Coat variations in Hungarian Vizsla

The Hungarian Vizsla comes in four coat variations – shorthaired smooth, wirehaired, longhaired wirehair and longhaired non-wired. Out of these four types only two types are officially recognised as separate breeds (Hungarian Shorthaired Vizsla and Hungarya Wirehaired Vizsla). The long-haired variations have not been recognised as separate breeds because of their recessively inherited trait (genotype FGF5/FGF5) thanks to which these variations can occur in any litter, when two parents, carriers of the recessive allele (FGF5), are mated and consequently a longhaired offspring may be born. In general, the coat variability in Hungarian Vizslas is influenced particularly by the genes FGF5 and RSPO2.

Longhaired variation

The test for presence of FGF5 gene is the ideal solution to determine, whether a dog is a carrier of the longhaired variation. The heterozygotes (N/FGF5) carry in their recessive allele (FGF5) mutation c.284G>T in this gene that is responsible for the long hair. As the longhaired variation does not fit the standard breed, the selected breeding pair should be tested before mating to ensure that the appearance of the offspring meets the requirements of breed standard.

If two shorthaired heterozygotes (N/FGF5; carriers of the longhaired variation) are mated, the litter could theoretically consist of:

• 25 % homozygous dominant shorthaired (N/N),
• 50 % heterozygous shorthaired (N/FGF5; carriers of longhaired variation),
• 25 % homozygous recessive longhaired (FGF5/FGF5).

If in the mating pair only one parent is heterozygous (N/FGF5) and the second parent is homozygous dominant (N/N), the puppies in the litter can be theoretically:

• 50 % heterozygous (N/FGF5),

• 50 % homozygous dominant (N/N).

Wirehaired variations

The wire hair is a dominantly inherited appearance caused by insertion in RSPO2 gene. The wirehaired vizslas heterozygous for this gene (ins/wt) carry in their recessive allele (wt) a variation producing non-wire hair. By testing the RSPO2 gene, it can be found out whether the wirehaired dog is heterozygous for this gene and can cause that recessive (non-wired; smooth) homozygous offspring are born. The puppies of wirehaired vizslas are born with smooth coat which changes into the specific wire hair at the age from 6 weeks to 4 months. However, in some puppies this hair change does not take place and the coat remains smooth. This case occurs if two heterozygous dogs are mated and the puppy receives one recessive allele (wt) responsible for the smooth hair from both parents.

If both parents of the selected mating pair are heterozygous, the puppies in the litter would be theoretically:

• 25 % homozygous dominant wire-haired (ins/ins),
• 50 % heterozygous wire-haired (ins/wt; carriers of the smooth-haired variation),
• 25 % homozygous recessive smooth-haired (wt/wt).

If only one of the parents is heterozygous, the litter would theoretically consist of:

• 50 % heterozygous (ins/wt; carriers of the smooth hair),
• 50 % homozygous dominant wire-haired (ins/ins).

In case of doubts, the best thing the breeder can do is to get the dog tested for RSPO2 gene and avoid mating of two carriers of smooth hair. This testing can with certainty guarantee that the required traits are passed on to future generations.

Order tests:

FGF5

RSPO2