PetzloverBisben is originated from India but Hungarian Vizsla is originated from Hungary. Bisben may grow 12 cm / 5 inches higher than Hungarian Vizsla. Bisben may weigh 25 kg / 56 pounds more than Hungarian Vizsla. Bisben may live 5 years more than Hungarian Vizsla. Both Bisben and Hungarian Vizsla has almost same litter size. Both Bisben and Hungarian Vizsla requires Low Maintenance.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding this large herding dog said to come out of the Himalaya Mountains of Asia. The belief is that sheepdogs were crossed with wolves toward the end of the 18th century, but his origin is basically unknown. They are both herding dogs and guard dogs. Others theorize that rather than a wolf, the breed arose from the Mastif family. Still others claim that the Bisben is not a breed at all but rather a “landrace”. A landrace is an animal group that is only found to exist in the local area or is bred locally for a specific reason, while a breed is developed intentionally and from a select purebred with pedigree. The Bisben may be a landrace since it is very popular in India but hardly known anywhere else. What is known is that the Brisben was in existence at the end of the 1700’s and its job was to protect and herd livestock. There are three main theories about the origin of the Bisben. They are, in no particular order:
1. The Bisben was developed by mixing several different Himalayan and Indian Sheepdogs with wolves. The wolf population in the Himalayas and in India live in very close proximity to dogs and people and this population is quite large. These Tibetan and Indian wolves are known to be smaller, more comfortable with people and less aggressive than wolves from other parts of the world.
2. The Bisben was developed by mixing local sheep herding dogs with the Tibetan Mastiff. This gave the breed its protective nature and its large size according to this theory.
3. The Bisben was developed by mixing local dogs with the ones the British, Portuguese and French imported to the India subcontinent.
There is a fourth theory as well and it combines all three of these, supposing that the Bisben is a product of crossing local dogs with wolves, Tibetan Mastiffs and European dogs.
Regardless of their origins, the Bisben grew into one of the most respected animals in the Southern Himalayas. Their assistance to the shepherds of the area was unquestioned and irreplaceable. They were touch enough to herd flocks of goats or sheep across several treacherous and unstable mountain passes. The environment in which these dogs worked when herding is one of the harshest environments on the face of the earth. Temperatures were dangerously cold, altitudes dangerously high and the terrain just plain dangerous. Many deadly large predators live there as well. This included tigers, Asiatic black bears, golden eagles, Himalayan brown bears, snow leopards, fox, dholes, wolves, and small cats. The Bisben had to be able to fight off all of these predators. In addition to these herding and protecting duties, the Bisben was also known throughout the region as an excellent hunting dog. They are capable to this day of hunting large prey such as antelope or deer. They are equally comfortable hunting alone or in a pack. He has grown into one of the most popular hunting dogs in all of India.
The Himalayas, being so rugged and treacherous, were inaccessible to most of India for many centuries and the Brisben was unknown as well. Through the British imperialist expansion across all of the Indian subcontinent, the lowlands people were connected to the highlands and mountain people for the first time. This also meant that the Brisben was no longer unknown. The entire country began to appreciate the dog for its protection and herding of livestock, as well as a companion animal who would protect its owner and family as well. As India continues to grow the popularity of the Brisben grows as well and its numbers increase regularly. The breed, if it is a breed, remains an Indian secret. They have migrated to the countries around India, but their number are small. It is only in India that they are revered and prosper. They are not present in any great numbers in Europe, North America, Japan, or most of Asia.
Whether or not the Bisben becomes a recognized breed depends upon those who own and fancy them. Most Bisbens are bred to only other Bisbens in an effort to purify the breed. However, few dogs have pedigrees and the practice of breeding the Brisben to other breeds and mixed breed to acquire specific characteristics continues to this day. It is unlikely that the Bisben will ever be a purebred dog. It is quite variable in how it looks depending upon what the breeding line of the individual dog actually is. Does it look like a wolf? Does it look like a larger version of a local or European dog? There will always be these questions around the Bisben. Is it a breed or a landrace?
The Hungarian Vizslas existed in the land that is now Hungary, the Pannonian Basin, at least since the 10th century when they were shown on etchings. It is thought that their descendants were various pointers, the extinct Turkish Yellow Dog and the Transylvanian Hound. The Vizsla is a hunting dog with the word being Hungarian for pointer. In 1937 the Carmelite Friars under orders from King Louis I of Hungry. The breed was isolated for centuries in the Basin by the aristocracy and land owners.
The Magyar people of the area developed the breed for hunting as both pointers and retrievers. They were excellent at hunting rabbits and water fowl. With a terrific sense of smell and boundless stamina and energy, the were prized as family and companion dogs as well. This was unusual for a hunting or working dog. Their size made them appealing as well. They were small by comparison to other hunting dogs both pointers and retrievers.
Easy to train, the Hungarian Vizsla works in water, forests and fields. They are able to retrieve in the water as well as on the land. Throughout their history, the breed outlasted the Turkish Revolution, the Hungarian Revolution World War 1 and World War 2, as well as the Hungarian People’s Republic Communist State. Things were a little dicey for the Vizlas several times beginning in the 1800’s when German Shorthaired Pointers and English Pointers were introduced into the area. The next time was after World War II. Fearful of what this Communist state would mean for the breed, some were smuggled into the United States and Austria.
At that time there were only a dozen or so Vizslas in all of Hungary. Their numbers were brought back from that small breeding stock. This history did result in several different strains grew into their own breeding stock. There are Vizslas in Czechoslovakia, Romania, Serbia and Austria. There developed separate lines that became separate breeds in the Wirehaired Vizsla and the longhaired Vizsla which is very rare.
