The Hungarian Vizsla originated in Hungary and was bred to locate and collect game for hunters. Although they look like more of a dainty breed, these dogs will work in any terrain and is a prized pet and worker! Vizsla translates to “Pointer” in Hungarian which is very fitting considering the breed is actually a mixture of the Turkish Yellow Dog, German Shorthaired Pointer and the Transylvanian Hound.

These dogs have an athletic, toned body and long muscular legs. They have large floppy ears, and a slender muzzle that is gentle enough to carry or collect small game. Vizsla’s have a deep chest that gives them a speed advantage when working as well as small, rounded paws. Naturally their tail is long, but for show purposes it will be docked.

Hungarian Vizsla’s are extremely sweet, cuddly dogs that thrive on any affection they get! They are friendly and outgoing making friends anywhere they go. These dogs have an unusually high energy level and will need a large amount of exercise daily to be happy and healthy. Despite their loving character, this breed will become destructive or misbehaved if they are not taken out everyday. They literally need 1-2 hours every day of running or swimming to burn off their energy!

Breed Group

Sporting

Size

Males: 22-26 inches high
Females: 20-24 inches high

Weight

Males: 45-65 lbs
Females: 40-55 lbs

Color(s)

The Vizsla will come in red but there are various shades that are accepted for show rings such as golden reds, brown-ish reds and coppery reds. Tiny white markings located on the chest or paws are permitted but are not encouraged.

Coat

This breed has 3 different coat varieties: the smooth, long and wirehaired. The most
common is the smooth coat which is sleek, short and glossy throughout the entire body. They only have 1 layer of fur which will make it more difficult to work in as they will become cold easily.

Life Expectancy

About 12-15 years.

Personality

The Vizsla is an excellent working dog but will also be a great family pet! They interact very well with children and other dogs. Smaller animals such as mice or rats should be monitored around this breed because they have a high prey drive and might consider these prey!

These dogs are great for people that want a clean pet, they do not shed too much and because their coat is so short, it doesn’t smell. Even though Vizsla’s are great for companionship, they are not recommended for every person. Potential owners of this breed must have ample time to spend training, exercising and loving them because if any of these are lacking, the dog will become neurotic!

Exercise will be a key element to raising these dogs. They need multiple walks, or trips to the park daily and should be made to run until they are tuckered out! Although they look more delicate than the average Pointer, Vizsla’s will need hard, physical exercise such as swimming, running, hiking or jogging with their owners so they will be at ease when at home.

Care

The Vizsla will need a minimal amount of grooming to upkeep their coat. Brushing every 2 weeks and bathing once every 1-2 months will be perfect! These dogs are prone to epilepsy, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia and a couple of eye ailments such as entropian and ectropian. If interested in buying a Vizsla, the potential owners should check the medical background of the puppy’s parents to ensure they get a healthy baby.

Training

Vizsla’s are a very intelligent breed but will need firm, positive training methods to be able to grasp obedience. They have a stubborn streak that will need repetition and most of all patience to overcome. Once these dogs have a certain command understood they will not forget it, but owners should still practice on a weekly basis just to keep this fresh in the dogs mind. Socialization will be needed when they are young especially around other people and louder, busier situations so they will become stable, confident adults!

Activity

These dogs will need at least 1-2 hours of exercise per day which can be done at an off-leash park or on multiple walks. They will do well in a household environment that has a backyard because they need as much space as possible to live and roam around in. When inside and exercised to their content, Vizsla’s are happy, calm dogs that are a pleasure to own!

The Havanese originated in Cuba and was bred to be a companion to people. They are a dog that is part of the Bichon breed, which explains why they look so similar to the Bichon Frise. The Havanese was created by the mixture of German Poodles with a now extinct breed called the Blanquito de la Habana of Cuba. These dogs became almost extinct in the 1900’s just as their ancestors had, but thanks to careful breeding and a love for this dog, they are now safe and are known as a common breed today.

The name Bichon translates to “fleecy lap dog” and the ancestor breed, Blanquito de la Habana, translates to ” Havanese silk dog”. With these two dogs together, the final outcome is the Havanese which is a dog of long soft fur. They are a small dog, longer than they are tall with fur fringe on the ears, legs, underbelly and tail. They have a messy look to them which gives this dog their notorious appearance and desired look.

The Havanese comes in its commonly known long shaggy coat but they possess a gene that gives them a short smooth coat with long fur on their legs and tail. These are known as the Smooth coated Havanese which are not considered a breed and are a fault if shown in the show ring which results in disqualification.

Breed Group

Toy

Size

Males: 8-11 inches high
Females: 8-11 inches high

Weight

Males: 7-13 lbs

Females: 7-13 lbs

Color(s)

The Havanese will come in all colour varieties, but most commonly are, blue, white, tan, black , chocolate or cream. There are also tri-coloured Havanese and parti coloured which use a mixture of any colouring.

