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Breed Feature – Hungarian Vizsla
HUNGARIAN VIZSLA
An excellent companion and family dog, the Vizsla requires daily exercise, both mental and physical ... their love for people and need to be with the family mean they must be part of the daily routine.
Vizslas are enthusiastic, energetic, graceful, athletic, exuberant, intelligent, people-focused, capable and can be slow to mature. They have a great sense of humour, affectionate and are very loyal. They are adaptable to most living conditions, enjoy company and love being the center of attention.
EXERCISE
High. People should be aware that this breed needs to be exercised daily and only recommended to active families. They can be an easy breed to train but training needs to be implemented as early as possible.
The Hungarian Vizsla has a long and sometimes romantic history and is the ‘national dog’ of Hungary. Wars in 20th century Europe led to significant reduction in numbers and loss of valuable breeding records. Those Vizslas that remained spread through a wider area of Europe and eventually arrived to other continents, gaining recognition in the UK in 1953, the USA in 1960, and coming to Australia in 1973. A medium sized, smooth coated, ‘hunt/point/ retrieve’ breed, they come in various shades of ‘one colour suits all’ – a striking rich golden-red traditionally recognised and described by the Breed Standard as ‘Russet Gold’. Smallest of the smooth coated HPR’s, and a moderate dog in physical aspects such as size and angulation, they are described as elegant and should never be coarse in appearance.
Developed as an all-purpose hunting companion, Vizslas proved to be valuable assistants to hunters in the pursuit of both fur and feather, on land or from water. They maintain these instinctive breed traits to this day, and in Australia accompany ‘rough shooters’, as well as those interested in the more ‘formal’ pursuits of Field and Retrieving Trials.
In Europe and areas of North America where the more traditional method of hunting is permitted, some Vizslas work with falconers, whilst in Europe they are also used in the pursuit of larger game such as boar and deer and will use their strong scenting ability to trail injured animals through thick forest. The Hungarian Vizsla’s origins are hazy and it’s hard to pinpoint the exact place where they came from. The common belief is that the Magyar tribes from Asia Minor introduced the breed to Hungary in battle as far back as the ninth century. These tribes settled in the Carpathian Basin, now considered Eastern Europe.
In some history books, these hunting tribes were depicted as being accompanied by their “yellow dogs”. Its colour was a particularly good asset as it was an effective camouflage when hunting and retrieving game birds amongst fields of golden grain.
Other names for the Hungarian Vizsla include Hungarian Pointer and Magyar Vizsla. Its Asian roots may be evident as the word Vizsla originally meant “to seek” in Turkish. Thousand-year-old stone carvings show Magyar hunters with a falcon and Vizsla as his hunting companions. The Vizsla was considered a valuable asset by aristocrats and was bred as companions for centuries. The breed flourished through the Turkish occupations
in the 16th and 17th century. Several civil wars didn’t stop the popularity of this breed. The popularity of the Vizsla continued during the two first World Wars. However, some authorities claim that the breed did start its decline in the late 19th century.
Many people are attracted to the Hungarian Vizsla’s size and stunning appearance, and Vizslas are the breed of choice for many with an interest in competitive dog sports. Its compact size makes it a good all rounder in the pointer-retriever breed and as a companion.
The Hungarian Vizsla is an extremely intelligent breed and relatively easy to train. The breed is developed to work as a team with their owners. Vizslas mostly retain these original breed traits, and combined with their compliant and intelligent character, their athleticism and willingness to be trained and to work can make them a great choice for competitive Obedience, Agility or Flyball. With their excellent scenting ability they also frequently excel at Tracking.
The Vizsla is probably one of the few breeds where a need for sensitive training and avoidance of harsh treatment is actually referred to in the breed standard. Training is essential as an aid to communication, and to assist development of good manners, and Vizslas tend to become confused by harsh training methods. However, when rewarded for correct behaviour and gently prevented from practicing unwanted behaviour, they enjoy learning.
Vizslas can be wonderful family companions and can be tolerant with children, though they may be too boisterous with very young children. As with all dogs, supervision is required and both children and puppies need to be carefully shown how to behave calmly when together.
Vizsla puppies are very busy and can have short attention spans for early training. They remain active and energetic for most of their lives. Its’ sound loyalty and temperament makes them a perfect candidate as a long-term family companion.
physical. Most Vizslas like to swim, and that is an excellent alternative or addition to the daily walk. They cannot achieve their full potential when isolated from the family and need more than a game in the backyard to satisfy them. Their love for people and need to be with the family mean they must be part of the daily routine.
For some owners, the initial energy levels of a busy Vizsla puppy can be overwhelming and it seems that no amount of caution can prepare for the whirling puppy that comes home. But in the words of the late Gay Gottlieb, UK Hungarian Vizsla doyenne, in her first book ‘The Hungarian Vizsla’ published in 1985, ‘Bred right, treated right, worked right, he can hold his own in any company.’
Though exercise and training needs can be significant, grooming is generally in the ‘low maintenance’ category – the usual removal of dead coat with a brush or grooming mitt when there are seasonal changes, and an occasional bath or wipe over with a wet towel is about all that is generally needed, other than regular pedicures!
The Vizsla on the whole is a healthy and active dog. That said, Vizslas suffer most of the diseases that affect other breeds and cross breeds. Cancer, epilepsy, immune mediated disease and hip dysplasia are all recorded in the breed.
As the breed becomes more popular so do people’s misconceptions and expectations. The biggest mistake many people make is they underestimate the commitment the Vizsla needs for human companionship, acceptance and interaction within a family and their vigorous exercise needs. Some people in these circumstances find that they have chosen a dog that doesn’t suit their lifestyle.
Families interested in owning a Vizsla need to ensure they already have an active lifestyle and don’t mind exercising for the Vizsla is an active and athletic dog.
