The main characteristics of the Kuvasz dog breed are its powerful figure, lively temperament and agile body. It is tireless and efficient; it is unaware of fear, and is faithful and confident. Its appearance radiates harmony and reflects, strictly speaking, what constitutes the best feature of its character and physique : balance. At Petlifey, we explain everything about the kuvasz dog.
Character of the Kuvasz
The kuvasz is a dog with a brave and not fearful temperament. Due to its behaviour, it defends, even at the risk of its own life, those persons and properties whose defence and custody have been entrusted to it.
It is faithful, It loves its owner, and It is very grateful for the love and attention that is expressed to it. The Kuvasz is a very intelligent and curious dog, brave, tenacious and with great determination, in addition, it is extremely territorial and its instinct for protection is highly developed, which is why it stands as a magnificent dog for guarding and protection tasks.
If you have the opportunity, show your courage and skill by herding cattle and defending them from the aggression of wolves and bears. Surely for all this, it is not a suitable dog for any owner.
- Temperament: Vigilant, courageous, faithful and loving, you need to be very clear about who holds the leadership.
- Energy: High level. You need to be busy and exercise a lot on a regular basis, especially jogging in wide, open spaces,
- Adaptability: Medium / low. You can live in an urban environment only if you are provided with a large space where you can go for a run and move freely.
- Sociability: Medium / low. It is very faithful to its master and its family, but due to its high protective instinct, It can show signs of aggressiveness towards strange elements.
- Health: Good. Your worst enemy is obesity, which can cause joint pain.
- Longevity: Low. Live between 8 and 10 years
- Utility: Versatile. Shepherding and guarding, but also hunting, trail and companion dogs.
Is it a good family dog?
It is big, heavy, with great force and with a bravery that must always be kept under control. That does not mean that it cannot be an extraordinary family dog , but it does require a great deal of responsibility and much more dedicated attention from its owner than most breeds.
If properly educated, the kuvasz develops a bond with its family that ends up being unbreakable. The absolute fidelity and loyalty to its master make them a devoted animal of its own, whom It will defend with its own life if necessary.
Can you live with other pets?
The kuvasz can live with other animals and other breeds of dog, but only if it is used to its presence from a very young age, if not, it is extremely combative.
In this sense, the breeders of the breed should take precautions when they have several specimens of kuvasz, as there are often attacks between males for social supremacy.
Can you have it in an apartment?
The Kuvasz needs to exercise very often and loves the outdoors. Therefore, it is happy when it has a spacious environment, with large free spaces where it can run and move at will.
If you are guaranteed this daily dose of exercise and fresh air, you can get used to living in a flat or a city. But it is not the most recommended breed for it.
Is it a suitable breed for beginners?
Thus, this is not a suitable dog for novice, hesitant or timid owners, but for experienced owners who also have enough mental strength to exercise a dominant role over their dog.
It should not be forgotten that It is basically independent, and that for its involvement with its family and its devotion to it to be total, It must first see its master as someone superior, even stronger and more determined than them.
Characteristics of the Kuvasz
The general appearance of the Kuvasz dog breed is strong and large, showing a thick, wavy, white coat. Its image radiates nobility and strength. All its physical parts are in harmony and the skeleton is powerful but not crude.
How is the Kuvasz breed physically?
Body
Its body is very muscular, with a powerful figure, lively temperament and great agility, giving the impression of tireless and efficient power. The length of the body slightly exceeds the height at the withers, which is about 74 cm in males and about 68 cm in females.
The musculature is strong and powerful, and the joints are sharply outlined. Seen from the side, the body forms a lying rectangle, almost square.
The feet are firm, round or somewhat oval, and have black elastic pads. The fingers are short, close together and curved upwards, and the nails are strong, hard and black.
Its tail is set low, in direct continuity with the rump, it is gently descending. It falls straight and has a slight upward curvature at the tip, although without bending. On alert or when nervous, the dog raises her to the level of the top line. She is covered in thick, wavy hair.
Head
The head of the kuvasz differs from similar breeds basically by the shape of its lean head, which has a characteristic wedge shape in harmony with the body. It is pleasant, noble, and radiates considerable strength. The head of the male is usually somewhat more robust than that of the female.
It has almond-shaped eyes and dark brown irises, they are placed somewhat obliquely. The edge of the eyelids is usually well pigmented black.
Their ears are set mid-height, are curved, shaped like a “V” and sit well next to the head. If the dog is alert, it raises them a little, but without getting them fully erect,
Hair
The coat is moderately hard, wavy, somewhat stiff and not prone to matting. A softer, downy undercoat is found under the rather thick outer coat.
It is short or of medium length in most of the body, except on the back faces of the extremities, which are covered with feathers. Around the neck a ruff is formed that continues to the chest in the form of a mane, which is more noticeable in males.
