Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Hortaya Borzaya - Breed Comparison

Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Hortaya Borzaya - Breed ComparisonHortaya Borzaya is originated from Russia but Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla is originated from Hungary. Hortaya Borzaya may grow 11 cm / 5 inches higher than Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Hortaya Borzaya may weigh 15 kg / 33 pounds lesser than Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Both Hortaya Borzaya and Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla has same life span. Both Hortaya Borzaya and Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla has almost same litter size. Both Hortaya Borzaya and Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Hound dog
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Russia
Hungary
Height Male:
65 - 75 cm
25 - 30 inches
57 - 64 cm
22 - 26 inches
Height Female:
61 - 71 cm
24 - 28 inches
52 - 59 cm
20 - 24 inches
Weight Male:
18 - 35 kg
39 - 78 pounds
45 - 50 kg
99 - 111 pounds
Weight Female:
16 - 32 kg
35 - 71 pounds
43 - 48 kg
94 - 106 pounds
Life Span:
14 - 15 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
6 - 8
5 - 10
Size:
Large
Medium
Other Names:
Hort, Chortaja borzaja, Kурч, Kurtas Chortaj Hortaya Horty, Xорт, Hrt, Chort
Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla • Hungarian Wire-haired Pointing Dog • Drotzoru Magyar Vizsla
Colors Available:
brown, black, white, red, piebald , brindle
russet to golden sand
Coat:
short yet dense
harsh, hard and loose fitting
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Playful
Affectionate, Alert, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Loving, Loyal, Protective, Responsive, Social
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

hortaya borzayaThe Hortaya Borzaya is an ancient sighthound from Asia with its origins in Kievan Rus = Grand Duchy of Lithuania = Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Empire of Russia. The Hortaya is a large dog, especially a long in body dog with a muscular build suitable for running fast. He is one of the most talented of sighthounds, able to track moving prey at quite great distances. He is an intensely active when running prey and quiet and well balanced when not working.

In Asia and Russia, it is still a working hunting dog, hunting a variety of game such as Saiga antelopes, wolves, foxes, and hares. With tremendous endurance, the Hortaya can run at great speeds and great distances on the hunt. The Hortaya Borzaya is a long distance runner rather than a sprinter like the greyhound we are all so familiar with. He also needs very little rest between runs of up to 4 km. The Hortaya uses his sense of smell as well as sight in the hunt. They hunt solo, in pairs or in packs.

It was not until 2004 that the Hortaya was first exported to Europe and given full breeding papers. They went to Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 2004. They went to Switzerland and Finland in 2005 and to the United States around 2005. Prior to this the Hortaya Borzaya was bred only in its original territory for thousands of years.

Unlike Western breeding programs, the Hortaya is not bred for the purpose of improving the breed. Like Asian thoroughbred horses the breed is considered “finished”. Because of this there was no inbreeding, linebreeding or incest. This is true for about 4-6 generations of a line. This helps the breed to stay healthy.

The breed was developed centuries ago being bred by many different groups of people throughout the region, making it impossible to say exactly where and how this Central Asian/Afghanistan/ southern Russian breed developed. The Russian Kynological Federation (RKF) member of the FCI, developed a standard for the Hortaya Borzaya, which unlike most breed standards, does not tell you what the Hortaya must be like. Instead it tells you what he cannot be.

It gives boundaries that the dog must fit inside in order to be considered a Hortaya Borzaya. This is because the breeds of these dogs in their native territories want to preserve as many different types and sub-types as possible under the banner of one breed. To most people these dogs would look like very different breeds. For this reason, they have not been accepted into International Breed Groups and Associations. The breeders of these dogs do not want to be tied down to one standard. They do not want the breed to be separated into western lines and the original line or show lines and working lines. They wish to keep all the dogs within one grouping.

The breed is recognized on the national level by the originating countries and federations, including Russia’s. There are an estimated 2500-3500 dog of this breed in existence to day. Only a few dozen of the breed exist outside of the original countries. In other Eastern and European countries, the dogs may be registered with hunting associations instead of a breed association.

The breed is held mostly by hunters in remote, local areas and villages that are fairly isolated. Here the Hortaya is seen as a partner in feeding the hunters family and the dog is invaluable. In these remote areas a good hunting dog is equal in value to the good horse. Both are essential to the hunter and his family’s livelihood.

