Are Vizslas Good Off-Leash?

Many breeds of dogs are known around the world for being very energetic. That is normal since we are talking about an animal with a history in which it is characterized by being athletic and carrying out many activities, mainly hunting. 

The Vizslas are a breed of dogs that are characterized precisely by being very active and energetic since they present a high level of physical activity. That is the reason why these canines require daily exercise. In addition, they are known for having excellent hunting skills, which is very characteristic of this breed. 

Having a Vizsla means being willing to treat and care for it properly. As owners of a dog of this type, we have to know that they need to be part of a family with an active lifestyle. That means that you, as its owner, have to take it for a walk, play with it, or provide it with any physical activity or training. 

One of the biggest concerns people have when buying or adopting a Vizsla is whether this canine can be controlled off-leash. This thought arises from the aspects and characteristics mentioned above. 

We know that Vizslas are canines that accumulate a lot of energy throughout the day. This energy must be released through different physical exercises that not only allow your dog to stay healthy day by day but also fit. However, on certain occasions, this situation can be a problem for the owners of these canines. 

One of the things that this breed of dog loves to do the most is to walk together with their owners or members of their human family.

Obviously, Vizsla will want to go off-leash so that they can explore everything on their own and feel more liberated. Depending on each Vizsla’s personality, there may be some who are calmer, while others have a more hyperactive attitude. 

In any case, a dog of this type can be difficult to control when taking an off-leash walk. Now, does that mean it can’t do it? No. We can give our Vizslas the opportunity to go for a walk without a leash, but it is essential to provide prior training. 

How to Train a Vizsla Off-Leash? 

It is normal for some Vizslas to get excited when they realize that it is time to walk when they see you holding the leash. However, not all dogs of this breed are like that since this object does not allow them to walk as freely as they would like. In some cases, using a leash could stress and make your Vizsla anxious during the ride. 

As owners, it is vital to train our pets to be off-leash. Keep in mind that this process will be challenging and can take a long time. Vizsla has a loving personality, which makes them very attached to people. When you are walking with your canine, it can see another person or animal and immediately run towards them. 

Training of this type does not consist of taking your canine off the leash immediately. It is a process in which you must take it for a walk every day using this item for a certain time throughout the journey. Little by little, your Vizsla will get used to walking without the leash while staying close to you. 

Many people prefer to hire a dog trainer to make the process more effective. However, that does not mean that you cannot do it yourself. 

In case you decide to train your Vizsla yourself, you should take into account the time it will take. You may need 30 minutes a day. For that reason, it is important that you plan your day-to-day and reserve a period that you have free to train your canine. 

Methods for Training a Vizsla to Be Off-Leash 

There are several effective ways that will help you train your canine so that it no longer needs the leash to walk with you. 

1. Recall 

It is essential that before you start training, your dog knows the necessary commands to obey your orders. The first thing you have to do is have your Vizsla come to you when you call. Therefore, a good idea would be to play hide and seek indoors with your pet. 

While you hide, it remains static in a certain place, waiting for you to tell it to look for you. In this situation, use the “Come” command.

Make sure that your tone of voice is cheerful and energetic since that way, you will let your canine know that you are playing with it, and therefore, its learning and understanding process will be greater. You can use any other command, but “Come” is the most common for this situation. 

When your Vizsla has found you, be sure to reward it. In these situations, it is recommended that you use positive reinforcement. Give your canine a toy or treat and praise it. That way, it will know that it did a good job. You need to play this game with your Vizsla for several days until it gets used to it. 

Then you can proceed to increase the difficulty. Playing hide and seek with your Vizsla in your house’s garden or backyard will present a more significant challenge as there are many other objects and noises that can distract it. Train it in the same way for several days to adapt to it. 

With the above training, your Vizsla already recognizes and acts more quickly at the command you have chosen. In this case, the order “Come.” Use this same command voice but this time, do it while your dog is walking. 

This practice consists of calling it every few minutes. You can start by doing it every minute, then every other minute, and so on. The idea is to get it used to respond to your command in whatever situation it finds itself. 

At first, it is best to say the command voice without allowing your Vizsla to stray too far from you. As you progress through training, enable it to move further away before calling back. Practice that for several more days. That will allow you to walk peacefully with your Vizsla off-leash. 

2. Leash Transition 

If you have a backyard, attach your Vizsla to a leash and take it there. In case you don’t have one, take it to a friend’s or a park. This method consists of letting your canine observe everything around it for a moment. Once your dog has explored everything with its gaze, it will focus on you. 

The moment your Vizsla looks at you, immediately say the word “Yes” in a high-pitched voice and release the leash. This type of training will make your canine not only focus on you from time to time, but it will also know that it must be done for you to release it. 

After releasing it, it will likely come back after a few minutes. When your Vizsla is in front of you, happily say “Yes” again and immediately give it a reward, preferably a treat. 

Apply this method for several days so that it gets used to approaching you more often. As this situation occurs, gradually reduce the portions of sweets that you give it. 

The idea is to get it used to approach you without giving it something in return. Never use punishment as a method to make your Vizsla obey you as it will achieve the opposite effect. 

When you have done this training for several days, your Vizsla is ready to ride with you without a leash. 

There are other methods to train a Vizsla off-leash, but these are the most effective. As we have said before, you can hire a dog trainer since this type of specialist has more advanced techniques developed through many years of experience. 

Conclusion 

Vizslas are very active and energetic animals that are characterized by requiring a lot of daily exercise due to their high level of physical activity. Fortunately, this breed of dog is very intelligent so training them is not the most difficult thing in the world. In fact, they love to learn to satisfy their owners or members of their human family. 

There are many dogs of this type that are not very obedient, which can be a problem for their owner. For that reason, it is necessary to focus on training based on enhancing our pet’s obedience. It is essential that our Vizsla respond positively to any command we say. 

Training of this type will not only allow your Vizsla to be more obedient but also you and it will be able to walk happily without any stress and worry.