Breed Comparison, General info
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10 min read
If there is one dog breed that gets confused with the Weimaraner most often, it has to be the Vizsla.
For people who are not aware of the breed differences, the Vizsla might just look like a rust or “orange” colored Weimaraner.
While they look extremely similar, there are a few key differences.
The Vizsla, also called Hungarian Pointer, is generally smaller (up to 24 inches and 60lbs), while the Weimaraner can reach up to 27 inches and 90 lbs.
Vizsla’s coat has a variety of colors, from golden rust, red, golden, rust, or sand yellows. Weimaraner come in shades of gray from mouse gray to silver gray.
Despite their rather striking resemblance, the two breeds do not share the same history and are not related.
I made an image quiz where you can test your knowledge about these two breeds. Can you tell the difference between a Weimaraner and a Vizsla?
Table of Contents show
Breed Lifespan Dog Size Dog Weight Coat Color Shedding Dog Personality Puppy Cost Weimaraner 10-13 years up to 27″ up to 90 lbs gray, blue seasonal very active $700-2,500 Vizsla 12-15 years up to 24″ up to 60 lbs golden rust, red, rust, sandy yellow seasonal very active $800-1,800
Appearance of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
Weimaraner Appearance
Weimaraners are considered medium to large breed. They can stand up to 27 inches (~69 cm) and weigh up to 90 pounds (~41 kg). They are very muscular, and sinewy.
Their coat can be either short-haired or long haired. The long-haired variant of the breed is considered a disqualifying fault per the AKC standards. The FCI recognizes long-haired Weimaraners as a breed standard.
Their coat is short and smooth, and it usually lacks an undercoat. Long-haired Weims have a slightly wavy coat, which is no less soft.
Weimaraner typically comes in shades of gray or silver, sometimes blue. Their coat is solid color, though they might have a darker colored strip along their spine. This stripe is called an ‘eel stripe’. They can have small white markings on the chest or on their feet.
Blue Weimaraners are not part of the AKC or FCI standards.
Their round eyes are blue when they’re puppies, and some dogs may retain a similar color through adulthood. More often, their eyes turn lighter, colored in shades of amber.
Their nose is large and dark flesh color, or dark blue in blue-colored Weims. Their ears are quite long, silky, rounded at the tip and reach just about the corner of their mouth.
If docking is allowed, Weim’s tails get usually cropped at about 6 inches (~15 cm) to cover their genitalia, preventing injury while hunting.
Vizsla Appearance
Vizsla is generally smaller than the Weimaraner, reaching up to 24 inches (~ 61 cm) in height and 60 pounds (~ 27 kg) in weight. They are considered a medium breed and since they are a hunting breed, their physique is lean and athletic.
Vizsla’s coat is smooth and short, and unlike the Weimaraner, there are no long-haired Vizslas. However, there are Wirehaired Vizslas, which were bred sturdier with rougher coat in the 1930s, but are a separate breed.
The Vizsla comes in golden rust, rust, red, or sand yellow colors. Just like the Weimaraner, they can have small white markings on their chest and/or the toes. They don’t have an undercoat.
They have medium, oval eyes, and their color should match with the color of their coat. Vizsla’s nose is pretty much blending in with their coat, or it’s just slightly lighter.
Their ears are quite similar to the Weimaraners, though they are less rounded at the tip and a bit longer. Vizslas get their tail docked (where permitted) about to about 1/4 of length to avoid hunting injury.
If you’d like to see more breeds that are similar in appearance to Weimaraners, check out my post here.
Personality of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
No two dogs have the same personality, but each breed has general personality traits typical for them. A particular dog might fit the bill, or simply have different levels of these traits – one, all of them or none of them. 😀
Personality of a Weimaraner
Weimaraners are giant goofballs, and in some individuals this can last for their whole lives. Some female Weims get calmer sooner than their male counterparts.
In their excitement, they are able to knock children or even adults over, so always supervise your children with any dog and teach your Weim good manners.
They are very affectionate, are wicked smart and love their families. They want to be close to their owners, so they often follow them everywhere, earning the nickname “velcro dogs“.
However, this can cause problems in the form of separation anxiety, which can lead to accidents in the house, barking, howling and destruction.
As they are very intelligent and thanks to their eager to please attitude, Weimaraners are quite easy to train.
Weimaraners were originally bred for hunting, and while you may not use them for this purpose, hunting is in their blood. As such, they can have a strong prey drive.
Nelly fits the Weimaraner traits, though she can be a bit independent but no less loving. She talks back often, steals socks because she knows it will give her attention. She absolutely loves food, including (safe) vegetables!
Personality of a Vizsla
Just like the Weimaraner, Vizslas are very lively and affectionate. They are very goofy and bouncy, though they are very intelligent. This makes them easy to train.
Since they love their families and also love to follow them everywhere, they are prone to separation anxiety as well.
As I mentioned above, Vizslas were bred for hunting and as such usually have a stronger prey drive. It’s not recommended to have any smaller animals in the house (bunnies, hamsters, etc.) due to this issue.
However, no two dogs are the same, and where one Vizsla can have a strong prey drive, another one doesn’t or in very minimal fashion.
They can be a bit rambunctious and due to their size they could knock a small child over. Always supervise your kids when they’re around a dog and teach both the dog and the child how to behave around each other.
General Care of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
Coat maintenance
The Vizsla and Weimaraner have a similar short-haired coat, so that means they are pretty easy to groom. They both shed seasonally, but since their coat is so short, it’s fairly easy to deal with.
