General
Appearance
That of a medium-sized short-coated hunting dog of
distinguished appearance
and bearing. Robust but rather
lightly built; the coat is an attractive solid
golden rust. This is a
dog of power and drive in the field yet a tractable and
affectionate companion in the home. It is strongly emphasized
that field
conditioned coats, as well as brawny or sinewy
muscular condition and
honorable scars indicating a working
and hunting dog are never to be penalized
in this dog. The
qualities that make a "dual dog" are always to be
appreciated,
not deprecated.
Head
Lean and muscular. Skull moderately wide between the ears with a median
line down the forehead. Stop between skull and foreface is moderate, not deep.
Foreface or muzzle is of equal length or slightly shorter than skull
when viewed in profile, should taper gradually from stop to tip of nose. Muzzle
square and deep. It must not turn up as in a "dish" face nor should
it turn down. Whiskers serve a functional purpose; their removal is permitted
but not preferred. Nostrils slightly open. Nose brown. Any other color is
faulty. A
totally black nose is a disqualification. Ears, thin, silky and
proportionately long, with rounded-leather ends, set fairly low and hanging
close to cheeks. Jaws are strong with well developed white teeth meeting
in a scissors bite. Eyes medium in size and depth of setting, their
surrounding tissue covering the whites. Color of the iris should blend with the
color of the coat. Yellow or any other color is faulty. Prominent pop-eyes are
faulty. Lower eyelids should neither turn in nor out since both conditions allow
seeds and dust to irritate the eye. Lips cover the jaws completely but
are neither loose nor pendulous.
Neck and Body
Neck strong, smooth and muscular, moderately long, arched and devoid of
dewlap, broadening nicely into shoulders which are moderately laid back. This is
mandatory to maintain balance with the moderately angulated hindquarters. Body
is strong and well proportioned. Back short. Withers high and the topline
slightly rounded over the loin to the set on of the tail. Chest
moderately broad and deep reaching down to the elbows. Ribs well-sprung;
underline exhibiting a slight tuck-up beneath the loin. Tail set just
below the level of the croup, thicker at the root and docked one-third off.
Ideally, it should reach to the back of the stifle joint and be carried at or
near the horizontal. An undocked tail is faulty.
Forequarters
Shoulder blades proportionately long and wide sloping moderately back
and fairly close at the top. Forelegs straight and muscular with elbows
close. Feet cat-like, round and compact with toes close. Nails brown and short.
Pads thick and tough. Dewclaws, if any, to be removed on front and rear feet.
Hare feet are faulty.
Hindquarters
Hind legs have well developed thighs with moderately angulated stifles
and hocks in balance with the moderately laid back shoulders. They must be
straight as viewed from behind. Too much angulation at the hocks is as faulty as
too little. The hocks are let down and parallel to each other.
Coat
Short, smooth, dense and close-lying, without woolly undercoat. A distinctly
long coat is a disqualification.
Color
Solid golden rust in different shadings. Solid dark mahogany red and pale yellow
are faulty. White on the forechest, preferably as small as possible, and white
on the toes are permissible. Solid white extending above the toes or white
anywhere else on the dog except the forechest is a disqualification. When
viewing the dog from the front, white markings on the forechest must be confined
to an area from the top of the sternum to a point between the elbows when the
dog is standing naturally. White extending on the shoulders or neck is a
disqualification. White due to aging shall not be faulted. Any noticable
area of black in the coat is a serious fault.
Gait
Far reaching, light footed, graceful and smooth. When moving at a fast trot, a
properly built dog single tracks.
Size
The ideal male is 22 to 24 inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades.
The ideal female is 21 to 23 inches. Because the Vizsla is meant to be a
medium-sized hunter, any dog measuring more than 1½ inches over or under these
limits must be disqualified.
Temperament
A natural hunter endowed with a good nose and above-average ability to take
training. Lively, gentle-mannered, demonstrably affectionate and sensitive
though fearless with a well developed protective instinct. Shyness, timidity or
nervousness should be penalized.
Disqualifications
Completely black nose.
Solid white extending above the toes or white anywhere else on the dog except
the forechest.
White extending on the shoulders or neck.
A distinctly long coat.
Any male over 25½ inches, or under 20½ inches and any female over 24½ inches
or under 19½ inches at the highest point over the shoulder blades.
Approved December 11, 1995
Effective January 31, 1996
