Judging the Vizsla

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

Judging the Vizsla

The Vizsla is a joyful creature with a charming way of making a fool of itself and us. The breed is an intelligent, good worker who responds to kindness and can be ruined by a heavy hand. The Vizsla is a personal gun dog and companion and it is well suited for that purpose in size, character, and silhouette—a short-haired dog of golden rust color, proud and lively, with an elegant and distinguished appearance. This is not an easy breed to judge—subtle in the attributes that distinguish it from the other smooth-coated pointers—it can be as difficult to understand as it is to get your hands on a wiggly Vizsla puppy. This is a gentle and affectionate breed with a well-developed protective instinct—they are sensitive but cheerful; shyness and timidity should be penalized.

The Vizsla is moderate in all aspects: size, angulation, and overall substance. The silhouette of the Vizsla is a series of continuous curves—from the beginning of the nose to the end of the tail, your eye should never stop. Follow the arched neck down over the moderately laid back shoulders, past the ribcage, which is carried well back to the muscular fullness over the short loin, following to the set on of the tail, which is slightly below the level of the croup. The tail should not offend the eye and is carried near the horizontal, in length it should reach to the bend of the stifle. A docked tail is preferred. Carriage, which is an extension of the structure, should be judged rather than length which is man-made. The outline should be of a dog who appears square and is neither tall and leggy, nor long and low.

The chest, moderately broad and reaching to the elbow, flows through the slight tuck up and on to the well-muscled thigh and moderately angulated rear. On examination, the hand should move smoothly over the curves without feeling any abrupt changes in direction. The standard calls for a dog who is “robust but rather lightly built”, meaning it should be well muscled and have substance, while being an agile mover. The Vizsla should never seem slight nor heavy, but there should be some appreciable substance to the breed. It is the smallest of the smooth-coated pointers, which is an important part of its breed character.

The ideal size is 21-23 inches for bitches and 22-24 inches for dogs. There is a disqualification in the standard for any dogs measuring less than 1½ inches under or more than 1½ inches over the ideal size. If in doubt, do not hesitate to measure—a good Vizsla temperament will not be disturbed by applying the wicket. In keeping with its function of a multipurpose gun dog, the Vizsla’s gait is far-reaching, light-footed, graceful, and smooth. The movement should be appropriate to the moderate angulation and size of this breed. The Vizsla should have balanced reach and drive with no wasted or excessive motion. It is important that the dog cover plenty of ground while maintaining a steady topline. Restricted movement, a reflection of less than moderate angulation, is detrimental both to form and function, and excessive movement is a misuse of energy.

One of the most unique features of the Vizsla is its self-coloring—golden rust from head to toe with matching eye color. The dogs will often have lighter shadings on the sides of the neck and shoulders, with a darker saddle on the back. Solid dark mahogany as well as pale yellow are faulty. A black nose is a disqualification and black anywhere else is a serious fault. Solid white extending above the toes or white anywhere except the forechest is a disqualification. Please note that freckles due to aging or sun exposure and white due to aging or injury are not faults. The lovely color is accented by the short, smooth coat. A distinctly long coat (setter-like in texture) is a disqualification. Even though the head is addressed first in the standard, the primary importance of the head is as a compliment to the outline of the Vizsla.

The noble head must not be too heavy with excessive flew or dewlap, nor too small and snipey so that it disturbs the silhouette of the elegant Vizsla. It again is moderate in size and shape. The thin, fine ears are neither too low nor long—the dog will have a houndy appearance—nor too high and small—as they will spoil the gently rounded outline. When lifted gently, the ear will reach to the corner of the mouth. The ears, when alert, create a frame for the face. Eyes should have a soft expression and be moderate in size and shape and blend well with the coat color. The muzzle is equal to or slightly shorter than the skull, it is neither down-faced nor dish-faced.

The standard calls for a strong jaw with a scissors bite. Breeders do an excellent job of maintaining the multiple talents of this breed. In order to compete in National Field Trials, dogs must be certified by an AKC judge to be free of disqualifying faults. When judging, you may encounter a dog in field condition who could appear gaunt and have scars. A field-conditioned dog, although thin, will have hard muscles, correct conformation, and exhibit correct movement. Do not penalize field conditioning, as the hunting and working abilities of the Vizsla should be preserved. In this breed, the field dog in silhouette, size, and color is easily recognizable and exemplifies the dual dog in temperament and type. In the 9th century, the Magyar tribes settled in the Carpathian basin, in an area that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now modern Hungary.

They brought with them a yellow dog that in both form and function clearly resembles the modern Vizsla. Historically, the Vizsla belonged to the nobility who developed the versatility of the dog for hunting, pointing, and retrieving upland game birds, rabbits, and waterfowl; tracking wounded game; falconry; and as a companion. The Vizsla has been on the brink of extinction many times, most recently after World War II, but each time the breed has been saved by passionate breeders and owners. Recognized in 1960 by the AKC, the Vizsla has thrived in the United States, becoming ever more versatile, maintaining its distinct silhouette, personality, and hunting abilities while adapting to present day. The Vizsla excels in agility, obedience, dock diving, and life in suburbia; hunts on the weekends and sleeps on the bed.

The standard’s call for moderation reflects not a call for a lack of any attribute, but rather that the writers have placed the standard in relation to like breeds and found that the Vizsla is moderate by comparison to the other shorthaired pointers both in form and function. As such, exaggeration in any aspect is a departure from the standard which repeatedly calls for moderation. Unlike some of the other standards, the standard for the Vizsla gives a range of what is acceptable. Judging this breed well is the art of knowing the outer limits of what is acceptable and being able to reward dogs of varying style that all fall within those limits.