PONSONBY GUNDOGS

Brief History of The Hungarian Vizsla

The origins of the Vizsla are difficult to trace, but he probably began in the 9^th century when the warring Magyar tribes migrated from the Steppes of Asia. They led a nomadic life until eventually they settled in the Carpathian basin , now known as Hungary

The Vizsla we know today probably originated from a mix of the early hunting dogs brought with these Magyar tribes to Hungary, and it is believed when the Turks invaded Hungary in 16^th, 17^th centuries they were crossed with the Turkish ‘yellow dog’.

The Turks occupation lasted for 15 years, during this time the Vizsla is mentioned in the correspondence of the day, and by the end of the 16^th century the name ‘Vizsla’ had become generally accepted, replacing the name ‘yellow pointer’

Vizsla, means ‘to seek’ in Turkish .

The Vizsla has always been owned by nobility and bred in private kennels, by the powerful barons. The countryside differed from one district to another and some of the terrain the dogs had to work was the best shooting ground in Europe, well known for the abundance and variety of game it held. Thus a multi purpose dog was required who would work fur and feather and the versatile Vizsla could fulfil these requirements. He needed to be fast, with the sort of nose that would permit him to find game in the thick cover of crops or high grasslands or in the vast plains of corn. He was used to find the giant hare on the plains or to hunt out deer in the dense forests, driving them into the clearing towards the guns. In the woods and thickets he had to point woodcock and pheasant, and on the banks of the lakes and rivers he must flush waterfowl, wild duck, goose and quail. He was also required to hunt and hold at bay wild boar and wolf – done with several dogs working together.

The Vizsla flourished under these conditions and his natural retrieving ability on land and in the water added to his valuable qualities.

The 2 world wars and the invasion of the Russians into Hungary almost spelled doom for the Vizsla, and numbers declined in great numbers.

Due to a few dedicated breeders the breed was saved and the first Hungarian Vizsla club was formed in Hungary in 1924.

During the Russian occupation of Hungary 1956-1958, thousands of Hungarian people fled the country and some were able to take there beloved Vizsla with them.

The first Vizsla imported into UK were around the early 1950’s and numbers have continued to increase ever since.

These days around 150 Hungarian Vizsla can be seen at any Championship show in UK, and over 200 usually exhibited at Crufts each year.

Here in New Zealand the breed is not widely seen, although they are getting more and more popular, and are widely used here by hunters as deer stalking dogs, and hunting gamebirds.

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