“But wait, why is it important that I wait for a puppy off your referral list? Joe Schmoe has 6 puppies right now AND he is willing to sell me two so I can raise littermates! This is a great solution, the puppies will keep each other entertained! Oh, and I did ask about health testing. Their dogs have never had an issue, so they don’t have to test.“
Puppy Availability Issues
RUN AWAY. These are big huge red flags. RARELY will a breeder have a puppy available anytime you get the whim to buy a puppy. Typically, you should expect to wait for a puppy. Vizsla puppies are not produced at our request. We can’t exactly ask our Vizsla dams to have come into season on January 15, so we can breed on exactly January 30, so they can whelp and have puppies ready to go home with you on the day your kids get out of school. Please be patient, and be extremely cautious of a breeder that seems to always have puppies available.
Avoid Littermate Syndrome
Second, a good breeder will not sell you littermates. There are tons of problems with littermates, that’s a whole topic you can read more about. Also, anyone who would sell you two puppies at the same time is likely just trying to clear inventory. For instance, Preservation Breeders will make sure you are ready to properly socialize and raise your puppy with appropriate training and exercise. Only a very experienced dog trainer/Vizsla owner are equipped to take on littermates with a high energy breed like ours.
Health Testing: Non-Negotiable
Finally, there is no excuse to not health test. In September 2019, club leaders were contacted because a breeder in Colorado sold them two puppies (remember how that’s a red flag?) and they noticed one of the Vizslas wasn’t growing or running at the same pace. Come to find out their puppy is dysplastic. IN BOTH HIPS. Each surgery is $13,000. Consequently, this family wanted us to help provide recourse, and unfortunately, there is nothing we can do except try and warn people upfront. These “breeders” are not members of our club, nor our parent club. It is imperative you only get a Vizsla from a breeding pair who both have a passing rating for OFA Hips (at minimum.) Here is the Vizsla Club of America’s Code of Ethics.
