Komondor dog

History of origin

The Komondor is a breed so old and original that it is now difficult to say exactly how it appeared. Hungarians joke that their national dog is the fruit of love between a wolf and a sheep. In fact, most likely, the Komondors are the descendants of the ancient shepherd dogs, which a thousand years ago were found on the western coast of the Black Sea, and then, together with the ancestors of the Hungarians, pressed by the Khazars, went deep into the mainland. Perhaps a share of wolf blood also flows in the veins of the Komondor.

From ancient times to this day, they have been engaged in the fact that thousands of flocks of sheep graze in the Carpathian valleys and protect the herds from the encroachments of predators. Moreover, thanks to a peculiar shaggy coat, these shepherd dogs are difficult to notice among their wards. In addition, the original coat makes dogs almost invulnerable to wolf tusks, because biting through such a fur coat is not so easy.

For a long time, these dogs were not known outside their homeland, and by the beginning of the XNUMXth century they had become very rare. Perhaps this would have ended badly for the breed, if the Hungarian breeder Jozsef Bukowski, who founded the first large Komondor kennel, had not taken it. He actively popularized the breed, represented it at all international exhibitions, thanks to which they learned about the Komondor in Europe. American breeders also played an active part in the revival of the breed.

Today, these dogs still herd sheep in the Hungarian fields, but in other countries they are happy to make them as family friends. In Our Country, Komondors have been known for a long time, these dogs were here back in Soviet times, but they have become more or less numerous only in recent decades.

Breed description

It is difficult to confuse the Komondor with any other breed. This is a very tall dog, which also looks massive, thanks to its powerful coat. The muzzle is short, the jaws are powerful. The nose is pink or black, the eyes are small, usually not visible from under the coat. Ears are small, hanging.

The Komondor seems to be very voluminous and powerful, but its skeleton is quite thin-boned, so they weigh much less than other dogs of the same height. Their back is straight, the tail is saber-shaped, covered with long hair.

The coat of the Komondor is its calling card, which distinguishes the breed from the rest. Puppies are born covered with curly down, which rolls into real dreadlocks with age. On an adult dog, there can be more than two thousand. The dreadlocks are very long, often hanging down to the ground, and the dog appears to be covered with thick cords, resembling a gigantic rope mop. Each such cord is carefully shaped, and some breeders even tie it with special ribbons to give it the desired shape.

Color is allowed only white, although initially Komondor were a variety of colors, including black.

Photos

Character

Balanced and calm, komodors always carry themselves with aristocratic dignity. It is not for nothing that in their homeland in Hungary they are called “shepherd kings”. They are condescending to other dogs, friendly to people, and completely devoted to their master. These handsome men are very smart and independent, because their task is to work without human intervention.

Remaining a sheepdog to the marrow of his bones, the Komondor strives to herd everyone around, even if he has never seen a live sheep in his life. Therefore, it is good for him to trust children – he will guard them vigilantly, will never give offense and will not cause harm himself, fully aware of his size.

In general, Komondors are incredibly peaceful, so they themselves never start a fight. They will even treat wolves with understanding if they do not encroach on the herd or territory entrusted to them.

They look at strangers with suspicion, but do not show aggression – rather, they are watching from the side, ready at any moment to defend their beloved owner.

Care and maintenance

Here it is worth noting two difficulties: dimensions and wool. The first, of course, refers to the size of the living space – this giant clearly has nothing to do in a small city apartment. The second is the face, business card and pride of the komondor, therefore, it requires careful care. It would seem, what could be simpler than unkempt wool, which has almost reached the state of felt? But any human stylist and canine groomer will tell you that maintaining an air of casualness is the hardest part of their art. In order for the Komondor wool to look like long-uncut sheep’s fleece, the owner must monitor the formation of each cord, and, if necessary, give it the desired shape on his own.

It is also worth remembering that in their homeland, Komondors accompany herds, running many kilometers with them every day, so dogs need serious and prolonged physical exertion.

But they are completely undemanding to the conditions of detention and are able to live in an aviary all year round, not being afraid of either cold or heat.

Education and training

Like all shepherd dogs, Komondors are well trained, however, the innate sedateness can give the impression that what they are told slowly comes to these dogs. Nothing like this! They understand not only the words, but also the thoughts of the owner, but they need time to thoroughly think over the command and decide whether it is worth following it.

At the same time, they perfectly carry out security guard service and successfully perform in various sports.

The Komondor is a dog of the same owner, so if you want to develop a trusting relationship with your pet, start interacting with him from the first minutes of your acquaintance. Let the puppy learn his name and understand what can and cannot be done in the house. The main thing is to behave calmly and confidently, so you will definitely gain authority from your four-legged arch.

Be sure to teach him to walk alongside and not to pull, otherwise, when he reaches up to 80 cm at the withers, you simply won’t be able to hold this pile of white wool.

Health and disease

The Komondor cannot be called a sickly breed – after all, it is not a pampered lap dog, however, like most other large dogs, it has hip dysplasia, and also, due to its anatomical structure, stomach torsion. In addition, like many white dogs, they are allergic to various types of food, such as chicken (and especially chicken skin), so it is necessary to carefully monitor the dog’s diet. Do not feed him sweets and in any case do not give pork – it is contraindicated in general for all dogs.

Of course, the Komondor feels healthy and happy if he has the opportunity to run daily in nature and release the accumulated energy, so since you don’t have your own flock to graze, just give the dog the opportunity to move more and get new experiences.

Word to the breeder

Natalia Krishvalova President of the National Komondor Breed Club in Our Country, Owner of the Krishta kennel: “The Komondor, due to its impressive size and majestic manner, is rightfully considered the “King of the Hungarian Sheepdogs.” This is one of the largest dog breeds. The average height of the male is 75 centimeters, which is further emphasized by the extremely long corded white coat of the animal. I have been working with the breed for over 27 years, Komondors are the love of my life!”

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of komondor with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.