Wars are intertwined with the history of the Vizsla. The breed's existence in the present is largely a result of the battles of man and their wins and losses. Because of its skill in being a pointer and retriever, the Vizsla has remained an invaluable asset to man. Because of that, lucky geographical locations, and the efforts to rebuild the breed when it had been decimated all contribute the Vizsla existence today.
The Magyars were an ancient people were constantly fleeing because of warring factions of people invading the land they occupied. The Magyars were a tribal people who used the Vizsla as a hunting dog on their searches for food. Thus, when the Turks invaded them, they fled with their Vizslas in tow.
Later in history, the Vizsla was once again affected by battle. When it became a staple in Hungary, mostly because of their ability to hunt rats, the Vizsla soon after became a victim of the World Wars. During the World War, Communists who had taken over the country wanted to destroy everything Hungary to tighten their grip on the country. Therefore, everything native to the Hungarian culture was eliminated, including the Vizsla. The few that were allowed to remain were a bigger boned variation of the Vizsla that was used to hunt rabbit, deer and boar.
The worth of the Vizsla was further evidenced by the fact that the Hungarian Civil War took place, with the Hungarian border getting chopped away. The Vizsla was taken up by the incoming people who found use for them. They had been and continued for some time to be used for hunting rats.
Ultimately, after the World Wars, the Vizsla breed was near extinction, only to be saved with the exportation to America. The breed was again allowed to flourish from the 1950s on as Americans used them as game hunter. The importation into America led to a complete turnaround that led many to suspect a little breed-tampering.
It is known that natural crossbreeding happened in the 1800s with German Shorthair Pointers, English Pointers, and the Vizsla, which almost wiped the breed out. But there is a theory that some time after the World Wars, the pointer breeds was crossed with the Vizslas. The Vizsla shares the pointers sharp, nose and its thin, pointed tail. The Vizsla demonstrates flushing skills like a pointer and is as swift plus has a superior sense of smell. The adaptability of the breed is probably ultimately what helped it to survive.
The Wars destroyed many monuments and ideologies. However, the Vizsla was resilient, skilled and lucky enough to survive. And it rivals today the pointer breed in point score competitions and other events.
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