A Vote for Clifford the Big Red Dog is a Vote for Vizsla Puppies!

From the escapades of the adorable Vizsla puppy who turned into a 24-foot dog in the book, Clifford the Big Red Dog written by Norman Dridwell to Odysseus’ dog in Homer’s Odyssey, younger and older generations enjoy diving into tales about dogs, especially Vizsla puppies. But which dog story is best?

To celebrate the 125th Anniversary, the American Kennel Club and AOL’s PawNation.com has asked the country to vote for their favorite dog stories. The contestants for most loved dogs of literature is as follows:

•Clifford The Big Red Dog – The tiny Vizsla puppy who grew to 25 feet in the children’s book series written by Norman Bridwell.

•Spot – The book which was created to teach children how to read.

•Old Yeller – The story which eventually was created into a movie by Disney.

•Marley & Me – The book which depicts the life of the golden retriever and its family.

•My Dog Skip - Which teaches morals of life.

•Along with the stories, Big Red, Argos, Cujo and White Fang.

Cast your vote at pawnation.com/category/akc-top-125-dogs and hopefully everyone will realize how cute vizsla puppies are!

Hungarian Vizsla

The Hungarian Vizsla is the smallest of the pointer-retriever breeds but is probably known best by being Clifford in the beloved children's book. They are strong, athletic dogs with energy to go the distance. These lean dogs originated in Hungary and have been compared closely with Weimaraners.

The Vizsla is the perfect dog for hunting. It's swimming skills, well defined muscles and sharp nose will leave no hunter wanting for more.

These dogs tend to be quite intelligent and they live for attention and exercise. They are friendly dogs who form close, protective bonds with any of their "family". They want for a lot of attention and playtime and will let you know through a whine if they do not feel they have had enough.

If they are not exercised well, they may get too excitable and energetic for some small children, as with many breeds. They are perfect for an an energetic family and they work well with most other animals as well.

This is a sensitive breed and does not require harsh training. They respond best to reward training. They have good intentions but if their energy level is not kept in check, they could get distructive.

The Hungarian Vizsla should be kept as an "inside-dog" because of their lack of an undercoat. They are considered to be a self cleaning breed, meaning they do not need frequent bathing to remain clean and smelling their best.

Things to consider about the Vizsla breed is that they are prone to food and skin allergies and dysplasia in their hips.

Vizslas were favored hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes who in the tenth century, lived in the Carpathian basin. This can be seen in the 1,000+ year old stone etchings. During the second world war when Hungary was taken over by the Russians, the dogs were shipped to America to stop their extinction. There, the Vizsla became the 115th breed recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1960.