The Kuvasz has a wedge-shaped head, almond-shaped eyes and a double coat. The texture of the fur is moderately rough and wavy, while the undercoat is thick and woolly (canis familiaris undulans hungaricus, Abonyi L., 1935). World War II was devastating for the breed when protective and fearless Kuvaszok were shot by the invading soldiers. The few survivors, without pedigrees, were not the best. Antal Kovács founded the Gyapjus (“wavy”) kennel in 1953, which allowed an improvement in the selection and quality of the animals in the 1960s. The most famous male at the time, Gyapjus Morcos, produced excellent offspring. The number of private owners and breeders grew in the 1970s and about 240 dogs were presented at that time at a dog show in Budapest. On that occasion, dogs of unknown origin obtained “B-pedigrees” and some Slovakian and Polish dogs were added to the gene pool. From then on there was a growing interest abroad and better-quality dogs began to be exported, especially to Holland and Sweden.

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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2016252768635957

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.