Meet the Vizsla

We Vizslas are an old breed with a fascinating history. My earliest ancestors were the hunting dogs of the Magyar warlords, who traveled across Europe on horseback and needed fast, agile dogs who could keep up. The Magyars settled in modern-day Hungary in the 9th century, and they trained my ancestors to be versatile bird dogs, teaching us to be pointers, flushers, and retrievers (both in water and on land). There’s even some evidence in a 10th-century piece of art that my ancestors worked paw-in-claw with falcons on the hunt, flushing out our prey so the falcon could swoop down and snatch it!

By the 18th century, my breed was well established in Hungary, and we’re known today by a few names – Magyar Vizsla, Hungarian Vizsla, and Hungarian Pointer. In addition to our hunting skills, our regal bearing and loyal disposition made us the breed of choice for many Hungarian nobles. Whether we’re out on a hunt or resting at home, we always want to be close to our humans, which is why we’re great sporting dogs and family dogs. Humans even used us to help create other pawesome breeds, like the Weimaraner and the German Shorthaired Pointer!

Sadly, we almost went extinct after World War II, but luckily there were humans who loved us so much they wanted to preserve our breed. We weren’t well known outside of Hungary until 1950, when a U.S. State Department employee smuggled a Vizsla named Sari and two of her puppies out of Communist Hungary. We were a hit overseas, and a group of Vizsla-loving humans formed the Vizsla Club of America in the early 1950s. The Vizsla Club of America was dedicated to maintaining our breed standard and keeping us as strong, loyal, and hardworking as our ancestors. It wasn’t long before the American Kennel Club recognized our greatness and officially accepted us in 1960, and we’ve been beloved by American sportsmen and active dog parents ever since!