Vizsla Breed: 5 Facts You Never Knew

My husband's family has had experience with the vizsla breed for over twenty-five years. Between them all, there are five vizslas in the family. When everyone gets together, there is sure to be a herd of red dogs running around! The vizsla breed is relatively new to the United States, but is recognized by the American Kennel Club. As a result of the vizsla breed being so new to the United States, there are several little known facts about them.

The vizsla breed was the companion of the Magyar tribe.

The vizsla breed originated in Hungary. The Magyar people raised the ancestors of the vizsla breed during the 10th century. In fact, a stone etching has been found that shows a Magyar hunter on a falcon hunt with his vizsla.

The vizsla breed was considered an elite breed meant for nobility.

Early Barons in Hungary favored the vizsla breed. It wasn't until 1825 that common people were even allowed to own vizslas. According to the Vizsla Club of America, the vizsla breed was only owned by aristocrats who owned their own land.

The vizsla breed nearly went extinct.

The Vizsla breed was almost extinct at the end of World War II. The Vizsla Club of America states, "only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type [were] still alive in the country" after the end of World War II. Thanks to breeders who worked to keep the vizsla breed alive, the vizsla breed is now the 42nd most popular breed registered by the AKC.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a vizsla.

The beloved Clifford the Big Red Dog was modeled after the vizsla, according to Dog DNA and the San Francisco Chronicle. Clifford's red color makes it obvious he was modeled on the rust colored vizsla breed.

The vizsla breed can suffer from epilepsy.

According to Vizsla.com, the vizsla breed can sometimes suffer from epileptic seizures. In 1999, the AKC awarded a grant to the University of Minnesota to study the genes involved in vizsla, beagle, and English springer epilepsy.

Sources
American Kennel Club, Vizsla Breed - akc.org/breeds/vizsla/

The Vizsla Club of America, vcaweb.org/thevca.htm

Vizsla.com

Dog DNA, Vizsla - dog-dna.com/breeds/Vizsla.php

San Francisco Chronicle, Breed of the week: the versatile vizsla - sfchron.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail?blogid=48&entry_id=52064