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Vizsla Korthaar

History

The Vizsla is mentioned in the very early times in Hungarian history while his exact origin is lost in the midst of ancient European history. It is known that the ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes which lived in the Carpathian basin in the Eighth Century. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show the Magyar hunter with his falcon and his Vizsla. Companion dogs of the early warlords and barons, Vizsla blood was preserved pure for centuries by the land owning aristocracy who guarded them jealously and continued to develop the the hunting ability of these "yellow-pointers" - the golden-rust coloration from tip to tail. Records of letters and writings show the high esteem in which the Vizsla has always been held through the centuries.The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation(1526-1696), the Hungarian Civil War (1848-49), World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, the breed suffered a decline in the late 19th Century and the true Vizsla was close to being extinct. A careful search of Hungary and a poll of Hungarian sportsmen revealed only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type still alive in the country. From that minimum stock, the breed rose to prominence once again. The various "strains" of the Vizsla have become somewhat distinctive as individuals bred stock that suited their hunting style. The Austria-Hungary Empire extended its influence over a large area for many years, but with frequent border changes Hungary was reduced to a mere shadow of its former self. As a result, owners of Vizslas suddenly found themselves living in Czechoslovakia, Rumania, the former Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Poland or Russia.

General Appearance ** Medium sized, of distinguished appearance, robust and mediumboned.

Characteristics *** Lively, intelligent, obedient, sensitive, very affectionate and easily trained. Bred for hunting fur and feather, pointing and retrieving fromland and water.

Temperament *** Lively, gentle - mannered and demonstratively affectionate, fearless and with well developed protective instinct.

Head and Skull ** Head lean and noble. Skull moderately wide between ears with median line down forehead and a moderate stop. Skull a little longer than muzzle. Muzzle, although tapering, well squared at the end. Nostrils well developed, broad and wide. Jaws strong and powerful. Lips covering jaws completely and neither loose nor pendulous. Nose brown.

Eyes *** Neither deep nor prominent, of medium size, a shade darker in colour than coat. Slightly oval in shape, eyelids fitting tightly. Yellow or black eye undesirable.

Ears ** Moderately low set, proportionately long with a thin skin and hanging down close to cheeks. Rounded V shape; not fleshy.

Mouth *** Sound and strong white teeth. Jaws strong with prefect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Full dentition desirable.

Neck *** Strong smooth and muscular; moderately long, arched and devoid of dewlap.

ForeeQuarters ** Shoulders well laid and muscular, elbows close to body and straight, forearm long, pasterns upright.

Body *** Back level, short, well musculed, withers high. Chest moderately broad and deep with prominent breast bone. Distance from withers to lowest part of chest equal to distance from chest to ground, Ribs well sprung and belly with a slight tuck-up beneath loin. Croup well muscled.

HindQuarters *** Straight when viewed from rear, thighs well developed with moderate angulation, hocks well let down.

Feet ** Rounded with toes short, arched and tight. Cat-like foot is required, hare foot undesirable. Nails short, strong and ashade darker in colour than the coat, Dewclaws should be removed.

Tail *** Moderately thick, rather low set, customarily one-thirt docked. When moving carried horizontally.

Gait & Movement *** Graxeful, elegant with a lively trot and ground-covering gallop.

Coat ** Short, straight, dense, smooth and shiny, feeling greasy to the touch.

Colour *** Russed gold, small white marks on chest and feet, thought acceptable, undesirable.

Size *** Height at withers: dogs: 57-64 cms ( 22-25 ins ); bitches: 53-60 cms ( 21-23ins ). Weight: 20-30 kgs ( 48-66 Lbs ).

Faults ** Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note ** Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum