Veterinary session

The Kuvasz breed has been a loyal companion of the Hungarian people for centuries, and its exceptional physique and temperament have made it one of the most outstanding shepherd dogs. As pastoral work declined in the XX. century, dogs were used more for housekeeping. This has contributed to the fact that the Kuvasz has almost lost its ancient role, its practical proficiency, and today its role is rather as a companion and friend of people.

Currently, two breeding targets are facing to each other. While the first group breeds Kuvasz as show dogs as close as possible to the standard breed description, the other group, is based more on the practical skills of the Kuvasz as shepherd dogs, to awake the ancient instinct.

The data of the examined kuvasz dogs was collected between 2015 and 2020, at the breeding inspections organized by the Hungarian Kuvasz Breeding Association ETSZ. After using vatem and processing the available data, we statistically evaluated their changes in body size and appearance of the kuvasz breed over the years.

In addition, we compared the results with the standards of the last century, dating back to 1935, since the purposeful breeding began at that time, so we were able to follow the changes in the breed description and expectations, the development of an ever-tighter standard, so we can see the appearance of the required breed character played an increasing role in the breeding.

The results showed that ’widening, expanding’ the breed standard could be a solution, as this could help ensure that appearance standards did not exclude otherwise well-functioning dogs from breeding. So more emphasis could be placed on judging a dog’s work ethic and performance in practice. Among other things, the broader standard can help reduce the inbreeding, which would guarantee healthier dogs and a more secure future for this ancient Hungarian breed.