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 Kuvasz is probably one of the oldest of all breeds. Some says that the Kuvasz has been known since 200 B.C., at the age of the Huns. Other says that it was used as a sheepdog and accompanied the Turkish refugees in Hungary when the Mongols invaded them in 1200.In the fifteenth century, the Kuvasz was often given as royal gifts.

The King Matyas is said that he only trusted his Kuvasz dogs and not humans. After the King’s death, the dog returned to being only a sheepdog. Many have been trained to hunt bears and wild boars.

This breed may have contributed to several sheepdog breeds like the Great Pyrenees, the Anatolian Shepherd, the Marema Sheepdog and the Tatra Sheepdog.

After World War II, there was only 30 Kuvasz left in the world, but with the perseverance of many breeders, the Kuvasz has been repopulated in Hungary.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 28-30 inches
Female: 26-28 inches

Weight

Male: 100-115 lbs
Female: 70-90 lbs

Color(s)

white

Coat

The Kuvasz’s coat is very thick and wavy or straight. Short and smooth hairs cover the paws, muzzle, head and ears. The body and side of the thighs are covered with medium length hairs while the neck hairs are very long. Short hairs are found on the thighs and on the front of the forelegs to the elbow. The back of the forelegs have hairs of 2 to 3 inches long and the back of the thighs and the tails are covered with 4 to 6 inches hairs.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

At first sight, this independent dog seems reserved. However, you need to establish confidence to discover a joyful and playing dog. Brave, loyal and devoted, the Kuvasz would die to protect his family or what’s under its responsibility.

Strong, bold, fearless and very territorial, this dog has a high protective instinct. That’s why it’s used as a herder or guardian of the flock. The Kuvasz is suspicious of strangers and will make his own decisions about who he will accept as a friend.

This is not a god dog for children. It can be gentle and patient with the family children, but you may not leave it alone with children to prevent accidental injury. This breed usually doesn’t accept other pets especially other male dogs.

Care

Before buying a puppy, you should check with the breeder to make sure that the parents have hip clearance because they prone to hip dysplasia. This breed can also have osteochondritis dissecans, a disease that causes an inflammation of the shoulder joints. You should also pay attention to hypertrophic osteodystrophy, skin problems and allergies.

To avoid a matted coat, the Kuvasz should be brushed weekly. This breed doesn’t need bathing. Bathing will remove the natural oils of its coat that normally sheds dirt. The more this dog is bathed, the more he will need to be bathed. Instead, it should be brushed frequently to remove dirt. In cold climates, it sheds twice a year. In warmer climates, it sheds all year!

Training

To calm its high protective instinct, this dog must be socialized at a very young age. This breed needs experienced trainers that know how to be firm and dominant. Suspicious of strangers, they should be taught to accept the family’s friends.

The Kuvasz has been bred to work apart of the men, so it is not easy to obedience train. This dog must never be treated harshly. The family members should all learn how to handle the dog. If you want to train it to livestock guarding, the key is to have an experienced older dog to teach the puppy.

Activity

The Kuvasz needs a lot of exercise to help stop him from digging all over the yard.

The Komondor is a descendant from the Tibetan dogs. For a long time, people thought it was brought by the nomadic Magyars to herd sheep, however, a newer study shows that it has been brought by the Cumans.

In fact, Komondor bones have been found in Cuman sites. The name “Komondor” comes from the Cuman name Koman-dor which means dog of the Cumans. In 1920, the breed started to be presented in dog shows and became more popular.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male: 27½ inches
Female: 25½ inches

Weight

Male: Approximately 100 lbs
Female: Approximately 80 lbs

Color(s)

The coat’s color is off-white. It can happen to see puppies with a little bit of cream, but it fades away as they grow up.

Coat

The Komondor has a very special coat; as a puppy, you can see a soft coat with a tendency to fall into curls. As it grows up, the coat tends to fall more into cords near the skin and to be fluffy at the end. When the dog is older, the undercoat stays as dense, soft and wooly as the baby coat. The outer coat is thicker and traps the undercoat to form cords. A fully grown Komondor dog is entirely covered with these heavy cords.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years

Personality

Bred to think by itself, the Komondor is intelligent, devoted and extremely loyal. They are very affectionate and protective of the people that they know; they always want to be near those they love and always seek attention and physical contact.

If the dog isn’t properly socialized, it can react very aggressively when confronted to a new situation or when meeting a new person.

Care

The coat of the Komondor must never be brushed but it has to be trimmed. It needs a lot of bathing and it is very long to dry. It barely sheds.

Training

The Komondor tends to think for himself so it can be obstinate and difficult to train. They might think that they have no good reason to listen. The Komondor gets easily bored, so the training sessions have to be entertaining. It must constantly be kept under control. It doesn’t need to have rough corrections; it could lead to mistrust.

Training and socialization must start early (at age of 4-8 months). The Komondor is intelligent and will quickly learn what is thought to him.

Activity

The Komondor is a very lazy dog. It can live in the city but he prefers country. If the Komondor is left outside, it will automatically burn the energy it needs to. In contrast, the dog doesn’t need a big amount of exercise and it sleeps a lot.

Several thousand years ago, the Pulik were brought to Hungary by the Magyars and they were used as sheep dogs.

During World War II, this breed almost disappeared, but a breeding program successfully brought the breed back to life. This is a dog breed that loves to please their owners and are determined to make them happy. These dogs should not be taken for granted, they are amazing.

Breed Group

Herder

Size

Male: 17 inches
Female: 16 inches

Weight

Male: 25-35 lbs
Female: 20-30 lbs

Color(s)

The Puli’s colors vary from rusty black, to black, to all shades of gray or white.
On the chest, a white spot, not bigger than 2 inches, is acceptable.
In the black coated Pulik, you can sometimes find white hairs and in the gray Pulik, a mixture of different shades of gray is also acceptable.

Coat

The Puli’s coat is thick and weather resistant.
The outer coat is wavy or curly and with harsh hairs.
A soft, thick and wooly undercoat covers the body.
As an adult, if not brushed, its coat will form cords which will be of different shapes and sizes (flat or round).
The Puli can be shown brushed or corded. The coat can become very long and even reach the ground.

Life Expectancy

About 14-16 years.

Personality

Energetic, lively, playful and loyal, the Puli makes a very good companion.
This dog is extremely intelligent and affectionate.
Suspicious of strangers, it makes a great watch dog, but never aggressive; it will give a vocal warning to intruders.

Pulis are not recommended for small children as they will try to herd them, however, if the dog is raised with the child it may get along well.
This is a very receptive, obedient and agile dog that easily adapts to new situations.

Care

The Puli is a very healthy breed. Although, every owner should test the dog for hip dysplasia or eye problems.

As the corded coat begins to form, the cords should be separated by hand very regularly.
If you want to keep a fully corded Puli, regular coat separation is necessary and, of course, bathing.
Bathing a Puli is very easy, but it takes a long time to dry; if a dryer is used, it can take a couple of hours.
Without a dryer, it can take up to two days.
The nails should always be kept clipped and the eyes and ears regularly cleaned.
This breed does not shed.

Training

Obedience training is important for the Puli. This is an extremely intelligent dog, which makes him easy to train but also gives him the chance to think by itself.
This breed might find some aspects of training boring, so it’s important to train them with creative and playful methods.
They are very good in agility and in obedience.

Activity

The Puli is an energetic dog that needs a lot of exercise.
They will love to join you in your activities or just to romp in a park.
Some of them love water and cam swim very well.