Tips to keep your Vizsla Dog happy

The Vizsla dog breed originates from Hungary. It is among the most loved by dog owners. He is ranked 43rd out of 155 dog breeds as the most popular dog by the dog lover’s association.

He is a great companion to any family who can take care of his attention and general needs. He likes to be loved and cared for by his owners. It reciprocates with loyalty, love, and adoration. 

The Vizsla dog is a versatile and hardworking dog that prefers to be busy working and to be engaging in some activity except when it is resting. It does not like to stay idle. It prefers being on the move at all times and only taking short breaks to relax and rest.

It prefers to be trained on a schedule for feeding, workout, sleep, and playtime that is followed regularly. He does well as a hunting mate or works out buddy.

History of the Vizsla

The Vizsla descended from Hungary and was used by the warlords for hunting birds and hares in the old times. Their images can be found in ancient art which is an indication of their origin and the role they played for their owners in those years.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the breed’s scenting powers had started being accepted by man to the extent that it was in use in the first world war to deliver messages on the battlefront.

The dog survived the 1st World War and its first members were shipped to the USA in the early 1950s. The dog type that arrived in the USA had longer muzzles and longer ears than what is currently there now. Over time, dog breeders have worked on its looks which are now standardized to the dog breeds that are available today.

The Vizsla is a beloved companion who is always willing to work and in recent history is reputed and acclaimed for her role in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Due to their high intelligence levels, they are easy to train and were the preferred army sniffer dogs deployed to the area after the attack. They were honored for their role in the rescue efforts during the disaster.

Size

The Vizsla has a light build and is medium-sized. Its male can grow to a height of 22 to 24 inches and females can grow to a height of 21 to 23 inches. The average weight is between 45 and 70 pounds.

Ways to keep the Vizsla dog happy

Feeding

The Vizsla has a good appetite due to its active nature. It should be well fed with good quality dog food of at least 3 to 4 cups daily. The actual intake will depend on its size, age, build, and activity levels. Like human beings, their energy levels depend on their life activities.

Keep a feeding routine that the dog will get used to beginning with when it is a puppy. It is likely to keep this routine until adulthood. The members of your family who you live with should also know how to feed it so that they can do it when you are away.

Watch out for the chances of overfeeding the dog which can lead to obesity. In the event that he is obese, you need to reduce his food intake and exercise him more.

You should also ensure that the quality of the dog food you offer your dog is of great quality and has all the nutrients that the dog requires for great nourishment. For best results, you can throw in some supplements to help in the development of the dog’s bones and teeth when it is in its infancy.

Exercise

The Vizsla is an active dog with high energy levels. It likes to keep moving its muscles and that is why you ought to give him at least an hour of exercise each day. This will make be good friends with your dog. You can choose between long walks, jogging, or running across the block for at least 1 hour daily. You can take turns with your family members on the days when you are not available to take him around.

He is likely to learn this routine and will start to look forward to it since he loves the outdoors. Make sure that you work with a schedule so that he also prepares himself for exercise time.

Assign him tasks

As a way to engage the Vizsla start training him early as a puppy on certain basic tasks that he can be doing each day. These tasks will keep him busy and engaged. The basic tasks you can engage in are basic tidying up of the room and the garage and cleaning up his area.

When you are working at home, you can engage him by sending him to pick up and drop off items. For instance, when cleaning up the garage machinery, you can send him to bring cleaning materials and return them to their storage area. This will make your dog keep busy and happy to help.

The activities will give him the mental stimulation he needs to stay awake and fresh. Without such activities, he is likely to become bored, noisy, and destructive.

Trim nails

For good grooming and to avoid his nails pricking you or a member of the family make sure that the nails are trimmed once or twice a month depending on how long they have become.

He will appreciate the exercise because long nails may affect his walking when they are too long. The dog will appreciate the compassion that you have over him and this goes a long way in keeping his happiness.

Body Care

The Vizsla requires minimal brushing since it does not shed fur as much as other dogs do. Once a week is enough to clean and shave the dog. It is a relatively easy dog to clean because it has short fur which doesn’t produce odor compared to other dog breeds.

The dog will relish the body care moments and it is likely to wiggle its tail all through the process because it will provide it with the freshness it might have been craving since the last clean-up exercise. Use the right cleaning materials that ensure the best cleanliness and that kill all germs.

Company

The Vizsla thrives with human company and it enjoys following people in and out of rooms in the house. It is friendly to older kids and it makes a good companion for them. It prefers to live in a setting where it will always be around people. The dog suffers from separation anxiety and that is why it does not thrive with people who stay away from home for extended periods of time.

To keep it happy, let it live indoors with the rest of the family members so that it is part of the household. Let it get used to the routine of the whole family and make it a sense of belonging. It will feel valued and appreciated and happy all the time.

Toys

This dog likes to chew. You can provide it with chewer toys that can keep it busy instead of chewing your personal effects in the house. Once you make it a habit, it will be disciplined and will not chew on any other item apart from its toys. The toys will also keep them busy to avoid boredom during their free time.

Fence the backyard

The Vizsla requires outdoor play which you can provide with space by sealing off your backyard so that it can play in the compound without disturbing or causing anxiety to your neighbor’s pets.

Due to its energy levels, it can become a nuisance when playing on its own and it may attract other dogs that you need to keep away by completely sealing off your backyard garden.

Other Pets and Children

The Vizsla is friendly and very accommodating to children older than 6 years. They love their company and you can teach your kids how to relate to it once they are old enough. Basic precautions should be taken when dogs are around children because they can cause tension to the dog especially when it is eating.

The dog can also be friendly to other pets such as cats but they need to have been raised together. The other pets can become a playmate to your dog.

In this regard, you can make your dog very happy by bringing other pets into the house so that it can have playmates whenever it wants to play.

Health Checkups

The dog is prone to health complications such as eye diseases, hypothyroidism, and hip dysplasia among other illnesses. It is therefore important and nice if you can ensure that it is regularly checked by a vet to keep it healthy and treat any emerging issues.

Whenever you notice any anomaly in the dog’s health you should contact its vet immediately so that it is attended to quickly before the situation escalates further. This will certainly keep him happy!