Komondor
Other names: Hungarian Sheepdog, Mop Dog, Hungarian Commonmop
Right, this is the one. The dog you’ve been seeing around town. The one that causes small children to stop and drop their lollipops. But while yes, this dog is a big mop on legs, and at least twice as adorable in person as seen from afar, she is also a serious working dog in her own right: a shepherd and a fierce guard, whose flowing cords disguise her strength and vigour. Thus, she may be a mop but she’s nobody’s broom to push around, and without adequate training this large and determined dog can become quite a handful. Properly raised, however, she will become an affectionate and striking member of the family and a great help around small domestic spillages.
Key facts about the Komondor
Origins and history
Known as a Hungarian Sheepdog, her ancestors were brought to Hungary in the middle-ages by the Cumans, from whom she takes her name and at whose graves her ancestors’ remains have been found. Before that, her heritage seems to have been Tibetan. She has been a popular worker in Hungary for many centuries, guarding rather than herding sheep. It is said that many of her kind perished at the hands of the invading Nazis because no Komondor house could be taken with this fierce protector still alive.
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 1 - Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
Section
Section 1 : Sheepdogs
Physical characteristics of the Komondor
Adult size
Female : Between 26 and 28 in
Male : Between 28 and 31 in
Weight
Female : Between 88 and 110 lb
Male : Between 110 and 132 lb
Coat colour
Ivory.
Type of coat
Coarse upper coat, tending towards corded; fine undercoat.
Eye colour
Dark brown.
Description
While the Hungarian Sheepdog is known for her mop-like appearance, her coat may appear more or less smooth, wavy, or matted according to the individual; and those cords can take several months from puppyhood to develop. All the same, you’re looking at one hairy dog, whose hair at its shortest is 10cm (ears, neck, and limbs) while nearing 30cm on the croup. So striking is her hair-do that many neglect to ponder, or simply can’t imagine, what’s going on underneath. What you would find were you to look is a broad, domed head, a muscled neck in perfect line to her back, a broad chest, muscled torso, big bones, yet a light gait.
Good to know
There are only a few dozen of these dogs in the UK so tracking down a pup can take a while.