The Hungarian Vizsla Breed Standard (UK)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Medium-sized & elegantly built, he is an outstanding all-purpose gundog combining an excellent nose with stable pointing, good retrieving, & a positive enjoyment of working in water. He has great stamina & is happy to work in all weathers. He has an aristocratic air, with a lively but stable temperament. His short coarse, easy to care for coat is richly coloured in russet gold.An intelligent dog, with a good memory which makes him easy to train, he is responsive to intelligent handling. A popular pet in his native Hungary, where he adapts to living in house or apartment.

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Medium-sized, of distinguished appearance, robust & medium boned.

CHARACTERISTICS
Lively, intelligent, obedient, sensitive, very affectionate & easily trained. Bred for hunting fur & feather, pointing & retrieving from land & water.

TEMPERAMENT
Lively, gentle-mannered & demonstratively affectionate, fearless & with well developed protective instinct.

HEAD & SKULL
Head lean & noble. Skull moderately wide between ears with median line down forehead & a moderate stop. Skull a little longer than muzzle. Muzzle, although tapering, well squared at the end. Nostrils well developed, broad & wide. Jaws strong & powerful. Lips covering jaws completely & neither loose nor pendulous. Nose brown.

EYES
Neither deep nor prominent, of medium size, a shade darker in colour than coat. Slightly oval in shape, eyelids fitting tightly. Yellow or black eye undesirable.

EARS
Moderately low set, proportionately long with a thin skin & hanging down close to cheeks. Rounded "V" shape; not fleshy.

MOUTH
Sound & strong white teeth. Jaws strong with perfect, regular & complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth & set square to the jaws. Full dentition desirable.

NECK
Strong, smooth & muscular; moderately long, arched & devoid of dewlap.

FOREQUARTERS
Shoulders well laid & muscular, elbows close to body & straight, forearm long, pasterns upright.

BODY
Back level, short, well muscled, withers high. Chest moderately broad & deep with prominent breast bone. Distance from withers to lowest part of chest equal to distance from chest to ground. Ribs well sprung & belly with a slight tuck-up beneath loin. Croup well muscled.

HINDQUARTERS
Straight when viewed from rear, thighs well developed with moderate angulation, hocks well let down.

FEET
Rounded with toes short, arched & tight. Cat-like foot is required, hare foot undesirable. Nails short, strong & a shade darker in colour than coat.

TAIL
Prior to April 2007, customarily docked.
Docked: Customarily docked by one third of length. Moderately thick, rather low set. When moving carried horizontally.
Undocked: Rather low set. Moderately thick, slightly curved. Tapering towards the end, reaching to hocks. When moving carried horizontally.

GAIT/MOVEMENT
Graceful, elegant with a lively trot & ground-covering gallop.

COAT
Short, straight, dense, smooth & shiny, feeling greasy to the touch.

COLOUR
Russet gold, small white marks on chest & feet, though acceptable, undesirable.

SIZE
Height at withers: dogs: 57-64 cms (22 1/2- 25 ins); bitches: 53-60 cms (21-23 1/2 ins). Weight: 20-30 kgs (44-66 lbs).

FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault & the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree & its effect upon the health & welfare of the dog, & on the dog's ability to perform its traditional work.

NOTE
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.