Judging the Wirehaired Vizsla

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

Judging the Wirehaired Vizsla

Breeders, exhibitors, and spectators will not envy the job of the judges when it comes to this breed. This being a fairly rare breed, as a judge, you won’t be seeing a large number of them at any one show for a while, and it will be difficult to grasp the standard’s definitions regarding the following specific areas. When judging the Wirehaired Vizsla, the thought that they are a Vizsla with a wire coat needs to be the farthest thing from your mind. Just as the German Shorthair Pointer and a German Wirehaired Pointer are two distinct breeds, so are the Vizsla and the Wirehaired Vizsla. The Wirehaired Vizsla originated back in the 1930s from a combination of breeds.

They lost momentum, like so many European breeds during the war, but have made a strong comeback overseas. The Wirehaired Vizsla was bred as an all-purpose hunting companion; their coats need to withstand the harsh terrain and the icy waters for hunting all fur and feather. We have seen in this breed that a correct coat, or just the wire coat without any undercoat, may not develop until the dog is closer to 3-4 years old. While what looks like a good harsh coat with a lot of undercoat can, in a few years, have the undercoat grow longer and hide the wire coat. This is a challenge for both breeders and judges.

I am starting with the coat as it is what makes this breed unique from the Vizsla and the German Wirehaired Pointer, the two original breeds used in the formation of the Wirehaired Vizsla. Because there were a few other breeds used to bring in the versatility of the Wirehaired Vizsla, different coat textures and colors were also introduced into the gene pool. It is not uncommon to get the range of a pin coat to full wooly coats in the same litter.

The Wirehaired Vizsla is to be self-colored just as the Vizsla but exhibit the hard, close-laying wire coat coupled with a dense undercoat just as the German Wirehaired Pointers. One of the main differences in the coat from the German Wirehaired Pointers is that the coat on the underbelly and legs is to be shorter, softer, and thinner than the body coat. Also, the beard and brows are not as pronounced, the beard being approximately 1 inch in length. This breed is also to be shown with minimal stripping, as close to its natural coat, never clipped! Lacking undercoat or coat brushes on the back of the front legs is to be penalized, as is any deviation in coat texture or excessive length.

The ideal coat length is approximately 1 inch. The color of the coat can be varying shades of golden rust; my first thought of this line in the standard was, what does this mean? But after looking at the coats on some dogs I understand the golden part. When looking at the wire coat, one hair consists of two colors, thus giving it the ‘golden’ hue. The shades vary from golden rust to a honey gold. The ears may be slightly darker in color than the coat on the body; otherwise, the coat color is uniform.

Red, brown, or yellow colors are faulty. This being a self-colored breed, the eyes, eye-rims, lips, nose, and toenails should blend with the color of the coat. Yellow eyes are a serious fault. Disqualifications include partially or completely black nose, white extending above the toes, or white anywhere else on the dog except the fore chest or throat, which can only be 2 inches or less in any direction.

Now let’s examine the rest of the dog. If my counting skills are up to par, then the words ‘medium’ or ‘moderate’ are in the standard fifteen times. So to say that the Wirehaired Vizsla is a dog with no exaggerations would be the short story. The breed is of medium size with overall symmetry and balance. The ideal height of adults for males is 23-25 inches and females 21.5-23 inches. A disqualification for size on males is over 26 inches or under 22, and for females over 24 inches or under 20.5. The body length from breastbone to the point of hip should be slightly longer than the height to the withers. There should be sufficient bone and substance for a hunting dog that goes through all kinds of terrain but still light enough to hunt all day.

The Wirehaired Vizsla’s well-proportioned head exhibits medium size, slightly oval eyes with tight rims. Ears are set at a medium height with moderate length ending in a V shape. The skull is well-muscled, moderate in length, and slightly domed with a moderate stop that has a slight groove from stop to occiput. The muzzle is blunt, slightly shorter than half the length of the head, and parallel to the skull. The nose is such an important part of a hunting breed, so this should be wide with open nostrils.

The bite should be scissor with an under or overshot bite being a disqualification, as is having more than two missing teeth. This head of moderation should fit well with their body of many moderations. The slightly arched, medium-length neck should be in balance with the head and body. The moderately broad chest should be deep, well-muscled, and set at the elbows. The moderately sprung ribs should be carried well back to a moderate tuck-up.

The topline is straight, well-muscled, falling into a slightly rounded, well-muscled croup, which is moderate in length. The tail is set just below the level of the croup and should be thick at the base. A docked tail should be docked by one-quarter of its length, and a natural tail should reach to the hock joint. Both tails should be carried level or slightly saber-like. Now, when it comes to the forequarters and hindquarters of the standard, ‘moderate’ is not the wording used. Well-angulated is the term for the shoulders and stifle for a good reason. If a dog is to hunt hard on land and water, they need to have enough angulation so that their limbs can extend freely.

“The fronts and rears need to be in balance so that they are not trying to get out of the way of the other. And the back needs to be level and firm to ensure stability. As the standard states, ‘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 feet are cat-like but slightly oval. Pasterns are short and slightly sloping, and front dewclaws are preferably removed, but natural dewclaws are not to be penalized. Rear dewclaws are a disqualification.

When approaching the Wirehaired Vizsla, the expression should show their confidence, intelligence, and sensitivity. They were bred to be a guardian of their homes as well as to bring home the meat, so aloofness is something you may encounter while judging this breed. But while at home, they are very affectionate and loyal companions. As of now, the Wirehaired Vizsla is getting a good start here in the United States. With the teamwork of dedicated breeders and judges who understand the purpose of the breed, I feel that this versatile, loyal hunting dog has a good future.

For the valued collaboration in writing this article, I would like to thank the chairperson of the Public Education Committee, Deb Wall, members of the Judges Education Committee Mark Goodwein and Nancy Edmunds, and the Chairperson of the Judges Education Committee, Amanda Johnson, whom you can email with questions, comments, or information on our next judges’ education presentation at birdmtn1@gmail.com.