The Kuvasz is the only Hungarian breed that presents serious standard and judging problems outside Hungary. The history goes back to Germany, where a “Komondor Club” was established in 1922 and dogs of both breeds were imported and mated with each other. It is suspected that Polish and Slovak dogs and perhaps even the Pyrenean dog were mated (mixed) with Kuvaszok in Germany. Round eyes, “loose” lips, long body, misaligned limbs, and movement problems were present in these “atypical” animals. The above characteristics were termed “German faults”. Considering that the German dog Fogasch vom Schwabensee bred many puppies in Hungary and some Slovakian and Polish animals received “B” pedigrees, as already mentioned, these “faults” appeared, but in lower proportions, also in Hungary. Thus, judges found themselves in an extremely difficult position when asked to evaluate beautiful, large, but not quite consistent with the standard specimens, vis-à-vis a with “faults” 100% typical dog. Such occurrences are less frequent in Europe today. We can, however, find traces of these dogs in the USA and Canada. The wavy coat is still only an alternative in the AKC standard and the vigorous brushing in these countries, particularly before dog shows, results that the natural characteristics of the breed are not properly displayed and consequently evaluated. Today, the Kuvasz is an increasingly popular breed in Hungary, the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and other countries, including Brazil. Some people have been trying to readapt the Kuvasz to its original function as a protector of herds against attacks from coyotes, grizzly bears, and other predators. Please see: Kuvaszok a Kárpátokban.
We have listed below the electronic addresses of clubs and associations dedicated to the Kuvasz breed so that readers who are interested can contact them directly.
