Versatile and handsome, the Vizla is a hard-working retriever that is a favorite of hunters and their families.
By Henry Chappell
Many centuries have passed since the Magyars lorded over Central Europe. These fearsome warriors were also accomplished hunters, and they recognized that game birds were most easily netted when they were located before flushing. Given the value of a hunting dog that hesitates before pouncing, the Magyars developed a powerful, bobtailed pointing dog with a short, dense, reddish coat – the rootstock for the modern Vizsla.
Vizslas are close to medium-range workers and excellent retrievers. American hunters have long favored the breed for hunting grouse and woodcock as well as bobwhites in tight cover. Like other versatile breeds, Vizslas will drop their noses and trail ground scent – a trait that endears them to hunters of pheasants, desert quail, and other birds that run more often than hold. Vizslas are strong, enthusiastic swimmers, always happy to fetch waterfowl from creeks, ponds, and other modest waters.
Vizslas form tight bonds and thrive on affection. Locked away and ignored, they’re apt to be noisy and destructive. Your Vizsla will bust brush all day, then lay her head in your lap and snooze on the drive home.
Do:
- Treat your Vizsla pup like a member of the family.
- Choose pups only from proven working stock.
- Take your pup for field romps as soon as she’s completed a course of inoculations.
Don’t:
- Resort to harsh training methods. Vizslas tend to be sensitive.
- Expect your Vizsla to retrieve from rough, icy water best left to a Labrador retriever.
- Introduce gunfire until your pup is searching boldly.
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