hungarian vizsla breed standard

HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ð FCI STANDARD NO 57 – DATED JUNE 1996 EXTENSION BY HANAFOR VIZSLAS FAY HARRIS (ALL BREEDS JUDGE & VIZSLA SPECIALIST) HAS PROVIDES A BREAK-­‐DOWN OF THE BREED STANDARD EXPLANATION IN AN EFFORT TO ASSIST TRAINEE JUDGES FAY HARRIS HAS GIVEN THE BREED LECTURE TO TRAINEE JUDES IN BOTH VICTORIA, TASMANIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES FOR MANY YEARS NOTE: TAIL DOCKING WAS BANNED IN AUSTRALIA FROM 2004 2 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW:
The ancestors of the Hungarian Vizsla come into the Carpathian Basin with the nomadic Hungarian tribes. Written descriptions
and graphic illustrations are found in documents of the 14th century. From the 18th century, his importance as a hunting dog
has been increasing steadily. As early as the end of the 19th century, competitions for pointing dogs were organised in Hungary
in which Hungarian Vizslas participated with great success. In those days other gundog breeds most likely played an important
part in the development of the breed.
The specific modern breeding started in 1920, as a result of which, the Hungarian Vizsla received recognition by the FCI in 1936.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
He is a medium sized, elegant gundog of noble appearance with a short russet gold coat. His rather light, dry, lean structure
embodies the harmony of beauty and strength.
“This breed should always be medium sized –
never larger than a GSP or Weimaraner. It should
also be moderate in all aspects and have definite
elegance. The dog should be well muscled and
sleek. Any coarseness should be penalised”
CHARACTERISTICS:
The Hungarian Vizsla is a versatile gundog that must be able to work in the field, forest and water and have the following typical
qualities.
He must have an excellent nose, firmness on the point, be excellent at retrieving and have the determination to remain on the
scent even when swimming, which he manifestly enjoys. He copes with difficult terrain as well as extreme weather conditions. As
he is intended to be an efficient hunting dog then gun and game shyness, unwillingness to point and retrieve, as well as a dislike
of water are undesirable. Because of his easy going nature and his adaptability, he can easily be kept as a companion dog in the
house.
“The above characteristics cannot be really
assessed without going out into the field, however,
the body should be such that it is well muscled
and gives the appearance of a dog able to work
all day”
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Extended by Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 2 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] 3 TEMPERAMENT:
Lively, friendly, even tempered and easily trained. His outstanding willingness to keep contact with his master while working is one
of his essential qualities. He cannot bear rough treatment and must be neither aggressive or shy.
“This again cannot be easily assessed. The temperament seen around the house and in the show ring should
be that of an affectionate, happy, energetic dog more than willing to please and in fact, eager to be involved in
what is happening.
Example: The Vizsla will certainly help you garden! It is uncharacteristic for a Vizsla to be aggressive with other
dogs or people or to be a timid, frightened wary dog. Any sign of these undesirable traits should be heavily
penalised”
HEAD AND SKULL:
The head should be dry, noble and well proportioned. The skull moderately wide and slightly domed. A slightly pronounced
groove runs from the moderately developed occiput towards the stop. The supercilliary ridges are moderately developed. The
stop is moderate.
His nose should be well developed and broad with nostrils as wide as possible. The colour of the nose harmonises in a dark
shading with the coat colour. The muzzle is blunt, not pointed, with strong jaws that are strongly muscled. The bridge of the
nose is straight. The lips are tight fitting with no pendulous flews. The jaws are powerful and the cheeks are strong and well
muscled.
“A Vizsla head should be clean, that means no
excess skin in the adult dog. Young puppies
frequently have an excess of skin into which
they grow. They may show a wrinkled brow
when looking intently at something but it
should be smooth once mature. Above all,
the head should have a noble or aristocratic
look and be moderate throughout. There
should be no excesses, no hint of houndiness.
If there is coarseness or houndiness in the
head, it will generally follow through to a
courser, heavier body than required.
