American Hairless Terrier is originated from United States but Hungarian Vizsla is originated from Hungary. American Hairless Terrier may grow 19 cm / 7 inches shorter than Hungarian Vizsla. American Hairless Terrier may weigh 18 kg / 39 pounds lesser than Hungarian Vizsla. American Hairless Terrier may live 6 years more than Hungarian Vizsla. American Hairless Terrier may have less litter size than Hungarian Vizsla. Both American Hairless Terrier and Hungarian Vizsla requires Low Maintenance.
Derived from the Rat Terrier, the American Hairless Terrier was born in a litter of Rat Terriers in 1972.
The evolution of this breed is very different from other hairless breeds. The American Hairless Terrier was independently developed when a hairless pup was produced in a litter of normal Rat Terriers. The owners of this pup, Edwin and Willie Scott attempted to breed her to other Rat terriers but were not successful in having another hairless pup until years later. Then they had a litter with one male and one female hairless puppy.
From that point on they worked with a veterinarian and a geneticist to develop the breed until it was accepted as a separate breed from the Rat Terrier in 2004 and accepted into the AKC in 2016.
The breed is very rare and with hairless dogs breeding only produces about two thirds of the litter as hairless and one third as coated. If a hairless is bred to a coated terrier, the chances of getting hairless puppies are 50% hairless and 50% coated. It is very rare to get a hairless when breed two coated terriers. The difference between the American Hairless Terrier and other hairless breeds is that the hairless gene in most breed is a lethal dominant gene, but in the AHT it is a recessive gene.
The Hungarian Vizslas existed in the land that is now Hungary, the Pannonian Basin, at least since the 10th century when they were shown on etchings. It is thought that their descendants were various pointers, the extinct Turkish Yellow Dog and the Transylvanian Hound. The Vizsla is a hunting dog with the word being Hungarian for pointer. In 1937 the Carmelite Friars under orders from King Louis I of Hungry. The breed was isolated for centuries in the Basin by the aristocracy and land owners.
The Magyar people of the area developed the breed for hunting as both pointers and retrievers. They were excellent at hunting rabbits and water fowl. With a terrific sense of smell and boundless stamina and energy, the were prized as family and companion dogs as well. This was unusual for a hunting or working dog. Their size made them appealing as well. They were small by comparison to other hunting dogs both pointers and retrievers.
Easy to train, the Hungarian Vizsla works in water, forests and fields. They are able to retrieve in the water as well as on the land. Throughout their history, the breed outlasted the Turkish Revolution, the Hungarian Revolution World War 1 and World War 2, as well as the Hungarian People’s Republic Communist State. Things were a little dicey for the Vizlas several times beginning in the 1800’s when German Shorthaired Pointers and English Pointers were introduced into the area. The next time was after World War II. Fearful of what this Communist state would mean for the breed, some were smuggled into the United States and Austria.
At that time there were only a dozen or so Vizslas in all of Hungary. Their numbers were brought back from that small breeding stock. This history did result in several different strains grew into their own breeding stock. There are Vizslas in Czechoslovakia, Romania, Serbia and Austria. There developed separate lines that became separate breeds in the Wirehaired Vizsla and the longhaired Vizsla which is very rare.
After World War II, the Hungarian Vizsla came to the United States and the Vizsla Club of American was established as a first step toward AKC (American Kennel Club) recognition. This was attained in 1960. Rex del Geisimino came to the U.S. in 1951 and he was able to respond to commands in both German and Hungarian. Vizslas also came to the United Kingdom in this time frame. There are now about 4500 registered with the KC (Kennel Club of Great Britain). A Vizsla won the distinctive Crufts Dog Show in Great Britain, as Best in Show.
It is believed that this gentle, sensitive and affectionate hunter was part of the original breeding stock or the Wirehaired Vizsla, the Weimaraner and the German Shorthaired Pointers. The Hungarian Vizsla is intelligent and social. The need your attention as well as a lot of exercise to avoid destructive behavior born of boredom. They want to be with you and they can be very protective of you.
