01/05/2026
The most Titled Dog in AKC History
In Ancient Hx
The Vizsla is first seen in our written history as a close companion to the nomadic warrior Huns. The human would be on horseback with a falcon on their arm. Searching on the ground was the medium sized Vizsla with the golden rust short coat, sniffing the air and ground ranging left and right just ahead. Suddenly the Vizsla dog freezes to a point. Their whole body pointing to a poor critter caught by their scent.
The human on the horse releases the falcon into the air. The falcon knows to fly high and keep the Vizsla in sight. The human then tells the Vizsla dog to flush the creature. The falcon dives fast and strikes the creature. The Vizsla then runs over and takes the creature from the grip of the falcon. The Vizsla runs to the horse and jumps up on the back of the horse. The creature is given to the human. The Vizsla jumps down and continues the hunt. The falcon returns to the arm of the human.
The is yet another story of humans, dogs and also birds working together with mutual benefit, trust and communication.
My First Vizsla 1960s
Our old Labrador farm / hunting dog died. Tears were shed but we needed a new hunting dog. We heard of a ‘new to Canada’ hunting breed called a Vizsla with one pup available. Confirming with a Hungarian friend who glowed in his praise of the breed, we brought the little girl home. A new pup away from home she cried all night until she discovered she was on my bed. From that day on she slept there every night until I left for University.
An amazing companion she became. They love being close to their people. She was my constant companion. Hunting gophers, rabbits, ducks, pheasants, muskrats, and magpies. She loved fishing too - she loved anything as long as I was there. Working on the farm she was always with me. She was always in the truck with me, or the boat, or running along side the tractor or me. She went everywhere with me except school. When I drove she was tight beside me watching out the front window. This was us until my future wife replaced the position next to me in the truck. Even still she went with us to explore the lake, Dinosaur Park in Alberta and many other places. This was my introduction to the Vizsla.
The Most Titled Dog in AKC History
Unknown to me at the time, a girl named Chartay in 1996 was showcasing on the national stage in the USA.
In 2000, she became the first dog of any breed to earn five AKC championship titles in different disciplines (Conformation, Field, Amateur Field, Obedience, and Agility).
Chartay's Key Accomplishments:
* "Quintuple Champion": Earned Conformation (CH), Field Champion (FC), Amateur Field Champion (AFC), Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH), and Master Agility Champion (MACH).
* Versatility: Beyond her championships, she earned Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) 5 times and Master Hunter (MH).
* Record: Recognized by the AKC in 2006 as the first-ever quintuple champion.
Chartay showed the world why the Vizsla is described as the versatile dog.
It does not end there for the Vizsla though.
- They are used to find deceased people. A friend of mine trained his Vizsla for this. His boy can ride in the front of a slow moving boat as it criss crosses a lake or river sniffing the air above the water. Suddenly he will alert that he has found a body. He has found deceased people in 60’ of water.
- A few years ago — and maybe even now, the Vizsla was one of the top three breeds used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and it started with “Roy,” the first Vizsla added to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration’s National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program in 2002.
- A Vizsla was also on the scene working Search and Rescue on 9/11, and it has been used successfully in Seeing Eye programs.
- Vizsla are becoming increasingly common guide dogs.
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- 2015, a young Vizsla named “Mena,” became a Conservation Dog who assisted in locating Little Blue Penguins in the Kaikōura area of the South Island in New Zealand.
- They excel as detection dogs (and were used to deliver messages during the Great War),
- In 2017, “Matka” became Minnesota Capitol’s new bomb-sniffing dog, the only one in the canine team trained to sniff out explosives.
Our Post Skydiving Vizsla
In early 2004 we got Leo as a pup. He was our ‘post children’ dog. He traveled with us (flying in our little airplane), did hunting trials where he excelled, ran the hiking trails in Edmonton, and my flying and park companion in my many trips to and from Dallas. Eighteen months later I flew to Wisconsin to pick up his life mate Jada. Soon after that Leo, Jada, and I flew to Belize to set up are farm there. on that farm the Vizslas showed their true form, fulfilling the V for versatility.
If you have not heard of the Vizsla, well now you have. They are an amazing breed of dog. They excel at many things. They are very smart, keen to follow commands, high energy, demand and need a lot of your attention, be very close to you - if not on you, extremely good sense of smell.
