Hungarian short haired pointer

		Hungarian short haired pointer
		FCI standard Nº 57

Origin		Hungary
Translation		Mrs. H. Gross-Richardson and Mrs. Ann Mitchell, ANKC Australia and Mrs. Elke Peper
Group		Group 7 Pointing Dogs
Section		Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs « Braque » Type
Working		With working trial (Field and Water Trial)
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Thursday 12 August 1954
Publication of the official valid standard		Thursday 06 April 2000
Last update		Wednesday 13 September 2000
En français, cette race se dit		Braque hongrois à poil court
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Kurzhaariger Ungarischer Vorstehhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Braco húngaro de pelo corto
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Kortharige Hongaarse staande hond
In his country of origin, his name is		Rövidszörü Magyar Vizsla

Usage

A versatile gun dog that must be able to work in the field, forest and water, having the following typical qualities: an excellent nose, firmness on the point, excellent retrieves and 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, 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.

Brief historical summary

The ancestors of the Hungarian Vizsla came into the Carpathian Basin with the nomadic Hungarian tribes. Written descriptions and graphic illustrations are found in documents of the 14th century already. 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 (among others) 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 Short-Haired Hungarian Vizsla received recognition by the FCI in 1936.

General appearance

Medium sized, elegant gun dog of noble appearance with short russet gold coat. His rather light, dry, lean structure embodies the harmony of beauty and strength.

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.

Behaviour / temperament

Lively, friendly, evenly tempered, to be trained easily. 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 nor shy.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Dry, noble, well proportioned.
Skull		Moderately wide, slightly domed. A slightly pronounced groove runs from the moderately developed occiput towards the stop. The superciliary ridges are moderately developed.
Stop		Moderate.

Facial region
Nose		Well developed and broad with nostrils as wide as possible. The colour of the nose harmonises in a dark shading with the coat colour.
Muzzle		Blunt, not pointed; with strong jaws, strongly muscled.
Lips		Tightly fitting, no pendulous flews.
Nasal bridge		The bridge of the nose is straight.
Jaws and teeth		Powerful jaws with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws; with 42 healthy teeth according to the dentition formula.
Cheeks		Strong, well muscled.
Eyes		Slightly oval, of medium size. Well fitting eyelids. Intelligent and lively expression. The brown eye harmonising with the coat colour, as dark as possible preferred.
Ears		Set on at medium height, a little backwards. Fine leathers hanging closely to the cheeks, ending in a rounded V shape. The length is about three quarters of the length of the head.

Neck

Of medium length, harmonising with the overall appearance. The nape very muscular and slightly arched. Tightly fitting skin at the throat.

Body
Withers		Pronounced and muscular.
Back		Solid, strong, well muscled, taut and straight. The vertebral spines should be hidden by the muscles.
Loin		Short, broad, tight, muscular, straight or slightly arched. The portion from back to loin is well coupled.
Croup		Broad and of sufficient length, not cut off short. Sloping slightly to the tail. Well muscled.
Chest		Deep and broad with well developed, well muscled, moderately arched forechest; sternum extending as far back as possible. The sternum and the elbow should be at the same level.
Ribs		Ribs moderately arched. Last ribs carried well back.
Underline and belly		Elegant, tight, arching line towards the rear, slightly tucked up.

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 by dense coat.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Viewed from the front, straight and parallel. Viewed from the side, legs are vertical and placed well under the body. Good bones, strongly muscled.
Shoulders		Long, sloping and flat, well attached shoulder blade. Flexible. Strong, dry musculature. Well angulated between shoulder blade and upper arm.
Upper arm		As long as possible. Well muscled.
Elbows		Fitting close to the body, however not tied in, turning neither in nor out. Well angulated between upper arm and forearm.
Forearm		Long, straight, sufficiently muscled. Bone strong, but not coarse.
Carpal		Strong, tight.
Pastern		Short, only very slightly sloping.
Forefeet		Slightly oval, with well knit, sufficiently arched, strong toes. Strong brown nails. Tough, resistant, slate grey pads. The feet are parallel when standing or moving.

Hindquarters
Generality		Viewed from behind, straight and parallel. Well angulated. Strong bone.
Upper thigh		Long and muscular. Good angulation between pelvis and upper thigh.
Lower thigh		Long, well muscled and sinewy. Its length is almost equal to that of the upper thigh. Good angulation between lower thigh and metatarsus.
Stifle		Well angulated
Metatarsus		Vertical, short and dry.
Hock		Strong, dry and sinewy, rather well let down.
Hind feet		Similar to forefeet.

Gait and movement

The typical gait is an animated, light-footed trot, elegant and far reaching, with much drive and corresponding reach. Not exhausting gallop when working in the field. The back is firm and the topline remains level. Good, upright carriage. Pacing undesirable.

Skin

Tightly fitting, without folds. The skin is well pigmented.

