KUVASZ
HISTORY BRIEF: The Turkish word is kawasz, which means "armed guard of the nobility." There is little doubt of the part that the Kuvasz played in the history of the kingdoms and empires which flourished throughout Europe five to eight centuries ago. Dogs of this breed were the constant companions of many rulers. It was in Hungary that the Kuvasz developed into the form in which he is seen today. He is still a big dog but not the giant of ancient times. King Mathias I, who reigned from 1458 to 1490 had at least one Kuvasz with him at all times. He developed a large pack for hunting purposes. The scope of his breeding did much to perpetuate a strain of the breed. Surplus puppies were presented only to the noblemen and to visiting dignitaries. Eventually, long after King Marthias, members of the breed came into the hands of the commoners, shepherds found them suitable to work sheep and cattle. It was in this period the name was changed to its current spelling.
DESCRIPTION: A working dog of larger size, sturdily built, well balanced, neither lanky nor cobby. They are white in color with a medium coarse double coat with no markings. The Kuvasz is a medium boned dog, and moves with a strong, but light footed gait. Females: weight 70-90 pounds; height 26-28 inches. Males: weight 100-115 pounds; height 28-30 inches. WORKING CHARACTERISTICS: The Kuvasz can be a somewhat dominant dog with variable reactivity due to the split in breeding between companion and working dogs by most breeders. Kuvasz have moderate energy and are noted for forming loyal and affectionate relationships with people and stock. They tend to be softer in nature than other LGD breeds and do better where they can work or live with a close relationship with their owners. Companion Kuvasz are protective of home and suspicous of strangers. Kuvasz can be very athletic and tend to work at a distance from the stock. |
HEALTH: Kuvasz are subject to certain genetic and hereditary diseases and should be screened for these conditions before breeding. Please click the links below to learn more.
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