What I Know About Vizslas:

Niko, half dog, half gopher

All dogs are descendants of wolves. Over time, they were bred for specific traits until they eventually became different breeds.

I now suspect, having met Niko the Vizsla, that Vizslas must have been bred with gophers. Yes, gophers.

The first night Niko stayed at Doggie Heaven Hotel, he sat and whined at me as darkness fell. I thought he was saying, “please put me into the crate my owner brought for me.” So I put him in his crate. He whined a bit more, and then went to sleep.

The second night Niko stayed at Doggie Heaven Hotel, he whined at me again. And suddenly, he leaped up onto my bed. In one deft movement, he dove head-first under the covers. There is only one other animal I have seen burrow beneath a surface with such speed: the gopher. So there you have it: an undeniable trait similarity.

Vizslas are originally from Hungary. The breed dates back to the 10th century. They are the smallest of the pointer/retriever breeds. Their smaller size and gentle, affectionate manner makes this breed a great household companion. Not to mention, they can burrow under the covers in 1 second flat.

Comments

[Jacqueline]

Loved meeting Niko -- what a gorgeous sweetie. Keep calm and burrow on!

[Mary Wyler]

Hmmm, I was anxious to read what you wrote about this dog, because more than one person has said they thought our dog was a Vizsla, or part Vizsla. I have never had a dog with such unbelievable "separation anxiety!" She waits by the window for me, and the minute she sees me, she is so excited, she carries my purse upstairs for me every night. I thought this was so cute until I started running into the situation of, on occasion, not having a purse handy for her to carry... she then will try to carry my pocket, my pant cuff, anything to show her loyalty and commitment to me I guess. She is very much a one person dog, to a degree. If she needs to go outside, she won't go, unless I take her. If on a walk in a group, she sits down if I fall behind by more than 10 ft. I wonder if my friend is correct that she is a Vizsla, or if she is just a great "rescue," breed unknown. Hmmm.