About the Breed
What is the Hungarian Vizsla like as a breed and is it the right dog for you?
Read moreCrate Training
Making your dog a den
Crate Training
Probably the single most important thing when trying to train a dog to do anything is to praise them when they are good, and try not to over react when they do something you don't want them to do.
Crate training is an effective way of house training your puppy, because a dog does not like to soil it's sleeping place, and given the chance it will go else where. Temporarily confining your dog to a small area strongly inhibits the tendency to urinate and defecate. If you let your puppy have the run of the house they will leave you unwanted presents. Dog's are 'den' animals and the crate should take on this roll for them, giving them a secure place that they will feel comfortable in.
When choosing the crate for your puppy don't get one too big, as the puppy will sleep and one end and soil at the other, if you do choose to buy a crate for the puppy to 'grow in to' then use a crate divider to start with to reduce the space for your puppy, removing it when he is older.
Buy your crate before you get your puppy and set it up near to an entrance to your house, so you can put them out to relieve themselves as soon as you let them out of the crate. Introduce your puppy to the crate as enjoyable place to be, put some toys in for them and use it as a place to feed them they will soon realise that the crate is their den and a happy place to be.
The first night in the crate they will most likely cry about being in there, sorry there's no real solution with this, but stick with it as it will pass and will pay dividends later. Dogs will tend to rise with the sun, so putting a blanket over the crate to make it dark and secure may delay this a little, however if the weather is warm don't over heat your puppy. In the morning as soon as you open the crate, put them out to relieve themselves, and of course, with plenty of praise.
If they go into the crate on there own praise them for it so they know they are doing the right thing. Once your puppy is comfortable with the crate then leave them it in for a short period of time (with the door shut). Resist the temptation to go to them even if they whine, as they will feel that they are being rewarded for their actions by your attention. As soon as you let them out of the crate put them out to relieve themselves, remember to give them plenty of praise when they do. If they are sleepy put them in the crate. Do not let them crash out on a sofa as they will think that is their spot.
Never use the crate as a punishment or keep them in it for long periods of time during the day.
Our adult dogs are crate trained which we feel was defiantly worth the effort. They will happily take themselves in there during the day and sleep all night (with the crate door open). When we go away we take a crate with us and pop it up in our room giving them a home from home.