The breed is said to have been developed from a mixture of several classic pointing dogs with various hounds, constructing an all round hunting/scenting/pointing/retrieving and family dog bred for high performance and excellent field skills.

The Vizsla wants very badly to be a lap dog, despite its size, and is very touchy-feely, loving to lean against you while you watch TV or read. They are good natured dogs that are very eager to please their owners, showering them with love, affection, and companionship. Obedience training is strongly recommended from an early age. Training is facilitated by the dog's devotion to you and happiness to spend time with you, even "working". This energetic dog has a keen sense of play and fun. Many Vizslas excel in agility type sports or tracking as well as field trials, anything they can do as part of a team with their owner. Their natural alertness makes them good watchdogs.

The medium size and short hair of the Vizsla makes them an 'easy care' option in the grooming area - although they benefit from a regular rub down, occasional baths and often need their nails kept trimmed.

But even though the Vizsla may be 'easy care' in grooming, it is the extreme opposite in exercise and amusement. People can be unprepared for the energy levels and intelligence of a Hungarian Vizsla. Also the need for a Vizsla to be a full part of the family not always allowed for. If the Vizsla is bored due to lack of work, exercise and/or time with the family, you are likely to find them thinking up mischief of their own. This is not a dog for someone who wants a part time pet or is going to kennel them or shut them outside and away from the family for the major part of the day. Often referrred to as a Velcro Dog, they expect to be part of the family and will not amuse or exercise themselves if left alone outside. This dog is not for the sedentary owner and does require lots of exercise and activities.

Because of their need for large amounts of exercise, Vizsla prefer to live somewhere with lots of space, but they can live anywhere as long as they are an integral part of the family with plenty of opportunity for exercise and activities that stimulate their intelligence and instincts.

A Vizsla will expect to be part of the family - they do not thrive on being chained up outside all day. Normally they interact very well with any other animals in the house and most Vizslas are wonderful with kids. The energy level of the dog can sometimes be overwhelming for very toddlers and small children.

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. Dewclaws, 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 noticable 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� 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.
A distinctly long coat.
Any male over 25� inches, or under 20� inches and any female over 24� inches or under 19� inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades.

Approved December 11, 1995
Effective January 31, 1996