hungarian vizsla

History of origin

Some breeds of dogs got amazing abilities, cheerful disposition and devotion, others – beauty, elegance and grace, and dogs of the Hungarian Vizsla breed got the whole set: a truly golden character is attached to a graceful body, as if cast in gold.

In Europe, the ancestors of the survivors arrived from the territory between the Volga and the Urals, along with nomads – the warlike tribes of the Magyars, who ruthlessly conquered new lands. The hunted people were accompanied by fast dogs with excellent instincts. The bloody advance of the Magyars was stopped by the German tribes, who forced the ferocious nomads to settle on the territory of modern Hungary, and later to accept Christianity and create their own state. Together with the nomads, their dogs also settled in Europe: already in the XNUMXth century, the first images of dogs with a slender body and smooth hair are found, and written references to them date back to the XNUMXth century.

With the help of these dogs, with excellent instinct and hardy body, they hunted hares, they took part in hunting with a bird of prey, having received the name “went out”, which means “search” in Hungarian. By the way, in the language there is a single-root word – in the XNUMXth – XNUMXth centuries, a hunter who was responsible for a pack of hounds was called a vizhlyatnik. Almost two centuries of occupation by the Ottoman Empire seriously affected not only the population of Hungary, but also their beloved hunting dogs. It is believed that at this time the Hungarian Pointers were actively crossed with the Turkish quail dog, which made the body of the Hungarian survivors more elegant, and their short hair got its famous golden color.

In the XNUMXth century, the status of the Hungarian vizsla seriously changed – from the families of village hunters, golden dogs began to move to the palaces of the Hungarian nobility, thanks to the enthusiastic dog breeder Zan from Zaingroce. It was he who began the purposeful selection of hunting dogs, achieving a uniform exterior and developing the working qualities of the Hungarian Vizsla: excellent search data, excellent endurance and excitement in trophy extraction. The Hungarian tycoons were proud of their dogs, anxiously watched the purity of the lines, turning the Hungarian Vizsla into a national treasure.

At the same time, work was underway to improve the breed: the Hungarian cops were infused with the blood of the Hanoverian track dog, shorthaired pointer, pointer, in order to create a truly universal friendly dog ​​that can work equally well in the field, in the forest and on the water. In 1837, the breed standard was first described and adopted, but the improvement of its working qualities and exterior did not stop until the beginning of the XNUMXth century. Despite the fact that the First World War seriously reduced the number of dogs of this breed, the Hungarian Vizsla managed to survive and gain popularity in Europe, and then in the United States. Today, the Hungarian Vizsla is kept not only by hunters, but also by connoisseurs of its beauty and friendly character – Hungarian cops feel great as a pet, becoming devoted companions for their owners.

Breed description

The Hungarian Vizsla is an elegant medium-sized dog. The head is proportionate, dry with a smooth transition from the forehead to the muzzle. The muzzle is blunt, the length of the muzzle is somewhat shorter than the length of the head. The broad, straight-backed nose is well developed and has movable nostrils. The color of the nose should be slightly darker than the color of the coat. The cheekbones are muscular, the jaws are well developed, the lips are close to them. Scissor bite. The eyes are brown, slightly slanting, of medium size with close-fitting eyelids and an intelligent look. The ears are wide, tapering towards the end, set low and should be one third of the length of the head. Proportional neck of medium length. The withers are muscular and well defined. The back is straight, strong, muscular. The loin is muscular, short, broad and slightly arched. The croup is broad, muscular and slightly sloping. The chest is muscular, deep and wide, the sternum is on the same level with the elbows. The undocked tail reaches to the hock, set low, wide at the root, and tapering towards the tip.

The forelegs are strong and muscular, parallel and straight when viewed from the front, the elbows are close to the chest, the shoulder blades are strong, set obliquely, the shoulder and forearm are long with well-developed muscles, the elbow joint is well defined, albeit slightly inclined. The hindquarters are well developed, parallel and straight when viewed from behind. The muscular thighs and lower legs are approximately equal in length, the stifle and hock joints are pronounced, the metatarsus is vertical and short. The paws are oval in shape, the toes are strong and tightly compressed, the pads are elastic and durable.

