GUNFIELD VIZSLAS & WHW

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Our journey with Hungarian Vizslas began in 1999, at a time when the breed was still relatively rare in the UK. Our introduction to the breed came after an unfortunate experience purchasing a poorly socialised Weimaraner puppy that was unsuitable for our young family. During the rehoming process, we were introduced to the Hungarian Vizsla — a slightly smaller, kinder HPR breed that would still suit Andrew’s interest in working dogs and gundog activities.

From that moment, our love for the breed began.

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In time, we decided to breed from our first female so we could keep a puppy ourselves. This was Katy’s first experience breeding pedigree dogs, and it quickly became clear just how much dedication, knowledge, and hard work responsible breeding required and how little she already knew!

That first litter sparked a lifelong passion for breeding healthy, well-balanced dogs.

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Katy went on to study canine genetics and breeding in depth, completing multiple courses and developing a strong understanding of responsible breeding practices. During her studies, she became increasingly aware of how limited and inbred the UK Vizsla gene pool was at the time.

In 2002, Katy made the decision to leave her job and dedicate herself full-time to breeding Hungarian Vizslas, while Andrew continued — and still continues — to work full-time for a local government agency.

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To strengthen bloodlines and improve genetic diversity, Katy recognised the importance of importing dogs directly from Hungary, the breed’s country of origin. At the time, Hungary was not yet part of the European Union, making the process both difficult and complex. Despite the challenges, we successfully imported our first Hungarian dog from the highly respected Pitypang Kennel.

Our first import, Pitypang Nemes Hera, became an incredibly important part of our breeding programme. Her influence can still be found in many of our current lines, as well as in breeding programmes across the UK and Europe. Hera brought excellent temperament, working ability, and strong health to the breed in the UK.

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She was the first of many carefully selected imports we have introduced over the years as part of our ongoing commitment to improving health, maintaining breed type, and keeping inbreeding coefficients as low as possible.

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Katy’s passion extends far beyond breeding alone. She is deeply committed to continued education and staying informed on the latest developments in canine health, welfare, and breeding. Her qualifications include:

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• Canine Psychology
• Advanced Animal Care Levels 1–4
• Canine Fertility
• Kennel Management Levels 1–3
• Canine Genetics and Breeding
• Canine Pregnancy
• Dog Training
• Canine First Aid
• Pet Bereavement Counselling

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Alongside her formal qualifications, Katy has worked with others within the breed to help improve canine health testing and responsible breeding practices. Some notable achievements include contributing to the introduction of long-haired gene testing and ECLE gene testing for Vizslas within UK laboratories, alongside Jeanna Jones of Addaci Vizslas. These tests are now widely used to help reduce hereditary health issues within the breed.

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Katy also founded the well-known Facebook community “Vizsla Health Info,” which now has nearly 7,000 followers and is supported by a dedicated team of administrators, many of whom are fellow Vizsla breeders.

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Of course, we cannot finish our story without mentioning our West Highland White Terriers, who became an important part of our lives somewhat later on (2015)

We originally wanted a smaller dog with plenty of personality, and a Westie quickly became the obvious choice. Fast forward ten years, and Westies have become another much-loved part of our breeding programme.

The same principles and passion we apply to our Vizslas are equally important in our Westie breeding. Our focus remains on producing healthy, happy, well-socialised companion dogs with excellent temperaments and plenty of character.

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Thank you for reading

Katy & Andrew