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KUVASZ
Official U.K.C. Breed Standard
Copyright 1992, United Kennel Club, Inc.

History

The Kuvasz (plural — Kuvaszok) is a very ancient breed. Its ancestors are believed to have been brought to Hungary, noted as its country of origin, as long ago as the 13th century. The breed is still found in that country. Their historical and present uses are as hunting dogs, flock guards and guard-companions. The first specimens of the breed were brought to the United States in the 1920’s.
The Kuvasz was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1965.

General Appearance

The Kuvasz is a large, sturdy, well balanced working dog; being neither lanky nor cobby. A lustrous, pure white is the preferred coat color (ivory is sometimes found, but is not preferred). The medium, hard bone is in proportion to the size of the body, never appearing heavy or coarse. They are well muscled, while never appearing bulky nor lethargic. They move freely on strong legs, while impressing the observer with their light-footedness and agility. The hind-quarters, in particular, are well developed. The trunk and limbs form a horizontal rectangle that deviates slightly from a square. The croup inclines slightly.
The breed standard serves to describe the ideal dog. Any deviation from the ideal is to be penalized according to the degree of deviation. Any tendency towards weakness or a lack of substance is to be faulted.

Characteristics

The Kuvasz is known to be spirited, with a keen intelligence, and much determination, courage and curiosity. They are very sensitive to both praise and reprimand. They are definitely a one-family dog and are devoted, gentle and patient without being overly demonstrative, and ready to protect loved ones to the point of self sacrifice, especially children. They are polite to strangers that are noted as accept-able, but are suspicious and discriminating about extending new friendships. The Kuvasz is unexcelled as a guard dog, being agile and able to act on its own initiative. They have the untiring ability to work and cover rough terrain for long periods of time. The breed has a well-developed scenting ability and has been used to hunt game.
Head and Skull

The head of the Kuvasz is considered to be the most beautiful part of the dog and therefore the proportions of the head are of great importance. The length of the head, measured from the occiput to the tip of the nose, is slightly less than half the height of the dog, measured at the withers. The width of the head is half the length.
The skull is elongated, but not pointed. There are bony arches above the eyes. The defined stop raises the fore-head gently above the plane of the muzzle; the stop is never abrupt. The longitudinal midline of the forehead is pro-nounced and widens as it slopes to the muzzle. The length of the muzzle is in proportion to the length of the head. The top of the muzzle is straight, not pointed. The underjaw is well developed. The cheeks are flat. The black lips closely cover the teeth. The upper lip tightly covers the upper jaw. The lower lip is tight and not pendulous. The inside of the mouth is preferably black.

The skin of the head is dry; there are no excess flews

TEETH - A full complement of strong, white teeth meet in a scissors bite, which is preferred. A level bite is acceptable.

EYES - The almond-shaped eyes are dark brown, the darker the better. They are set well apart, somewhat slanted, and are set slightly below the plane of the muzzle. Lids are tight. Haws do not show.

NOSE - The large, black nose has well-opened nostrils

EARS -The V-shaped, rather thick ears have a slightly rounded tip. They are well set back, between the level of the eye and the top of the head. If pulled forward, the ears should cover the eye. When viewed from the front, the widest part of the ear is about level with the eye. The inner edge lies close to the cheek. The outer edge lies slightly away from the head, forming a V. When relaxed, the ears maintain their set and are not cast back. The ears do not protrude above the head.

Neck

The muscular, clean, medium-length neck is arched at the crest.
Forequarters

The shoulders are muscular. The long scapula and humerus are of equal length and form a right angle. When viewed from the side, the well-developed forechest protrudes slightly in front of the shoulders.
FORELEGS - The straight, medium-boned legs are well muscled. The elbows turn neither in nor out. Joints are hard and dry. Dewclaws should not be removed from the forelegs.

Body

The chest is deep. The long, well-sprung ribs reach almost to the elbows. The deep, well-developed brisket runs parallel to the ground. The shoulders are long; the withers are higher than the back. The medium-length, straight back is firm and quite broad. The short loin is muscular and tight. The well-muscled croup slopes slightly. The stomach is well tucked-up.
Hindquarters

The area after the hip joint is moderately long, producing wide, long, strong upper thigh muscles.
HIND LEGS - The femur is long. Stifles are well bent. The long, dry, lower thighs are well muscled. The rear pastern is short, broad and of great strength. Any dewclaws are removed from the rear legs.

Feet

The well-padded feet are closed tight, forming round, cat feet. The rear feet are somewhat longer than the fore feet. The pads are resilient, and black in color. Dark nails are preferred.
Tail

The tail is left at its natural length. It is carried low and reaches at least to the hocks. Ideally there is not much difference in tail carriage whether the dog is calm or excited. It hangs down, resting on the body, with the end being slightly lifted. When the dog is excited, the tail may be lifted to the level of the loin, with the tip being slightly curved up.
Coat and Skin

The breed is double coated. The outer guard coat is medium coarse in texture and ranges from being quite wavy to straight. The undercoat is fine, thick and wooly. Regardless of coat type, there is a definite distribution pattern over the body. A short, smooth hair coat covers the head, muzzle, ears, paws, the front of the forelegs up to the elbows, and the hind legs below the thighs. There are two- to three-inch-long feathers on the backs of the forelegs. A medium-length coat covers the body and sides of the thighs. There is four-to-six-inch-long hair found on the back of the thighs and on the entire tail. There is a neck mane that extends to and covers the chest. There may be some hair between the toes, but the less the better
It is normal for the Kuvasz to shed most of their long coat during hot weather; this summer coat is not to be penalized. Depending on the climate, the growth of a full, luxuriant coat is seasonal.

Slate gray or black pigmentation are the preferred colors of the heavily-pigmented skin.

Color

White, with no markings, is the only acceptable color. Ivory does occur, but is not preferred.
Height and Weight

Height is measured at the withers. Height ranges are: dogs, 28 to 30 inches; bitches 26 to 28 inches.
Weight ranges are: dogs, approximately 90 to 115 pounds; bitches, approximately 70 to 90 pounds.

Gait

Characteristic movement is easy, free and elastic; and cannot be achieved without sufficient angulation and a firm slimness of the body. The head is carried rather low, at shoulder level, unless the dog is excited. When viewed from the front, the front legs travel rather close to each other at the ground, not parallel. When viewed from the rear, the hind legs, from the hip joint down, also move close to each other at the ground. The hind legs reach far under the body; meeting, or even passing, the front feet imprints. The feet travel close to the ground. As speed increases, the dog tends to single track.
Disqualifications

Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Albinism. Any color other than white. Overshot bite. Undershot bite. Dogs less than 25½ inches or over 32 inches in height. Bitches less than 23½ inches or over 30 inches in height.