Breed Description

The Kuvasz is a large breed of dog with Hungarian origin. The females of this medium-structured breed weigh an average between 75-90 pounds, while males weigh from 100-115 pounds.

The typical male stands around 28-30 inches, while the female, 26-28 inches.

Coat

The double coat of the Kuvasz is very sturdy. Their outer coat maintains the moderate coarseness, and is never smooth. They have soft, fine, and relatively silky inner coat. This breed can have either wavy or straight coat. Their coat colors come in white, ivory, or cream.

Activity

The Kuvasz requires at least an hour of vigorous exercise on a daily basis. If not used as flock guardian, they will require long brisk walks or jog daily. They are skilled swimmers, and enjoy spending their pent up energy through swimming. With the fascination to jump, this breed takes part in agility competition.

Temperament

Intelligent breed of dog, the Kuvasz makes both a working dog and a delightful family pet. With experienced trainer, this breed is easy to housetrain. But their natural independence and willfulness can make them difficult to handle during obedience training. Gentle yet firm and consistent training should be done. Harsh and heavy-handed methods are not suitable for this breed. A diligent, fierce, and highly protective breed, this breed can be caring, gentle, and patient and devoted given the right kind of care and training.

Overview

Highly Intelligent, loyal, and devoted, the Kuvasz is a highly effective working dog. With strong protective instinct over their territory and property, this breed makes an excellent watchdog.

Care

The medium-coated Kuvasz should be brushed in a weekly basis. Bathing should be avoided as their coat naturally sheds dirt, and bathing will strip them off the oils that give their coats this quality. Rather than bathing, this breed should be regularly brushed. Some owners rub cornstarch or talcum powder on to their coats, and brush it out as cleaning method. The behind of their ears should always be checked for matting.

Training

A willful and intelligent large dog, the Kuvasz has been used to thinking independently. They tend to see humans as their equals or property. So, training with this breed should start with the establishment of authority, at the earliest. Reward-based training, socialization and play all intermixed makes it better for this intelligent breed. The main component in training this breed is firmness and consistency. Never include punitive punishments in training this breed, and if they are to be reprimanded, it should be done immediately as waiting for a few moments will only confuse the dog.

Character

The Kuvasz is known to be relatively suspicious of strangers, and would need a great deal of socialization to prevent aggressiveness and timidity. This large and well-proportioned breed is very brave, with the willingness to protect their family when the need arises.