Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
From day one Vizsla was bred to be an all-versatile dog breed.
The breed’s primary purpose was to be a working dog. Moreover, this athletic breed was specially designed to stay all day on the field.
Originally from Hungary, this breed is elegant in appearance and big when it comes to love toward humans.
These dogs enjoy human company and love spending days working even today.
Today, this breed is one of the most popular dog breeds in Hungary especially among Hungarian hunters and sportsmen overall, while in the States this breed is slowly but surely getting more and more popular with each passing year.
Thanks to their golden color this breed is easy to spot and fast to recognize. Overall, they are best known for their elegant posture.
Another famous trait of this breed is its long and floppy ears.
Vizslas are best suited for families with many members and active owners who love spending their time outdoors.
This breed is highly prone to separation anxiety. If anyhow neglected, these dogs will easily turn into destructive dogs in no time.
That being said, if you don’t have enough time to spend with this breed or you tend to spend long working hours outside your home, you might want to rethink your decision to get this breed.
That being said make sure that you have enough experience as a dog owner and let you know how to plan structure and organize proper training.
Know that this breed is highly recommended for only experienced owners of the breed, or for those who know their way around high-energy dog breeds.
Now, let’s see how this breed was originally developed and what we can learn about the breed today taking a look at its history.
Quick Facts
Real name: Vizsla
Other names: Hungarian Vizsla
Origin: Hungary
Breed type: Sporting Dogs
Weight: 45 to 65 pounds
Height: 21 to 24 inches tall at the shoulder
Lifespan: 10 – 14 years
Litter Size: 6 – 7 puppies
Color: Golden rust, Golden, Red golden
Coat: Short, smooth, dense, and close-lying, without a woolly undercoat
Vizsla History
This breed is officially recognized as the Great Hungarian breed. The development of the breed is tightly linked with the development of Hungary as a country.
This is a breed of a long history of more than 1,000 years whose ancestors passed a long way from the Russian area to Western Europe.
The tribe traveled from Asia to Europe and they needed animals to keep them safe help them carry their stop keep them warm at night.
Over time they managed to develop further the breed and eventually create the Vizslas that we know today.
Vizsla Physical Appearance
This breed is easy to recognize as in general appearance this is a medium-sized dog with golden hair and an elegant stance.
Thanks to their silk red golden coat they are easy to recognize. Another most common traits of the breeds are their long and silky.
This is a medium-sized dog with a short coat and soft eyes. They are rather robust but lightly built, with an attractive coat.
As they were bred to work in the field, their bodies are shaped to follow that which is why they are elegant and always looking ready for an adventure.
The head of this breed is lean and muscular, while the skull is moderately wide.
Ears are thin, silky, and longer with rounded-leather ends, while eyes are medium in size.
As for the color, eyes should never be yellow as it is considered to be a fault.
The neck is strong and muscular, while the body is strong and well proportioned.
The tail is set just above the level of the croup, while the feet are cat-like, with brown and short nails.
The coat is short, smooth, and dense, without a woolly undercoat. The color is golden rust, and they may have white on the front chest.
Vizsla Personality Traits
Vizslas are often described as dogs of sensitive nature, and strong love for the people.
They love being surrounded by people, and nothing excites them more than an outdoor adventure with family members.
If you don’t enjoy the active outdoor lifestyle this breed isn’t for you, nor this breed is for you if you are a first time dog owner.
This breed is highly recommended to experience dog owners who enjoy the outdoors on regular basis.
They are great with children, as long as children know how to behave around dogs.
Children should know the following:
- Not to pull the dog’s tail
- Not to pull a dog’s hair
- Not to try to grab dogs, have strong and sudden moves around dogs, or try to grab food from their mouth
Children should understand that dogs are territorial beings, and their space should be respected.
For a great experience with house and house visitors implement house dog rules and make sure that both visitors and dog or dogs follow them.
What About Vizslas With Other Dogs?
Vizslas should in general get along nicely with other dogs.
After all, they were bred to be working dogs, and being a part of the pack (human or dog) is something that should feel natural to them.
Still, make sure that you introduce dogs to an environment where they feel safe. Always reward nice behavior.