The skin is elastic without wrinkles. The coat is without undercoat, harsh, short and lying close to the body. On the head and ears the hair is slightly softer and shorter, on the underside of the tail it is slightly longer. Color golden-red in different shades. On the chest or on the pharynx, a white spot of no more than 5 cm in diameter is allowed; white marks on the fingers are allowed.

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Character

“The Hungarian Vizsla was bred as a gun dog, but despite its hunting purpose, it feels great as a companion and in recent years, dogs of this breed have been taken into families as a pet,” says Elena Maryanovskaya, owner of the kennel “Tina Trading”.

Hungarian Vizsles are very comfortable for family life – they are human-oriented, most of all they like to interact with the owner and all family members, they love to take part in fun and games with children, but if the children are small, it is better not to leave them unattended with the dog – temperamental vyzhly can knock the baby down during fun or scare. But, before you take a Hungarian Vizsla puppy into the house, you need to understand whether your lifestyle is suitable for the dog: Vizslas are very active, they are a tangle of energy, they constantly require attention, you can say that they are obsessive, I call them “Velcro dogs” – it is worth closing the door to the bathroom, as in a minute the dog is already sitting under the door and demands that you go out to play with him. If you are not ready to pay so much attention to the dog, spend a lot of time walking with the animal, then it is better to look after another breed, because the vizls have a hard time experiencing loneliness and lack of attention – from longing they can start playing pranks, nibbling and spoiling objects, up to a rout in the apartment.

The dogs are not very large, so they will be comfortable living in a city apartment, although a country house with its own territory is ideal. These are dogs with a cheerful disposition, very sociable, not showing aggression either to strangers, or to other dogs, or to pets, but friendliness completely deprives them of their protective qualities, so you should not entrust them with the protection of the territory.

“We can say that today the Hungarian vizsla is experiencing the peak of popularity – their beauty and magnificent character have been seen all over the world,” says Elena Maryanovskaya. – Dogs from our kennel are bought not only by s, we send puppies to the USA and other countries, the interest in wonderful dogs of this breed has grown so much.

Care and maintenance

Another advantage of the Hungarian vizsla is minimal care, which does not require any time or effort from the dog’s owners.

“Hungarian vizslas are very clean dogs, they are practically devoid of a specific smell, so you need to bathe them only a few times a year,” says Elena Maryanovskaya. – After walking, it is enough to wipe the paws and body with a damp cloth, and if the dog is very dirty, you can rinse it in the shower and wipe it dry with a towel.

Combing the smooth coat of the Hungarian Vizsla is enough once a week with a silicone glove or a brush with a natural single brush. During molting twice a year, the procedure should be repeated every day.

“Vyzhly claws need to be trimmed once every two weeks,” explains Elena Maryanovskaya. – And regularly monitor the cleanliness of the ears – the long hanging ears of dogs are poorly ventilated, so dust and dirt can accumulate in them, the ears should be wiped with a cloth dipped in zoogel. If a gray coating is visible in the auricle, this is an occasion to pay attention to the health of the pet – for advice, you need to contact either the dog breeder or the veterinarian.

Hungarian Vizslas are not picky about food, the main thing is that the dog receives a balanced diet.

– I am a supporter of industrial dry food – it is quite difficult to create a balanced diet when feeding with natural products, besides, it takes a lot of time, – says Elena Maryanovskaya. “And industrial foods are already balanced, and besides, they have specialized lines for different needs: for older dogs, for dogs with high physical activity, and so on. Vizsles are not prone to weight gain, but it is better not to overfeed them, as they are very mobile animals and excess weight will affect the condition of their joints and ligaments.

Hungarian Vizslas need daily exercise – a quick hygienic walk cannot satisfy the needs of these active and energetic dogs.

