Date: May 1-5, 2017

Price: Free

In May, the Vizsla Club of America will be hosting its National Events week in the San Diego area. This yearly celebration rotates around the country from the East Coast to the Midwest and, in 2017, to the West.

The Vizsla is a medium-sized pointer-retriever originally bred in Hungary. Not for the faint of heart, these high-energy dogs with their Velcro personalities and vibrant spirit warm the hearts of many active families.

Our most exciting active event of the Nationals is the agility competition that will take place at Allied Gardens Recreation Center. Agility is an obvious favorite for the dogs. They love to show off, wagging and barking as they jump obstacles, climb an A-frame, negotiate a teeter-totter and fly through tunnels, all while their handlers are giving commands and trying to keep up on course.

On Tuesday, the competition moves north 18 miles to the Del Mar Hilton and into the Del Mar Ballroom, where these canines will prove their obedience and rally skills from simple heeling to article scent discrimination. This is the most-serious event, requiring utmost concentration of dog and handler—any crooked sit results in points deducted. It is a test of mental aptitude in this intelligent breed.

From Wednesday through Friday, the conformation competition takes place outdoors. Each dog in the ring is judged to determine which individual best represents the written breed standard. It is a sight like no other to see several hundred of the same breed all showing their stuff. Breeders from around the country will be showing their best Vizslas and studying the competition for future breeding potential. It is the best of the best.

Come by for a visit, enjoy the show, take a walk through the trade booths and bone up on your dog-fancy trivia.

The first week of May, you could see a rise in red-dog sightings around town. Keep your eyes peeled for these Hungarian beauties running on Fiesta Island, at Del Mar’s Dog Beach or strolling the streets around town.