Kuvasz
Kuvasz dog
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| Other names | Hungarian Kuvasz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | Hungary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Weight | Male | 45–52 kg (99–115 lb) | |
| Female | 32–41 kg (71–90 lb) | ||
| Height | Male | 70–76 cm (28–30 in) | |
| Female | 65–70 cm (26–28 in) | ||
| Coat | Ranges from straight to wavy | ||
| Color | White | ||
| Litter size | 6–8 | ||
| Life span | 10–12 years | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #54 | standard | |
| AKC | Working | standard | |
| ANKC | Group 5 (Working Dogs) | standard | |
| CKC | Group 3 – Working Dogs | standard | |
| KC (UK) | Pastoral | standard | |
| NZKC | Working | standard | |
| UKC | Guardian Dog | standard | |
The Kuvasz (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkuvɒs]), is an ancient breed of a livestock dog of Hungarian origin. Mention of the breed can be found in old Hungarian texts. It has historically been used as a royal guard dog, or to , but has been increasingly found in homes as a pet over the last seventy years.
The Kuvasz is a large dog with a dense double, odorless coat which is white in color and can range from wavy to straight in texture. Although the fur is white, the Kuvasz’s skin pigmentation should be dark and the nose should be black. The eyes should have an almond shape. Females usually weigh between 32–41 kg (70–90 pounds) while males weigh between 45–52 kg (100–115 pounds) with a medium bone structure. The head should be half as wide as it is long with the eyes set slightly below the plane of the muzzle. The (where the muzzle raises to the crown of the head) should be defined but not abrupt. The precise standard varies by country. (See the Breed Standards for a more precise description.) To a casual observer, the Kuvasz may appear similar to a Great Pyrenees, Akbash, a Maremma Sheepdog, Slovak Cuvac and the Polish Tatra Sheepdog, all of which are similar in size, coat color, and general appearance.
As with many livestock guardian dogs, the color of the Kuvasz's coat serves a functional purpose and is an essential breed criterion. Shepherds purposefully bred the Kuvasz to have a light colored coat so that it would be easier for the shepherds to distinguish the Kuvasz from wolves that would prey on the livestock during the night. The Komondor, a cousin of the Kuvasz, has a white coat for the same reason. Traditionally, the Hungarian Kuvasz's coat could be either white or cream colored with a wavy texture. However, there is some debate, particularly in the United States, concerning the appropriateness of "cream" colored coats in show-quality dogs and whether the coat should be straight or wavy in texture. Since washing and brushing out a coat, as done for shows in the US also causes the coat to appear straight, the debate may be circular. Straighter coats may also have appeared as the result of breeding programs that developed after World War II, when the breeding lines in Hungary were isolated from the rest of the world as a result of Soviet & German occupation (see History, below). By Hungarian standard the straight coat is not acceptable. There must be special twirls in the coat.
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Wikipedia