“An hour in the morning and an hour in the evening is the minimum of physical activity for the Hungarian survivor,” explains Elena Maryanovskaya. – But this should not be a leisurely walk on a leash, but a full-fledged physical load on the muscles and intelligence of the dog. During the walk, you need to run out, so you need to find a park, square or other place free from cars where the dog can be let off the leash. Vizsla never runs away from the owner, because constant interaction with a person is the essence of a gun dog. For the same reason, a survivor without a command will never rush to prey, be it a dove, a cat, or another city animal. On a walk in the owner’s pocket or purse, there should always be a treat to reward the dog for the completed task – each walk should also be a training of new skills or a consolidation of already learned tricks: you brought the ball – you got a tasty treat, completed the exercise – you got a treat. If you follow all these rules, then in an hour you can load the dog both intellectually and physically, then the survivor will be satisfied and will not start to misbehave in the house from boredom.

Education and training

The Hungarian Vizsla, like most hunting breeds, needs early socialization, upbringing and training in order to develop the inherent breed qualities in the dog to the maximum.

– Already from the first days of the appearance of a puppy in the family, it is necessary to accustom him to the rules of behavior in the house, – says Elena Maryanovskaya. “But for this, endurance and firmness of character must be shown, first of all, by the owner himself, without making an exception to the rules prescribed for the puppy. Golden babies are so adorable that you want to take them to your bed, but once you take a puppy, you tell him that this is his place, and then it will be difficult for the puppy to explain why he is sent to sleep in a cage. By the way, I insist that the owners of the puppy immediately accustom the baby to sleep in a cage, realizing that this is his refuge, where no one will disturb him, where he will feel safe. This necessary thing will allow you to gradually accustom the puppy to loneliness, help to avoid defeat in the apartment. In general, if you don’t want an adult dog to do it, then don’t let a puppy do it. Always, without any exceptions. Smart survivors are not averse to resorting to manipulation of the owners, which must be immediately stopped, of course, without the slightest cruelty. For example, under no circumstances should you feed the survivor with food from the table so that the dog clearly understands that the master’s table is a forbidden territory. Even if you have a piece of meat left and want to share it with your dog, then put it in a bowl. And then, even in your absence, I survived not to encroach on the products left on the table. And so in everything – clear rules and no exceptions.

Hungarian Vizslas are very smart dogs, so the process of learning and training is easy for them, especially if they are encouraged with praise and treats.

– As soon as the puppies start to go for a walk, you can begin to seriously engage with them. I advise you to take several individual lessons from cynologists who will teach owners how to properly educate and train a dog, advises Elena Maryanovskaya. – You can also sign up for various group courses, such as “City Dog” or take lessons on the general rules of training. Everything is easy for Vyzhls, but they are especially suited for activities related to their hunting purpose. Even if you are never going to go hunting, it is worth checking your dog’s hunting qualities – the classes themselves will be very exciting and useful for survival. And, if the dog shows good results, then you can go with it and train on different types of game. Nataska perfectly develops the intelligence and physical abilities of the animal. You can pass exams for a working diploma in various types of hunting – this is a useful and exciting sport for the Hungarian survivors. The more the dog’s brain is occupied, the more often its muscles are loaded, the happier the life of the Hungarian Vizsla will be.

Health and disease

The Hungarian Vizsly is a strong and healthy breed, not prone to most of the genetic diseases found in hunting dogs. Vizslas have good immunity and almost do not catch colds, like other short-haired breeds, and also practically do not suffer from allergies.

“The only genetic tests that are carried out for Hungarian survivors are a test for a predisposition to hip dysplasia,” says Elena Maryanovskaya. – And then, according to the rules of the RKF, this is not a mandatory requirement, but responsible breeders must do tests for their dogs. If you decide to buy a Hungarian Vizsla puppy, then ask the kennels for tests of the baby’s parents for dysplasia in order to avoid future health problems for your dog.

Since Hungarian Vizsles spend a lot of time in nature, take part in hunting, keep wild animals in their teeth, special attention should be paid to timely vaccinations of puppies and adult dogs, regularly treat pet hair with anti-parasites, and carry out anthelmintic prophylaxis. And with proper care, the Hungarian Vizsly retain excellent health and energy until old age.

Popular questions and answers

We asked for answers to questions about the content of the Hungarian vyzsla zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.