What About Vizslas With Other Pets?
Vizslas will learn to tolerate other dogs, but that doesn’t mean that they will love spending every moment with them.
After all, for them, human companionship comes first. What kind of behavior you can expect from your Vizsla around smaller pets?
They will tolerate dogs, and be fine with cats especially if raised together from puppyhood.
However, any kind of smaller animals, such as hamsters, reptiles, or birds should be kept away.
Vizsla Training
Responsible dog breeders will never hand you over the dog unless the puppy is ready to be separated from the litter.
This means that no breeder will ever hand you over a puppy that doesn’t have a minimum of eight weeks of age.
This is the period when dogs are more than capable of mastering basic dog commands, and when early socialization should start.
To get the most out of training sessions make them consistent, fun, packed with treats, and short.
If you feel that you could use some help training your dog hire a professional dog trainer or enroll your puppy in puppy classes.
Vizsla Exercise Needs
You are not a big fan of the outdoors? Having daily outdoor activities isn’t something that is included in your schedule. Having a walk on a rainy day or a snowy night isn’t your cup of tea?
If so this breed isn’t for you. In that case, you might want to think about getting a breed with lower energy levels.
To keep this breed happy exercise-wise provide two hours of activity on a daily level. Every walk should be at least 30-minutes long.
Now let’s see what you can expect from this breed in terms of grooming requirements.
Vizsla Grooming
When it comes to dog grooming you need to understand that grooming is more than providing regular brushing sessions.
Does this mean that you should ignore brushing sessions? Of course not, but you should implement a proper grooming practice.
This means that you will provide the following:
- Weekly brushing sessions
- Monthly nail trimming or grinding
- Bathe them when needed
- Weekly gums check
- Daily eye check for any sign of eye discharge
If your veterinarian recommends it, brush your dog’s teeth, just make sure that you use dog-friendly shampoo and toothpaste.
Vizsla Health
Vizsla is considered to be a long-living breed, with a lifespan of up to 14 years.
This elegant breed tends to live between 10 to 14 years, as long as you provide the proper care.
This does not mean that you should not expect some health-related bumps along the way.
Some of the health issues that any Vizsla may experience include the following:
- Hypothyroidism
- Dwarfism
- Persistent Right Aortic Arch
- Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (Pra)
Does this mean that your Vizsla will experience any of the listed issues?
Of course it doesn’t, but it won’t harm to learn about these conditions as much as possible.
No matter how great care you might provide, dogs still get sick.
Just like humans, external factors are something that cannot be planned and may result in poor health.
For example, if your dog eats a bee he might experience some disturbances, or he just might get fleas while playing in the dog park.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should not invest in proper Vizsla’s health.
No, it means that you should do your best to keep your dog healthy and strong while keeping in mind what kind of challenges your dog may experience.
Vizslas are also prone to obesity, so weight management is something that should not be ignored.
Once you bring a dog home, you are directly responsible for the dog’s weight.
Know how much you should feed your dog, how often, and what kind of food works best for your dog.
If you are thinking about some drastically food-related changes, like switching your dog to a raw food diet, make sure that you talk with your veterinarian first. There are always pros and cons to every feeding style.
Is Vizsla For You?
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, if you are a novice owner this breed isn’t for you.
On the other hand, if you are an experienced dog owner with a strong love for the outdoors and an active lifestyle you should definitely think about getting this breed.
Vizsla is a highly athletic and agile breed that will love to join you on every adventure.
They will easily get along with everyone, including strangers if trained right, but they will need a lot of early and proper socialization to build confidence.
Among all pointing breeds, Vizsla is probably the breed of the most independent spirit.
As a highly active breed, they will enjoy not only outdoor activities, but also different types of dog sports, such as agility and obedience.
If you do not want a dog who needs vigorous exercise requirements, loves to jump and is prone to separation anxiety, then this elegant breed isn’t for you.
To compare Vizsla with other dog breeds use this compare dog breeds tool to help you get the breed that will fit your lifestyle the best.
On the other hand, if you want a dog who is medium-sized, sleeping in appearance, easy to groom, and sensitive, Vizsla is a breed for you.
