Meet Luka the Vizsla
I wanted to dedicate a post to Luka because without him, we’d just be a family with a couple of kids and there are plenty of resources available for those!
Plus, he is my first baby and I would take any opportunity to talk about him!
What’s a Vizsla?
The Vizsla, also known as the Hungarian Pointer, Magyar Vizsla or Braque Hongrois in French, are an old and noble Hungarian hunting dog, thought to be descended from dogs of the Magyar people and were initially bred to hunt with falcons. These days they are used to hunt feather and fur, so anything ranging from ducks and pheasants, to rabbits. They are known to have the smallest range of all the hunting dogs, however can hunt hard and are a prized companion for any hunter.
They are the same family of dogs as the Weimaraner, German Short Haired Pointer, English Pointer and also come in a wire haired variety which is recognised as a separate breed, known as the Wire Haired Vizsla.
They are what are known as All Round Hunting dogs, or HPR (Hunt, Point and Retrieve) and as such are highly energetic, intelligent and are also strong swimmers, with webbed paws for this purpose.
What makes a Vizsla unique from other pointer breeds is that they were also thought to be bred to sleep on/alongside their masters overnight on hunts to keep them warm. They love to be in close contact with their family all of the time and this trait is one of the most prominent characteristics of a Vizsla which is why you will find many photos online of Vizslas sleeping on top of their humans, or even around their necks on the sofa! They have been given the nickname of Velcro Vizsla and Luka is no exception! He follows me everywhere, including the bathroom; he’s my veritable shadow!
For this reason Vizslas do not do well in households where they are left alone for long periods of time, or are not given enough exercise and training. They are intelligent dogs that need mental stimulation so ideally anyone owning a Vizsla should also work them (in the field, in agility, scent work, or as a service dog, etc) to keep them occupied and happy. If not handled correctly, Vizslas are known to become vocal and unruly, so are not suited for first time dog owners. They thrive under strong leadership using positive reinforcement based training as they are very sensitive.
Why a Vizsla?
Since losing my childhood Labrador 10 years ago, it finally felt the time and place was right to get a dog when we moved to Geneva. With that decided, the process started to choose the right dog for us.
Growing up with a Labrador was great. Mila was the consummate Labrador, always happy, friendly, and greedy as hell, but she was perfect for our family of 4. The problem with Labradors is that they shed a lot. And I’m allergic to dogs! So the 13 years we had her, I suffered a lot with my asthma and her licking me would break me out in a rash every time.
So when it came to choosing the right dog for us this time round, I knew that we needed a dog that would be minimally allergenic. We are both very active, and triathlon is my passion so I also knew that I needed a dog that could come swimming, cycling and running with me. (It’s still my dream to compete in a doggy triathlon one day!!) I also knew that I did not want to spend hours every week grooming a dog so long haired dogs were out, terriers tend to be hypoallergenic but they are very independent and stubborn so they were out. Poodle crosses are very fashionable due to their intelligence and hypoallergenic fur but they are too hairy so they were out….and so the wish list went on.
I guess I have always been a fan of Gun Dogs given their gentle nature and athleticism so we whittled it down to the pointer breeds and the Vizsla came out on top! Vizslas are not hypoallergenic but they are single coated so do not shed as much as most dogs. This fortuitously means also that they don’t have that doggy smell! Interestingly I also don’t seem to be allergic to Luka’s licking which is just as well because he likes to lick me. A lot!
Despite being hunting dogs, Vizslas a very amenable, so are very popular as urban pets in their native Hungary. We live in an apartment and this has posed no problem for Luka (although harder work for us to ensure he gets out frequently enough during the day, particularly as a puppy!) He comes everywhere with us including markets, big sporting events, restaurants and friends’ houses and he’s very well versed with the “settle down” command. However lying down quietly under a restaurant table is certainly not something that comes naturally to a Vizsla so I can say that I have spent many many hours training him to be able to do this throughout his puppyhood!
Whilst I felt ready to bring a Vizsla into our lives, I have to say they are a lot more work than I expected! I still do short training sessions with him most days, and in the pursuit of him being the perfect companion dog, I am always working on his obedience and behaviour even though he’s almost 4 years old now. He’s certainly not perfect, and it’s not always easy going about your daily life with a dog like Luka but he is a joy to have around most of the time!
A day in the life of Luka the Vizsla
Anyone who owns a Vizsla will tell you that you don’t own one, they own you, and I can certainly vouch for that!
Since welcoming Luka into our lives in the summer of 2015, we’ve changed our lifestyle a lot to give Luka everything that he needs (and he’s pretty demanding!). We are out 2-3 hours on average every day walking, mostly off the leash. We have invested heavily in his training so that he can live as a happy well adjusted dog in the city as well as in the country and most of our spare time is now spent in the outdoors so that the whole family can enjoy themselves!
Over the years, in order to keep his intelligent mind engaged, we’ve done scent tracking classes, agility, obedience and Canicross, all of which I’ve loved doing with him.
Generally my routine is to have breakfast with my son, and set out for a morning walk around 8.30/9am which I try to make 1.5 hours, though this can be challenging depending on which way the toddler decides he wants to go!
Then Luka would relax for about 5 or so hours before the baby wakes up from his nap and we head back out for a second walk at around 4pm.
Of course, there are days where my son and I will go to the museum or indoor play areas where dogs are not allowed, but I generally try to do something that would be fun for both child and dog, rather than having to do two separate outings for each of them.
A boy and his dog
Being a parent and a dog owner has its challenges for sure, it’s like having two kids that have two totally different interests! It’s a major logistical challenge and a juggling act, but watching my son grow up with a dog who is always by his side is one of the most heart warming things.
I’m not even sure Luka really likes Kai all that much, but where ever Kai is, Luka is never far when we are out. It’s almost as if Luka knows that he needs to be protected. If another dog tries to get close to Kai, Luka will sprint over to make sure nothing amiss is happening!
Above all, I am thankful to Luka. He has taught us so much about ourselves as dog owners. Training a puppy/dog requires an insane amount of patience and self-awareness. There have been a lot of ups and downs to get to Luka to be the dog he is today, and I sincerely believe that this has helped us be ready to be the best parents that we can be to Kai when he arrived in the Spring of 2017.
These days Kai is running around causing havoc around the house, and it’s Luka that helps us to put some firm boundaries in place so that Kai can grow up knowing that in life, there are certain things he just simply cannot do, lines that you cannot cross. We had a few months of having to repeat the same things, and they still happen now from time to time, but Kai is growing up to respect animals and to give them distance when they eat/sleep and not to mess around with Luka’s things. I’m certain that we wouldn’t have implemented such strict boundaries for Kai if we didn’t also own a dog. So for that, I am infinitely grateful to have Luka as such a great teacher to Kai!
Luka also puts up with a lot from Kai, but he is so patient and gentle and it’s nice to know my son will grow up with his four-legged best friend by his side.
