Hey guys and gals. I'm new to the forums and thought I would get my first post out of the way.

Two weeks ago I got a Vizsla pup. Since we got her I have been working on a few of the little commands. We have mastered sleeping through the night, potty training and sit. She will be 12 weeks old on Monday and I am worried that I am behind on her training because we got her a little later than I would have liked.

I am working with her walking on a leash, but it's not going as well as I would like.

Do you have any advice on anything else I should be doing? When should I introduce her to birds? Gunfire?

Thanks in advance

Welcome to the forum. Just let her be a puppy. You might tie her out and let her be for short periods.

Bu reading what you wrote, I would say slow down!

Curious as to why you think you are behind? What you have is about equivalent to a toddler.

Intro to birds is perfect age right now. I know some will disagree but your pups mind is a like a sponge right now ready to learn and receive information that will last a lifetime. Also, they cannot chase the birds very far right now.

I would join navdha or talk to your breeder about training as you really need some one on one help it sounds like.

You should also let the pup be a pup and not worry so much about walking in a leash or other obedience. You and teach them the mechanics of down sit etc but do not expect perfection. Take the pup hunting, let it roam and use it nose.

How is your pup's retrieving skills?

Introduce the gun during the pup's funnest activities. For example, you can introduce during chow time or retrieving. While they are eating shoot from a distance. Start with a .22 blank and work your way up over time. When you introduce the gun to the retrieve it should be shot first, have a delay of a few seconds and then throw the dummy. Bring the shot and the throw closer together as your dog accepts the sound. As I mentioned before, start with a .22 blank and work your way up to a shotgun but really watch your dog's reaction. If there is any flinch or apprehension, move away from the dog, change the caliber and/or increase the delay between the shot and the toss. Sometimes this is best done with a helper. Young kids (with hearing protection) are great for this.

Here is a VERY old book that is one of the best. It will help you with your Vizsla. Just put "Vizsla" in place of "German Shorthair Pointer".

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-German-s...ointer+training

Have fun!

Jay

Whatever you do, keep that puppy out of the hands of children. It's a hunting machine.

Your not behind, these red dogs take months to get them to walk on lead without sled dogging.
Intro to birds, socialization, and just letting her run in some different fields.
A little obedience if fine, but there's no need to try and get strict with it.

Leash training is pretty important, but sometimes puppies will be puppies, and act like Broncs when you initially leash them. They will eventually get over it, you can always try positive reinforcement with a treat. Good luck!

I love Vizsla's such beautiful dogs! Congrats on your new family member!

where did you get you pup from?

I've learn with the Vizsla ,,, the training depends also on if it's a male or female , females really seem to catch on faster , and it could be like this with other breeds too. I'm Hungarian so I have to keep it in the family so that's the only hunting dog I have trained .
Your not behind at all,, you can only teach so much at a time before the pup loses interest and wants to play.
One thing I have noticed with Eva , which is six now , her first two years she never left my side day in and day out which we really formed a bond and now I think she knows what im thinking.
Spend as much time with the pup as you can and it will pay off in the long run!

I found her through a lady in Lubbock.

She is doing so much better than she was before. The leash is still the challenge, but I don't take her out on it much. I was waiting till she had all of her parvo shots before I started walking with her around the park.

Here we go again! Why would any dog handler want or need to shoot a gun around a 12 week old puppy? IMO, you are just asking for future problems. Let the pup mature a little more. Do not be in such a hurry to introduce the gun to small, young pups. It ususally does more damage than good.

The absolute only thing you have to do with a puppy is love them and let them find their feet. That's it. The third thing you could do that would be a good idea is work on retrieving stuff. Do it in exchange for treats. Worry about birds when she's older.