Hungarian Vizsla vs Beagle - Breed Comparison | PetzLover

There are some accounts of similar size dogs used for hunting in Greece in 5th century BCE. During 8th century the Talbot Hound breed was created. In 11th century Talbot Hound was brought to England by William the Conqueror. While using in hunting they are found to be a slow runner. To overcome the situation and increase their running speed the hunting people bred Talbot Hound with Grey hounds. The beagles described earlier were very small in size and are said as pocket beagles.

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.

They are small and compact breed, and always happy and fun loving. They should be trained by patient and creative training techniques. Beagles are very much interested in using their nose in finding interesting scents and are food focussed. They always wake their neighbours at 6 am by their half howling. They think everyone is their best friend and love to have friendship with other animals and humans. They have about 220 million scent receptors and are said as "a nose with feet" by humorist Dave Barry.

We can see beagles at many airports in their duty. They can easily trace out the illegal things being smuggled. Since they are small in size they are suitable for apartment living. But they like to walk around several times. They should be exercised for plenty of time. Obedience training should be given to them by giving food reward. Beagles are wanderers of nature and so if possible they will try to escape. So it is necessary to make them microchipped or to wear a collar, to find them easily.

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.

Children friendliness

They are very good companion for children. They love to play and spend time with children.

Special talents

They have millions of scent receptors and so they can be seen in Airports and many important places in duty. Also they are interested in hunting small rodents.

Adaptability

They adapt well for apartment living but they don't like being alone for a long time. If kept alone for a long time in back yard they will begin to bark and dig pit or try to escape. Beagle likes hot weather more than cold weather.

Learning ability

Beagles are difficult to train up. Many people say it will take about one year to house train beagles. They have an attitude of "what's in it for me". But it depends on the personality and temperament of the individual.

Children friendliness

Children friendliness - The Vizsla is very good with children.

Special talents

Special talents - They are both excellent pointers and retrievers.

Adaptability

Adaptability - They are not very adaptable in living arrangements as they are much more suited for the country than the city.

Learning ability

Learning ability – The Vizsla is a very intelligent breed and easy to train. His learning ability is very high.

Beagle's ears should be checked occasionally for any sign of infections like discoloured wax, dirt or foul odour. Also their nails should be trimmed regularly. They should be exercised regularly in order to maintain a proper weight. The most common health problems in beagles are obesity, epilepsy and allergies.

Hair fall

They are average shedders and having short hair thus it is easy to groom. They should be made to bath with a mild and non irritant shampoo.

The Hungarian Vizsla has a series of health issues that include:

• Hip dysplasia – can cause arthritis or lameness.
• Epilepsy – can be treated but not cured.
• Cancer of various types – some treatable others fatal.
• Sebaceous Adenitis – a skin disorder marked by inflammation. This only occurs in young adult dogs.
• Ear Infections

Feeding the puppy

After 4 weeks of birth the puppy can be given solid foods by slowly increasing the ratio for many weeks. The recommended food is fresh meat of chicken breast, lamb, turkey and lean hamburger. The vegetables can be given as raw or steamed. The vegetables that will be good for them are raw baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet peas. The puppies should be fed 3 to 4 small meals per day as they require more nutrients for their growth.

Feeding the adult

The grown up dog should be fed with the same food and 1 complete meal is enough for them. The meal should be given at noon. The food should be given based on calories as they should not get overweight. In addition to food, fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, banana and mango can also be given to them periodically.

Points for Good Health

Beagles should be exercised daily in order to maintain proper weight. Beagles are average shedders and having short hair which is easy to groom. They should be made to bath periodically with a mild shampoo.

Games and Exercises

Moderate exercise such as walking and cardio exercise such as chasing a ball should be given to them for staying them to be active and for maintaining good health.

Feeding the puppy

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.

Feeding the adult

Feed two to three cups per day of high quality dry dog food. Feed in two servings.

Points for Good Health

The Vizsla is an athlete with high energy.

Games and Exercises

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.