Full History of the Vizsla Breed (3 Important Facts)

Vizsla, the recognized name for the Hungarian Pointers, has a history matching their regal appearance with their elegant humans. Once a companion of Aristocrats, the K-9 bloodline was nearly bred to extinction in the late 19th century due to demand.

Thankfully, over time the Vizsla has been on the rebound and gracing the lives of mankind in a multitude of countries. To better understand the Vizsla breed, let’s take a closer look at the history of Vizsla and how they came to be so popular and loving!

Vizsla History

Over the years certain features of the breed have changed dramatically since the early days of the Vizsla. I’ll first be going over the beginning of their history and then compare it to the recent years of owning a Vizsla.

The Early Years

The farthermost recorded history regarding the Vizsla as a companion to humans dates back to the early settlers of what is modern-day Hungary. The Magyar tribes are depicted on stone, etched with their dog, an ancestor of the Vizsla, and Falcon. K-9 and other birds were seen working together in the pursuit of sustenance for their human and for themselves. It’s the classic tale of a man and his best friend being together, just depicted a very long time ago in this case.

In the years of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Vizla was the chosen hunting dog. The color of the Vizsla’s coat, being a solid golden rust, and similar eye color aided the hunting dog in its camouflage ability. Both a Pointer and Retriever, it was a dog bred for its ability to point out the prey and locate the fallen animal for the hunter they worked with. Endangering the breed because of something as simple as supply and demand.

Overbreeding or inbreeding was not what endangered the four-legged friend. Mixed breeding to meet the needs of would-be owners was almost their downfall. At one point there were around twelve purebreds of the breed remaining instead of what we have today.

Recognization as a Breed

On November 25, 1960, the Viszla became a recognized breed with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Since then the Vizsla breed has even gone on to be the first AKC Triple Champion, placing first in three events over a lifetime.

Kai was the first dog of any breed, a Vizsla at that, to win in show, obedience, and field and that was in 1980. Two decades later a Vizsla beauty named Chartay dominated the breed standard and took the first quintuple championship with the AKC. Those are some furry breeches to fit into.

Recent Years for a Vizsla

Yes, the Vizsla is a working dog. That means they are active and will become bored if their human is not engaging with them. Vizsla has been tasked as emotional companions, and visually impaired support guides, and those superior sniffers have been utilized by the TSA.

They are notable in search and rescue operations, and in the US were on scene at ground zero during 9/11 as one of many breeds representing K-9 heroes. Unfortunately, none of the over 300 four-legged heroes are alive today.

For a breed that is known for obedience and intelligence, the Vizsla is also a top-notch companion. Care for the animal is simple as their coat is short and sleek like many Retrievers.

With a history dating back thousands of years, the breed still gains recognition among enthusiasts and clubs worldwide.