ð  HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD    

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  ]    

  2      Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Extended  by  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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.

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”

“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”

[HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]   3    

  3    Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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. 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.

“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”

“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”

4   [HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]    

  4      Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Extended  by  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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. 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. 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. NECK: Of medium length, harmonising with the overall appearance. The nape very muscular and slightly arched. Tightly fitting skin (no dewlap) at the throat.

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.

“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”

“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”

“Bad mouths are not common in this breed and should not be tolerated”

“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”

[HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]   5    

  5    Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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 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”

“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.

6   [HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]    

  6      Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Extended  by  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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. 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. 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. 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.

“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 re-checking”

“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”

“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”

[HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]   7    

  7    Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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.

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.

“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

“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”

8   [HUNGARIAN  VIZSLA  BREED  STANDARD  ]    

  8      Hungarian  Vizsla  Breed  Standard  –  Extended  by  Hanafor  Vizslas  Australia  -­‐  ©  2014  

     

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.

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.

“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”

“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”)”