talk with you and tell you about their dogs and the litter that is available at the time or one coming up in the future.
Your breeder should also have questions for you so they are assured that their pups are going to homes where they will be loved and cared for. You should also be assured that the breeder will be there in the future to help and support you with any problem that may occur.
Be Careful! Make sure your puppy is coming from a respectable and recognised breeder. Your Vizsla will hopefully be with you for many years – make sure that you choose a happy healthy puppy.
Unfortunately many people decide they want a puppy and they are not prepared to wait. They choose the first available. This can lead to heartbreaking consequences.
Do not buy puppies from unregistered breeders and without pedigree papers. Even though you are looking for a family pet it is still of paramount importance that your breeder is registered and that the litter is registered with the local Canine State Body. This is the only sensible and safe way. For you and for your new puppy.
Please do not be fooled by breeders, registered or otherwise, who tell you that their dogs are DNA tested and cleared of all known diseases and traits. This is totally misleading as there IS NO DNA testing for diseases such as epilepsy and cancer or any of the other diseases that may, unfortunately, occur within this breed. Testing for the long haired gene can be done however long haired Vizslas in Australia are extremely rare.vir I were to breed one I would not sell it 🙂
Be informed! At present there are breeders that are desexing their puppies at a very young age. I disagree with this practice and there are many articles that discuss the problems that can occur with early desexing of dogs.
If you type into your google search line “Long term health risks of neutering your dog”, you will find many articles on this subject. Be informed so that you are able to make decisions that you feel comfortable with.
The reason sometimes given for very early desexing is to protect breeding lines. In my opinion it is much more important to protect the health of the puppy. Please remember, these are my personal opinions only. There are many differing opinions on this subject.
PLEASE ENSURE WHEN ENQUIRING ABOUT PUPPIES FROM BREEDERS, CHECK THAT BOTH PARENTS HAVE BEEN HIP SCORED.
Unfortunately there are still known breeders who are not x-raying the hips of their breeding stock. It is not good enough for a breeder to tell you that they have no hip dysplasia in their lines. Unfortunately HD can and does pop up at any time. Genetics can make fools of the best of breeders.
You, as a puppy buyer, have a right to ensure that this basic and important test has been done on the parents of your puppy. No breeder can promise that you will never have health issues in the life of your puppy, just as we can never ascertain that our children will never have health issues, however it is the responsibility of each breeder to do the best they can to bring healthy puppies into this world, and hip scoring is fundamental in today’s breeding ethics.