Thread: Vizsla pup - registered vs not

This a really good thread and goes beyond the visla question. There are so many aspects of what makes a good dog and it also comes down to the ability of the handler and what they are actually happy with. Everyone has different expectations.

Originally Posted by Hiawatha

This a really good thread and goes beyond the visla question. There are so many aspects of what makes a good dog and it also comes down to the ability of the handler and what they are actually happy with. Everyone has different expectations.

Yes it is and I hope it does not degenerate like most "dog threads"!
We have now 3 pointers. First 2 from 100% "Show"blood and and 11 years old and youngest(new) at 8 months from 100% working blood.
I would have to say as dogs they are as different as chalk and cheese. All 3 do the pointer thing (the inbred bird finding) but the pup so far is proving a better all round dog at a far younger age. Our older 2 have always had issues with allergies and other health issues and neither could do a day in the field now. The pup is also a finer built dog and much more nimble/lighter on her feet. After all day in the scrub there are no detectable allergies so far. All our pointers have come with an inbult ON/OFF switch it seems and can go from calm house dog to hunting and back as required. I honestly cannot see me having any other breed in the future and for me the Pointer does every thing I want.

I think we all want different things from our dogs and the abilities of the owners also come into it a lot. Not to mention the practical field work as some of us struggle to get much time in the field.

I looked at Vizsla's initially but after speaking with breeders at length decided a "velcro"dog was not quite the right fit for me (us). We wanted dogs which would be OK in the house, could go everywhere with us, be good company and capable in the field rather than the dog everyone avoids. We wanted to try and avoid the separation issues some vizslas owner seem to report

Dogs lives are painfully short to I think a dog from a proven line/ability gives an owner the best chance to get the dog they want / hope for and less chance of ending up with what you don't. Generally you can see the parents, grandparents etc and also there is a good chance you can see these dogs at work in the field assuming thats what you want your new mate for.

That is not too say you should discount other types of breeder (excluding the puppy mills) as often they breed their dogs which the help/advice of the original breeder. Its just harder to try and predict what you might see in the pups.

Of course I could be completely wrong as I often am but this is a good thread

Originally Posted by Kudu

True Mr kawhia, photo's of "Dead Shit" does not prove working lines. Just like a picture of anyone in a race car does not mean they are a good driver. I didn't have ANY photos of the parents of my girl with "Dead Shit", but got her anyway and with a bit of patience, love and training she has turned into a great companion and hunting dog and I couldn't be happier. So that was my point, while papers might be nice they are not the make or break of an animal. The photo was there just because I was happy to get an 8 pt Sika the other day, not to prove anything.

it wasn't directed at you, my post was directed at the guy who started the thread...but leaving the papered track has happened alot with most breeds the vizsla being one of them, the limited bloodlines get stretched even further into the unknown.

most dogs will hunt regardless of breed/breeding etc some will just be better at it than others. it depends to what level you want to hunt/what you want your dog to do and how much time you want to put into your dog as to how important hunting lines/breeding will be. i have had a viszla from hunting lines which was not a great dog.

if i were you i would try and spend some time with the puppies from the litter and pick one that shows the traits that you want in your dog, there are plenty of books/information on what to look for. it is very useful to be able to see the puppies interacting with each other outside and watch what the individual pups are doing and how they interact with people. it is worth waiting for the right dog as you will be stuck with it for a long time.

Some dogs just leave great pups and some leave rubbish. If a breeder can supply names of past buyers to contact it might be possible to view sibling pups from previous litters. If they are all consistently good then a pup with the same breeding is likely going to be good too