The Hungarian Vizsla is a versatile gun dog that can work equally well in the forest, field, or water. An excellent retriever, the sleek and muscular Vizsla is a true athlete. With its enormous stamina and agility – not to mention its irresistible, eager-to-please personality - it’s small wonder that this breed is now the 44th most popular dog registered with the AKC in the United States.

History and Origin

The Vizsla once hunted the vast plains of the Hungarian Empire; some historians believe the origins of this majestic dog date as far back as the ninth century. As the Hungarian Empire began to disintegrate after World War II, a few of this rare breed were smuggled out of the country, an effort which saved the Vizsla from extinction. Today this beautiful dog can be found throughout the world.

General Information

In Hungarian, ‘Vizsla’ means alert and responsive - a very good description of this lively pet.The Vizsla is friendly and affectionate with its family, but reserved with strangers. Always watchful, it will bark when sensing anything out of the ordinary, whether that’s a butterfly, a cat burglar or the mailman. Eager to please and quick to learn, this agile and intelligent dog is easily trained, and is often a superstar in obedience competitions. The Vizsla can be shy, willful and easily distracted, however, so early socialization and obedience training are a must, and owners of this breed must firmly make it clear who’s the boss right from the start. The Vizsla responds best to kind, patient and consistent training methods.Harsh training will not work, and can leave lasting negative effects on this sensitive dog.

An extremely active breed that requires strenuous daily activity, the Vizsla thrives with a large fenced yard and an athletic owner who loves to go jogging, biking or hiking together. Very demonstrative and loving, the Vizsla is often called the “Velcro” dog - craving constant human companionship, this pet hates to be left alone. If your lifestyle doesn’t permit the constant companionship of an adoring Vizsla, you may want to consider a different breed: a lonely, frustrated or bored Vizsla will quickly become destructive. Vizslas are also excellent jumpers, so a bored pet will likely try to escape by jumping the fence.

The Vizsla's sleek, short coat requires minimal care. It should be brushed occasionally with a firm bristle brush and dry shampooed when necessary.

Health Ailments

The Vizsla is a healthy breed, but has a tendency toward hemophilia and hip dysplasia. It does not tolerate cold climates.

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