Vizsla

The Vizsla is Hungary's golden-rust pointer — a lean, close-working gun dog that points and retrieves, on land and in water.

History

It has been in the Carpathian basin for centuries, kept by Magyar nobles for hunting with falcons and later with guns, and it appears in Hungarian texts from the fourteenth century onwards. It came close to extinction after the Second World War, when Hungarians fleeing the Soviet advance carried breeding stock out of the country; the breed survived largely through those emigrants.

Temperament

The breed is known for being affectionate to the point of clinginess, sensitive, and unwilling to be alone — it works close to its handler in the field and expects to be close at home too.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and company; it does badly in a house that is empty all day. Training must be gentle, because the breed shuts down under harsh handling. The short coat needs almost nothing and offers no warmth.

Health

Generally sound, with hip dysplasia, epilepsy and hypothyroidism among the known tendencies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.