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Breed Characteristics
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Komondor
| Other Names | Hungarian Komondor, Hungarian Sheepdog |
| Nicknames | Mop Dog |
| Country of Origin | Hungary |
| Weight | Males: 100 - 134.5 lbs. (45.5 - 61 kg) Females: 80 - 110 lbs. (36.5 - 50 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | 25.5 in. (65 cm) and upward. |
| Coat | The Komondor has a truly unique characteristic to its coat. The outer coat of the animal will fuse with the undercoat to form a type of felt that hangs in long cords. It can take up to two years for the cords to form completely and 5 years to reach the desired length. The puppy coat is relatively soft, but it will begin to fall into cord-like curls as it grows. The young adult coat, or intermediate coat, consists of very short cords next to the skin which may be hidden by the fluff on the outer ends of the cords. The mature coat will be a dense, soft, woolly undercoat much like the puppy coat, and a coarser outer coat that is wavy or curly. The coarser hairs of the outer coat trap the softer undercoat, forming permanent, strong cords that are felt-like to the touch. A grown dog is entirely covered with a heavy coat of these tassel-like cords, which form naturally. It should be noted and remembered that the length of the coat is a function of age, meaning that it grows with each passing year. |
| Colour | White and Ivory |
| Litter Size | 1 - 3 puppies |
| Life Span | 10 - 12 years |
| Origin & History | Komondors were brought to Hungary by Cumans, the Turkic speaking, nomadic people who settled in Hungary during the 12th and 13th century. The name Komondor derives from Koman-dor, meaning "Cuman dog". The breed descends from Tibetan dogs and came from Asia with the Cumans, whose homeland might have been near the Yellow River. In the late 900s, Mongols began to expand their territories at the expense of the Cumans, forcing them to move westwards. Fleeing from the Mongols, they reached the borders of Hungary in the 1100s. Cumans were granted asylum and settled in Hungary in 1239 under Köten Khan. Komondor remains have been found in Cuman gravesites. The name "quman-dur" means "belonging to the Cumans" or "the dog of the Cumans," thus distinguishing it from a similar Hungarian sheepdog breed which later merged with the Komondor. The name Komondor is found for the first time written in 1544 in the History of King Astiagis by Kákonyi Péter, in Hungarian. Later in 1673 Amos Comenius mentions the Komondor in one of his works. Today the Komondor is a fairly common breed in Hungary, its country of origin. Many Komondors were killed during World War II and local stories say that this is because when the Germans (and then the Russians) invaded, they had to kill the dog before they could capture a farm or house that it guarded. |
| Personality | Komondors can be good family dogs if they have owners who know how to display a natural, firm authority over the dog, are socialized, trained thoroughly, and are raised with children from the start, but they are not recommended for most families. Komondors are serious working flock guardians bred to be fiercely protective and confident, as they watch over their charges. Relentless against wolves and bears that would attack the flock with which it is entrusted. In a few minutes the Komondor can get the better of even the strongest enemy. Because this breed is bred to work independently as a flock guardian it has a high dominancy level. When they are raised to work as the flock guardian they were bred to be, they will be very reserved with strangers and territorial. This breed must be thoroughly socialized with people and other dogs preferably at an early age. They need complete and firm leadership with clear rules they must follow and obedience training by an experienced owner, as they can be very willful if they are stronger minded than the humans around them. Smart, but easily bored, loyal to and respectful of their master, but fierce against threats to their charges. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined and rules are set. Because a dog communicates his displeasure with growling and eventually biting, all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. The humans must be the ones making the decisions, not the dogs. That is the only way your relationship with your dog can be a complete success. If this relationship is not established the Komondor can be aggressive with both dogs and people if they enter the property as it takes over the home, treating all strangers as the predators coming after their flock. Humans need to be the leader in the home, not the dog. Puppies should be handled a lot by strangers. Owners should never let puppies jump on or chew on humans. They should be taught to heel on a lead right from the start and learn to enter and exit all door and gateways after the humans. |
Care Requirements
| Health | As with many breeds of dogs the Komondor is prone to hip dysplasia. This breed is also somewhat prone to Bloat and skin problems. |
| Grooming | It is very important for all owners to understand that the coat and hair of this breed should never be brushed. It must never be combed either. The hair of this breed is divided into cords and those cords will need to be separated by hand. The Komondor will require bathing and it should be noted that this bathing can be a laborious process. The drying time for this breed can be up to two days if it is left to air dry. The animal does not shed much if any at all. The Komondor's teeth need to be kept clean. If the owner is not able to perform this grooming task, a pet salon should be used. Proper dental care is extremely important as it helps your pet to keep its teeth for as long as possible. You should trim the nails once a week or so to prevent overgrowth. This is very easy to do. You will need a pair of animal nail clippers that can be found in most pet stores. Only trim the top portion of the nail and do not over cut into the nail. The hair between the pads of the feet should be trimmed when it becomes long. Baths should be given only when needed. |
| Exercise | It is possible to keep this breed in an urban environment although the country is more to its liking. If they are not actively working as a flock guardian, they need to be taken on a daily, long brisk walk. This dog can be extremely lazy and will sleep and rest for hours upon hours. |
| Other Considerations | This dog does best in a clean country environment where he can receive extensive daily exercise, but it will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. It does well in most climates, for the Komondor lives for many months outdoors in all kinds of weather. American musician Beck features a leaping Komondor as the album cover for his album Odelay. |
