By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2008-06-12 09:57:57 | Word Count: 671
The Hungarian Vizsla is the national dog of Hungary. The Hungarian Vizsla is known to have first appeared in Central Europe in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This breed is considered a hunting dog and has been used to flush and locate birds for hunters. This breed has a short coat and thus, was able to be used where the climates were consistently warmer in southern Hungary.
The Vizsla usually stands anywhere from twenty one to twenty four inches at the shoulder and can weigh anywhere between forty five and sixty pounds. His coat sheds regularly so requires regular brushing to keep it health, but otherwise is low maintenance and easy to take care of because of its short length. The color of the Vizsla’s coat is considered a rich rust. Since he does not have an undercoat, it is not recommended that this breed be kept outside so it is not susceptible to the cold. For this reason, this breed should not be kept in a kennel for any great length of time either. One other advantage to them not having an undercoat is that they are considered less likely to cause allergies than other breeds in those susceptible to dog hair allergies. They are amazingly also self cleaning dogs and need baths only five or six times a year, and thus, do not have what humans usually call a “dog smell”. This breed likes to be physically close to its owner as much as possible, so even those that are usually adverse to having dogs as pets, may consider getting a Vizsla because of their cleanliness.
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This breed is naturally very active, as well as happy and playful. This makes them an excellent family pet. They are loyal and caring, despite their high energy level and are often referred to a “Velcro” because of their devotion, loyalty and affection toward their owner. They are very close to their owners. This breed does not bark much and tends to be on the quieter side unless they are provoked. They are also a very alert, attentive and ready to hunt. Their personality is said to be a mixture of the spaniel and the Pointer. Because this breed is stubborn and sensitive, training can be a challenge. The owner needs to find the balance between firmness and not being harsh, or this breed’s sensitivity will turn him away and he will be impossible to train. On top of that personality challenge, this breed is also easily distracted by any scent and can easily ignore any commands or training if he picks up a scent that he feels is worth following or looking for. He needs to be socialized early in his training, as he can be very timid and almost shy toward anyone he does not know.
Some of this breed can have a tendency to be hard to housebreak and may be submissive wetters. Again, it is important to potty train the firmly, but not harshly. It is important to remember that they are still learning and most probably nothing like this is done out of stubbornness or spite. The Vizsla has a tendency toward non thinking hyperactivity and early obedience training will help to overcome this trait. Otherwise, he will be overly energetic and possibly be destructive because he does not know what to do with his energy. As it is with any breed that has a strong scenting ability, the “Come” command is especially important to train them early on, and can possibly be the most difficult command for them to learn. The training must be firm but never harsh, due to his sensitive, yet stubborn nature. Daily exercise is mandatory.
It is recommended that this breed be fed one and a half to two and a half cans of high quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal amount or five cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.
A house with a fenced yard is a necessity for the Vizsla to release some of his energy.
