Brief History
The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla represents one of the best in sporting dogs and loyal companions and has a strong claim to being one of the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever breeds. His size is one of the Vizsla's most attractive characteristics and through the centuries he has held a unique position for a sporting dog -- that of household companion and family dog.
The Vizsla is mentioned in the very early times in Hungarian history while his exact origin is lost in the midst of ancient European history. It is known that the ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes, which lived in the Carpathian basin in the Eighth Century.
Companion dogs of the early warlords and barons, Vizsla blood was preserved pure for centuries by the land owning aristocracy who guarded them jealously and continued to develop the hunting ability of these "yellow-pointers."
The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation, the Hungarian Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, the breed suffered a decline in the late 19th Century and the true Vizsla was close to becoming extinct. A poll of Hungarian sportsmen revealed only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type still alive in the country. From that minimum stock, the breed rose to prominence once again.
copyright ©2002 diane tracey. all rights reserved. site revised Oct. 2013
The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla represents one of the best in sporting dogs and loyal companions and has a strong claim to being one of the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever breeds. His size is one of the Vizsla's most attractive characteristics and through the centuries he has held a unique position for a sporting dog -- that of household companion and family dog.
The Vizsla is mentioned in the very early times in Hungarian history while his exact origin is lost in the midst of ancient European history. It is known that the ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes, which lived in the Carpathian basin in the Eighth Century.
Companion dogs of the early warlords and barons, Vizsla blood was preserved pure for centuries by the land owning aristocracy who guarded them jealously and continued to develop the hunting ability of these "yellow-pointers."
The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation, the Hungarian Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, the breed suffered a decline in the late 19th Century and the true Vizsla was close to becoming extinct. A poll of Hungarian sportsmen revealed only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type still alive in the country. From that minimum stock, the breed rose to prominence once again.
- The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation, the Hungarian Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Russian Occupation. However, the breed suffered a decline in the late 19th Century and the true Vizsla was close to becoming extinct. A poll of Hungarian sportsmen revealed only about a dozen Vizslas of the true type still alive in the country. From that minimum stock, the breed rose to prominence once again.
The Vizsla arrived in the United States at the close of World War II. As interest in and devotion to the breed began to increase, owners formed the Vizsla Club of America in order to gain recognition by the American Kennel Club. As a result of registering foundation stock with the AKC, Vizsla owners were able to obtain official recognition in 1960 and the Vizsla became the 115th breed recognized by the AKC.
copyright ©2002 diane tracey. all rights reserved. site revised Oct. 2013