Regarding the colors of the Hungarian Kuvasz , it is normally white or cream colored, although there are some ivory colored specimens.
Kuvasz breed standard
- Origin: Hungary.
- Use: grazing, guarding and defense.
- Size: Very large.
- Height at the withers: 71-76 cm (Males) and 66-70 cm (Females).
- Weight: 48-62 kg (males) and 37-50 kg (females).
- General appearance: With a very large, powerful and harmonious body structure, it radiates nobility and strength. Its strong and dry musculature endows them with tireless power and efficient agility.
- Head: Wide skull and marked forehead, the head is lean and strong, with a typical wedge shape. The muzzle tapers towards the nose, which is black and blunt.
- Skull: It is broad, with the forehead somewhat marked.
- Nose-frontal depression (stop): Little marked.
- Muzzle: It becomes progressively narrower, without becoming pointed. The muzzle is straight.
- Nose: Black and blunt.
- Jaws: The jaws are well developed and strong, with regular teeth and a full scissor bite.
- Eyes: Set somewhat obliquely, they are almond-shaped and dark brown in color. The edge of the eyelids is black.
- Ears: Inserted at medium height, they are shaped like a “V” and the tip is rounded. Up to a third are curved and separated, and then they sit well next to the head. In attention, it raises them a little, but does not carry them erect or crooked.
- Neck: It is rather short and with strong muscles. The nape is short, and the skin of the throat is firm, without dewlap. In males, the ruff and the mane are very characteristic.
- Body: Seen in profile, it forms a horizontal rectangle, almost square.
- Back: Of medium length, it is straight, wide, very muscular and firm. The loin is short, in continuity with the back, and the withers are long, marked upwards on the surface of the back. The rump is slightly descending, well muscled, broad and a bit high in appearance due to the dense coat.
- Chest: It is deep, long and slightly arched.
- Tail: Set low, it continues gently down the line of the croup. It falls straight and shows a slight upward curvature at the tip.
- Forelimbs: Straight to Carpi, are parallel and spaced moderately.
- Shoulders: They have long and oblique shoulder blades, muscular and firmly attached to the rib cage, although with good mobility.
- Forearms and arms: The former are long, straight, compact and with lean musculature; the arms are of medium length, very muscular.
- Hind limbs: They are strong and are endowed with long, broad and solid thighs closely linked to the pelvis.
- Legs: Its musculature, which is long and solid, is attached by strong tendons in the hock. Viewed from behind, they are vertical and parallel to the axis of the body.
- Knees: They are voluminous.
- Hocks: Broad , voluminous and dry, they are tendinous.
- Feet : Round or somewhat oval, they are firm, The toes are short, elastic, close together, and so arched upwards that the central ones do not touch the ground, The pads are elastic and black, and the nails, hard, strong and colored black or slate gray.
- Movement: The step is slow and wide. In the trot, the movement is fluid, elastic, with good ground coverage, dynamic, regular and persevering. The elbows are neither turned in nor out.
- Skin: Very well pigmented; it is firm and slate gray in color.
- Hair: It is strong, long, wavy and with a dense undercoat. Despite being white in color, it shows little tendency to accumulate dirt. Withstands inclement weather well.
- FCI Classification: FCI No. 54. Group 1 – Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs). Section 1 – Sheepdogs.
Kuvasz education and training
Since the Kuvaz race was selected to work alone under very difficult conditions, its genetic code pushes it to make decisions on its own account and to question the orders received, so working with the Kuvasz in obedience matters is quite a difficult task.
The only way to efficiently advance with it is from experience and knowledge.
The training must be, in addition to early, very intense and tenacious. Especially working intensely from the beginning establishing an unbreakable bond in which the owner is imposed as the strong and indisputable leader. Only in this way can consistency and reliability in the animal’s response be achieved.
here are those who say that the kuvasz is not trained, it is taught, because with them coercive methods do not work but discipline and the establishment of supremacy by its master.
It is not very useful, therefore, as a police dog or in other types of work in which it has to be subject to its guidance, but if the right cooperative bond is established it becomes an extraordinary work animal.
Health and nutrition of the Kuvasz
The kuvasz grows very fast but is not considered physically mature until at least two years old.
Once it has reached adulthood, it is advisable to subject them to a diet of two meals a day, in order to divide its food ration into two smaller portions, which due to its energy needs can be very large.
Diets very rich in protein and fat should not be abused. Especially during its youth, care must be taken that the animal does not gain significant excess weight. This is the best way to prevent possible joint problems.
It is also essential to ensure adequate exercise, since its high degree of energy means that it needs ample spaces every day to run at will to exercise its muscles and release accumulated tensions. In these conditions and with a family environment that provides the security it needs, the kuvasz will be a healthy, active and, above all, very happy animal that its owners can be very proud of.