Description: The Vizsla is a hunting dog of medium size. Its height is 22-26 inches for the dog and 20-24 for the bitch. The dog weight is 45-60 pounds and the bitch is 40-55 pounds. The Vizsla has a longer body than their height. They have a domed skull that shows their lean muscular look. They have a muzzle that tapers from the skull and is the same length as the skull or can be slightly shorter. Their teeth meet in a scissor bite. The nose is of the same colour as the coat and blends in well. The Vizsla has ears that hang down close to the cheek and are thin with round tips. The eyes are medium in size and here again we see a wonderful match to the coat colour. The tail is docked, in countries that permit docking, to ⅔ its natural length. This is thick at the base. The front legs are straight and finish off with cat like feet. The coat is smooth and tight fitting helping to show the muscular frame work of the Vizsla. The colour of the whole body is rust-gold and can vary in shading over the whole body. This dog’s life expectancy is 12-15 years.

History: The Vizsla is thought to have descended from the pointer family and the Transylvanian hound. There is some thought that the Turkish yellow dog has contributed, as well. The Hungarian Magyars were responsible for this breed and there are etchings from around the 10^th century showing this breed. This dog has an excellent nose and is a hunting dog. As with most hunting dogs’, this breed has a lot of energy, and were used to catch game such as rabbit and waterfowl. The breed nearly became extinct after World War II as the country of Hungary was taken over by Russia. Native Hungarians smuggled dogs out to America, and other countries, enabling the breed to survive. This is a good hunting dog and its talents are; bird hunting, pointing, retriever and more modern obedience competitions and agility.

Temperament: The Vizsla needs socializing, very well, and plenty of opportunities to hear new things, mix with lots of dogs and other animals and people. This dog needs great obedience training from a young age as it has tons of energy. On the good side, this dog is easily trained and wanting to please you. Training will be important to stop the dog jumping up and around you. This breed needs lots of exercise daily both mental and physical. This dog needs a strong leader, which can meet the needs of this breed, being firm, calm, and patient. This dog is good with children and is best suited for older children, who are active. This is an athletic dog and would be best suited to a family that is like minded. If this breed doesn’t get the right levels of mental and physical exercise they can become neurotic, destructive, and can become very stressed. They are also big on chewing and will need clear guidelines on what is ok to chew and what is not. Do not take this dog on if you are not active as it is a highly active dog, needing walks of a few miles a day. It is best not to trust this breed with non canine pets, but it may be possible for the dog to cope with a pet cat if raised together. This cannot be said of rabbits and other small pets. You will have to be a good pack leader for this breed, giving the dog the right boundaries, to function well and not become negative.

Health issues: The Vizsla has few problems and only has hip dysplasia recorded.

Grooming: The Vizsla is easy to keep in great condition by brushing every other day. You can use dry shampoo sometimes. Bathing is only to be done if really necessary.

Living conditions: The Vizsla is unsuitable for apartment living. This dog will need a fair to a good size garden.