Blackbullet Vizslas............

What is the History of the Breed?

 How does that affect the best ways to train  it?

In Canada and the USA, the breed is referred to as the Vizsla. In  most other places it is called the Hungarian Vizsla.

Starting at the basics, it is a russet/gold or golden/russet coloured dog that in reality comes in a wide variety of shades of those colours. They often have lighter areas over their shoulders and on the sides of  their neck and those are called Esterhazy marks ( after Count Laszlo Esterhazy).  Often too, they have a darker area down the centre of their back.

Their nose is always brown, close to their coat colour. Their eyes can range from yellowish to a colour close to their coat colour. The yellow hues are not preferred.

Some Vizslas will have white on their feet and/or on their chest. This is not preferred in Canada.

The dog is a medium sized dog of good bone.  An adult male may be about 23 -25 inches tall and weigh 55-60 lbs while a female is usually shorter and about 10 pounds lighter, although of course there are variations there too.

The Vizsla in Canada is recognised with two official coat types denoting two breeds, the smooth and wirehaired. The USA recognises only the smooth coat in the AKC show ring.

The breed also will be seen with a lovely long haired coat. The long haired genes, when present, are dominant and can be produced by the mating of two short hairs. In some countries the long hairs are highly prized in the field. They have yet to be recognised in Vizslas even though such coat types in Weimaraners and German Short -haired pointers have been.

The complete history and age of the Vizsla breed is not really known with any degree of certainty.  To quote Gay Gottlieb in The Complete Vizsla, ' it is reputedly of very ancient origin'.  It is said to have descended from the hunting dogs brought into the Carpathian mountain region by the migrating Magyars in the ninth century'. She also writes that by the 1500's the name Vizsla seems to have been in common usage but the breed continued to evolve as breeders added other breeds to bring in the qualities they wanted including the Bloodhounds for the nose, and the Pointer for its deep chest, good running ability and effortless stride.  Gay also tells us that in 1924 Count Lazslo Esterhazy ( remember the light markings are named after him) Dr. Kalman Polgar and Elmer Petocz and Captain Baba, along with others,  formed the Oriszagos Vizsla Club  and marked the beginning of the history of the modern Vizsla.

Two World Wars and the Russian occupation of much of the Hungarian Empire resulted not only in the loss of many many dogs but also the breeding records of many of those and the few remaining dogs that accompanied those who successfully fled the country.

According to Gay's research, and in agreement with many  other writers,  the Vizsla was originally used to scent and search for birds which were either netted or caught by falcons before firearms were introduced. Interestingly there is a Vizsla owner in the U.S.A that I know who uses her Vizsla in such a manner with her falcons today.

 Once the shotgun made an appearance, the Vizsla became highly valued for its versatility and they were selectively bred to work on fur and feather.  They tracked and held deer, wild boar and wolf.  In some books you will see bear that they have tracked too.  They were worked on giant hare, and a variety of wild birds also.

In North America  the Vizsla is regarded mainly as a pointing dog on upland game birds but fortunately some breeders and owners are continuing to try to use and maintain all the abilities of the breed. We try to do so by working our dogs in the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association training and testing.

When you think about the temperament and needs of this breed remember that it has to have a mind of its own to think in the field but it also must be trainable to work with the hunter. It has to have the energy and drive (strong desire) to track fur and feather (animals and birds), point, hold its prey if necessary and then, with birds, in some countries, to flush and then retrieve them also.  It has to also have the temperament to mix well into the household routine and space and interact with family members.

When  you are watching your Vizsla rip about  one minute and create games  the next,  try to remember the dog is merely trying to meet the physical and mental output such tasks would require.

Consider the intelligence and even common sense such a dog would need and then try to work with your dog in a way that enhances those traits.  Smart dogs usually train us much faster and better to serve them than we think can happen. We must endeavour to keep the leadership role in a consistent and positive way without dominance.

As Gay warns, 'mistimed firmness or too much pressure too early can make the dog obstinate and over dependant. Training it calls for patience, and dedication'.

The energy level, the intelligence, and what appears to be a natural ability to be a clown will then be the trainer's challenge to guide into a productive and manageable companion.  Add to this a dog that is often sensitive to correction and you have a dog that will make you become an informed and smart trainer and will reward you with a very loving and wonderful companion and working partner.