Kuvas the dog

History of origin

As is the case with most other ancient breeds, today it is difficult to speak with certainty about the origin of the Hungarian kuvasz. Some researchers claim that large white dogs came to the Western Carpathians with the Huns, others point to the Turks, because, firstly, the name of the breed comes from the Turkic “keeper of peace”, and secondly, there are also white shepherd dogs in Turkey – akbashi. Still others believe that the ancestors of the Hungarians, the Magyars, brought the Kuvasses to the Carpathians. And there are those who believe that the ancient Sumerians had a hand in the birth of the breed. One way or another, today large white dogs have become the national treasure of Hungary.

In their homeland, kuvas have become popular since the XNUMXth century, when King Matt I took them to him as bodyguards. After that, all the Hungarian nobles began to make kuvas – it became a kind of fashion. One such dog even belonged to the famous Wallachian ruler Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula – a kuvasz puppy was a reward for services to the state in the fight against the Turkish yoke.

However, this did not prevent the breed from continuing its work as herd guards, and the white color of the dogs allowed shepherds to distinguish them from wolves at a great distance even at dusk.

But in other countries they learned about Kuvasz relatively recently, moreover, the breed was shown at an exhibition, first in Germany, and only then in their homeland in Hungary. The Americans are very fond of large white dogs, but in Europe the breed remains consistently small. Only in their native country today, like hundreds of years ago, kuvas continue to guard countless flocks of sheep and master’s housing.

There are very few kuvasses in our country, and for the first time the breed was presented at an exhibition in 2007.

Breed description

Large and very beautiful dog. The head is proudly set on a powerful neck, the muzzle is of medium length, the nose and lips are black, the eyes are dark brown, the ears are small, hanging, triangular in shape. Due to the abundant hair on the body, the head seems smaller. The back is straight, the croup is slightly sloping, the tail is curved at the end, saber-shaped, usually kept lowered or raised to the level of the back.

With its impressive size, the dog should not be either loose or rough. Kuvasz is the embodiment of strength and speed.

As in the case of the Komondor, wool is the hallmark of the breed. Only this time it is shorter, thicker and wavy, the fur coat makes the kuvasz even bigger than it is.

The color is exclusively white, ivory shade is allowed, but not fawn.

Photos

Character

Like most of his fellow guards, kuvas boasts remarkable intelligence and independence of the same strength. The dog jealously guards the territory entrusted to him, property or herd, and always looks at strangers with suspicion. Of course, a properly educated dog will never rush at everything that moves, but it will not show much joy from meeting strangers, but first it will take a closer look at the person, determine its intentions and only then decide whether to trust him or not. And Kuvasses have an excellent instinct for people.

Like the Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Kuvasz chooses one person as his owner, to whom he gives all his undivided devotion. This does not mean that he will growl at the rest of the household, on the contrary, he will most likely show a condescending and patronizing attitude towards them, but for the owner, the handsome white man will go into fire and into water, allowing him to do whatever he wants with himself. He will never bite him, and if he wants to show that he does not like the actions of the owner, he can carefully take his hand with his teeth and press down a little, without causing pain – with this the dog will ask you not to do this again.

For all their distrust of people, Kuvasses are kind to children – whether they are human babies or animals. With them, dogs will enthusiastically nurse, and they will never harm even a tiny kitten, being well aware of their strength and mass.

Care and maintenance

Kuvasz is an incredibly unpretentious breed. In fact, the shepherds with whom these dogs collaborated did not bother with any care at all, sometimes their four-legged helpers even found their own food. Therefore, those who decide to have such a dog should not be afraid of any difficulties. Only huge dimensions can make a problem, but this is not so important if the dog lives in the yard.

Of course, in order for kuvasz to always have an attractive appearance, it should be combed out more often, but bathing is not necessary at all (unless, of course, it has been covered in mud).

In food, kuvasses are undemanding and eat what they are given, they easily tolerate frost and heat, therefore they are able to live in the yard all year round.

But these handsome men urgently need long walks, because they need to somehow spend their entire supply of strength and endurance, as well as constantly develop their intelligence. Therefore, even if your dog lives in the yard, be sure to take him for walks, otherwise, without communication and new experiences, he will turn into an unbalanced neurotic.

Education and training

There is a completely unfounded opinion that the Kuvasz is a complex and problematic dog, angry and difficult to train. But this, apparently, was invented by someone who does not know how to communicate with four-legged human friends and is simply afraid of them. Anyone who gets to know the breed closer will be convinced of the great mind and nobility of these beauties. Yes, this is not the kind of dog that will wag its tail and wait for your orders. Kuvasz is not a servant, he is a comrade-in-arms and a friend, he is an equal partner, relations with which must be built on the basis of mutual respect. And Kuvasz respects the strong not in body, but in spirit. Only a whole, internally calm and self-confident person can become the leader of his pack. And the puppy will definitely test you for strength – that way in 4-5 months. A teenager will try to impose his opinion on you, stop obeying, probing the weaknesses of your character. And, if you find yourself morally stronger, he will gladly give you his heart. If you try to force him to follow orders by force, you will only achieve retaliatory aggression and sign your own weakness. Remember: people who are prone to violence are weak people trying to assert themselves at the expense of others.

Early socialization is very important for kuvas. Try to make the puppy’s social circle as large as possible, let him learn about the world around him and draw his own conclusions about it.

Health and disease

Kuvasses have good health. As mentioned above, they are not afraid of bad weather, thanks to their warm and waterproof wool, and their stomach successfully digests any food. Unless you can’t feed any dogs with pork, and besides, it’s better not to give chicken, because, like all white animals, kuvas are prone to allergies, and chicken skin is the strongest allergen.

Otherwise, in order for the dog to live a long and happy life, the owner should not forget about annual vaccinations and parasite prevention. And, of course, it must be remembered that the difficult psychological situation in the house affects the subtle psyche of dogs very negatively.

Word to the breeder

Lynn Brady, breeder of the American Breed Club “Shumeria” says:

– I have been a fan of the breed since 1985 and still consider it the best. The appearance of a kuvasz, his fur coat, his mind and boundless devotion to his family – all this makes us love them with all our hearts.

The name of the club was not chosen by chance, because according to one version, this breed was known to the Sumerians. We even have a dog named Inanna, the name of the Sumerian goddess of love and fertility.

We continue to work with the breed and are sincerely grateful to the people who share their knowledge and experience with us.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of kuvas with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina: