50 free Vizsla trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
The Vizsla is the russet-gold pointer that Hungarian nobles hunted with in the fourteenth century, that nearly vanished twice, and that now sleeps under the covers in family beds on several continents. A velcro dog with no undercoat and almost no doggy smell, it hunts, points and retrieves on land and in water and was first written about in a chronicle ordered by King Louis I in 1357. These 50 questions cover the breed's history from the Illustrated Vienna Chronicle through the Turkish occupation, the nineteenth-century flood of English and German pointers, the post-World War II search that found barely a dozen true dogs, the arrival in America and AKC recognition as breed number 115 in November 1960. They also take in the standard: the nose that matches the coat, the disqualifying colours, the tail docked to two-thirds, the sizes and the 13.5-year life expectancy, plus the breeds it is mistaken for and the breeds it helped create. Further questions cover the Wirehaired Vizsla born in the 1930s from two bitches called Zsuzsi and Csibi, the pointing-dog family, the docking debate, Crufts 2010, Drew Lynch's Stella and Kevin Love's Vestry. The easy tier asks which country the breed comes from; the expert tier wants the German Wirehaired sire and the name of the first Wirehaired Vizsla shown. Every answer is cited to a page we checked and comes with a short explanation. Play it solo or print it for a gundog-club night.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Vizsla is a dog breed from which country?
Hungary
It is also called the Magyar Vizsla or Hungarian Pointer.
Q 02How does the FCI classify the Vizsla?
Group 7, Pointing Dogs
The AKC and Canadian Kennel Club both put it in their Sporting groups.
Q 03Which three jobs is the Vizsla traditionally bred to do in the field?
Hunt, point and retrieve
Its natural abilities include tracking and retrieving game in water.
Q 04What colour should a Vizsla's nose be?
Reddish, blending with the coat
A black, brown or pink nose is taken as a sign of another breed.
Q 05Which of these coat colours is a disqualifying fault in Vizsla competition?
Dark mahogany red
Solid dark mahogany and pale yellow are both disqualifications.
Q 06Why is the Vizsla unsuited to being kept outdoors?
It has no undercoat
The AKC standard calls for a short, smooth, dense coat without a woolly undercoat.
Q 07What is unusual about bathing a Vizsla?
It is self-cleaning and rarely needs a bath
There is little detectable dog smell, though a dip in a lake brings a mild wet-dog aroma.
Q 08When do Vizslas shed?
During all seasons
A velvet brush keeps the coat shiny and removes much of the shed hair.
Q 09What is the typical height range for a male Vizsla?
23-27 inches
Males weigh roughly 45 to 66 pounds; females stand 20.5 to 24 inches.
Q 10How does a Vizsla carry its tail while working?
Horizontal to the ground
It wags it vigorously while charging through scrub and undergrowth.
Q 11To what fraction of its length does the American standard say the Vizsla tail is docked?
Two-thirds
That leaves a much longer dock than on a Dobermann, Boxer or Australian Shepherd.
Q 12At what age is a Vizsla puppy's tail docked?
Under three days old
The early cut explains why dock lengths vary between breeding programmes.
Q 13What does the UK Kennel Club standard say about Vizsla tails?
Docked or natural both allowed
British law bans cosmetic docking but exempts newborn working dogs.
Q 21In which year was the Vizsla first recorded in writing?
1357
The breed later survived the Turkish occupation of 1526 to 1696.
Q 22Which two foreign pointer breeds overran the Vizsla in the 1800s?
English and German Shorthaired Pointers
It was the first of several near-extinctions the breed survived.
Q 23About how many true-type Vizslas were found in the homeland after World War II?
A dozen
The breed was rebuilt from that tiny stock.
Q 24When did Vizslas start arriving in the United States?
Q 14Where do Vizslas famously insist on sleeping?
Under the covers in the owner's bed
The breed wants to be as close to its owner as possible.
Q 15What happens to Vizslas trained too harshly?
Their sensitive temperament is easily damaged
They have a notable ability to take training but need a gentle hand.
Q 16What life expectancy did a 2024 UK study find for the Vizsla?
13.5 years
Purebreds averaged 12.7 years and crossbreeds 12 in the same study.
Q 17Which two conditions are listed as the major health risks for Vizslas?
Epilepsy and lymphosarcoma
Hip dysplasia is described as very rare in the breed.
Q 18Which bleeding disorders can Vizslas be prone to?
Haemophilia A and Von Willebrand's
Minor wounds can bleed heavily because of poor clotting.
Q 19At roughly what age does a Vizsla reach puberty?
8-10 months
Breeders are advised to wait for the second or third heat cycle.
Q 20In which document is the Vizsla first recorded in writing?
The Illustrated Vienna Chronicle
Carmelite friars prepared it in 1357 on the orders of King Louis I of Hungary.
At the close of World War II
Owners formed the Vizsla Club of America to pursue AKC recognition.
Q 25On what date did the AKC officially recognise the Vizsla?
25 November 1960
It became the 115th breed the AKC recognised.
Q 26The Vizsla was the how-many-th breed recognised by the AKC?
115th
Recognition followed the registration of foundation stock with the club.
Q 27Which grey German gundog was the Vizsla used to help develop?
Weimaraner
The German Shorthaired Pointer and the Wirehaired Vizsla also owe it a debt.
Q 28Which American hound is most often confused with the Vizsla?
Redbone Coonhound
Rhodesian Ridgebacks also get mixed up with it but are generally larger.
Q 29Roughly how many Vizsla puppies are registered with the UK Kennel Club each year?
4,520
That keeps the breed inside Britain's top 50.
Q 30What was the name of the Vizsla that won Best in Show at Crufts 2010?
Hungargunn Bear It'n Mind
Britain has two breed clubs: the Hungarian Vizsla Club and the Hungarian Vizsla Society.