Coat
Hair		Short and dense, should be coarse and hard at the touch. On the head and the leathers, it should be thinner, silkier and shorter. The hair underneath the tail should be slightly, but not noticeably, longer. It should cover all of the body; the underside of the belly is a little lighter coated. No undercoat.
Colour		Various shades of russet gold and dark sandy gold (semmelgelb). The leathers may be a little darker, otherwise uniform in colour. Red, brownish or lightened colour is undesirable. A little white patch on the chest or at the throat, not more than 5 cm in diameter, as well as white markings on the toes are not considered faulty. The colour of the lips and the eyerims corresponds to the colour of the nose.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Dogs 58 - 64 cm, bitches 54 - 60 cm. 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 measurable size.

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 proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

Any type of weakness in temperament.

Distinct deviations from the characteristics of the breed.

Strong deviation from the sexual characteristics.

Atypical head.

Spotted(butterfly) nose.

Pendulous or dribbling flews.

Under- or overshot mouth.

Wry mouth, including all intermediate forms.

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 o-others.

Cleft palate, harelip.

Light yellow eyes.

Very loose eyelids; ectropion, entropion.

Distichiasis (double row of eyelashes).

Pronounced dewlap.

Dewclaws.

Very faulty movement.

Atypical coat.

Dark brown or pale yellow colour.

Parti-coloured, not uniformly coloured.

White chest patch larger than 5 cm.

White feet.

Lacking pigmentation either on the skin or on the lips and eyerims.

Deviation of more than 2 cm from the above mentioned heights at withers.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

http://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

Known only since the sixties in Western Europe and the United States, the Hungarian Braque, also called Vizsla, has quickly acquired a solid reputation as a pointer. And yet, if we go back to the indications provided by the breed standard homologated by the FCI in 1983, its origins are confused with the history of Hungary.

In 896, in fact, the Magyars, a nomadic people composed of brilliant hunters and horsemen, settled in the vast plains of Hungary. We know that from then on, they had with them running dogs and greyhounds, but if it is very likely that they held their greyhounds from another nomadic people of Asia, the Scythians, it is more difficult to know exactly where the dogs come from. In fact, three hypotheses clash. For some, these dogs would have come with the Magyars when they settled in the puszta; for others, they would have accompanied the barbarian hordes that swept over the Roman Empire in the fourth century; for others, again, they would have already been present in the west of present-day Hungary, in Pannonia, even before the arrival of the Barbarians.

It is, moreover, this last hypothesis which the Hungarian specialists, who consider the current dog of Pannonia as the true ancestor of the Hungarian Pointer, more readily accept. According to these same dogs, two other dogs still played yellow-colored hunting dog, which the Turks had taken as a companion and which made its appearance in Hungary after the Ottoman invasions in 1526, and the Sloughi, an Arabian hound that was used by both Magyar and Ottoman aristocracies as a bird and relationship dog, which helped to make the Vizsla more swift.

If the first representations of dogs quite similar to the Hungarian Braque as we know it today date from the 16th century, it is only two centuries later, when the country passed under the domination of the Habsburgs, that the term " Vizsla "is used by Viennese hunters to designate the dogs encountered in the puszta game. With the Germanization of Hungarian mores, the Vizsla is gradually under the influence of German races. Nevertheless, one can hardly be positive about the breed that contributed to its enrichment. Some people think that it would be the German Pointer, or Kurzhaar, whose polyvalent abilities are undeniably close to those of the Hungarian hunting dog, while others, and in particular many American authors, suggest that it would be the Weimaraner, whose plain dress, when in the hues of gray deer, is not unlike that of the Hungarian Braque.

Like all the Braques of the continent, the Vizsla will receive at the end of the nineteenth century an infusion of Pointer blood which will give it more rapidity of action, very useful elsewhere in the puszta. However, at this time, the Hungarian Braque is asked not only to be swift and to have an extensive search, but also to track wounded game, to be a good retriever, to hunt game birds as well as to hair, and force is to admit that to resort to the "thoroughbred" of the dogs of stop is not enough to answer all these requirements. This is also implied by a Hungarian document showing that the national race is halfway between the Pointer and the German Pointer: "From the point of view of use, we can not do better than to compare it to the other Braques. The Pointer has a faster quest method and a well developed sense of smell but is a poor reporter and its use is limited. The German Pointer quest more slowly, has a sufficiently developed sense of smell, he reports well, he keeps the track well and can be used in different ways. On the contrary, the Hungarian Pointer quest quickly while being obedient, he has a very sensitive sense of smell, he reports in a perfect way, he keeps the track. In short, it is a dog that brings together all the qualities of the two breeds that we mentioned above. "

Curiously, some authors will also seek to erase, at least in large part, the specifically Hungarian origins of Vizsla and show that it is first the result of crosses between the Pointer, the German Pointer and the Weimaraner . Recognize this, this attitude is exaggerated, and even paradoxical, if we know that these authors did not have access to Hungarian official documents before questioning their validity. It is in fact closely linked to the fact that the FCI made the decision to recognize the breed only in 1935, that is very late, which may suggest that this official recognition was not unanimous among dog owners. We must not lose sight of the fact that the British then dominated the international dog race, and this since the eighteenth century, when they selected the Pointer. It is therefore in the order of the chroes that the continental specialists have resorted to the best races of the Channel.

