This Vizsla Had Enough of Daycare: What Her Family Found Left Everyone Speechless
This vizsla daycare story begins the way so many great dog tales do: with a routine pickup that went completely sideways — in the most lovable way possible. Andrew Koehler’s wife headed to Canine Crews, a dog daycare in Chicago, expecting the usual scene. She figured she would walk in, find her 13-month-old Vizsla named Haarlem waiting by the gate, and head home with a happy, tired pup.
What she got instead was something she never saw coming. There, at the very top of an open-top kennel fence, sat Haarlem — perched like a cat burglar caught mid-heist, deep into a full-on breakout attempt. One look at that scene, and the only reasonable response was exactly what her mom did: grab the phone and snap a picture, because nobody at home was ever going to believe this one.
A Regular Pickup Day at Canine Crews
Pickups at dog daycare are usually the easiest part of the day. Owners walk in, the staff gathers up the dogs, tails start wagging, and everyone heads home. Haarlem’s family had done it dozens of times. Andrew Koehler and his wife trusted Canine Crews in Chicago with their young Vizsla, and most days the routine was beautifully boring.
On this particular day, though, the script flipped before the pickup even got going. Andrew’s wife walked through the doors and headed for the kennel area, expecting to collect Haarlem and be on her way. Instead of the familiar sight of her dog pressed against the gate with a wagging tail, she rounded the corner and froze. The image in front of her looked less like a daycare pickup and more like the opening scene of a prison break movie — starring a red-coated escape artist.
It was not the first time Haarlem had made her feelings about daycare kennels known. Those who knew the dog well could probably have predicted it. But even so, finding your dog balanced at the very top of a kennel fence, mid-climb, is the kind of thing that rewrites your whole evening.
Caught Red-Pawed at the Top of the Kennel
There she was: Haarlem, a 13-month-old Vizsla, perched at the very top of her kennel fence in the middle of a full-on breakout attempt. The kennel was an open-top style, which turned out to be a crucial detail. Haarlem had apparently treated the low barrier the way a determined teenager treats a curfew — as a suggestion, not a rule.
The timing could not have been more perfect, or more unfortunate, depending on whose perspective you take. Just as Andrew’s wife came around the corner, one of the newer staff members spotted Haarlem at the top of the fence. His reaction was instant and theatrical: he screamed and threw a whole pile of paperwork straight up into the air. Pages flew in every direction. It was chaos, comedy, and concern all in about three seconds.
Once the initial shock passed, the team got Haarlem safely down from the top of the fence with a little help. The good news? She was completely fine. No injuries, no drama beyond the theatrics — just that classic Vizsla expression on her face that seemed to say, “What? I was just on my way out.” Dog owners everywhere will recognize that look. It is the universal expression of a dog who is absolutely certain she did nothing wrong.
The Photo That Broke the Internet
Some moments are too good not to share, and Andrew’s wife knew it immediately. She snapped a photo of Haarlem frozen at the top of the kennel fence and posted it online with a playful caption about going to pick up her dog from daycare and finding her like this. The internet, as it so often does with dogs, fell completely in love.
Comments poured in from dog owners who had seen the same escape-artist behavior in their own pets. Some shared stories of huskies vaulting fences, terriers squeezing through gaps, and cats who treated every barrier as a puzzle. Haarlem’s photo struck a nerve because it captured something every pet parent recognizes: that mix of disbelief, laughter, and pride when your animal does something spectacularly ridiculous.
What made the story travel even further was how well it illustrated a breed truth. Anyone who has lived with a Vizsla nodded knowingly. These dogs are famously high-energy, deeply bonded to their people, and not exactly known for their patience in small, confined spaces. The photo was not just funny — it was, as one might say, perfectly on-brand.
The Drama of a Vizsla
If you have never lived with a Vizsla, here is the short version: they are a lot of dog. Originally bred in Hungary as hunting companions, Vizslas are built for motion — fast, athletic, and wired to stick close to their humans like glue. They are sometimes called “Velcro dogs” because they simply do not understand the concept of personal space.
Haarlem, by all accounts, is a textbook example. At daycare she was famously high-spirited and had developed a particular dislike for kennels. The staff at Canine Crews had learned to work around it: when her family was running late, they would simply let Haarlem run around in one of the big play rooms instead of confining her. It kept everyone happier — especially anyone within earshot of a frustrated Vizsla.
The breakout attempt came courtesy of a new staff member who, not knowing the drill, placed Haarlem in one of the open-top kennels. To a dog like Haarlem, an open top is not a boundary — it is an invitation. The great escape was really just Haarlem being Haarlem, doing what high-energy, people-loving dogs do when they would rather be literally anywhere else.
What This Story Teaches Pet Parents
Beyond the laughs, Haarlem’s adventure carries a sweet truth: this was never about misbehavior. It was about attachment. Haarlem was not plotting an escape because she disliked daycare — she was trying to get back to her people. There is something genuinely touching about a dog who loves her family so much that even a few hours apart feels too long.
For daycare facilities, the takeaway is practical. Knowing each dog’s temperament matters, and passing that knowledge on to new team members matters just as much. An open-top kennel is perfectly fine for a dog who naps through the afternoon — and completely inadequate for a young Vizsla with Olympic ambitions.
And for the rest of us, the message is simpler. Dogs like Haarlem remind us that our pets are full of big emotions, drama, and devotion — sometimes with even less chill than we have. If your dog is a drama queen, you are in excellent company. Give them an extra squeeze today. They feel it all, and then some.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of dog is Haarlem, and why did she try to escape the kennel?
Haarlem is a 13-month-old Vizsla, a Hungarian hunting breed known for high energy, athleticism, and deep attachment to its family. She was placed in an open-top kennel by a new staff member and, true to her breed’s nature, treated the barrier as something to climb over rather than stay behind. She was not misbehaving — she was simply being a Vizsla.
Where did this happen, and was Haarlem okay after the escape attempt?
The incident took place at Canine Crews, a dog daycare in Chicago. Yes — Haarlem was completely fine. The staff helped her down from the top of the kennel fence, and aside from startling a staff member and scattering some paperwork, she was unharmed and unbothered.
Why did the photo of Haarlem go viral?
The photo captured a universally relatable moment: a dog caught red-pawed in the middle of something ridiculous. Dog owners everywhere recognized the mischievous look on Haarlem’s face, and the image spread quickly as people shared their own pets’ escape-artist stories.
Are Vizslas always this dramatic at daycare?
Vizslas are famously energetic “Velcro dogs” that bond intensely with their people and dislike confinement. Haarlem was already well known at her daycare for disliking kennels, so the staff usually let her roam in a big play room instead. This attempt was unusual only in how spectacular it was.
What can daycares and owners learn from Haarlem’s story?
The main lesson is to know each dog’s temperament and communicate it to the whole team — especially new staff. Open-top kennels work for calm dogs but not for athletic escape artists. And for owners, it is a reminder to choose daycare setups that match their dog’s personality.