Both breeds have no undercoat, and all they need is a weekly brushing with a rubber brush. During shedding season, I recommend brushing more often. They don’t need regular baths, only if they’re filthy. They both don’t have that wet dog smell.
Nelly isn’t one to jump into mud or get dirty. She goes swimming when the weather is nice, and then we just let her dry in the sun. If she gets dirty, she gets wiped down with a wet cloth or a dog wet wipe.
We clean her paws if it’s muddy outside and wipe her belly, but that’s about it. We only bring out the shampoo when on rare occasion she rolls in something stinky.
Overall care
It’s good to brush their teeth daily and use dental chews. You should check their ears at least once a week (more often if they go swimming) to prevent any ear problems.
If their nails don’t get worn down naturally during exercise, it’s definitely best to trim them regularly. For some reason Nelly’s back paws are fine, but her front can get long, especially her dewclaws.
Training & Exercise of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
As I mentioned before, both of these breeds are very active a need a lot of activity to keep them happy.
As such, they’re not suitable for families who tend to laze around. A family with an active lifestyle will be much more better suited for both Vizslas and Weimaraners.
Both breeds make great hunting dogs thanks to their great sense of smell but they will also enjoy the challenge of field trials, obedience, agility, tracking, search and rescue work.
The Vizslas can be also great as therapy and assistance dogs. They’re very versatile and can adapt quickly to new things.
Weimaraners can be also used for therapy work but it very much depends on the individual pup.
Lifespan & Health Issues of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
Both Weimaraner and Vizslas are generally healthy breeds. Weimaraner’s lifespan is shorter on average, around 10-13 years, while Vizsla can live between 12-14 years. The oldest Weimaraner lived to be 18 years and 10 months old and the oldest recorded Vizsla was 20 and a half years old.
Some health issues are common in both breeds, such as hip dysplasia and eye disorders such as entropion (inward rolling of the eyelid) or ectropion (outward rolling of the eyelid).
They can also suffer from epilepsy, elbow dysplasia, autoimmune disorders and thyroid issues.
A lot of these issues are genetic, so selecting a good breeder with tested parents, you can minimize the risk of your pup developing one of these problems.
Make sure your pup is check for hip dysplasia, thyroid issues, eye issues and also cardiac evaluation.
Since both breeds are deep chested, they’re at higher risk of developing life-threatening condition called gastric dilatation volvulus, commonly known as bloat and torsion of the stomach.
Weimaraner & Vizsla as Companions
Many Weimaraner owners get their pup a Vizsla friend (or vice versa). Since the breeds are so similar, the owners know what to expect and the care for their two dogs would be similar as well.
If you’re contemplating getting your Weim a buddy, a Vizsla is a great choice!
Average Puppy Price of Weimaraner vs Vizsla
The average price of Weimaraner puppies has increased dramatically. The average price used to be between $700 and $1500 but recently in 2022, there have been Weim puppies for sale costing $2600.
On average, Vizsla puppies will cost between $800 to $1,800.
The prices vary on a few factors:
- location and experience of breeder
- parent’s heritage
- legitimate American Kennel Club registration
Bear in mind that neither extremes outside these ranges (far too cheap or far too expensive) are not a good thing.
It can be a sign of an inexperienced breeder (“backyard breeder”), dog mill puppies that people either want to sell for cheap or very expensive.
Good breeder will screen the health of potential parents and their pedigrees and will try to breed the puppies for the best combination of temperament, health and skills.
There are rescue shelters for both breeds running across the United States and all over the world as well.
Vizsla rescues
(click here for Weimaraner rescues)
United States Vizsla Rescue
- Vizsla Rescue Haven – California
- New Hope Vizsla Rescue – Pennsylvania
- Colorado Vizsla Rescue Group – Colorado
- Midwest Vizsla Rescue
- Tampa Bay Vizsla Club – Florida
- Vizsla Rescue – Utah
- Long Island Vizsla Rescue – New York
- Vizsla Club – Atlanta, Georgia
- Iowa/Nebraska Vizsla rescue
- Buckeye Vizsla Rescue – Ohio
United Kingdom Vizsla Rescue
Australia Vizsla Rescue
- Hungarian Vizsla Club – New South Wales
Europe Vizsla Rescue
Advantages & Disadvantages of Both Breeds
Weimaraner
Advantages
- active outdoor dog
- easy to groom
- loyal
- highly Intelligent
- good guard dog
- eager to please
Disadvantages
- requires lots of exercise
- lack of undercoat
- boisterous and unruly when young
- can be prone to separation anxiety
- strong-willed
- potentially aggressive to smaller animals
- can be over-excitable
- needs a solid recall
Vizsla
Advantages
- athletic outdoor dog
- very adaptable to any sort of work
- highly intelligent
- good guard dog
- eager to please
- loves their family
Disadvantages
- requires a lot of exercise
- prone to separation anxiety
- lack of undercoat
- potentially aggressive to smaller animals
- needs a solid recall
Further Reading
If you’d like to read more about other breeds and how they compare to the Weimaraner, check out my breed comparison category here!
Don’t forget to take the short ‘Weimaraner or Vizsla?’ quiz!
I’ve always loved dogs, ever since I was a child, but I wasn’t allowed to have one. I dog-sit my sister's Weimaraner often. I decided to start this blog and share what I’ve learned about Nelly, the Weimaraner breed, and dogs in general from scientific papers and journals and my own personal experience. Learn more about Dana.
