Kuvasz
A Hungarian flock guardian in white, and a royal guard dog before that. It works independently, and it is slow to take an order it disagrees with.
Photo by Svenska Mässan, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Kuvasz is a Hungarian livestock guardian that also served as a royal guard dog: King Matthias Corvinus kept them in the fifteenth century and reportedly trusted them more than his courtiers. It is large, white and heavily coated.
It was nearly wiped out in the Second World War, partly because German and Soviet soldiers shot them for defending their families, and fewer than thirty were thought to remain afterwards.
Temperament
Independent, protective and slow to trust. Kuvaszok are devoted to their own families and genuinely suspicious of everyone else, and they make their own judgements.
They are not obedient dogs in the conventional sense and they mature slowly, taking three years. They are patient with their own children and wary around visiting ones, particularly during rough play, which they may read as a threat. This is a serious working guardian.
Care and grooming
A thick white double coat that needs brushing twice a week and daily during the two heavy moults. It is surprisingly self cleaning and should not be shaved.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, osteochondritis dissecans and bloat are the main concerns, and rapid growth in puppyhood makes the joint problems worse. Ten to twelve years.
Living and exercise
Territory and a secure fence rather than walks, plus an hour of moderate exercise.
They bark at night and they roam. They suit rural properties with stock, and a suburban Kuvasz is a difficult dog in a setting that does not suit it.
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