Thursday, June 7, 2012

What's in a Rescue Vizsla

There has been much discussion lately regarding adopting a Vizsla from Rescue and what to expect.
First - I would say there is no "typical" Rescue.  They are all different.  Different breeding, different backgrounds, different temperments and different baggage.  The one common variable I have witnessed - they all want YOUR love and attention.  The other common problem is the dogs in general are lacking in basic obedience.  I think this is likely the major underlying "non-reported" cause for most surrenders.  The most common "reason" is that they just "don't have time".  (translation - they just don't have the desire to actually train the dog and give clear consistent boundaries).

The following  is a story of "Pressy". 

Pressy climbs atop the ATV for a better viewing platform during field work

Pressy came into our lives at around 9 months of age through a wonderful person who adopted her from a family who had her listed on Craigslist.  They just didn't "have time" for her.  Thankfully, her new owner was able to get her and then brought her to us for evaluation on whether she may or may not turn into a bird dog.  The owner had made up his mind regardless - she would have a good home.

We've had a few rescues come through recently - most have had some rather significant obedience issues.  Pressy was definitely not a skittish, poorly mannered dog.  In fact, she has a super sweet personality, is very loving and affectionate and tries hard to please.  Her coat is a tad long and ultra-soft.  We call her "The veleveteen Vizsla" due to her velvety coat.  She's great with other dogs and kids as one of our 6 year old visitors "McKenzie" demonstrates.




Can this rescue dog hunt?  We think she's well on her way!  South Dakota Summer Camp will be a great experience for her and will help her develop.



Though it is always a chance when you get a rescue Vizsla, most are well vetted by the time they are put up for adoption.  No dog is perfect, but hopefully getting a glimpse at this wonderful little girl experiencing a whole new happy life offers an idea of what a fabulous ride it can be giving a good home to a Rescue dog.

3 comments:

  1. Yay! I saw that listing on Craigslist back in April and posted it to the Yahoo Vizsla group. It looks like she has ended up with the perfect home. What a wonderful ending! :D

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  2. Ken and Janet. It is wonderful that Pessy was given a second chance. Educating the Vizsla buyers on what "time" means in relationship to owning these dogs. It isn't an hour here or an hour there. It is reorganizing your life so the dog is part of your world. Not an item that has to get some "time" but one of the reasons for "time" to be spent.
    Time spent with a Vizsla has to be way up there for them to be happy. Flip side is that time spent with Vizslas make us happy.
    Good story.
    RBD

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