Andrea and Tobias Krebs
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Kuvasz - Standard

 

 



HUNGARIAN 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.

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.
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.
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.
Neck
Forms an angle of 25-30 degrees with the horizontal, medium length, well muscled and has no dewlap.
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.
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.
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.
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 front paws but just as tight. Dewclaws, if any, are removed. Pads are thick, nails well developed, black or slate-gray in color.
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
Movement
The walk is slow, the trot is energetic, covers ground well. The kuvasz is able to trot 25-30 km without tiring.
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.
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.

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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