History and Function

The Kuvasz is a large white dog that was historically used to guard livestock in Hungary.  The breed is considered to be Hungarian in origin, at least that is where it derived its name from, but the ancient history of the formation of this breed and other similar flock guards is unknown.  There are many flock guardian breeds, all similar in temperament and general characteristics, but having different names and slightly different type (type = what they look like) due to the specifics of geography.  For example the French developed the Great Pyrenees to guard flocks in the Pyrenees mountain range.  As such this particular breed of dog has a stockier build, longer and straighter coat to protect more against snow, and other differentiating characteristics.  The Akbash dog from Turkey allows a variance in type but is more typically longer legged and has a shorter coat – both characteristics that are better suited to the arid but cold regions.  While each of these dogs from different countries and different geographical challenges have different names and differ somewhat in appearance, it is believed that all flock guards can be traced back to a single common ancestor – perhaps thousands of years old.

Flock guards were developed thousands of years ago to assist nomadic peoples moving their herds from region to region.  It is suspected that flock guards were developed shortly after peoples began keeping herds of animals, and that the flock guards were the second “type” of breed to be developed (sight hounds are believed to have been the first).  A flock guard would assist the shepherd during the day while moving the flock and at night it would remain with the flock and guard them from predators.  The flock guard was therefore developed to be an intelligent animal capable of thinking through situations and making correct decisions without the aid of a shepherd.

As well as possessing the intelligence to discriminate friend from foe without direction, the Kuvasz must also possess certain physical characteristics to perform the duties of a flock guard.

Form follows function

If one is to become interested in breeding or showing Kuvasz, you must familiarize yourself with the function of the breed to know what form should follow to suit that function.  Continue on to the Type page, and onto the Temperament page to learn more about what attributes separate the Kuvasz from every other breed.