A Vizsla makes a great introvert's dog. There are extrovert breeds, but my thesis is that a Hungarian Pointer is custom made for the introvert."
Her response included this question:
"Why would the Hungarian Pointer be 'custom made' for the introvert?"
As I read the book "Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." by Susan Cain
my understanding of how the Culture of Personality has replaced the Culture of Character since the age of mass production created a need for the "super salesman." Then the super salesperson became the ideal and the role model to aspire to.
Even as I call myself an introvert (not a bad thing), I help run a muti-million dollar a year heavy-civil engineering construction company; have a dozen mechanics, 360 employees work for the company currently, and hundreds of vendors that I deal with constantly during my work week. 30 years ago I learned to be a "super salesman' with Firestone Tire Company and was quite successful. I can do "meet and greet", talk in front of groups, confront people and problems, but prefer the power of quiet when I can get it. That is where I use my relationship with my Hungarian Pointers and the solitude and enjoyment of the upland bird hunt.
To answer your question.
A Hungarian Pointer, or any well bred pointer, is an independent versatile hunting dog. When you train them to hunt or do field trials, the character looked for is the dog's teamwork with the hunter but at the same time a bold independence to hunt for the birds where nature and training has shown the dog to look. The teamwork is much less then say hunting with a lab in a duck pond or a fox hunt with a pack of beagles working as a group.
That is part of a working Hungarian Pointer's character. The Vizsla is one of the quietest dogs in the field according to most hunters. They do not bark in the field as they go about their job. They have a mission and that is to find the birds. Once trained they will do it for any good hunter. Any team mate will do as long as the hunter does his job of bringing down the bird.
One of my joys in life are the hill walks I take with my two dogs. They are usually 50 to 100 yards away from me on our walks. They are exploring. They know where I am. That is the job I have given them. I don't need to know where they are and there are times I don't see them for 5 minutes at a time. They find me. I can call them to me at almost any time but only do so once or twice in a two hour walk.
Hungarian Pointers do not do well in dog parks or other pack group conditions for the most part. The pack is not why they were bred. My dogs do not enjoy anything about a "pack."
I could go on but it is going to be hot today and it is already 7:30.
Hope that makes some type of sense.
Happy trails,"
RBD
1 comment:
Makes TONS of sense, this is such a great perspective on things, and it rings very true for me. I guess Luna is more normal than I thought for the Vizslas... I think people are trying to move them towards personality these days, so Luna looks like the odd ball out. As outdoors she is all about hunting in any shape or form. Thus she is not all about people or dog even. Dog parks are hard for her as she does not like instability and unbalanced obnoxiousness, so it is more work for both of us than it is actually fun. She DOES however love her breed, and I think it is simply because they are more apt to understand her. Huh, funny how that is like her owner too. She is a serious dog by nature, thanks for making her seem more normal. I will have to share this one.
Anna
www.akginspiration.com
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