Similarly, in the 1930s, gamekeepers and foresters infused Drahthaar blood (the German Shorthaired Pointer) in Vizsla, to create a type of dog capable of working in difficult conditions (undergrowth, brambles, wastelands, work with water) and in a specific area for dogs from Germany and Central Europe: look for the big game wounded, which is the dog's own red. It is possible that, to obtain such a dog, the Drotszoru Magyar Vizsla; the Vizsla with Hard Hair; dog breeders have used other breeds such as Stichelhaar or Pudelpointer. What is certain is that this Vizsla has evolved over the years to become a full-fledged breed and that, with the increase in its numbers, the differences with the Vizsla Shorthair have become more and more manifestos. This is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to carry out Short-Bristle Hairs.

The herd of the Hungarian Shorthaired Pointer will suffer terribly from the Second World War, and it will be necessary to rebuild it in the fifties, which explains why it will take a long time to be known abroad. It is the Americans, especially with the arrival of many Hungarian emigrants, who will be the first to appreciate this versatile hunter combining an elegant morphology to a spectacular dress. Thus, as early as 1960, the American Kennel Club recognized the breed; three years later, a specific standard is drafted, a club is created (there are several now) and reserved field trials are organized. Thanks to the dynamism of American breeders, the Vizsla will spread to South Africa and the Far East.

In France, the beginnings of the breed are modest. In 1969, only 5 subjects were included in the Book of Origins. From 1970, however, its audience increases, since 40 births are counted, number which exceeds 100 in 1978. Today, there are more than 2,500 subjects (Poil Court and Poil Dur confused). The Race Club was definitively affiliated with the SCC in 1975; Since then, he has organized several field-trials reserved for the breed's representatives, as well as a national breeding exhibition. Vizsla is currently fairly well established in Germany, the Netherlands, and more and more in Belgium. A success that seems linked at first to its indisputable qualities of hunter, but also to its silhouette as elegant as original.

It is obvious that a breed of dog can only be established with strong qualities on the ground: the market does not lack excellent breeds, which, combined with the progressive disappearance of wild game and the tendency to reduce hunting periods makes the establishment of a "new" breed at least risky.

The Vizsla is at first docile and easy to train. As for all Braques, and as for all dogs in general, you should never use brutality against him. His very stable and balanced character allows him to be put in all hands, more or less expert: he will always be for his master a good auxiliary to the hunt and a pleasant companion at home. Always obedient, never cabochard, the Hungarian Braque is nonetheless an animal sure of him, and perhaps less sensitive than some other Braques who must be handled with great care on pain of being badly trained, because he is also less nervous. Some Vizslas also show certain skills in the guard, and willingly warn of the arrival of a stranger.

While hunting, the Vizsla will have a quest according to the desires of its master. It is a galloper who travels quickly but not excessively the discovered territories; however, he may have a more restricted search on fragmented lands. Important point for many French hunters: this dog is an excellent retriever; it is even an innate gift at home; and he never tires of hunting for game and bringing it back with a pleasure that does not exclude sweetness. For the finesse of his nose, the firmness of his judgment, he also supports the comparison with the best breeds of today.

The physical qualities are not to neglect for dogs who must keep all their ardor during long days of hunting. With its medium size, its barely elongated format, its solid skeleton but without heaviness, its firm and very muscular back, the Vizsla is an agile and enduring athlete. These qualities, his ancestors have acquired over the years in their original country, characterized by a continental climate with very marked seasons.

The Hungarian Shorthaired Pointer has a dense, thick and rough coat, which allows it to protect itself from bad weather and strong temperature variations. However, the hunter has to go through difficult terrain, to cross thick thickets or brambles, the waterfowl enthusiast who frequents the marshes, meadows flooded or invaded by rushes may prefer the Hungarian haired to hard haired, more resistant to a cold and humid environment and little worried contact with thorns, brambles, even occasionally the cutting hammers.

The Vizsla Hard Coil, slightly larger than its shorter-haired counterpart, is mostly of a construction a little more compact and a stronger frame. His more limited quest, his very regular but slightly slower pace predispose him to the most trying territories. In his country, he is the archetype of the red dog and a tireless stalker working on wood.

Whatever the nature of his hair, the Hungarian Braque is a loving dog, who seeks the presence of his master. That's why, despite its rusticity, it adapts well to the role of companion dog, when it does not have to exert its hunting skills. As for any dog built in true sport and intended for work, it is necessary to regularly reserve moments of exercise.

The Hungarian Braque, finally, is a dog with robust health. The editors of the standard have been able to insist on dysplasia of the hip, but nothing should be exaggerated, the race is not affected more frequently than others by this malformation. On the other hand, some lines in the United States may have progressive atrophy of the retina: advertisements for dogs to be sold and available stallions almost always indicate that they are free of this serious condition. To our knowledge, French lines do not know these problems.

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Hungarian short haired pointer