The skull and muzzle should blend together
giving an overall harmony. The muzzle should
be slightly shorter than the skull and well
squared at the end with a well developed
broad nose. Lips should not be pendulous
nor should they be too tight. The nostrils
which are important for scenting, should be as
wide as possible. As a gundog this breed also
requires not only a big nose, but strong well
muscled cheeks with strong jaws”
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 3 4 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] EYES:
The eyes are slightly oval and of medium size with well fitting eyelids. He has an intelligent and lively expression. The brown eyes
harmonise with the coat colour, as dark as possible preferred.
“The eye should give the impression of a good natured dog, lively and interested. The eyes should be slightly
oval with tight fitting eyelids. Any looseness of eye is undesirable in a gundog as sore eyes from dust and
grass seeds are definitely not wanted. The colour should blend with the coat colour. Eye colour can be difficult
to assess in young stock as the eyes can take some years to darken.
When assessing young dogs (and that could be even up to two years old), look for a darker edge to the iris. If
it is there, the eye will normally darken. A clear yellow eye could be a problem. Not only the colour should
blend with the head but also the shape. If the eyes stand out in the head, look for the reason. It could be
colour. It could be shape or placement”
EARS:
The ears are set on at a medium height, a little backwards. He has fine leathers, which hang closely to the cheeks and end in a
rounded V-shape. The length is about three-quarters of the length of the head.
“Vizsla ears can vary greatly. When bored they may simply hang down and appear to be slightly low-set. When
attracted by something in the distance they can raise the ears which makes them appear higher set. However,
they should never stand out of the head but hang close to the cheeks whether relaxed or alert. Baby puppies can
have quite long ears into which they grow”
MOUTH:
He has a regular and complete scissor bite with the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws
with 42 healthy teeth according to dentition formula.
“Bad mouths are not common in this breed and should not be tolerated”
NECK:
Of medium length, harmonising with the overall appearance. The nape very muscular and slightly arched. Tightly fitting skin (no
dewlap) at the throat.
“This Standard does not call for a long neck. It should be long and strong enough to allow the dog to collect and
carry game. The neck should not be thick or coarse, short or stuffy as this will detract from the refined elegant
look of this breed. The neck should also be clean with no loose skin for an injured animal to grasp. The neck
should have a slight arch and flow smoothly into the withers”
FOREQUARTERS:
Viewed from the front they should be straight and parallel. Viewed from the side the legs are vertical and placed well under the
body. Good bones and strongly muscled. The shoulders are long, sloping and flat with well attached shoulder blades. Flexible
with strong dry muscles. Well angulated between the shoulder blade and upper arm. The upper arm is as long as possible and
well muscled. The elbows fit close to the body, not tied in and turning neither in nor out and are well angulated between the
upper arm and forearm. The forearm is long, straight and sufficiently muscled with strong but not coarse bone. The pastern joint
is short and tight. The pastern is short and only very slightly sloping.
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Extended by Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 4 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] 5 “The shoulders should be well laid back with good
angulation between the shoulder blade and the
upper arm which should be reasonably long and
well muscled.
The elbows should be close to the body but not
tight nor turning out. The legs should have good
bone with short pasterns which are very slightly
sloping to allow quartering in the field”
BODY:
The withers are pronounced and muscular. The back is solid, strong, well muscled, taut and straight. The muscles should hide
the vertebral spines. The loin is short, broad, tight, muscular, straight or slightly arched. The portion from back to loin is well
coupled. The croup is broad and of sufficient length, not to cut off short. It slopes slightly to the tail and is well muscled. The
chest is deep and broad with a well developed, well muscled, moderately arched forechest. The sternum should extend as far
back as possible. The sternum and the elbow should be at the same level. The ribs are moderately arched with the last ribs
carried well back. The underline is elegant, tight, arching towards the rear and slightly tucked up.
