Basset Hound is originated from France but Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla is originated from Hungary. Basset Hound may grow 26 cm / 10 inches shorter than Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Basset Hound may weigh 21 kg / 46 pounds lesser than Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Basset Hound may live 3 years less than Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Both Basset Hound and Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla has almost same litter size. Basset Hound requires Moderate Maintenance. But Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla requires Low Maintenance
The Basset is a French dog bred in Great Britain in the late 1800s. The history of the Basset goes way back to ancient times as there have been discoveries of short legged dogs found in the catacombs of Egypt. These dogs also became popular during Emperor Napoleon III’s reign. Controlled breeding of the Basset began in France in 1870.
Hunting was popular with noblemen during the Middle Ages, and Francois Hubert bred hounds for this purpose. After his death, in his honor, the monks named the hounds bred at the monastery the St. Hubert's Hound. It is accepted that the St. Hubert's Hound is an early ancestor of many hound breeds that we see today.
French Bassets were imported into England in the 1870s. Everett Millais, thought to be the father of the modern Basset Hound, bred such dog to a Bloodhound to create a heavier Basset. The puppies were later refined with English- and French Bassets, and the first breed standard for the Basset Hound was made in the UK at the end of 19th century. To this day, many cartoon dogs are based on this extraordinary looking dog, and they also appear in adverts, a popular one being the logo for Hush Puppies, a shoe brand.
In the 1930’s some breeders noticed that the Hungarian Vizsla produced some dogs with more water, cold weather and ground cover protection because they had a much thicker coat than most of the breed. One breeder decided to cross one of these females with a German Wirehaired Pointer, thus producing the first Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. There were now three types of Vizsla – the smooth coated, the longhaired, and the wirehaired. The longhaired is very rare and can be either smooth or wirehaired. It is also believed based on anecdotal evidence that the original Wirehaired Vizsla was also mixed with the Bloodhound, Pudelpointer, and Irish Setter during World War II. Many kennels started breeding the Wirehaired Vizsla at this time.
This rare longhaired is not recognized by any official club or organization while the smooth and the wired are recognized as two separate breeds. There are only a few longhaired Vizsla and they are only found in Europe. The Wirehaired Vizsla was recognized in 1986 by the FCI in Europe and in 2014 by the AKC (American Kennel Club).
Like their cousins the smooth Hungarian Vizsla, the wirehaired version is a natural hunter and easily trained. They are great retrievers as well as pointers in the water or on the land. Their wirehair coats offer them more protection than their smooth coated cousins. They love to swim and are very good at it and will even use your back yard pool if it is available to them.
The wirehaired Vizsla came to North America in the 1970’s and was recognized by the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) in 1977, The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) by 1986 and in 2006 by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The Australian Nation Kennel Council offered recognition in 2007 prior to their entrance into the AKC Foundation Stock Service. They began showing the breed at AKC events in Performance and Companionship, prior to their full AKC recognition in 2014.
These gentle hunting dogs became great family dogs as they love children and just want to be with their people. Falconers have recently taken up the breed because their temperament is suited to this work as well. There are only about 400 to 450 Wirehaired Vizslas left in the United States and few thousand across the globe.
The Basset Hound is a scent hound, a short-legged breed of dog belonging to the hound family. He is renowned for his long body, his loose skin and the very characteristic long, droopy, low-set ears. This is also a dog that drools a lot. The Basset Hound stands only 33 – 38 cm in height. You wouldn’t call him a small dog as he is robust and solid, weighing anything from 18 to 30kg. The Basset Hound is also well known for his eyes, where the red of the lower eyelid shows. Their calm, serious expression is also a familiar and much loved feature of these dogs.
The Basset is a short-haired dog, but in spite of that he sheds constantly. Coat colors can vary but the most common colors are white, tan and black – a tri-color coat.
This scent hound is a friendly canine, outgoing and playful. He gets on well with children and other pets in the family, and training and socialization can make him even more amicable with them. He adapts easily to life in the city or in the country.
Very much like his cousins, the Wirehaired Vizsla is a noble looking breed. He is lean and muscular with a noble head and moderate skull line. Their muzzle is just a little shorter than the skull and the end is squared. They have powerful jaws and a broad, wide nostrils. The nose is brown, and the eyes are slightly darker than the dog’s coat color.
Low set ears are long and hang near the cheeks. With a strong, long neck and muscular shoulders, the Wirehaired Vizsla certainly looks the part of a hunting dog. Her chest is a little deep and the breastbone is prominent. She has round paws with short nails. Of course, her coat is wiry and dense. The undercoat is water repellent. He has an intelligent and lively facial expression.
Their ears are long but proportionate to the head and body. Their upper teeth overlap the lower teeth. Finally, the tail is thick and usually 1/3 docked. The tail is mostly carried in a horizontal position while walking or running.
The Basset's long body with his short legs give him a unique look. Add to that this breed is among the most even-natured and easy-going. It is why he makes such a cool pet. While he adapts well to both city living and country living, you can’t afford to let him become a couch potato. Sitting around and eating consistently will just make your best friend sick and increase your medical bills for him.
The amicable Basset Hound is child friendly and because he isn’t particularly territorial, he will be alright with your other pets too. If you're looking for a wonderful friend who will be loyal to you, the Basset is waiting to fill the role of companion for you.
Very good with children as long as he gets enough exercise.
Very athletic
A puppy could live in an apartment in the city, but the adult dog needs a yard and is better off on a farm.
Very smart, very responsive, high learning ability.
The Basset Hound is a pretty robust breed and with proper nutrition and exercise, can live up to 12 years of age but this particular breed is prone to some major health conditions.
Cherry Eye is seen quite often in Basset Hounds. It is very painful because the tear gland tears away and it will require surgery before infection sets in. Also, glaucoma is an inherited eye disease that needs to be checked out as it can lead to blindness. The eye is red and the dog is constantly rubbing at it.
This is when the cartilage in the Basset’s joints don’t attach to the bone properly. It is known as osteochondritis dissecans or OCD. Be careful to stick to the recommended growth rate suggestions for feeding with a Basset puppy.
Basset Hounds are more prone to a heart condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. It is where the heart becomes large and weak so that it battles to pump blood to the body.
Other illnesses to look out for are Canine Hip Dysplasia and obesity.
Mostly healthy but the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla does have some inherited dispositions to:
Watching his diet. He will need quality, nutritious food and plenty of exercise.
It is also a good idea to get into the habit of brushing his teeth a couple of times a week with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste. Never use toothpaste made for humans.
Clean his long ears and keep them dry. The vet will show you precisely how.
Be sure to see that he get his puppy vaccinations, and that you continue to give him vet check-ups when he shows signs of sickness.
He has low grooming needs but brush his coat twice a week to get rid of dull, loose hairs.
He is a smart, active dog with lots of energy so set aside time to have ball games with him and to get him out of the yard with walks.
Feed high quality food for medium to large breed puppies. Feed 3-4 time a day 1-2 cups.
Feed high quality food for adult medium to large dogs. Feed 2x a day 2-3 cups.
Great stamina and very athletic breed.
The Wirehaired Vizsla is a working dog and needs serious daily exercise. He will be full of energy and excitement if he doesn’t get enough mental and physical stimulation. He needs a family that can walk a mole or two every day or jog with him. He easily becomes neurotic and high-strung if his energy is not dissipated. Excels at Field Trials, Competitive Obedience, tracking and Barn Hunt.