Vizsla
| Recognized By: |
ACR
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AKC
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ANKC
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APRI
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CKC
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CKC
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FCI
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KCGB
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NKC
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NZKC
,
UKC
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| AKA: |
Hungarian Short-haired Pointing Dog, Rovidszoru Magyar Vizsla |
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| Mispellings: |
Vesela, Vesula, Vezsula, Viesela, Visla, Viszla, Viszula, Vizla, Vizlsa |
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Living with a Vizsla
Personality: The Vizsla is a loving and gentle dog.
Temperament: The Vizsla is a lively, gentle-mannered natural hunting dog.
Family Dog: The Vizsla easily adapts to family life and is good around children and other pets. They love to play and may be too excitable for young children.
Shedding: The Vizsla is an average shedder.
Grooming: Vizslas are self-cleaning dogs and only need to be bathed five or six times a year. They are somewhat unique in that they have little noticeable "dog smell" detectable by humans. After several forays into lakes and streams they will develop an aroma that is a weaker version of the 'wet dog' smell. A quick bath and this odor will vanish. Their coat should be brushed with a firm bristle brush and their nails need to be trimmed occasionally.
Training: Vizslas must be trained gently and without harsh commands or strong physical correction, as they have sensitive temperaments and can be easily damaged if trained too harshly. They need to be socialized at a young age to get them accustomed to noises, people and other dogs. It is important to obedience train this breed from a young age or they may become difficult to control.
Behavior: The Vizsla thrives on attention, exercise, and interaction. It is a highly intelligent breed that enjoys being challenged and stimulated, both mentally and physically. Vizslas that do not get enough attention and exercise can easily become destructive or hyperactive.
Barking: Vizslas are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked.
Weather: The Vizsla is susceptible to the cold so it must not be kept in a kennel or left outside for extended periods of time.
Exercise: Like all gun dogs, Vizslas require a good deal of exercise to remain healthy and happy. Thirty minutes to an hour of exercise daily in a large off-leash area is optimal.
Living Conditions: The Vizsla is an active dog that is not recommended for apartments or other small dwellings without a large yard.
Vizsla Appearance
Appearance: The Vizsla is a medium-sized short-coated hunting dog of distinguished appearance. Robust but rather lightly built, they are lean dogs, have defined muscles, and are observed to share similar physical characteristics with the Weimaraner, the grey-blue dogs, but are smaller in size.
Size: The Vizsla is a medium-sized dog, and fanciers feel that large dogs are undesirable. The average height of a male Vizsla is 22 to 25 inches with an average weight of 45 to 65 pounds. Females are slightly smaller with an average height of 21 to 24 inches and an average weight of 40 to 55 pounds.
Companionship: Vizslas are very high energy, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and highly affectionate dog. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children. Often they are referred to as "velcro" dogs because of their loyalty and affection. The Vizsla wants to be close to its owner as much of the time as possible. Many Vizslas will sleep in bed with their owners if allowed, burrowing under the covers.
Head: The Vizsla has a lean, muscular head that is broad between the ears with a median line running down the middle of the forehead and a moderate stop.
Nose: The nose of the Vizsla will always have a reddish color that blends with the coat color. A black, brown or any other color nose is an indication of another breed, or at least not a purebred Vizsla.
Eyes: The eyes of the Vizsla are medium sized and set deep in the skull with the surrounding tissue covering the whites of the eyes. The eye color should match that of the dog's coat.
Ears: The Vizsla has long, thin, silky, rounded ears that are set fairly low on the head and hag close to cheeks.
Muzzle: The length of the Vizsla's muzzle is approximately equal or slightly shorter than the length of the skull when viewed from the side. The square muzzle tapers gradually from stop to tip of the nose. The Lips should cover the jaw completely being neither loose nor pendulous.
Teeth/Bite: The Vizsla has strong, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite.
Neck: The Vizsla has a strong, smooth, muscular neck of medium length and moderately arched. There should be no sigh of dewlap. The neck broadens blending into the shoulders.
Body: The strong, proportioned body of the Vizsla has an overall square appearance. It is important to maintain proper proportion of leg to body length giving the Vizsla its desired overall balance of the Vizsla. The firm back has a slight rise above the short, muscular loin. The croup rounds gently into the base of the tail. The broad, deep chest extends down to the elbows with well-sprung ribs. The underline shows a slight tuck-up under the loin.
Forequarters: The Vizsla has long, broad shoulder blades that slope moderately back with the length being approximately equal to that of the upper arm. The legs are straight and muscular with elbows close.
Hindquarters: The Vizsla has well-developed thighs with moderately angulated stifles and hocks that are well let down and parallel to each other. They should appear straight when viewed from the rear.
Gait: The Vizsla has a smooth and graceful gait maintaining a steady level backline. As speed increases the dog will single-track.
Tail: The tail is set just below the level of the croup. The tail is broader at the base and should be docked to 2/3 length, long enough to reach to the back of the stifle joint. When in motion the tail is carried almost horizontally.
Color: The standard coat color for the Vizsla is a solid golden-rust color in different shadings, but some breeding programs have resulted in a solid rust coat. They have lighter shadings on the sides of the neck and shoulders giving them a 'saddle' appearance. They may have a little white on the forechest and toes.
Coat: The Vizsla has a short, smooth, dense coat free from an undercoat meaning they are less likely to cause allergic reactions than many breeds.
Vizsla Facts
Category: Gun Dog, AKC Sporting
Life Expectancy: The life expectancy of the Vizsla is 12-15 years.
Characteristics: Vizslas are natural hunters with an excellent ability to take training. Not only are they great pointers, but they are excellent retrievers as well. They will retrieve on land and in the water, making the most of their natural instincts. Vizslas are excellent swimmers and often swim in pools if one is available.
Vizsla Health
Health: The Vizsla is prone to hip dysplasia.
Vizsla History
History: Vizsla is mentioned in the very early times in Hungarian history. It is known that the ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes who lived in the Carpathian basin in the Eighth Century. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show the Magyar hunter with his falcon and his Vizsla. The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation (1526-1696), the Hungarian Civil War (1848-49), World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, Vizslas faced and survived several near-extinctions in their history.
The Vizsla was used in development of other breeds, most notably the Weimaraner, Wire-haired Vizsla and German Shorthair Pointer breeds. There is much conjecture about those same breeds, along with other pointer breeds, being used to reestablish the Vizsla breed at the end of 19th century. In either case the striking resemblance among the three breeds is indisputable.
