How fast can a Hungarian Vizsla run? Surprisingly fast!
A Hungarian Vizsla’s top speed is approximately 40 miles per hour. This means that the dog can cover a relatively large distance in a few seconds.
It’s among one of the fastest dogs out there.
The Hungarian Vizsla is a medium-sized dog breed with a fast speed that makes it ideal for hunting and sporting activities.
The dog is usually lightweight and has a good body structure that helps improve its speed. If you’re a biking or hiking enthusiast, you’ll always have a great companion when going for outdoor activities.
Historically, the Hungarian Vizsla dog breed was used by hunters as a retriever and pointer and are a purebred dog breed.
The Hungarian Vizsla dog is a great companion in family settings. However, since the dog breed is extremely active, they may not be suitable for households living in apartments, etc.
They are more suited to homes with lage yards/gardens, where they have space to run up and down.
Failing that, you should have access to lots of green space, as they need walking at least twice a day.
The Hungarian Vizsla is characterised by a lightly built body with a height between 21-24 inches. In terms of personality, the breed is gentle, lively, and affectionate.
It also has a strong learning ability and desire to interact with people, including small children, provided there’s exposure to early socialisation.
Due to the high energy levels, the Hungarian Vizsla requires a lot of exercise.
During training, it’s essential to be kind and consistent to prevent the dog from developing aggressive behaviour.
What makes the Hungarian Vizsla fast?
The fast speed of the Hungarian Vizsla dog is a result of the following:
a. High energy levels
The Hungarian Vizsla dogs have relatively high energy levels. This is why they engage in frequent activities, including running up and down.
These high energy levels form part of their fast speeds. Whenever you want to own this dog species, you must have a huge outdoor space in your home where the dog will exercise properly.
b. Body structure
As mentioned earlier, the Hungarian Vizsla has a well-built, compact, and light body structure, making it easier to run faster. Most of these dogs have medium-sized bodies, with the heaviest ones weighing up to 60 pounds.
Their bodies also appear to be slender with well-built muscles.
c. Breeding
The fast speed of the Hungarian Vizslas is also associated with their unique breeding requirements. These dogs were used for hunting purposes (pointer and retriever) and sporting events in the past. Their strong sense of smell also makes it easier to follow a particular scent at high speed.
These are the top reasons why the Hungarian Vizslas run fast. The speed might vary from one dog to another due to various factors, including underlying health conditions or bodily injuries.
Typically, they’ll maintain their fast speed for a long period provided that proper care and maintenance are in place.
In most cases, their speed will reduce due to age, injury, accident, and various health problems, including hypothyroidism, lymphosarcoma, epilepsy, and canine hip dysplasia.
How fast can a human run in comparison?
This has been a subject of interest for many years. According to statistics, the fastest human on earth (Usain Bolt) can run 28 miles in an hour.
Several things affect how fast a human can run, as follows:
- Shoe type
- Weight
- Clothing
- Strength and endurance
For context, the average jogging speed of us mere mortals is approx 4-6 miles per hour.
For running, men run at approx 8mph and women at 6.5 mph. If running at full speed, ie sprinting, this would be around 12-15 mph for males and 10-13 mph for females.
Which dog runs the fastest?
The fastest dog in the world is the greyhound. Its average running speed is approximately 45 miles per hour. Historically, the greyhound was mainly used for dog racing.
This dog has a tall and slender, well-built body. The height ranges from 25-30 inches and weighs between 50-85 pounds. The greyhound has an excellent personality.
It’s non-aggressive and very friendly. The high energy levels of greyhounds make them suitable for homes with huge outdoor spaces where they can exercise as much as possible.
Lack of proper exercise makes the dog hyperactive, aggressive, and destructive.
Can you run with a Vizsla?
Yes, you can run with a Vizsla provided that its muscles and bones are well developed, and the overall health is okay. When you go running with your vizsla to a new and fun place, ensure you run in front.
This will help reduce aggressive behaviour towards other people or pets. Additionally, to make it fun, ensure to keep the trips short by having a few stops.
This will make the dog less tired. Even if your pet looks more active, pushing the dog to too high and intensive limits is unfair.
For people with multiple dogs, always run with a single dog at a time until all of them become used to it before you can run with all of them at a go.
When can you start running with a vizsla?
To start running with your Vizsla, the dog must be fully developed with strong muscles, bones and joints. Therefore, you must wait until your dog gets the ability to sustain physical activities with greater intensity.
If you want to engage your vizsla in highly intensive activities such as running alongside you, you’ll be required to wait a bit longer so that the muscles and bones become stronger and reduce injury risks.
Dog experts recommend that your dog should be 12-14 months before you start running with them.
How much exercise does a Hungarian Vizsla need?
Hungarian Vizslas require a lot of exercise. However, the level of exercise largely depends on the dog’s age.
For young puppies below 3 months, their daily exercise sessions should be split into two, and each shouldn’t exceed 15 minutes.
For puppies with 3-6 months, exercise sessions should last for about half an hour. After the dog grows, you increase the training sessions to 1-2 hours on each session.
Summary
So, How fast can a Hungarian Vizsla run? Very fast… They are actually one of the fastest breeds.
Their speed abilities aside, the Hungarian Vizsla is a great dog breed that is suitable for active families as well as being a superb hunting dog should you need them to perform.
With proper feeding and care, a Vizsla can live for around 14 years.
Hungry for more facts? We have a whole section on Vizslas here.