Kuvasz

Ivory/white.

Coarse topcoat and fine, downy undercoat.

Dark brown.

This deceptively cute looking brute might be mistaken, on a wintry day, for a snowdog, such is the whiteness and fluffiness of her coat. Big, strong, and radiant, her comfortable look – a kind of cosy armchair of a dog – gives lie to her powerful muscles and business-like structure. Her wedge-shaped head is a little leaner than the Golden Retriever's, to whom her looks might be most closely compared. Her pleasant expression is by no means insincere, but shows just one side of her complex personality. An ivory white colour is obligatory: she was bred that way by Hungarian shepherds so they could pick her out from the wolves, who she will invariably defeat in battle.

This is one truly affectionate dog, unless you threaten her family, in which case she will not hesitate to act out aggressively.

She likes a game in puppyhood, but becomes more serious with maturity.

Most of the time, she is calmer and less aggressive than her cousin the Komondor, but she is always reactive and ready to defend when needed.

She is very intelligent and self-determining.

Although she has a good sense of smell, she doesn’t really use it to hunt any more.

She is stand-offish and defensive towards strangers, whom she will regard with suspicion until their story checks out.

She is a very independent dog, but does still need human contact.

She can bear being away from her master, since her main mission is to protect their stuff for them.

She has a strong character that should be controlled quickly with a consistent training routine, firm but fair. You should know that if this dog feels threatened or abused, she can quickly show her fangs.

Bred as a guard dog, she can be very barky unless it’s trained out of her as a pup.

The Kuvasz is not noted as a runaway. She is bred to stay at her post.

She will become destructive if left alone and under-stimulated for long periods – particularly during puppyhood.

She is not noted as a glutton but will tend to bloat dangerously if given the chance to overeat or rush her food. Treats can help her education.

She makes an excellent guard dog but needs to be professionally coached in her youth to prevent her natural vigilance from getting out of control like a rogue superhero.

The Kuvasz is a terrible idea for a first dog; although she looks gorgeous, she can be difficult to handle for inexperienced owners.

She’s too big and outdoorsy to enjoy life in a flat.

She needs around an hour of decent exercise each day, plus regular walks and plenty of mental stimulation, or she will go nuts.

The Kuvasz can become quite uncomfortable in most transportation.

She needs to be well socialized with other animals from her youth if she is to receive them with warmth and gentleness.

She can work well in a pack. Otherwise, the Kuvasz puppy must benefit from an early, regular and high-quality socialisation to develop her canine codes and respectfully interact with her fellow creatures.

She is affectionate, gentle, and protective with children. However, caution should be taken that she doesn’t cause accidental damage with her considerable strength, and that she doesn’t mistake visiting children as a threat to those of her own family.

She is not built for an inactive life. This dog would only suit an elderly owner with the experience, energy, and durability to cope with a hound of her training needs, size, and strength. 

 In hot climates she’ll shed moderately year-around; in colder climates, seasonally.

She is generally a healthy dog, with an average life expectancy of 11 years.

This is a sturdy dog, who has no specific problems besides the usual large-dog concerns.

She prefers cooler climates, and will need shelter and fresh water in a heat wave.

She’s quite happy out on the plains in the cold.

She may put on weight if her meals are not balanced, or if she doesn’t get enough exercise.

• Hip dysplasia
• Osteochondritis dissecans
• Von Willebrand's disease
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)
• Deafness
• Ear infections

This is an old dog breed. She seems to have arrived in Hungary in the Middle Ages, by way of Tibet, Mesopotamia, or both – if we’re to trust and correctly interpret ancient documents from Mesopotamia, she goes back at least to 1300BC and her name means ‘dog horse.’ She was developed as a guard dog and shepherd in Hungary over the centuries, and in the 15th-century was the breed of choice of the teen king King Matthias – the Kuvasz was even restricted to noble families for some time. The 20th century took its toll on Hungary and on the Hungarian Kuvasz, with numbers down to double-figures, but now she’s back, ready to steal your heart and save you from wolves.