Home / Breeds / Compare / Vizsla vs German Wirehaired Pointer
Hungary produced the Vizsla, a medium sized pointing gundog bred to quarter open ground at speed, find game birds by scent and point them rock steady. The German Wirehaired Pointer is a medium sized pointing gundog from Germany, developed to range open ground at speed, catch game birds on the scent and hold them under a rock steady point. The two are put side by side here on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is size: the middle of the German Wirehaired Pointer weight range is about 60 lb against 52 lb for the Vizsla.
The next biggest gap is monthly cost: the modeled total is about $102 a month for the Vizsla against $87 for the German Wirehaired Pointer.
| Vizsla | German Wirehaired Pointer | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Sporting | Sporting |
| Origin | Hungary | Germany |
| Height | 21 to 24 in | 22 to 26 in |
| Weight | 44 to 60 lb | 50 to 70 lb |
| Lifespan | 12 to 14 years | 12 to 14 years |
| Coat | Short, smooth, dense coat lying close to the body, with no undercoat to speak of. It sheds lightly year round and needs little more than a weekly once over with a grooming mitt. | Harsh, wiry double coat: a weather resistant wire outer coat over a dense undercoat, finished with a beard, bushy eyebrows and whiskers. It sheds lightly and is hand stripped or clipped to keep its texture. |
| Temperament | Driven, intelligent, steady and companionable | Athletic, even tempered, alert and hardworking |
| Energy | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Trainability | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Usually good with dogs | Usually good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | Not ideal |
| Daily exercise | 60 to 120 min | 60 to 120 min |
| Food per month (model) | $34 (3.2 cups a day) | $38 (3.5 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $50 to $85 | $35 to $63 |
| Monthly total (model) | $84 to $119 | $73 to $101 |
| Yearly total (model) | $1,005 to $1,425 | $871 to $1,207 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $12,061 to $19,951 | $10,452 to $16,898 |
| Breeder health tests | 4 recommended tests | Panel not published yet |
| Health watch | Hip screening and eye checks are the core, with epilepsy and some cancers discussed openly by the breed club. Generally an athletic, clean breed. Ask to see health test results for both parents before you commit to a puppy; a good breeder will offer them before you ask. | Hip screening, eye checks, thyroid and von Willebrand testing are the standard panel for the breed. Ask to see health test results for both parents before you commit to a puppy; a good breeder will offer them before you ask. |
The two are level on the first-time-owner score, so daily temperament and the sections below decide this one.
Vizsla: matches the German Wirehaired Pointer on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Both are listed the same way for children and tie on the tie-breaks; supervision matters more than the breed label in this row.
Level on shedding. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free, so time spent with the breed matters more than this row.
German Wirehaired Pointer: comes in about $15 a month below the Vizsla on modeled food plus insurance, at $87 against $102 on the midpoints.
Scoring rules behind the Vizsla and German Wirehaired Pointer verdicts: a first-time-owner score of 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking); the apartment verdict ordered by apartment rating, barking, exercise, then weight; children ordered by the children rating, trainability, then stranger friendliness; allergy by lowest shedding, then grooming; budget by the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
Month to month, the modeled figures put the Vizsla ahead on cost: about $102 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $87 for the German Wirehaired Pointer. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $12,061 to $19,951 for the Vizsla and $10,452 to $16,898 for the German Wirehaired Pointer. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
They tie here: both plan on 60 to 120 minutes a day, with energy rated 5 of 5 for the Vizsla against 5 of 5 for the German Wirehaired Pointer.
On our ratings, yes: both are rated 3 of 5 for shedding. The coats still feel different in the house. Vizsla: Short, smooth, dense coat lying close to the body, with no undercoat to speak of. It sheds lightly year round and needs little more than a weekly once over with a grooming mitt. German Wirehaired Pointer: Harsh, wiry double coat: a weather resistant wire outer coat over a dense undercoat, finished with a beard, bushy eyebrows and whiskers. It sheds lightly and is hand stripped or clipped to keep its texture.
Not equally. The Vizsla is the better fit for an apartment: it matches the German Wirehaired Pointer on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks, barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
The Vizsla and German Wirehaired Pointer facts on this page follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed's profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis; they are not quotes and not veterinary advice. Health test panels are the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.