The Hortaya Borzaya is a pack dog and does well with the family as well as an athletic hunter. They hunt in packs, small groups or alone and bring their catch back to the hunter for the family meal. No hunter had to go with the dog. In fact, the hunters would send the dogs several times for food. The Hortaya might travel for miles across tough terrain to get food for the family.

hungarian wirehaired vizslaIn the 1930’s some breeders noticed that the Hungarian Vizsla produced some dogs with more water, cold weather and ground cover protection because they had a much thicker coat than most of the breed. One breeder decided to cross one of these females with a German Wirehaired Pointer, thus producing the first Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. There were now three types of Vizsla – the smooth coated, the longhaired, and the wirehaired. The longhaired is very rare and can be either smooth or wirehaired. It is also believed based on anecdotal evidence that the original Wirehaired Vizsla was also mixed with the Bloodhound, Pudelpointer, and Irish Setter during World War II. Many kennels started breeding the Wirehaired Vizsla at this time.

This rare longhaired is not recognized by any official club or organization while the smooth and the wired are recognized as two separate breeds. There are only a few longhaired Vizsla and they are only found in Europe. The Wirehaired Vizsla was recognized in 1986 by the FCI in Europe and in 2014 by the AKC (American Kennel Club).

Like their cousins the smooth Hungarian Vizsla, the wirehaired version is a natural hunter and easily trained. They are great retrievers as well as pointers in the water or on the land. Their wirehair coats offer them more protection than their smooth coated cousins. They love to swim and are very good at it and will even use your back yard pool if it is available to them.

The wirehaired Vizsla came to North America in the 1970’s and was recognized by the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) in 1977, The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) by 1986 and in 2006 by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The Australian Nation Kennel Council offered recognition in 2007 prior to their entrance into the AKC Foundation Stock Service. They began showing the breed at AKC events in Performance and Companionship, prior to their full AKC recognition in 2014.

These gentle hunting dogs became great family dogs as they love children and just want to be with their people. Falconers have recently taken up the breed because their temperament is suited to this work as well. There are only about 400 to 450 Wirehaired Vizslas left in the United States and few thousand across the globe.

Description

hortaya borzaya puppy - descriptionThis athletic sighthound is a handsome dog, ranging from large to giant. Remember there are many different ‘types’ of dogs within the one line/breed of Hortaya. Breed standards are exclusionary, and performance based rather than inclusionary, and appearance based. Still most of the breed lines share many of the same traits.

They are a long legged breed with a very deep chest and flexible spine. They have immensely strong lungs and a narrow but long skull. Their gait is fluid, effortless trotting when not hunting. When she is hunting, they gallop like a horse and cover a lot of ground.

There eyes are usually black but can be any color and their fur is also any color. It is thick and dense. Finally, in the 2000’s, there were some dogs in a subline exported to Europe and to North America. Here, for this subgroup, a standard was established based on appearance and the color or the coat was now set at only white, blue, black, cream, red, sable and brindle, and piebald. They might or might not have a saddle. Definition of this type is still going on and has not been entirely settled yet. This standard is only for the European and American market show dogs.

These dogs, bred for show, have the same ability to run like the wind and for a very long time with his muscled body and long legs. The breed has strength and stamina that will fool you. He also has a long neck and broad back. He has thin, short ears.

hungarian wirehaired vizsla puppy - descriptionVery much like his cousins, the Wirehaired Vizsla is a noble looking breed. He is lean and muscular with a noble head and moderate skull line. Their muzzle is just a little shorter than the skull and the end is squared. They have powerful jaws and a broad, wide nostrils. The nose is brown, and the eyes are slightly darker than the dog’s coat color.

Low set ears are long and hang near the cheeks. With a strong, long neck and muscular shoulders, the Wirehaired Vizsla certainly looks the part of a hunting dog. Her chest is a little deep and the breastbone is prominent. She has round paws with short nails. Of course, her coat is wiry and dense. The undercoat is water repellent. He has an intelligent and lively facial expression.

