The Komondor is known as the "King of the Working Dogs" in his native Hungary where he works as a flock guardian. He is believed to be closely related to the Afscharka, a Russian herding breed, and possibly the Puli. The breed was introduced to North America in the early 1930s and is officially recognized by both the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) and the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The Komondor is a flock guardian who was originally developed to guard large herds of animals on the open plains, in charge of protecting the herd by himself with no assistance or commands. He is a vigilant guardian of his flock, with a fiercely protective nature, who will fight any predator to the death. Traditionally used to guard sheep, the Komondor has, however, also been used to herd cattle as well as in police work.
Like all livestock guardian dogs, the Komondor is calm and steady under normal conditions. He is reserved with strangers but very affectionate, loyal and extremely devoted to his family. The Komondor will instinctively guard his family, home and posessions without any training. Known for his keen instincts, the Komondor can sense the intentions of anyone in his presence.
The Komondor's general appearance is one of strength and dignity with a courageous demeanor. He is a large and muscular dog covered with a very distinctive and unusually heavy coat of white cords. This coat serves well to help him blend in with his flock as well as to protect him from weather extremes. The coat colour is always white but not necessarily a pure white. A small amount of cream or buff shading is sometimes seen in puppies. The ideal skin colour is grey though pink skin is acceptable to the breed standard. The puppy coat is fairly soft but shows the tendency to fall into cord-like curls. The young adult coat, or intermediate coat, consists of very short cords which may be hidden by fluff on the outer ends of the cords. The mature coat consists of a dense, soft, wooly undercoat and a coarser outer coat that is either wavy or curly. The coarser outercoat forms permanent, strong cords that are felt-like to the touch.
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Health Issues:
The Komondor has few genetic or heredity problems. However, as in all large breeds of dogs, incidence of Hip Dysplasia has been seen within the breed. Juvenile Cataracts as well as Entropion — a eye disorder resulting in the curling inwards of either the upper or lower eyelid — are also found in the breed.
Bloat or Gastric Dilation-Torsion syndrome, is a life threatening condition and, though the incidence is no greater in the Komondor than in other large breeds, the condition is an emergency situation that requires immediate veterinary attention. If you are not familiar with this condition, it is absolutely necessary to learn about it and know the symptoms. See Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV) — Bloat in the Health and Nutrition section of Canada's Guide to Dogs for more information and First Aid for Bloat for an article describing some of the things you can do if you are faced with this situation.
If you are considering the adoption of a Komondor puppy, or any breed, it is very important to be selective in choosing a responsible and reputable breeder. Ensure that the prospective puppy's parents have all health clearances, including OFA certification for hips and eye examinations certified by CERF as recommended by the Komondor Club of America. Breeding of any dog should not be done until after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases. (For more information on selecting a breeder, see the articles on the main Breed Listing and Breeders page.)
Additional Health Resources:
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Breed Standards:
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AKC KOMONDOR VIDEO
25 Min. Video Edition Published by the AKC
Discussion of the breed standard: good structure and movement, acceptable colors, correct head, size. Developed for breeders, exhibitors and judges.
— Available from Dogwise.com |
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Grooming
The densely corded coat of the Komondor requires regular maintenance and part of the regular grooming routine must be devoted to the inspection for external parasites. Fleas or ticks must be attacked using aggressive measures; however, the Komondor has extremely sensitive skin to some anti-flea and tick remedies.
Because the Komondor has ears which hang down, regular cleaning is required to keep them clean and hair-free. In addition, thick hair can grow between the pads of the feet which must be trimmed.
Additional Information:
- Grooming — This section of the Canada's Guide to Dogs website provides information and grooming tips.
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Training Resources:
The Komondor is an intelligent and independent thinker who requires early obedience training, starting as young as eight weeks of age. This breed can become obstinate when bored, so it is very important that training sessions be varied and upbeat. Praise, consistency and patience are key. Due to his natural guarding instincts, socialization is also extemely important with the Komondor. He should be exposed to new situations, people and other pets as a young puppy.
- Training — For information on training your Bouvier, see this growing section of Canada's Guide to Dogs for tips, articles, as well as listings of training centres across Canada.
- Starting the LGD Pup
by Catherine de la Cruz
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Additional Information:
- Working Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD) — What is their Job?
- Livestock Guardian Dogs: Their Current Use Worldwide by Robin Rigg (PDF Format)
- Livestock Guardian Dogs Factsheet — From the Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization (PDF Format)
- Working Dogs — The Working Dogs Section of Canada's Guide to Dogs includes tributes and information on such jobs as Guide Dogs, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, SAR Dogs, Protection Dogs, and much more.
- Sports, Activities & Clubs — This section covers listings of dog clubs not specific to breed, information on various sports and activities, including French Ring Sport, Schutzhund, Obedience, Conformation, and much more. (Note: For breed specific clubs, see the Breed Clubs section.)
