Socialisation

Henley having fun with a cardboard box.

When I got Henley I knew that for the both of us to be happy and sane that I would have to take him out and about to introduce him to the big bad world. One of the most important things I had been told, read about and planned to do with him was socialise, socialise, socialise! I feel that to have a well rounded and confident dog in nearly all situations you have to put in the groundwork when the pup is young. Between the ages of 3 weeks to 17 weeks is the crucial time where any and all experiences shape the puppies development. Socialisation from an early age to a number of different environments, people and dogs (selectively chosen, healthy and up to date with their vaccinations) will mean that your pup will grow into a confident and relatable adult. 

The breeder from which Henley was born from started socialising the pups right from the beginning which gave him the best start off he could possibly have. There are different types of socialising that can be done with your new pup. Introducing him or her to new people, smells, sounds, textures, tastes and sights provides them with a large database of situations and experiences from which they can learn and reference later in life. I was also aware of veterinary advice I received to not allow him in areas where dogs frequent to help prevent him from catching any illnesses before he had his full set of vaccinations. So there’s the dilemma to socialise or not socialise? I chose to be as careful as possible but still take him out and about and introduce him to the world. I avoided any dog filled areas and often carried him or sat him on my lap. 

Socialising can be a tiring job.

I must say that one thing I loved about socialising Henley was that when we came home from any outing he was worn out. And with Vizsla’s any down time is precious. Initially he was shocked when he met new things like standing outside a school when all of the children are going home. But once he looked up and saw that I wasn’t worried and that the kids were actually pretty awesome to lick and be petted by he soon became confident and carefree (that is as long as the strangers were paying attention to him). I always make sure that whenever Henley is afraid of something new (that he doesn’t need to be afraid) I show that I am perfectly fine and that there’s nothing to be scared of. As dogs rely so much on body language and take their cues from other dogs and animaIs (humans included) by reading body language I think that its important to show what kind of response to a situation that I want him to emulate. I know that when I was a child and unsure or scared of something that I didn’t have to be that it always helped that my parents showed that they weren’t scared and that I didn’t have to either. So I think that the more Henley can experience and live each day without being nervous and anxious about every new thing that he comes across will only strengthen our bond, and make life easier/smoother for both of us.

Henley still gets startled by some new sounds or experiences but he has learnt to go with the flow and take his cue from my response to each situation. He does have what I would call a distrust versus a fear of true hand held Dyson vacuum whereas with the large floor Dyson vacuum he is quite content to nap next even when its being used. So  doe your dog have any specific fears? And how did/ are you dealing with these fears?  

A name, a name, what’s in a name?

One exciting part of introducing a new pet into the family is giving her or him a name. Sometimes you might have a name already picked out or you choose a name that matches your pets personality. When I knew that my Hungarian Vizsla puppy would be a male I made list after list of possible names. I found that a great way to find out what names are popular, unpopular and also what kinds of names are trending is to check out some of the baby name websites and generators. If you aren't inspired by any names on websites and perhaps want a name for a pup you could look at its appearance and take it from there. Red coloured dogs can vary in names from Scarlett and Ruby to Clifford and Copper.

While looking into possible names for my pup I didn't want to choose a name that when called out in the local dog park every second dog would turn its head. So that eliminated the most popular names like Max, Charlie, Bailey, Jack and Cooper. I also wanted to make sure that the name I chose would be easy for my dog to differentiate between their name and a command. The name Noah and the command No are hard to separate as is Fletch and fetch. Short and straight forward names are easier to call out versus long names. As the date of when my little pup would arrive in Sydney drew ever closer my short list seemed to only get longer. I wanted to go for a name that was a little different and at 25 different names on my short list I seemed to have hit a brick wall. I decided that I would have to meet my pup to see if any of the names fitted him.

On the day I picked him up and brought him home from the airport I gave saying each name on my list a go. Riley? Nope, Radar? uh-uh, Connor? defiantly not. Ari? Gunner? Faelan? Oren? No, no and no. None of them seemed to fit him. As he jumped about like a hyperactive bundle of beans the names Huxley and then Henley came into my mind out of nowhere. Sounding both names out Henley was easier to say and flowed well when I gave it go by calling him by it. Lets just say that a name that was never on any of my lists turned out to be the one.

How did you decide on your dogs name? Was it pre-decided or was it a spur of the moment decision? Do you have a story about how you chose the name of your dog?

A Hungarian what?

When Henley and I are out together we are always met by someone who either is unsure about what breed of dog he is and the conversation always leads to "he's a Hungarian what?" or "why a Vizsla?". Both of these are great questions that I generally love to answer (although it can get a little tiresome when you finish the conversation and walk a little further down the road to be stopped by someone else where the same conversation is soon repeated).