“The topline of the dog should flow from the
slight crest at the top of the neck to the high
set withers and along the level back to a
slightly low-set tail. The high set withers are
important in this breed for without them you
will not have the correct flow from head to tail
nor will there be correct layback of shoulder.
Any angle forming between the neck and the
back should be checked for the cause. Also
important is the prosternum which should be
evident but not exaggerated.
The withers and prosternum should be evident
even in a youngster. If not there, they never
will be. The depth of chest however, may
disappear during rapid growth and reappear
when the youngster stops growing upward
and begins to fill out. Baby puppies and even
youngsters may often have a skirt or flank
which also disappears as they grow. As they
lose this excess skin they may also appear to
have too much tuck-up. The chest should
come to the elbow and should have a well
developed forechest without being
exaggerated. The sternum should extend well
back from the elbow giving the dog in profile a
well ribbed body with plenty of heart and lung
space. The loin should be short and strong.
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 5 6 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] HINDQUARTERS:
Viewed from behind they should be straight and parallel. Well angulated and with strong bone. The upper thigh is long and
muscular with good angulaltion between the pelvis and upper thigh. The stifle is well angulated. The lower leg is long, well
muscled and sinewy. Its length is almost equal to that of the upper thigh. Good angulation between the lower thigh and the
metatarsus. The hock joint is strong, dry and sinewy and rather well let down. The metatarsus is vertical, short and dry.
“The hindquarters should be well angulated so that the dog has strong drive and can cover plenty of ground on
the move. The hocks should be well let down, short and vertical. The bone should be strong but not coarse and
the legs parallel from behind. Some handlers will stack the dog with hind legs too far apart. Watch the dog
standing naturally or move the legs to better assess the hindquarters. The topline might then also need rechecking”
FEET:
The forefeet are slightly oval, with well knit, sufficiently arched, strong toes. The nails are strong and brown in colour. He has
rough, resistant, slate grey pads. The feet are parallel when standing or moving. The hind feet are similar to the forefeet.
“Good feet should be a must in gundogs which are expected to do a days work over rough terrain. The pads
should be thick to cope with any ground cover. Toes should be tight and well arched with the two middle toes
slightly longer giving a slightly oval foot. Flat feet with thin pads and open spread toes are unacceptable. The
nails should be strong and brown, short but not too short as the Vizsla will use his nails in climbing river banks
and keeping his footing on slippery wet ground”
TAIL:
Set on slightly low, strong at the base, then tapering. In countries where tail docking is not prohibited by law, the tail may be
shortened by one quarter to avoid hunting hazards. If tail docking is prohibited, the tail reaches down to the hock joint and
carried straight or slightly sabre like. On the move, it is raised up to the horizontal. It is well covered with dense coat.
“The tail should be slightly low set and it a barometer of the temperament. Whilst standing around doing
nothing, the tail can hang down. As the dog begins walking he should raise his tail and on the move it should be
at least horizontal. Excited dogs or strong males will often raise their tail higher. Until recently tails were docked
as the last portion of the tail is easily damaged when the dog wags it enthusiastically whether at home against
the walls, or, in the field against bushes. The undocked tail can be extremely long with a very thick whip end”
GAIT:
The typical gait is an animated, light footed trot, elegant and far-reaching, with much drive and corresponding reach. Not an
exhausting gallop when working in the field. The back is firm and the topline remains level. Good, upright carriage. Pacing
undesirable.
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Extended by Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 6 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] 7 “The Vizsla should have an effortless smooth
ground covering trot. It should have plenty of
reach and drive. Short busy steps are incorrect
as is the lifting of the front feet. Coming and
going the dog should show no sign of loose
elbows. At speed this breed does tend to single
track. Good upright carriage does not mean that
the dog holds his head high on the move as the
head needs to come forward if the dog is to reach
with his forelegs.
The Vizsla should however, move with a proud
and noble carriage
COAT:
Short and dense, should be coarse and hard to the touch On the head and the ear leathers, it should be thinner, silkier and
shorter. The hair underneath the tail should be slightly, but not noticeably longer. The coat covers all of the body with the
underside of the belly being a little lighter coated. No undercoat.
