Getting to Know the Wirehaired Vizsla (Got Drótszõrû Magyar Vizsla?)

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, October 2013 issue.

Getting to Know the Wirehaired Vizsla (Got Drótszõrû Magyar Vizsla?)

What kind of dog is that?

“A Wirehaired Vizsla,” we reply.

Reactions range from “A what?” to “Oh, I’ve heard of those but have never seen one.” The owners of any rare breed of dog get used to hearing the same questions from people meeting our dogs for the first time. Those of us who have Wirehaired Vizslas are no exception. But, no matter how often we are asked, we never get tired of telling people about our dogs. They are not just dogs, after all. They are members of our families, a special breed in many ways.

The first thing people notice about the Wirehaired Vizsla is its striking appearance and lively, intelligent expression. It is uniformly self-colored in shades of golden rust, with nose, eyes and eye rims, and toenails all harmonious with the coat. The color described in Hungarian translates as “bread crust.” It is the ideal color to blend with and disappear in a field of golden russet autumn grass and bushes. Their bright russet eyes (not brown, not yellow, but the same hue as the coat, ideally a shade or two darker) shine with intelligence and intuitiveness, and are accentuated by bushy eyebrows. A small beard and mustache complete the facial furnishings.

It is not just their appearance that makes Wirehaired Vizslas so special. Versatility is one of the breed’s hallmarks. Multi-talented, it is the ultimate jack of all trades.

Originating in Hungary, the Wirehaired Vizsla was developed by hunters and falconers who desired a sturdy, versatile hunting dog able to withstand harsh winters in the field, forest, and water. The Wirehaired Vizsla is a distinguished, versatile hunting dog of medium size, bred for substance and a dense wire coat. Balanced in size and proportion, the Wirehaired Vizsla is robust and lean. Movement is powerful yet graceful with far-reaching drive, enabling the breed to hunt in all elements and cover any terrain encountered by the walking hunter. The breed possesses an excellent nose for hunting and tracking feather and fur on land and in water, as well as a natural point and retrieve. The breed’s most distinguishing features are its weather-resistant dense wire coat and its facial furnishings, specifically its beard and eyebrows. Natural appearance is essential to breed type, therefore the Wirehaired Vizsla is to be shown with limited stripping and should not be penalized for being shown in working condition: sinewy, well-muscled, with honorable scars. The Wirehaired Vizsla is intelligent, loyal, sensitive and biddable, but cannot tolerate harsh handling. Eager to learn, lively yet gentle, they are readily trainable for gun and falconry.

The Wirehaired Vizsla is a tractable and affectionate companion in the home.

— AKC Standard of the Wirehaired Vizsla

Once hunting and the sport of falconry were no longer limited to the nobility and a growing middle class was allowed access to the game in fields and forests, families were able to provide meat for the table and relied on the assistance of hunting dogs. While the nobility had kennels full of specialized breeds—pointers and setters, retrievers, and hounds—the merchants, farmers, and tradesmen of the new middle class had limited resources and needed one dog, a versatile hunting companion that could do it all. They walked the fields and forests on foot, searching for game birds, waterfowl, and furred game large and small, assisted by the family dog, which would locate, point, flush, and retrieve the game to hand. At home, the hunting dog fulfilled the role of pet and companion as well, playing with the children, being alert to the approach of strangers, keeping a watchful eye on the property, and sleeping with family members.

Today, the Wirehaired Vizsla is still the ultimate definition of a versatile hunting dog. Whether a person likes to hunt upland birds, waterfowl, or furred game from rabbits to deer, the Wirehaired Vizsla can locate, point, and retrieve game on land and in water. It is as proficient hunting with a falconer as it is with someone who uses a shotgun or bow. It can track a blood trail to find a wounded deer in the forest or the trail of a person lost in the wilderness. It will hunt down and kill rats and mice in the barn as well as any terrier. Cattails and acres of lily pads won’t deter a WV from swimming to find and retrieve ducks or geese.

It is not all just prey drive; there is a softer side to their versatility, too. This is the other hallmark of the breed—their attachment to their people. They hunt because we hunt, but they are very biddable, people-oriented, and intuitive, making them an outstanding companion for many activities in addition to hunting. They are wonderful therapy dogs and always seem to instinctively know what is needed when they make a therapy visit. They love to learn, and though they can be cautious about new situations and experiences at first, they are quick to catch on. They are almost always at the head of the class from puppy kindergarten to obedience and do extremely well in Obedience and Rally competitions.

Naturally athletic with lots of drive, they can also excel in Agility or Flyball. Their ultra-keen scenting ability makes them a natural for Tracking and Scent Discrimination. They are used for Search and Rescue in Europe and are beginning to make an appearance in SAR here in America. They love the water, are strong swimmers, and many take great delight in dock jumping. Some Wirehaired Vizslas are even experienced canoeists and kayakers! They are happy doing whatever their families like to do and enjoy being part of the family. They also love cuddling up, being couch potatoes, and sleeping with their people.

The downside of the WV’s intelligence and bond with their people is that owners must be prepared to make their Wirehaired Vizsla a part of the family and keep them busy. This is not a breed that will be content hanging out in the backyard alone all day, “being a dog” without attention and interaction with the rest of the family. They’re often called “Velcro® dogs” for good reason. They want to be in the same room as their people and right in the middle of everything. Expect to go into the bathroom alone? Better shut the door; the dog will likely be waiting right there when you open it.

In the field, the Wirehaired Vizsla is a close-working, methodical hunter, but not a “boot licker.” They don’t run off into the next county but work about 40-50 yards ahead and always know where their hunting partner is.