The American Hairless Terrier is similar to it’s breed of origin, the Rat Terrier, and the coated AHT looks very much like a Rat Terrier. They are small to medium in size, very muscular and have more refined features than the Rat Terrier. Their round eyes can be a variety of colors including amber, brown, grey, turquoise and blue. The tail is not docked but rather long and thin.
The AHT might have eyebrows and whiskers or they might only have whiskers. Their head is broad, and wedge shaped with upright ears. They are an energetic, social and intelligent dog.
The Hungarian Vizsla has a light build, a short coat, and a distinctive bearing. They are medium in size and muscular, lean dogs looking a lot like the Weimaraner. They are also close in appearance to the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Redbone Coonhounds. They are more muscular and leaner than the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Weimaraner.
The Vizsla has a reddish nose and their nails and eyes should also be reddish or blending with the color of their coat. They have docked tails in the American standard but not in the United Kingdom, as docking is banned there. If he has a tail, you can see it flying through the air as he runs through the rough land to retrieve fowl.
They have a domed skull with a tapered muzzle that is shorter or equal to the skull. They have eyes that are contrasted with the coat and of medium size. The ears of silky, hang close to the face and the tips are rounded. The coat is rust in color with many shades. He also has a deep chest and hound like face.
This is a curious, intelligent, little dog. They are terrific family dogs with a note to say they are better with older children than with younger. If they are raised with small children, then they are terrific with them. They are territorial, and the children become part of their territory. They will guard and protect them.
They need to play, and this is the biggest requirement for owners. Be sure you have time for them. This is not a couch potato dog. They have a lot of energy and can be destructive and “barky” if that energy is not dissipated. They are terriers through and through and love to “go to ground” whether going in holes they find or digging the holes themselves. They will go after small rodents like chipmunks. They need to be protected in these activities since their skin is vulnerable to scratches and cuts from brush. Their prey drive is strong, so it is important to protect them from themselves in this respect.
They are curious and feisty and every inch the terrier. Affectionate, friendly, and social it is also important to remember they can be scared easily, hurt if play is too rough, and this will trigger barking. They make very good watch dogs.
Children friendliness - The Vizsla is very good with children.
Special talents - They are both excellent pointers and retrievers.
Adaptability - They are not very adaptable in living arrangements as they are much more suited for the country than the city.
Learning ability – The Vizsla is a very intelligent breed and easy to train. His learning ability is very high.
There are not many health problems bothering this sturdy little dog.
The American Hairless Terrier has limited breeding stock and it is still a rare breed. Its health problems are mostly related to its hairless state. The breed is highly susceptible to sunburn, rashes, pimples, and allergies. They often need clothing in all seasons to protect them from the heat of the sun or from the cold. The skin must be cleaned regularly often daily with soap and water. This is especially true if sunscreen is used as they are open to skin infections.
Hip dysplasia is also a common issue for this small breed.
The Hungarian Vizsla has a series of health issues that include:
The American Hairless Terrier has some food needs that might be different from other breeds. They should not be given food that contains soy, wheat or corn. They need to be fed at least 3-4 times a day in small amounts as puppies and twice a day as adult. Be sure to avoid overeating and obesity. Puppies need about 400 calories a day whether you feed four times or two times. The adult American Hairless Terrier needs about 500-600 calories per day. This might be half a cup to a cup per day.
As previously mentioned the American Hairless Terrier has skin health issues and is also prone to hip dysplasia.
This is a great breed for games if you make them small to match his size. He is energetic, athletic and playful. He loves agility, lure chasing and barn hunt activities. They need a good half hour of vigorous exercise per day.
Feed two to four cups per day of a high quality dry dog food. Break this up into three or four meals. Don’t free feed your puppy.
Feed two to three cups per day of high quality dry dog food. Feed in two servings.
The Vizsla is an athlete with high energy.
The Hungarian Vizsla needs at least 30 minutes of exercise every day and maybe more. He needs a large yard or open field, but daily brisk walks will do if that is all that is possible. He needs to be stimulated intellectually as well and enjoys fetch, jogging with you, lure coursing, field trials, tracking and scent work, confirmation, agility, barn hunt, dock diving, rally, and obedience.