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Vizsla Info
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Ruger and Kevin
at a Dog Show |
Because we
breed for the dual dog, we are always striving to improve the
conformation of the vizsla breed. Without proper
conformation, a dog does not have the chest to allow enough air,
the muzzle to allow them to smell the birds or the feet and legs
to help carry them. Without proper movement, a field dog
will quickly exhaust himself and will not have the endurance for
field trials or daily hunting.
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AKC Breed
Standard for the Vizsla:
General
Appearance
That of a medium-sized short-coated hunting dog of distinguished
appearance and bearing. Robust but rather lightly built; the
coat is an attractive solid golden rust. This is a dog of power
and drive in the field yet a tractable and affectionate
companion in the home. It is strongly emphasized that field
conditioned coats, as well as brawny or sinewy muscular
condition and honorable scars indicating a working and hunting
dog are never to be penalized in this dog. The qualities that
make a "dual dog" are always to be appreciated, not deprecated.
Head
Lean and muscular. Skull moderately wide between the ears with a
median line down the forehead. Stop between skull and foreface
is moderate, not deep. Foreface or muzzle is of equal length or
slightly shorter than skull when viewed in profile, should taper
gradually from stop to tip of nose. Muzzle square and deep. It
must not turn up as in a "dish" face nor should it turn down.
Whiskers serve a functional purpose; their removal is permitted
but not preferred. Nostrils slightly open. Nose brown. Any other
color is faulty. A totally black nose is a disqualification.
Ears, thin, silky and proportionately long, with rounded-leather
ends, set fairly low and hanging close to cheeks. Jaws are
strong with well developed white teeth meeting in a scissors
bite. Eyes medium in size and depth of setting, their
surrounding tissue covering the whites. Color of the iris should
blend with the color of the coat. Yellow or any other color is
faulty. Prominent pop-eyes are faulty. Lower eyelids should
neither turn in nor out since both conditions allow seeds and
dust to irritate the eye. Lips cover the jaws completely but are
neither loose nor pendulous.
Neck and
Body
Neck strong, smooth and muscular, moderately long, arched and
devoid of dewlap, broadening nicely into shoulders which are
moderately laid back. This is mandatory to maintain balance with
the moderately angulated hindquarters. Body is strong and well
proportioned. Back short. Withers high and the topline slightly
rounded over the loin to the set on of the tail. Chest
moderately broad and deep reaching down to the elbows. Ribs
well-sprung; underline exhibiting a slight tuck-up beneath the
loin. Tail set just below the level of the croup, thicker at the
root and docked one-third off. Ideally, it should reach to the
back of the stifle joint and be carried at or near the
horizontal. An undocked tail is faulty.
Forequarters
Shoulder blades proportionately long and wide sloping moderately
back and fairly close at the top. Forelegs straight and muscular
with elbows close. Feet cat-like, round and compact with toes
close. Nails brown and short. Pads thick and tough. Dew claws,
if any, to be removed on front and rear feet. Hare feet are
faulty.
Hindquarters
Hind legs have well developed thighs with moderately angulated
stifles and hocks in balance with the moderately laid back
shoulders. They must be straight as viewed from behind. Too much
angulation at the hocks is as faulty as too little. The hocks
are let down and parallel to each other.
Coat
Short, smooth, dense and close-lying, without woolly undercoat.
A distinctly long coat is a disqualification.
Color
Solid golden rust in different shadings. Solid dark mahogany red
and pale yellow are faulty. White on the forechest, preferably
as small as possible, and white on the toes are permissible.
Solid white extending above the toes or white anywhere else on
the dog except the forechest is a disqualification. When viewing
the dog from the front, white markings on the forechest must be
confined to an area from the top of the sternum to a point
between the elbows when the dog is standing naturally. White
extending on the shoulders or neck is a disqualification. White
due to aging shall not be faulted. Any noticeable area of black
in the coat is a serious fault.
Gait
Far reaching, light footed, graceful and smooth. When moving at
a fast trot, a properly built dog single tracks.
Size
The ideal male is 22 to 24 inches at the highest point over the
shoulder blades. The ideal female is 21 to 23 inches. Because
the Vizsla is meant to be a medium-sized hunter, any dog
measuring more than 1-1/2 inches over or under these limits must
be disqualified.
Temperament
A natural hunter endowed with a good nose and above-average
ability to take training. Lively, gentle-mannered, demonstrably
affectionate and sensitive though fearless with a well developed
protective instinct. Shyness, timidity or nervousness should be
penalized.
Disqualifications
• Completely
black nose.
• Solid white extending above the toes or white anywhere else on
the dog except the forechest.
• White extending on the shoulders or neck.
• Any male over 25-1/2 inches, or under 20-1/2 inches at the
highest point over the shoulder blades.
• Any female over 24-1/2 inches or under 19-1/2 inches at the
highest point over the shoulder blades.
• A distinctly long coat.