Mental exercise is as important for the WV as physical exercise. They thrive on learning alongside their owners, so it’s crucial to set aside time every day for training, whether it’s tricks, yard games, obedience exercises, or field work. However, training a Wirehaired Vizsla requires care; avoid excessive repetitions or harsh corrections. Their soft temperament can make them shut down under heavy-handed or overly intensive training. A verbal correction is usually all that’s needed, and it’s essential not to use a sharp tone. Unlike harder-tempered breeds, Wirehaired Vizslas may take a long time to recover from what they perceive as a negative experience. Keeping training positive and fun is the key to success. In field work, experience is often the best teacher, and sometimes the best advice is to skip formal training sessions and simply hunt wild birds.

The Wirehaired Vizsla has an average lifespan of 12-15 years. Although relatively healthy overall, like any breed, they can experience various conditions. Screening for hip dysplasia and eye problems is recommended for breeding dogs, and many breeders also test for cardiac issues, elbow dysplasia, and thyroid health. Autoimmune-related issues, particularly allergies, are among the most common complaints, which can manifest as chronic ear infections, yeast infections, skin irritations, or gastric upset. Often, dietary changes, such as eliminating grains and glutens, can help alleviate symptoms. Some cancers have been observed in the breed, though no specific type occurs with notable frequency.

With a small gene pool, breeding decisions must be made carefully to avoid creating a genetic bottleneck. Understanding the breed’s origins and history is crucial for studying Wirehaired Vizsla pedigrees. Although the breed’s documented history only dates back to the 1930s, it emerged from the remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and survived through wars, shifting borders, and regional conflicts. The goal was to create a dog with the qualities of the Magyar (Hungarian) Vizsla, but sturdier, with more bone, and a dense, wiry coat for protection from the elements.

After the Empire’s collapse, the breed’s early developers were dispersed into different countries, including Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. In 1943, Vasas Josef, who ran the Csabai Vizsla kennel in Hungary, applied to the Magyar Vizsla Klub, proposing the development of this new breed and requesting permission to register foundation stock. Despite initial controversy, the club eventually approved, advising them to produce as many dogs as possible and to show and test them in hunting competitions. Vasas Josef was assisted by Gresznarik Lazslo from the De Selle kennel, an experienced breeder of German Wirehaired Pointers. Together, they crossed two Vizsla bitches with a solid brown German Wirehaired Pointer.

The first dogs with three-generation pedigrees fulfilled the dream by inheriting the color and other characteristics of the Vizsla, while also gaining the heavier bone structure and wiry multilayered coat of the German Wirehaired Pointer. The first Wirehaired Vizsla shown was Dia De Selle, in 1943. By 1944, there were 60 dogs registered.

However, WWII nearly led to the extinction of both the Vizsla and the Wirehaired Vizsla in Hungary; dogs were killed, kennels were dispersed or nationalized, and records were lost. The breed’s development during the upheaval of the war and postwar years is difficult to trace. We rely on anecdotes, hand-written pedigrees, and oral history. We know that outcrosses to other breeds, such as Pudelpointers and Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, were certainly used, and possibly even a Bloodhound. A handwritten pedigree for one dog traces eleven generations back on the sire’s side and ten on the dam’s, including an Irish Setter bred in four times “for speed.”

After many ups and downs, the Wirehaired Vizsla was recognized by the FCI in 1966 as an independent Hungarian breed under Standard #239. With the first imports to North America, the UK, and Western Europe from Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the 1970s, the breed began gaining popularity worldwide.

Although recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1977, the Wirehaired Vizsla remained unrecognized in America due to an “identity crisis.” Author Charles Newman discovered the breed in Hungary in the 1960s and imported his first Wirehaired Vizslas in 1973. He named them “Uplanders,” hoping the name would distinguish them from the smooth-coated Vizsla. Newman formed a club in Virginia to promote the breed, applying for recognition with the Field Dog Stud Book and AKC. However, the breed was too rare, and because “Uplander” was not recognized anywhere else, the AKC and FDSB refused.

A small group of dedicated hunters in Canada and the U.S. preserved the purebred Wirehaired Vizsla through importing registered European stock and testing their hunting ability. NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) tested the first WV in 1974 and formally recognized the breed in 1986, allowing registration in the Field Dog Stud Book through NAVHDA.

By 2003, a total of 181 WVs had been registered, and the Wirehaired Vizsla Club of America (WVCA) was formed to rescue and develop a breed network. By January 2006, over 350 Wirehaired Vizslas had been registered in NAVHDA, and WVCA organized its first board of directors. That year, the breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) as the Hungarian Wire-Haired Vizsla.

In 2007, the WVCA applied for AKC’s Foundation Stock Service (FSS) and was accepted as of Jan. 1, 2008. The WVCA began collecting pedigrees and applications for registrations. The breed became eligible to compete in AKC Companion and Performance Events on Jan. 1, 2009, and WVCA was named the AKC parent club in 2010. The breed joined AKC’s Miscellaneous Class on Jan. 1, 2011, and has continued to grow within AKC, UKC, and NAVHDA events.

Earlier this year, the WVCA applied to the AKC Board of Directors for Sporting Group recognition, and the AKC Board approved the request, effective July 2, 2014.

The Wirehaired Vizsla has faced incredible challenges, from wars and near extinction to an American identity crisis. Thanks to its wonderful qualities that inspire admiration and dedication, the breed continues to grow and improve. With only several thousand Wirehaired Vizslas worldwide, dedicated kennels and fanciers work together globally to protect and preserve this remarkable breed.