German Shepherd vs Vizsla

Compare the German Shepherd to the Vizsla. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between German Shepherds and Vizslak.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the German Shepherd and Vizsla are good choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both breeds are child friendly, but the Vizsla is the most friendly between the breeds.
Grooming - The Vizsla is very easy to groom. The German Shepherd has high grooming requirements.
Barking - Both the German Shepherd and Vizsla are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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German Shepherd vs Vizsla

Breed Name	German Shepherd	Vizsla
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Height	22-26 in.	21-25 in.
Weight	75-95 lb	40-65 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Germany	Hungary
Origin Year	1899 AD	1357 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Below Average	Very Good
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Loving Likes To Snuggle
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	No
Indoor	Yes	No
Small Yard	Yes	No
Medium Yard	Yes	No
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	40°F to 85°F	30°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	High
Exercise Required	High	High
Top Running Speed	30 mph	24 mph
Strength	High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium-High	Low
Shedding	High	Medium
Dander	High	Low
Drool Amount	Medium	Low

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Vizsla
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	Yes
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	No	Yes
Focused & Patient	Yes	Yes
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	Below Average	Below Average
Chasing	Below Average	High
Follow Commands	High	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Below Average
Guarding	High	Average
Herding	High	Average
Hunting	High	High
Protection	High	High
Remove Vermin	Below Average	High
Sledding	Below Average	Below Average
Watch	High	Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Vizsla
Lifespan
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	Yes	No
Blindness	Yes	No
Bloat	Yes	No
Cancer	Yes	Yes
Cataracts	Yes	No
Cherry Eye	Yes	No
Chronic Diarrhea	Yes	No
Cruciate Ligament Rupture	Yes	No
Cushing's Syndrome	Yes	No
Degenerative Myelopathy	Yes	No
Demodectic Mange	Yes	No
Diabetes	Yes	No
Digestive Problems	Yes	No
Elbow Dysplasia	Yes	No
Epilepsy	Yes	Yes
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency	Yes	No
Heart Disease	Yes	No
Hemophilia A	Yes	No
Hemophilia B	Yes	No
Hip Dysplasia	Yes	Yes
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy	Yes	No
Lens Luxation	Yes	No
Lupus	Yes	No
Megaesophagus	Yes	No
Myasthenia Gravis	Yes	No
Nail Bed Disease	Yes	No
Osteochondrosis	Yes	No
Pannus	Yes	No
Panosteitis	Yes	No
Paralysis	Yes	No
Perianal Fistula	Yes	No
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	Yes	No
Retinal Dysplasia	Yes	No
Sebaceous Adenitis	No	Yes
Seborrhea	Yes	No
Vitiligo	Yes	No
Von Willebrand's Disease	Yes	No
Wobbler's Syndrome	Yes	No

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	German Shepherd	Vizsla
Coat
Fur	Yes	No
Hair	No	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	No
Single Coat	No	Yes
Smooth Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Straight	Yes	No
Silky	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	Yes
Medium	Yes	No
Coat Color(s)
Bi-color	Yes	No
Black	Yes	No
Black & Tan	Yes	No
Black & Cream	Yes	No
Black & Red	Yes	No
Black & Silver	Yes	No
Blue	Yes	No
Gray	Yes	No
Liver	Yes	No
Sable	Yes	No
White	Yes	No
Golden	No	Yes
Golden Rust	No	Yes
Red	No	Yes
Red Golden	No	Yes
Rust	No	Yes
Rust Golden	No	Yes
Sandy Yellow	No	Yes