Page 263 - Showsight December 2020

THE VERSATILE VIZSLA
WE DID GO THROUGH A PHASE WHERE IT SEEMED FANCIERS WANTED FINER-BONED
‘CUTE, SHOWY DOGS THAT STOOD LIKE A LITTLE DOBERMAN’
RATHER THAN THE COMPLETE MEDIUM-SIZED, ROBUST HUNTING DOG THAT WOULD PROBABLY RATHER BE HUNTING THAN STANDING IN A SHOW RING.
Throughout the years, I have witnessed the Vizsla breed go through various changes—some good and some less so. I have watched the breed grow in numbers from one of the rarer breeds to one whose popularity has exploded. It is now a breed with very high entries at most shows. Today, it can take more dogs to obtain a major towards a championship in the Southeastern US than it does for many of the other popular breeds such as Boxers, Dober- mans, and many others. Although our numbers continue to grow, I hope that today’s breeders will remember the need for the breed to remain a gentleman’s shooting dog with the correct structure to work all day within a reasonable range of the owner without tiring, and with the scenting ability to find game.
During my tenure in the breed, the AKC breed standard has gone through two changes from the original standard approved on December 10, 1963. The 1963 standard had only one dis- qualification, and this was for size. In 1963, this disqualification was for more than two inches deviation from the standard either way; meaning male sizes ranged from 20-26 inches and female sizes ranged from 19-25 inches. Looking back at dogs from this time frame until the next revision in 1983, you find a wide size variation with many male dogs being much bigger and stockier than the dogs we see today. During the 1960s and ‘70s, it was not unusual to find champion (as well as dual champion) males close to 26 inches tall, with many females also approaching 25 inches. Looking back, most breeders of the time did attempt to breed to the middle size range in the standard. Also, in the original version under color it stated that small white spots on the chest or feet are not faulted. This was pretty vague, leaving much to interpretation.
However, during that time frame, breeders used to say, “White on chest no bigger than a half-dollar.”
The second revision was approved in April of 1983 with three disqualifications: (1) Completely black nose; (2) Massive white on chest, white anywhere else on the body, solid white extend- ing above the toes; (3) Any male over 25 1⁄2 inches or under 20 1⁄2 inches, and any female over 24 1⁄2 inches or under 19 1⁄2 inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades. In all my years observ- ing Vizslas, I have never seen purebred Vizslas with a black nose; it would be an indication of crossbreeding. It did seem at that time that the amount of white on the chest was becoming more massive than previously seen. It is, however, in the Vizsla gene pool as Sari (one of the first Vizslas to arrive in the US) had massive white on her chest, and many of the US dogs in the early time frame did go back to her or her offspring. The size range was reduced to cre- ate a more consistent size range for the breed, making it, ideally, a medium-sized hunting dog. This did, however, result in some champion dogs of that time being over or under sized.
Another part of the standard that did have an impact on the breed was in the Body section of the standard, where it stated, “... the withers high, and the topline slightly rounded over the loin to the set-on of the tail.” This was confusing to many new owners/ breeders as well as judges, which did result in dogs with a roached back and loin area, and a higher tuck-up (characteristic of a hound) being rewarded and bred. Also, the proportions of height-to-length were not addressed in this standard, which did lead to some longer bodied dogs as well as leggier dogs being exhibited. Narrowing down the height also appeared to result in shorter, bottom of the standard, dogs being rewarded over the more medium-sized dogs. We did go through a phase where it seemed fanciers wanted finer- boned “cute, showy dogs that stood like a little Doberman” rather than the complete medium-sized, robust hunting dog that would probably rather be hunting than standing in a show ring. It was during this timeframe in the 1990s that we started to see more of a split in the breed away from dual Vizsla to the show versus field type Vizsla.
Our most recent and current standard was approved on Janu- ary 13, 2009. This standard now has five disqualifications for the breed: (1) Partially Black or Completely Black nose; (2) Solid white extending above the toes or white anywhere else on the dog except the forechest; (3) White extending on the shoulders or neck; (4) A distinctly long coat; (5) Size—Any male over 25 1⁄2 inches or under 20 1⁄2 inches, and any female over 24 1⁄2 inches or under 19 1⁄2 inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades. The height did not change from the previous standard. However, addition- ally, the partially black nose was added as well as the long coat. The white had more detail added, but, in my opinion, it still needs refining as it is still pretty vague and allows for even more white than I feel the original authors of the first standard would have approved. This revision did add clarity to the proportions of the Vizsla. It states, “While the Vizsla may appear square, when mea- sured from point of breastbone to point of buttocks and from the highest point over the shoulder blades to the ground, the Vizsla is slightly longer than tall... The Vizsla should not appear long and low or tall and “leggy.” I have seen improvement in the breed with more dogs appearing with the correct proportions. However, I have also observed dogs now appearing “too square.” This is sometimes due to lack of angulation, giving them a leggy look that results in lack of correct reach and drive movement. Others are too long in body and short on leg. The Vizsla should be moderately angulated, front and rear, with enough angulation to result in a far-reaching, smooth trot with good reach and drive. This revision did refine
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2020 | 261