COLOUR:
Various shades of russet gold and dark sandy gold. The ear leathers may be a little darker, otherwise uniform in colour. Red,
brownish or lightened color is undesirable. A little white patch on the chest or at the throat, not more than 5cm in diameter, as
well as white markings on the toes are not considered faulty. The colour of the lips and the eye rims corresponds to the colour of
the nose. The skin is tightly fitting, without folds and well pigmented.
“The Vizsla colour is unique. It can vary from light to dark but should always have a golden red tinge. A
healthy coat when seen in the sun will have a reddish metallic gleam to it. The coat should be the same
colour all over except for slightly darker ears and muzzle and the darker stripe down the back known as the
“Esterhazy Saddle” – or King Stripe. These together with the light areas behind the shoulders are common.
Like the eyes, the coat can take some time to darken and youngsters with a pale coat should not be
penalised. Their eventual colour can usually be seen on the lower legs and muzzle. Very small areas of white
on the chest, throat and toes are permissible. Roaning of the chest can occur in this breed but the number of
white hairs do not predominate and the roaning is not noticeable unless looked at very closely. As with the
eyes, if the amount of white is noticeable, it is probably too much”
SIZE / WEIGHT:
Height at withers – Dogs – 58-64cm / Bitches – 54-60cm
Important Proportions:
• The body length slightly exceeds the height at the withers
• The depth of the brisket is slightly less than half the height at the withers
• The muzzle is slightly shorter than half the length of the head
It is ineffective to increase the height at the withers.
A medium size should be aimed at. Overall balance and symmetry are much more important than the mere measureable size.
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 7 8 [HUNGARIAN VIZSLA BREED STANDARD ] “Do remember the body length should be slightly longer than the height at the withers. We are not looking for a
short backed dog – that will not aid in quartering the ground at speed. However, we are looking for a dog that
is long in ribcage with plenty of heart and lung space.
Also, with the depth of brisket being slightly less than half the height at withers, the legs will be slightly longer
than the distance from withers to elbows bringing the Vizsla slightly higher on leg though not as high as a
Weimaraner”
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 proportions to its degree.
“There is quite a wide variation in height for this breed.
Over the years there have been times when Vizslas have been obviously well over the upper height limit. It
should be remembered that this is one fault and some allowance could be made for an excellent example of
the breed with correct angulation and overall balance but, not for an over tall Vizsla which loses type and
elegance due to heaviness.
Additionally, over the years, smaller bitches which have definitely been within the height range have suffered
with Judges considering them too small due to the much taller males in the ring.
Do not be fooled thinking a bitch is too small because of other Vizslas. There is after all, a large difference
between 54cm (21”) and 64cm (25”)”
ELIMINATING FAULTS:
• Distinct deviations from the characteristics of the breed.
• Strong deviation from the sexual characteristics.
• Atypical head.
• Pendulous or dribbling flews.
• Under or overshot mouth. Wry mouth, including all intermediate form.
• One or more missing incisors and/or canine and/or premolars 2-4 and/or molars 1-2; more than two missing PM1; the
M3 are disregarded. Not visible teeth are assessed as missing ones.
• Supernumerary teeth not in line with the others.
• Cleft palate, harelip.
• Light yellow eyes. Very loose eyelids, ectropion, entropion. Distichiasis (double row of eyelashes).
• Pronounced dewlap.
• Dewclaws.
• Very faulty movement.
• Dark brown or pale yellow colour. Parti-coloured, not uniformly coloured. White chest patch larger than 5cm.
• White feet.
• Lacking pigmentation either on the skin or on the lips and eye rims.
• Any type of weakness in temperament.
• Deviation of more than 2cm from the above mentioned heights at withers.
NOTE: Male animals must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard – Extended by Hanafor Vizslas Australia -­‐ © 2014 8