Their ears are long but proportionate to the head and body. Their upper teeth overlap the lower teeth. Finally, the tail is thick and usually 1/3 docked. The tail is mostly carried in a horizontal position while walking or running.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

hortaya borzaya dog - characteristicsChildren friendliness - yes, they are very good with children and will play with them for hours.

Special talents

They have tremendous stamina, speed and intelligence to hunt on their own without the hunter and bring the prey back in good shape for the hunter’s family to eat.

Adaptability

No they are not very adaptable in terms of living arrangements. They will not do well in an apartment and probably not in the city as they need land to run.

Learning ability

Learning ability yes, they are intelligent and learn easily.

Children friendliness

hungarian wirehaired vizsla dog - characteristicsVery good with children as long as he gets enough exercise.

Special talents

Very athletic

Adaptability

A puppy could live in an apartment in the city, but the adult dog needs a yard and is better off on a farm.

Learning ability

Very smart, very responsive, high learning ability.

Health Problems

hortaya borzaya puppies - health problemsAs previously mentioned, the original breed is isolated and therefore has a pretty good health track record. Most of the breed specific illnesses or conditions that usually are inherited barely exist in this breed.

They have a propensity toward obesity and diet is essential to prevent other issues.

Chronic or acute pancreatitis is possible because the breed developed eating small meals and hardly any meat. Too much meat or fat could cause this.

No tolerance for high protein dog food. Can cause puppies to have life threatening damage to bones and cartilage that is irreversible.

Bloat – because of the deep chest and the intolerance for large meals they are prone to bloat.

hungarian wirehaired vizsla puppies - health problemsMostly healthy but the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla does have some inherited dispositions to:

  • Hip Dysplasia: can cause lameness and arthritis.
  • Dysphagia – Megaesophagus: Causes drooling, problems swallowing and muscle – entropy
  • Food allergies and intolerances
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Both Ectropium and Entropion: curling of eyebrows out and in.
  • Idiopathic Epilepsy : Unknown origin. Can cause seizures.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

hortaya borzaya dogs - caringAs mentioned above do not overfeed a Hortaya Borzaya puppy. There is serious risk of irreversible damage if you do. Feed small meals 3-6 times a day with lower protein.

Feeding the adult

3 cups of an average protein high quality dog food served at least 3-4 times per day. To avoid bloat do not feed large meals before or after exercise and don’t let your dog drink a lot of water at one time.

Points for Good Health

They have tremendous stamina and speed.

Games and Exercises

This is an extremely active dog bred to hunt 5-6 times a day over wide expanses of various and rough terrain. They need exercise. If you run, they will run with you happily and they will outlast you. They are good at and enjoy fetch, chase, agility, and field trials. They will last hours at any game they play.

Feeding the puppy

hungarian wirehaired vizsla dogs - caringFeed high quality food for medium to large breed puppies. Feed 3-4 time a day 1-2 cups.

Feeding the adult

Feed high quality food for adult medium to large dogs. Feed 2x a day 2-3 cups.

Points for Good Health

Great stamina and very athletic breed.

Games and Exercises

The Wirehaired Vizsla is a working dog and needs serious daily exercise. He will be full of energy and excitement if he doesn’t get enough mental and physical stimulation. He needs a family that can walk a mole or two every day or jog with him. He easily becomes neurotic and high-strung if his energy is not dissipated. Excels at Field Trials, Competitive Obedience, tracking and Barn Hunt.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Hortaya Borzaya vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Hortaya Borzaya vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Hortaya Borzaya vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Hortaya Borzaya vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Hortaya Borzaya vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Hortaya Borzaya vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. Hortaya Borzaya vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. Hortaya Borzaya vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Hortaya Borzaya vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Hortaya Borzaya vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Hortaya Borzaya vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. Hortaya Borzaya vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  13. Hortaya Borzaya vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  14. Hortaya Borzaya vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  15. Hortaya Borzaya vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  16. Hortaya Borzaya vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. Hortaya Borzaya vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. Hortaya Borzaya vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  19. Hortaya Borzaya vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  20. Hortaya Borzaya vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Hortaya Borzaya vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  22. Hortaya Borzaya vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  23. Hortaya Borzaya vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  24. Hortaya Borzaya vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  25. Hortaya Borzaya vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison