Hungarian Vizsla

The Hungarian Vizsla, pronounced VEEZH-la (zh as in vision), is a dog breed originating in Hungary. Vizslas are known as excellent game bird hunting dogs, and also have a level personality making them suited for families.

Appearance

Vizslas are often mistaken for ridgeless Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and are physically likened to Weimaraners, their German cousins.

The breed comes in either of two coat types: smooth or wire-haired. The FCI, CKC, and the KC(UK) consider the smooth-haired and wire-haired as separate breeds. Male Vizslas typically weigh between 55 and 65 lb (25 to 29 kg), females 45 to 55 lb (20 to 25 kg).

Temperament

Like all sporting breeds, Vizslas require a good deal of exercise to remain healthy and happy. A bored Viszla is a destructive Vizsla who is likely to engage in unwanted behavior, including chewing anything and everything in your home. Thirty minutes to an hour of exercise daily in a large off-leash area is optimal.

History

There are two prevailing theories pertaining to the Vizsla's history. The first, and most prevalent theory traces the Vizsla back to very early times in Hungarian history. Ancestors of todays's Vizsla were the hunting dogs used by the Magyar tribes living in the Carpathian Basin in the Eighth Century. Primitive stone etchings seem to validate this theory.

The other theory holds that the Vizsla is a product of the nineteenth century, having been the product of Weimaraners and other pointer breeds.