Nanuk 2017
Hungarian Breed Standard
General Characteristics
Strong, large, white, wavy coated dog. Pleasing exterior denotes nobility and strength. Body proportions are well balanced, neither lanky nor cobby. Medium boned, never course. Well muscled with dry joints. Viewed from the side the trunk and the limbs form a horizontal rectangle slightly deviated from the square. Sturdy build combined with lightfootedness allows him to move freely on strong legs.
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Origin and Purpose
The kuvasz is one of the oldest Hungarian working shepherd dogs. He came to the Carpathian basin possibly with the migrant Hungarians, or with the Cumanians. The kuvasz excels as a protection dog and is a good watchdog for property and home. He has a keen sense of smell and can be used for tracking work.
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Disposition
is lively but not easily excitable. His general exterior gives evidence to untiring working ability. Loyal to his owners but very discriminating with strangers. Extremely brave to the point of self sacrifice.
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Head
The beautiful Kuvasz head denotes harmony, strength, and intelligence.The wedge shaped head is elongated but never pointed. Skull is broad, forehead slightly rounded. The longitudinal midline of the forehead is pronounced and continues to the muzzle. Medium developed bony arches are above the eyes. Stop is gently sloping to the muzzle. Top of muzzle is straight, tapered towards the nose but is never snipey. Nose is rounded, black in color. Cheeks are wide and long, very well muscled. The full set of teeth are well developed, powerful, regular, and close in a scissors-like bite. Flews are tight, black with indented edging at the corner of the mouth. Ears are set on the same horizontal plane as the top of the head, bent at the base, close to the skull. The outer edge of the upper third stand away from the head, the inner edge lie close to the cheeks forming a rounded V-shape. When alert the ears may move slightly but never rise above the head, cast backward or fold lengthwise. Eyes are slanted, almond shaped, dark brown or black in color. Eyelids are black and tight.
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Neck
forms an angle of 25-30 degrees with the horizontal, medium length, well muscled and has no dewlap.
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Forequarters
Position of the front legs is of medium width. Elbows neither in nor out. Long, well muscled radius support the body in a definite straight line. Muscles continue towards the foot with lean and strong tendons. Joints are dry, never loose. Pasterns form an angle of 45 degrees with the horizontal. Feet are tight, well padded cat feet, black or slate-gray in color. Very little hair between the toes, the nails are well developed, black or slate-gray.
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Body
Shoulders are long, withers are higher than the back. Medium long back is straight and firm, loin is short and tight. Croup is slightly sloping, broad, well muscled. The abundance of coat on the rear may give the appearance of being higher than the front. Chest is slightly rounded, deep; ribs are long, well-sprung. In profile the prosternum is ahead of the shoulders and is covered with strong muscles. Stomach is tucked up.
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Tail
is set low, a natural continuation of the sloping croup. It is carried low with the last vertebra reaching to the hock joint. In repose it hangs down, the end slightly lifted, not curling. In a state of excitement the tail may be elevated to the level of the loin but never curl above the back.
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Hindquarters
Rear limbs and the thighs are well muscled. Pelvis and the femur form an angle of 90 degrees, the femur and the tibia form an angle of 110-120 degrees (stifle angulation). Tibia and metatarsus form an angle of 130-140 degrees (hock angulation). Metatarsus is broad, dry and powerful. Hocks are perpendicular to the ground. Metatarsus is more steep than the metacarpus. Rear paws are somewhat longer than the fMovement
The walk is slow, the trot is energetic, covers ground well. The kuvasz is able to trot 25-30 km without tiring.ront paws but just as tight. Dewclaws, if any, are removed. Pads are thick, nails well developed, black or slate-gray in color.
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Size and Weight
Height at the withers are: males: 71-76 centimeters, females: 66-70 centimeters. Relative measurement for different parts of the body is in percentage to that of the withers: length of body: 104%, depth of chest: 48%, width of chest: 27%, measurement of the girdle: 120% (also called circumference at the withers), length of head: 45% length of muzzle: 42% of the head length, length of ears: 50% of head length, weight for males: 48-62 kg, weight for females: 37-50 kg
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Movement
The walk is slow, the trot is energetic, covers ground well. The kuvasz is able to trot 25-30 km without tiring.