After World War II, the Hungarian Vizsla came to the United States and the Vizsla Club of American was established as a first step toward AKC (American Kennel Club) recognition. This was attained in 1960. Rex del Geisimino came to the U.S. in 1951 and he was able to respond to commands in both German and Hungarian. Vizslas also came to the United Kingdom in this time frame. There are now about 4500 registered with the KC (Kennel Club of Great Britain). A Vizsla won the distinctive Crufts Dog Show in Great Britain, as Best in Show.
It is believed that this gentle, sensitive and affectionate hunter was part of the original breeding stock or the Wirehaired Vizsla, the Weimaraner and the German Shorthaired Pointers. The Hungarian Vizsla is intelligent and social. The need your attention as well as a lot of exercise to avoid destructive behavior born of boredom. They want to be with you and they can be very protective of you.
As mentioned in the previous section the appearance of the Brisban can vary greatly from one dog to another based on the individual dogs’ ancestry. Breed or landrace, the Brisban breeding line is not very pure. Therefore, appearance can vary greatly from what is described here and there is no standard by which to measure the Brisban. Most are distinctly large animals, being as tall as the European mountain dogs – the Newfoundland or the Bernese Mountain Dog, Swiss Mountain Dog. St. Bernard and Great Pyrenees. Reports are that it is perhaps the largest dog in India. At least it is one of the largest dogs in India. The Bisben is said by some to be a large, bulky, husky dog while others claim it to be tall and athletic, leaner than the Mastiff bred. Again, there is disagreement on the size and shape of the Bisben’s head with some claiming it is massively square like a Mastiff while others say the head is long and like that of a wolf not a Mastiff. The long hair of the Bisben and its confusing heritage may be the cause. They are most often black but might also be found to be tricolor, tan and “wolf-color” or brown, grey, shades of sable and black. No matter how it looks, this is a dog that was designed to work in the harshest conditions known and their physical appearance should make that abundantly clear.
The Hungarian Vizsla has a light build, a short coat, and a distinctive bearing. They are medium in size and muscular, lean dogs looking a lot like the Weimaraner. They are also close in appearance to the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Redbone Coonhounds. They are more muscular and leaner than the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Weimaraner.
The Vizsla has a reddish nose and their nails and eyes should also be reddish or blending with the color of their coat. They have docked tails in the American standard but not in the United Kingdom, as docking is banned there. If he has a tail, you can see it flying through the air as he runs through the rough land to retrieve fowl.
They have a domed skull with a tapered muzzle that is shorter or equal to the skull. They have eyes that are contrasted with the coat and of medium size. The ears of silky, hang close to the face and the tips are rounded. The coat is rust in color with many shades. He also has a deep chest and hound like face.
The Bisben was so important to the people of the Indian subcontinent because of her temperament. He is a loyal, productive and courageous worker who took care of her flocks, her family and her pack. They are devoted to their family and if raised with children will care for them as well. He is suspicious of strangers. They are territorial and great watchdogs. They can take on any large challenger if need be to protect what they consider to be theirs. They can be highly dog aggressive and must be socialized as a puppy. Do not mix them with strange, unknown animals as the Bisben might attempt to kill them. If he sees them as his “pack” he will love and protect them, but not if he does not know them. Take as much time as you need to introduce him to a new animal and do not leave them unsupervised. They are not easy to train as they are stubborn, intelligent, want to be dominant and is a problem solver. If he doesn’t want to learn something forget it – he won’t. You can still train them. It just takes time and patience.
Children friendliness - The Vizsla is very good with children.
Special talents - They are both excellent pointers and retrievers.
Adaptability - They are not very adaptable in living arrangements as they are much more suited for the country than the city.
Learning ability – The Vizsla is a very intelligent breed and easy to train. His learning ability is very high.
Because he is not a purebred and is probably a land range, there have not been a lot of health studies done and written up on the Brisban. It is believed that the Bisben is for all practical purposes a healthy working dog. As long as the breeding practices are not compromised it should remain a healthy line. It is bred for temperament and work not for appearance and showmanship. Some problems that plague large dogs have been noted in the Bisben. These conditions include hip and elbow dysplasia; optical issues such as Entropion, Ectropion and cataracts; ear infections; and Demadex and Demodectic mange. Most of these conditions can be tested for either in DNA or early in a pup’s life and should be tested for by the breeder before a puppy is sold
The Hungarian Vizsla has a series of health issues that include:
The Bisben is a large working dog that needs a lot of calories if you are keeping him busy. Do not let him get overweight. The Bisben should not be free fed but rather given two controlled portion meals per day.
As previously mentioned, the Bison was developed with the harshest of conditions in mind and long hours of hard work. It is a healthy breed that is however prone to any of the issues that any large dog is prone to including dysplasia and mange and well as optical issues.
The Bisben needs a lot of exercise as the breed is developed for hard work. Walks are essential but if you have more than one dog, pack walks are even better and pack time at the dog park or in a fenced yard is great. The Bison was bred to hunt in packs as well as alone and they love to play in packs. In any respect they need at least an hour of strong exercise daily. If they don’t get enough exercise, they can become aggressive, destructive and fearful. This could result in destructive activity, barking and excess excitability. They are not very happy in the city and thrive in the countryside.
Feed two to four cups per day of a high quality dry dog food. Break this up into three or four meals. Don’t free feed your puppy.
Feed two to three cups per day of high quality dry dog food. Feed in two servings.
The Vizsla is an athlete with high energy.
The Hungarian Vizsla needs at least 30 minutes of exercise every day and maybe more. He needs a large yard or open field, but daily brisk walks will do if that is all that is possible. He needs to be stimulated intellectually as well and enjoys fetch, jogging with you, lure coursing, field trials, tracking and scent work, confirmation, agility, barn hunt, dock diving, rally, and obedience.