I am interested in getting a second dog.  I have a soon to be three year old black lab.  I am looking for a high energy companion for her.  I am looking at a Vizsla.  I am in Chicagoland.  Does anyone have experience with this breed?  Can anyone recommend a Midwest breeder?  Thanks.  All info will be appreciated.

We had a Vizsla we got as a rescue, and had her from one to 13 when we had to put her down.  She was a good dog, but we think she had been abused by her first owners, and had some fear biting issues as a result.

I'd recommend the breed, but 1) they are called "velcro dog" for a reason.  They want to be at your side always.  She never ran away when we were around, and would chase deer and rabbits in the woods/park, but would always come back in 15 seconds when we were out of sight.  We even made a hide and seek game out of it.


They tend to have separation anxiety, worst than most dogs.  We were lucky, but many don't now what to do with themselves when they are alone.  I don't know if a companion dog (your lab) would help or not.  Ours would counter-cruise and became exceptionally food focused.


Ours had many health issues in her last 2 years--wound up on prednasone (sp).



She was a good and loyal dog, and I missed her terribly when we had to put her down.  We have a 4 year old lab/chow mix now.  This isn't her, but our current dog looks something like this:

Just saw this. Jim Busch put us on a litter about 3 years ago. Great, healthy dog. http://www.buschvizslas.com

If you want high energy look at German shorthaired pointers, Vizslas are more calm in comparison.

I am from chicago. I have 2 living 12 and 1.5 years. 2 passed. I use them for grouse and woodcock and a little early waterfowl on my own farm and in the up. Great dogs but very tight to their people. Lots of interest in the breed these days. Mostly city people that want sporty without the sport. Jim busch is a ok place to start but he will breed to anyone now. Know nothing new owners who dont hunt and want to show but dont yet. That was who they recommended in 2015 and i passed. Try crimson sky vizslas he was new when i started but has stuck around, rob tomczak in WI is where i got my recent pup. Small and big running near out of control but a good one. Got the best of all from michel berner. Ugly dog out of pointe blancs rusty miracle. Natural dog. Just outstanding. Old current dog was from rick mitchel out of a busch raany and jim gingrich dog. She is a slow pro. Super trainable but quirky old grouse master. First dog was a Ranny pup from jim gingrich. Raany was busch's last stud before the omega dog. Got cancer snd died at 7. Too many raany and omega dogs around chicago. Just about all of them these days.

One of my hunting buddies breeds and trials them (sorry, but he is in Texas).  I was hunting this weekend over 4 Vizslas.

The Velcro Dog comment is pretty accurate.  When not hunting, they do not want to be with you...they want to be leaning against you or sitting on you.  I know one that wants to drape herself over over the headrest of her owners recliner.  
They are a little tightly wound, and run pretty big (but not in the class with a GSP), but they want to please and you need to have an extremely soft touch (on the correction collar button) when training them.  A collar with a beeper is often enough.

They are great dogs around the house, as long as they get outside to run a little very day.  Very short hair, and have less of the "dogie odor" than  than most dogs.  Even a wet one is not too bad.  They are also world champions at counter surfing, and I know of a couple that can climb a 6' chain link fence  or 7' kennel .

The ones I've seen want to do three things all day:  run, run, and run.

If they don't get to run, their not happy.

We're looking at a wire haired vizsla for dove, quail, and ducks as well as the show ring and a child's companion. Anyone with experience with the wire haired version?

weimerainers are similar

We live in WI, my dad always had weims he is now on his 2nd vizsla.
  His first was so good that when she passed he said he was done pheasant hunting! 1 because he was 73 at the time and 2 because he didn't think he would ever get a dog as good as the last one.
  We talked him into getting another one. Same breeder. And she is an awesome bird dog! Runs so fast. My pitbull  mix and her get into race and chase game and the pit gets soo mad because he just can't catch her lol. They'll jut run circles in the backyard. She never gets tired.
   Anyway I can ask him the breeders info if still interested and or WI not too far for you to drive.
Send me a message if you want to and I'll find out.