The Vizsla (VEE-shla) is also known as the Hungarian Vizsla. It is one of the continental breeds of hunter, pointer, retrievers. It's primary use in the U.S. is to point upland game birds, but it is not a specialist. It will hunt any fur or feather game that it has been trained to find. This is where the term "versatile" comes from. The Vizsla, German Shorthair Pointer, German Wirehair Pointer, Weimaraner, and others are some of the versatile hunting dogs because they are capable of hunting both fur and feather on land and water.

The Vizsla was originally developed by the Magyars over one thousand years ago, and retains many of those original breed traits. Some of those traits include the versatility to hunt all types of fur and feather game, yet still be a devoted house companion at the same time.

There is not a huge division between the "show Vizsla" and the "field Vizsla" that you see in almost every other breed in the sporting group. Vizsla breeders today have worked very diligently to maintain the duality and versatility of the breed through carefully planned breeding programs. The pedigree of a well bred Vizsla will contain both Field and Show titles.

The Vizsla is one of the best kept secrets in the sporting group of dogs, and I hope to provide you with some of the basic Vizsla information on these pages.

The general appearance of a Vizsla is that of a medium-sized short-coated hunting dog of distinguished appearance and bearing. Robust, but rather lightly built; the coat is of an attractive solid golden rust. This is a dog of drive and power in the field yet a tractable and affectionate companion in the home.

Everything about the Vizsla's appearance should be strong, smooth, lean and muscular, giving the impression of regal bearing.

The ideal size for adult male Vizslas is between 22 and 24 inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades. Females should be between 21 and 23 inches. Any Vizsla measuring 1 1/2 inches above or below these measurements is not within standard. The Vizsla will also have it's tail docked 1/3 off, leaving 2/3 intact, to prevent injuries while hunting.

The Vizsla's temperament should be lively, gentle-mannered, demonstrably affectionate and sensitive though fearless with a well developed protective instinct.

Vizslas are a very high energy breed with a very high intelligence. This can turn to destruction if he is not given a "job" and at least 30 minutes of off lead running on a daily basis. "Busy paws are happy paws" should be their motto.

Some of the different activities that Vizslas participate in besides hunting and lounging around the house are field trials, hunting tests, conformation (show), obedience, agility, tracking, search and rescue, therapy dogs, assistance dogs, and flyball. So you can see how adaptable the Vizsla truly is just by these areas of interest. The Vizsla breed also lays claim to the AKC's only Quintuple Champion out of any breed and has two out of the three Triple Champions in AKC history.

If you are interested in purchasing a Vizsla, go to the AKC Vizsla breed page and you can find the breeder referral person for your area through the Vizsla Club of America.

It is of the utmost importance that you go through a reputable breeder. Pet shop puppies are bred in puppy mills and lack the proper socialization to become a healthy lifelong companion. "Back Yard Breeders" do not charge as much for their puppies, but you are also not given a lifelong guarantee for genetic defects, a lifelong "no questions asked" return policy, the sire and dam are not tested for genetic defects (hip dysplasia, etc.) and they're usually not "proven" with any titles themselves.

It is very important to understand that the AKC is only a registry, and nothing more. Just because a puppy comes with AKC papers doesn't mean it is a great dog or that it should be bred. It only means that both of the puppy's parents were pure bred dogs.

It is also important to understand that the Vizsla's temperament and intelligence come from the "field side" of it's pedigree. The ability to reason, remember, learn, acclimate to surroundings, and be responsive to it's owners are all traits of an excellent hunting dog, equally alongside the ability to find and locate game birds. Even if all you want is a companion Vizsla, it should have a solid hunting background, this is most of what makes a Vizsla a Vizsla.

Health, Temperament, Hunting Ability, and Conformation are the "four legs" your breeder should be striving to achieve in their breeding program.

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Things you can do with your Vizsla:

A companion—naturally clean, short coated, high trainability and loyalty make the Vizsla a great companion.

 
A personal hunting dog—many are used with minimal training, and work ideally for the foot hunter. Contrary to the current way of thinking, the Vizsla does not walk on water, does not clear tall buildings in a single bound. The Vizsla is a dog, and does better if its instincts are helped by some training, and does vary in its abilities from dog to dog.

A show dog—dog shows offer fun and challenge. The Vizsla can provide its owner with many a pleasant day in quest of blue and purple ribbons, and eventually the title of Champion. He has also shown that he can compete successfully with other breeds in competition for Group and Best in Show awards.

Obedience Trials—because the Vizsla is intelligent and quick to learn, it makes an excellent obedience competition dog. AKC offers five increasingly difficult and meaningful titles to earn CD (Companion Dog), CDX (Companion Dog Excellent), UD (Utility Dog), UDX (Utility Dog Excellent), and OTCH (Obedience Trial Champion). Many owners take themselves and their dogs to obedience school just so that they can live together better—which is a very good idea.

Tracking Trials—AKC also offers the titles of TD (Tracking Dog), TDX (Tracking Dog Excellent), and VST (Variable Surface Tracker); earning all three leads to the title CT (Champion Tracker). Because the Vizsla has excellent scenting ability, they do well in this activity. They have are successfully used for rescue work, and one Vizsla performed Search and Rescue at the World Trade Center.

Watch Dog—although the well-bred Vizsla's temperament is friendly, the breed standard calls for a well-developed protective instinct. This means he will usually regard his Master's family and possessions as his, and with encouragement will bark on the approach of strangers. We do not recommend guard dog training for any breed unless the owner is skilled in that activity, since a guard-trained dog in unskilled hands is just like a loaded gun in a child's hands. Nevertheless, the mere proximity of a dog has often had a great discouraging effect on unwelcome people.

Field Trials—A Field Trial is a competition to determine the best and most spectacular hunting dog. They provide a great deal of enjoyment and challenge. There are three classes of competition—puppy, derby and gun dog. Puppy requires mostly instinct, derbies must show experience and hold point, and gun dogs must be fully trained to hold point through the shot and also retrieve to hand any killed game. AKC offers the title of Field Champion and Amateur Field Champion for those few who can earn it.

Hunting Tests—The American Kennel Club offers titles for pointing breed dogs demonstrating instinct and training at these levels: JH (Junior Hunter), SH (Senior Hunter) and MH (Master Hunter). Dogs at the JH level show instinct and some amount of training, the MH dog is a highly trained hunting dog, and the SH dog falls in between the two.

Agility—with their lithe and athletic bodies, Vizslas excel in this popular activity, with titles earned at various levels of difficulty through AKC and other organizations such as NADAC.

Junior Handling—for those with children, AKC offers the challenge of competition to see who can learn and develop the skills to handle a dog in the field and show ring and present it to its best advantage. The Vizsla Club of America has an active Junior Program.

Versatility Certificate—VCA offers Versatility Certificates in Conformation (CC), Obedience (OC) and Field (FD) which require demonstration of excellence in the three major areas of show, field, and obedience. The ratings recognize the versatility of this breed, and a dog obtaining all three certificates may use VC after the registered name as an official title signifying that it has achieved the CC, FD, and OC.

This is just a small portion of what one can do with their Vizsla. Try for an AKC Triple Champion title (Champion in Show, Field and Obedience)--or go on from obedience to team, hurdle or scent races and special events--or try for a VCA Versatility Certificate--or you can just sit by the fire and enjoy the love of the dog at your side. The choice is yours; the Vizsla offers something for everyone.

For more information on how to find a show, trial or to get started, see the V-files for a listing of regional and national Vizsla clubs.

If you have any questions, contact me