Kuvasz type - a general summary

General Appearance

Your first impression when you see a Kuvasz is that it is a large white dog with long hair covering it's body, tail, and fringes of legs.  It's appearance should denote strength and athleticism with neither overpowering the other.  It has a beautiful head with a clean face, black nose and eyes.

Further examination of the coat by touch will reveal a coat this much harder than it appears.  Kuvasz possess a double coat -  a soft and downy undercoat that keeps the dog warm, and a "crisp" outer coat - or guard hair - that protects against the elements.  Unlike a lot of dogs, the Kuvasz does not have an oily skin and therefore if kept brushed regularly, will not emit a doggy odor despite infrequent baths.  The coat is always white in color with no markings.  Please understand though that "white" can be interpreted many different ways and do not expect to see a Kuvasz as "white as the driven snow" even immediately following a bath.  The white is a softer and deeper white which is non-reflective or shiny, and never "silvery" as is found in the Samoyed.  Discoloration does occur with some dogs, typically on the ears, and on the bodies of older dogs. 

The AKC standard allows for a coat from straight to quite wavy.  Typically a dog whose coat appears to be straight is in fact wavy, but probably had the wave groomed out.  Even a "straight coated" dog will not have perfectly straight hair - if you examine it closely, you will see slight undulations. 

As important as the color and texture of the coat is the distribution of the coat.  The hair must be short (skin tight) on the face, the fronts of all legs, and on the paws.  The hair is slightly longer on the body.  There is a "rough" around the neck, more pronounced in males than females.  The backs of the legs and the tail have very long hair.  Any deviation from this gives the Kuvasz a silhouette that is not proper for the breed.  Looking under the coat, the ideal skin color is dark slate grey.

When looking at the dog standing from the side, the legs should be about 1/2 the total height of the dog measured at the withers (the highest point on the back over the shoulders).  The top line (back) should appear strong and straight - not dipping in the middle or sloping toward the rear.  From the fore chest to the rear of the dog should be slightly longer than the dog in height at the withers giving him a slightly rectangular shape.  The legs should appear strong and straight.  The neck is not too short or long, and should be strong as well.  You should see a slight tuck-up of the belly behind the last rib.  The tail should hang down naturally, but may be raised to the level of the back when excited.  It is unfortunately common to see high tail carriages (sometimes in a "wheel" over the back) in some dogs in this country, and this is a fault.

The body must allow the dog to perform the function of the breed.  The dog should be strong enough to best a wolf if he had to, fast and agile enough to outmaneuver the wolf, and he should possess the endurance to do this all day if necessary.  A dog that appears quite strong may not have the speed or agility necessary to do the job.  A dog that appears quite fast and agile may not have the strength or endurance.  The Kuvasz is a true athlete - he should be able to do it all.

The head is quite beautiful and unique to the breed.  From above it should be a wedge shape, with a broad back-skull that tapers gently to the nose, but never sharply or to a point.  From the side there should be a slight and gentle rise from the muzzle to the forehead - this is the "stop" and it should never be abrupt, but should be defined.  The eyes are almond shaped, dark, with dark rims.  Eye brow "bones" should be apparent as well.  The cheeks should fill the face gently in line with the wedge shape - and should not be over pronounced or sunken.  The muzzle should be relatively broad and deep with a slight taper to the nose which is always large and black.  The upper and lower lips should fit tightly around the mouth without excess hanging or bulging, and should also be rimmed in black.  The ears are triangular, with a slightly rounded tip, and they should "frame" the face.  The top of the ear should start at the top of the head, and the outside bend of the triangle should be about even with the eye.  The ear should be long enough if pulled, to cover the inside corner of the eye on the same side of the head, or hang to about the level of the lips.

The above is a general description of the parts of the Kuvasz and will suffice for people interested in a pet.  If however your mission is to show or breed Kuvasz, you must become far more familiar with the entire breed Standard  and learn how to interpret it.  You should begin by attending a Judges Education seminar which are typically held in conjunction with the National Specialty of the Kuvasz Club of America.  You should also attend many shows, especially specialties, and meet veteran breeders and learn from them.