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Skin and Coat
Skin is heavily pigmented slate-gray in color. Nose, eyelids, and flews are black the foot pads are slate-gray or black. Preferred color for the roof of the mouth is black, but dark pigmentation on slate-gray foundation is accepted. Hair is medium coarse, wavy, slightly rough in texture and does not mat. Color is white. The double coat formed by medium course guard hair has a fine, downy undercoat. Head, ears, and paws are covered with 1-2 centimeter long, straight, thick hair. The hair on the front of the forelegs up to the elbows and on the hindlegs below the thighs are also covered with straight thick hair. The back of the forelegs are feathered to the pastern with hair 5-8 centimeters long. Around the neck there is a mane that extends to and covers the chest. The mane is more prominent on the male kuvasz. Body, thighs, and upper forelegs are covered with medium long (4-12 centimeters) thick, wavy coat which forms haircrests, swirls and tufts. The entire tail is covered with thick wavy coat, 10-15 centimeters.
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Faults
Too short or too long muzzle. Forehead more rounded. Underdeveloped bony arches above the eye. Too much stop. Loose eyelids and flews. Cast back, twisted or incorrectly folded ears. Long neck. Too wide chest. Loose shoulders. Light or pink pigmentation of the skin. Light eyes. Poor pigmentation on the nose, flews and eyelids. Roachback or swayback. Loose body structure. Yellow coat or markings. Incorrect front or rear stance. Missing, crooked or uneven teeth. Coat not wavy. Small size. Round eyes. Roman nose. Coarse head. Aggressive or shy temperament. Long body. Flat chest. Light bone structure.
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Disqualifications
Upstanding ears. Overshot bite. More than 2 millimeters undershot bite. Entropion or ectropion eyelids. Very pronounced stop. Coat which mats. Short, straight, stiff, splintery coat. Open coat with very little undercoat. Limbs covered with long hair. Males smaller than 68 centimeters, females smaller than 63 centimeters. Tail raised higher than the loin or curled over the back in repose. Coat color other than white. Cryptorchidism, monorchidism.
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CKC Breed Standard
IGeneral Appearance
The Kuvasz is a large working dog with a pure white, medium length, wavy coat. Although strongly built, he possesses grace and lightness of foot, with no hint of bulkiness or lethargy, and is exaggerated in no aspect.
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Origin and Purpose
A Hungarian breed whose forbears can almost certainly be traced back to the Tibetan Mastiff, the present-type Kuvasz was first recorded in Hungary in the ninth century. Since that time, they have been widely used in their native land, primarily as guardians but also for tracking, hunting, herding, and as companions.
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Temperament
Temperamentally, the Kuvasz is an intelligent dog with a great deal of independence of spirit. He has been used for centuries as a guardian and has very strongly developed protective instincts.
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Head
From the tip of the nose to the top of the occiput should measure slightly less than half the dog's height at the withers. Viewed from above, the head should narrow, gradually and smoothly, from the ears to the nose. The skull and muzzle are of equal length and the width of the skull should be slightly less than its length. While there is a gentle and graceful arch of the forehead above the eyes, the stop should be only slightly marked. A distinct furrow runs from between the eyes to the top of the occiput. The muzzle, which tapers gently from root to nose, is strongly built with a punishing bite. It is never snipey but neither should it be coarse or clumsy. Skin on the skull and muzzle should be clean, dry and close-fitting. The lips should be tight and show no flews. The eyes should be as dark as possible, ideally a coffee-black. They are almond shaped with close-fitting rims, set well apart and a trifle obliquely. The nose is of good size with well-developed nostrils. The teeth are large and very strong. Dentition should be complete, and the teeth meet in a scissors bite. The Kuvasz has drop-ears of triangular shape with a gently rounded tip. Set well to the side and nearly at a level with the top of the head, the upper portion stands slightly away from the head while the lower third falls close to the cheek. When the dog is alert he brings the whole ear slightly toward the front giving him a keen and alert appearance. The ear should be small and neat and when pulled over the face should just cover the eye.
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Neck
The neck should be powerful, slightly arched, and of medium length. There should be no dewlap.