Coat

This breed has a very long, thick shaggy coat that has a constant messy look to it. There are 2 types of coats for this breed, the long haired and the smooth coated. The long haired is the sought after variety while the smooth coated is a genetic fault and will not be accepted into any show arenas as this is not how the breed should look. The long haired Havanese will need regular grooming as they have a very thick coat that can mat easily.

Life Expectancy

About 14-15 years.

Personality

The Havanese is a pleasant, affectionate dog that make friends wherever they go. They love people, dogs, smaller family pets and are excellent with children, making them a perfect contender for the family dog. The Havanese is a highly intelligent breed and are quite easy to train as they love to go above and beyond to please their masters. They are bright and responsive dogs that will make great watchdogs as their bark can alert the entire household!

This breed is known to have a favorite person and will become their shadow! They will tag along to wherever their master goes but isn’t a jealous or controlling dog. They enjoy the company of their families even when dining as if one person leaves during dinner, they will take a bit of their food with them to accompany that person.

Care

The Havanese will need to be groomed about once or twice per week and should be bathed every 2-3 months. These dogs are hypo-allergenic making them great for people that suffer from animal related allergies. This breed is prone to eye problems, such as Cataracts and Progressive Retinal Atrophy, skin allergies, and luxating patella’s. Heart murmurs, hip dysplasia, and deafness are also genetic diseases the Havanese may inherit.

Training

This breed is a clever easily trainable dog making training for either basic obedience or little tricks quite simple. They need positive methods and repetition to succeed in any type of training, as negative methods with this dog will get you nowhere. They can be very sensitive to their owners words so a gentle approach will be needed.

Activity

The Havanese will need about half an hour of exercise per day as they burn off most of their energy during the daytime. Regular walks will be perfect to tire this dog out. The Havanese will be perfect for apartments because they are well behaved small dogs that don’t take up much space. A back yard will not be needed as they don’t need the extra outdoor room to run around in.

The Harrier originated in England. They are a mixture of Greyhound, Fox Hound, Fox Terrier, Basset Hound and Blood Hound. Its exact blood lineage is not quite known but a cross of these breeds are what is most commonly agreed upon.

The Harrier has the look of a Beagle but with the body of a Fox Hound. They were bred to hunt foxes but more commonly, rabbits which is where their name comes from: Hare. This breed is a scent hound that relies solely on their noses to find their prey.

The Harrier is a medium sized dog with a square head and floppy ears. They are athletic and muscular giving them great endurance and speed while on the chase. The Harrier enjoys being around people, other dogs, and children. Smaller pets such as cats however will need to be monitored around this dog as they are considered prey due to their size. This breed is a loving and energetic companion that would make a great family pet.

The Harrier is not as well known in the United States as it is primarily used and bred in England for hunting. Like all hounds enjoy, this breed like to bark and when they have caught or located their prey, will even bay like a Beagle.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Males: 19-21 inches high

Females: 19-21 inches high

Weight

Males: 40-60 lbs

Females: 40-60 lbs

Color(s)

The Harrier most commonly comes in tri-colour, which is tan, white and black. Tan and white, white and red, lemon and white or a mixture of any of these colouring are accepted.

Coat

The Harrier has a shorter yet rigid coat quite close in texture to a Beagle’s. Their coat is perfect for any type of weather as its not long enough to stay wet for hours, but is warm enough for the colder seasons.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

The Harrier is an energetic puppy at heart. They are happy, well tempered and sweet. They are definitely not an independent breed as they need to be around either people or dogs constantly. They should not be left alone often because they prefer company and flourish on attention. When walking this breed, a leash is always necessary. They are known to follow scents and wander off in doing so, therefore exercise in a dog park would be best.

The best living environment would be a family that owns acreage because this dog will need all the room they can get to run around in. Daily exercise will be needed to ensure they don’t become destructive in the home due to boredom.

Care

The Harrier has a short coat making them a low maintenance breed to groom. They should be brushed about once per week and bathed at the owners discretion. This breed is prone to epilepsy and hip dysplasia. Owners should be aware when looking to own Harrier puppies, that the parents of the dog should have their hips checked for hip dysplasia to rule out this disease. They are a generally very healthy breed as genetically inherited diseases are very few in comparison to some pure bred dogs.

Training

The Harrier is a dog that will need very firm and consistent training. They can be absent minded at times when there are more interesting things to do then practice obedience, so their owner will need to keep a positive attitude and training method. Using negative training methods on this breed will not help them succeed in learning anything. The Harrier will need to be socialized around other dogs and people as puppiess for them to grow confidence with these as adults.

Activity

This breed will need at least 2-3 hours of exercise per day. They were bred to run and be outdoors on the hunt, so long walks, or even jogs with the owner would be perfect. Access to an off-leash dog park would be excellent as well so they can run around safely and socialize with other dogs at the same time. The Harrier would not do well in an apartment as they need quite a bit of space to live in. A house with a backyard or acreage would be best so they can run for hours on their own daily.