So how did I come to choose the Hungarian Vizsla as the dog for me? Well I began my search for the right/ most suitable dog by looking through information, videos and internet forums about different breeds of dogs. I knew I was after a medium sized dog with shorthair. Shorthair because of my close location to the bush and therefore ticks, shorthair also suits the climate of where I live and the less maintenance or grooming the better. I also looked for a breed of dog that would suit agility (when it was old enough) and obedience training as they are both activities that I wanted to participate in with my dog. The right dog for me wouldn't be aloof, would love to be around people all the time and is sensitive. This might all sound like a list of dating preferences but I wanted to make the most informed decision and choose the right dog for me. After searching through the different types of dogs I kept going back to the gun dogs specifically the pointers. I had previously met and interacted with both owners and their Weimaraners and German Shorthaired pointers and was attracted to both breeds. 

The German Shorthaired Pointer - "Duitse staande korthaar 10-10-2" by Bonnie van den Born, http://www.bonfoto.nl. Original uploader was Cwazi at nl.wikipedia - Originally from nl.wikipedia; description page is/was here.. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duitse_staande_korthaar_10-10-2.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Duitse_staande_korthaar_10-10-2.jpg

The Weimaraner - "Weimaraner wb". Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Weimaraner_wb.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Weimaraner_wb.jpg

It was by looking into Weimaraners and German Shorthaired Pointers that I came across a breed I had never heard of before: the Hungarian Vizsla.

The Hungarian Vizsla - "Vizsla 02" by Tino Hentschel (sharpened by Caronna) - made by Tino Hentschel, http://www.vizsla-leipzig.deOriginal upload: de.wikipedia.org 13:26, 2005-10-31 . . 453×401 (65 KB) . . Caronna. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vizsla_02.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Vizsla_02.jpg

Looking into this stunningly handsome breed I could see that the attributes I admired in both German Shorthaired Pointers and Weimaraners could also be found within this breed. Through research the Hungarian Vizsla and meeting many including owners and various qualified and dedicated breeders  whom I asked question after question about both the negative or troublesome attributes that Vizsla's can present as well as the positive ones. I like to be as prepared as I possibly can when it comes to big decisions and bringing a puppy into my family for as long as it will live (12-15 years) is a life altering decision. I see any animal that I may have as not simply a creature but as a family member that depends on me to look after it and share my life and its best interest with. So even though some may say I was overthinking it all I wouldn't have done anything different when it came to delving into the Hungarian Vizsla breed than I did then.  

So why did I choose the Hungarian Vizsla over the German Shorthaired Pointer or the Weimaraner? It was a combination of being the smaller of the three in size (not in personality that's for sure), the aesthetic of the breed with its uniform colour (whereas German Shorthaired Pointers vary immensely from dog to dog) and its get up and go, go, go nature sold me on it. The Hungarian Vizsla's reputation as the velcro dog just further swayed me to the Vizsla camp. I must say that hungarian Vizsla's are not the right breed of dog for everyone. Don't judge a Vizsla just by its looks, they are a lot of work to help grow into a well adjusted dog that will need a lot of attention, time, exercise and effort from their owners in order for both to prosper.

The next step I took in my puppy mission was after speaking to many Vizsla owners, spending time with various members of the breed I enquired about the breed and reputable breeders via the Hungarian Vizsla Club of New South Wales. It was great to receive advice and even more information about the breed and the next step was to look into different breeders. At first I was a bit overwhelmed with the list of Hungarian Vizsla breeders. How do I choose between them? Why choose one over another? I turned to some of my friends who used different canine breed associations/ clubs similar in type to the Hungarian Vizsla Club of New South Wales and asked why and how they chose their breeders? One friend said that she looked through quite a few breeders before she found the right one for her. She said that you'll connect with one specific breeder and the only way to do this is make contact with them.

So I began contacting many different breeders via email and phone. And it was true when I called one of the breeders on the list I felt that I instantly connected with her. Cathy Austin of Kenoz Hungarian Vizsla's shared similar ideals in concern with breed, what they are truly like and I could immediately see her dedication and love for the breed and its betterment. It was also great to hear that even after her pups had gone to their new homes that they were still apart of the family for both the breeder and the new owner. 

When I initially spoke with Cathy there weren't any immediate breeding plans as quality over quantity was desired. I knew that this was the breeder for me and so asked to be put on a waiting list for a possible pup late 2013 but more likely early 2014. From there it was the waiting game. 

Come late 2013 I was happily asked if I was still interested in a Kenoz pup from Kenoz Cosmic Star aka 'Kessie' x Kenoz Natway Ochre aka 'Ruger.' I excitedly said yes. Come the 22nd of January eight little Hungarian Vizsla pups came into the world including one that would be mine. It was great to see updates of how the pups and their beautiful mother were going as they got bigger everyday. I would have loved to personally visit the breeder but alas logistically and time wise Tasmania was too far. As hungarian Vizsla's aren't as popular a breed as others getting a pup from another state is quite common. And when it came for my little fella to leave home he made the trip up to Sydney via aeroplane with one of his litter mates who was also going to live in Sydney.

I don't think I have ever smiled so much than the day I met my eight week old male Hungarian Vizsla pup.

Watching one of his new humans driving him home.

Welcome Home Little Man.