The Kuvasz Dogs

The Kuvasz dog breed stems from an origin of ancient Hungary. Mentions of this breed can even be found in old Hungarian texts. The Kuvasz has been historically used as a guard dog for livestock. Yet, over the years, this breed has been becoming increasingly popular in home as a lovable pet. You may find these Puppies For Sale throughout the US.

The Kuvasz is considered a Hungarian breed; however it most likely descended from giant dogs of Tibet. It did eventually make its way to Hungary from Tibet, through Turkey. The name Kuvasz is not Hungarian either and is said to have derived from the Turkish word Kawa, meaning armed guard of the nobility. There was a period of time when only people nobility in favor with the royal family were permitted to own a Kuvasz. The Kuvasz is an extremely old breed and in the later fifteenth century, it was held in the highest respect. The breeding of the Kuvasz was cautiously planned and recorded. They were a fixture of most large Hungarian estates, serving as both guard and hunting dogs. King Matthias I was a special patron of the breed and kept a large kennel to improve the quality of the dogs. In later centuries, the Kuvasz were slowly starting to be owned by commoners, who used them as livestock dogs. It was during this time period that the breed's name was corrupted to its present spelling. Oddly enough, the present spelling of the breed translates as mongrel. The plural form of the dog breed name Kuvasz is Kuvaszok. After the two World Wars, the breed drastically declined. However, luckily, German stock formed a basis for the breed to continue through these hard times. Some of the Kuvasz dogs had also been imported to America around the 1930s. After this, the Kuvasz breed received AKC recognition in 1935.

The Kuvasz is known for its large size. This breed has a dense double, odorless coat that is white in color and takes on a variety of textures including wavy and straight. As many may not realize, the color of the Kuvasz's fur serves an important functional purpose and is an essential part of this breed's livelihood. The Kuvasz was purposefully bred to have a light colored coat so that it would be a much simpler task for the shepherds to distinguish the breed from wolves that would prey on the livestock throughout the night. Even though the Kuvasz's fur is white, its skin pigmentation is darker and the nose is straight black. This breed's eyes have an almond shape to them. Males of this breed usually weigh between 100 and 150 pounds, while females weigh in around 75 to 90 pounds. Both males and females have a medium bone structure. The Kuvasz's head is about half as wide as it is long with its eye slightly set below the plane of its muzzle. The area where the muzzle raises to the crown of the head, known as the stop, is usually distinct but not abrupt. Many people compare the Kuvasz's appearance to other dog breeds such as the Great Pyrenees, the Akbash, the Samoyed, the Maremma Sheepdog, a white Poodle and Labrador Retriever mix, the Polish Tatra Sheepdog, and the Slovak Cuvac.

The Kuvasz's temperament is known as intelligent, yet playful. This breed's adolescent-like personality and sense of humor often lasts well into its adulthood. The Kuvasz is an extremely loyal dog breed who is also very patient. It has been documented that this breed of dog seems to be happiest when it is working and guarding livestock. Their natural instinct of protecting its flock makes it seem like this dog breed is always in the working mind set. With this being said, the Kuvasz is also extremely protective of its family. As protector of the family, this breed takes on a highly impressive role, given their extreme intelligence, consistent awareness of their surroundings, along with their size and strength. You can always feel safe with this dog breed.

Based on looks alone, the Kuvasz seems to have a sweet and innocent personality. However, looks can be deceiving. In actuality, this breed of dog is a fearless, strong protector that is determined to protect its family or home. While it has a tough personality, the Kuvasz is extremely gentle and protective of children in its own family. However, this breed has a hard time distinguishing between playfulness and seriousness and can often misinterpret a child's actions with other children. The Kuvasz tends to be distant when around strangers and may even become aggressive around other strange dogs. While it portrays this type of attitude towards strange humans and dogs, the Kuvasz shows tenderness towards other pets and livestock. This breed of dog is extremely dedicated and loyal towards its family, yet not very affectionate and can be domineering at times.

The Kuvasz needs daily exercise, whether in the form of consistent walks or a good run in a safe area. This breed of dog especially enjoys cooler weather and can easily live outdoors in temperate to cold weather. The Kuvasz is most content when it has the freedom to wander between the house indoors and the yard outdoors at its leisure. The Kuvasz has to have its coat combed at least once or twice a week and even more during heaving shedding phases.

The Kuvasz has a life span of ten to twelve years. This breed has many health concerns associated with it. Two of the most major health concerns include CHD and OCD. One of the more minor health concerns in this breed of dog is hypothyroidism. Panosteitis and HOD are occasionally seen in the Kuvasz. It is suggested that the Kuvasz has regularly scheduled hip, elbow, and thyroid tests to prevent any health problems. This dog breed is also prone to developmental bone problems. Therefore, it is extremely important as an owner that you take care and provide healthy nutritious meals and avoid allowing your dog to engage in rough play. Like most other large breeds of dogs, the Kuvasz is also known to develop hip dysplasia. As long as you, as an owner, take good care of your dog and provide it with a healthy lifestyle, some of these health issues can be prevented.

Overall, the Kuvasz breed is a well-round dog that can serve a variety of useful purposes. With its extreme intelligence, impressive size and strength, and natural instinct to protect, the Kuvasz makes the perfect guard dog to tend to livestock and other flocks. However, along with these impressive working dog traits, the Kuvasz also has an extremely loveable, playful, and gentle personality, making it the perfect pet for a family. With these diverse and notable characteristic traits, it is easy to see why the Kuvasz is quickly becoming more and more popular.

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