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Forequarters
The shoulders are well covered with good, hard muscle. The shoulder blade and upper arm should be at right angles to each other and of good length, allowing the dog ample reach and follow-through of stride. Elbows are close without being constricted and the whole foreleg should describe a straight line from shoulder to forepaw when viewed from the front. The leg should be of good, strong bone, without being coarse or clumsy. The pasterns should have ample spring and the feet should be of the type known as "cat feet," tight and well arched with deep, resilient pads. There should not be much hair between the toes.
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Body
The withers are prominent and slope gently into a strong, level back of medium length. The chest reaches to the elbow, with a well-developed forechest and medium spring of rib. The ribs behind the forelegs must taper inward to allow complete freedom for long, easy stride. The loin is strong and gently arched. There is a distinct but moderate tuck-up. There should be a well-formed, slightly sloping croup which is broad and well muscled.
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Tail
The tail is set on low, a smooth continuation of the slope of croup. The tip, when straightened, should reach the hock. The tail hangs straight down and may be slightly turned up at the tip but should not curl when the dog is relaxed. When the dog is excited, the tail will curl up to the level of the loin, but should not be carried over the back.
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Hindquarters
The hindquarters are well angulated. The angle between pelvis and upper thigh should be 90 degrees to correspond with the proper angle in the forequarters. The upper thigh itself should be of good length, creating the correct bend of stifle (110-120 degrees). The bend of the hock joint should be about 130-140 degrees with the metatarsus being short, strong, and perpendicular to the ground. Rear paws are somewhat longer than forepaws but should nevertheless be tight and well arched with deep, resilient pads. Dewclaws are undesirable and should be removed.
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Size
The recommended sizes are: males, 28 - 29-1/2 inches (71-75 cm) high at the withers with a corresponding weight of approximately 88 - 115 lb. (40-52 kg); females, 26 - 27-1/2 inches (66 - 70 cm) high at the withers with a corresponding weight of approximately 66 - 93 lb. (30 - 42 kg).
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Gait
The trot is smooth, elastic and far-reaching, often showing a tendency for the hind foot to overreach the front. As the dog's speed increases, he will tend to single-track. When he is moving fast, he will carry his head low, at a level with his shoulders. The Kuvasz should move effortlessly, enabling him to travel great distances without fatigue.
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Coat and Colour
The double coat is formed by a coarse outer guard coat and a thick, woolly undercoat. The texture of the guard coat is rough so that the coat readily sheds dirt and shows no tendency to mat. The length of the hair follows a definite pattern: head, ears, front of forelegs, and feet are covered with short, straight, dense hair 3/8 - 3/4 inches ( 1-2 cm) in length. The guard coat on the body and thighs is medium length 1-1/2 - 4-3/4 inches (4-12 cm). Some coats have long, loose waves, some have smaller, tighter waves. Both are correct, as is anything in between. On the adult dog, the coat must not be tightly curled nor should it lie completely flat, but the degree of waviness will vary considerably from one specimen to another. There is a ruff and mane of longer hair about the neck and chest, more prominent on the males, and feathering of 2-3-1/4 inches (5-8 cm) on the back of the legs. The tail is thickly covered in long wavy hair 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) in length. Puppies may have either straight or curly coats but should lose these characteristics with their first adult coat. The coat is a lustrous, pure white, although ivory is permissible, but not preferred. A yellow saddle is to be severely penalized. The skin is well pigmented, preferably grey in colour. The nose, eye rims, lips, and flews are black. The roof of the mouth should be dark. Pads of the feet are black or slate grey and slate-coloured nails are preferred.
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Faults
Since the Kuvasz is a working breed, any faults of soundness should be considered serious. Faults in type which should be guarded against are: too short a muzzle, apple head or bulging skull, no visible supraorbital ridge, too much stop; giving an uncharacteristic setter-like appearance, drooping haws or pendulous flews, hound ears, lying back in the ruff. Too long a neck, barrel chest, loose or sloppy shoulder assembly, yellow eyes or yellow markings, sullen appearance or distrustful expression (not to be confused with reserve), extreme nervousness, overshot or undershot mouth, gay tail.
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Disqualifications
Over or undersize as follows Males, over 32 inches (81 cm) or under 25-1/2 inches (65 cm); Females, over 30 inches (76 cm) or under 23-1/2 inches (60 cm). So pronounced a lack of pigmentation as to have flesh-coloured eye rims. Colour other than white.
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