Dog
Group:
Working 
Komondor Champions
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Pronunciation:
KOM-on-door
Breed Description:
The Komondor breed of dog is a massive dog with a proud gait. Its body is totally covered with an extraordinary felted and corded coat, which is 8 to 11 inches (20-27cm.) long, and always white. This corded white coat helps the dog blend in well with sheep and also helps protect them from beasts of prey that he might be called upon to fight in his role as flock guardian. The outer coat fuses with the undercoat to form 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 head and muzzle are massive and rather short. Its eyes are dark brown and the U-shaped ears hang down to blend with the rest of the coat. The Komondor breed of dog has a large head and generally massive bone structure, a hanging tail, and a very strong scissors bite.
Temperament:
The Komondor breed of dog is serious, confident and alert. When raised as the flock guardian, he was bred to be very reserved with strangers, commanding, very territorial and highly protective of his family, house, car, and livestock. Implacable 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. It can be fiercely protective and even aggressive, especially with strange dogs, but also with people if the person is on their property. Thus, the Komondor breed of dog must be thoroughly socialized with people and other dogs preferably at an early age. Because this breed is bred to work independently as a flock guardian they have a high dominancy level. They need complete and firm leadership with clear rules to follow and obedience training by an experienced owner, as he can be very willful if he is stronger minded than the humans around him. Smart, but easily bored, loyal to and respectful of his master, but fierce against threats to his charges. The Komondor breed of dog 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 raised with children from the start, but they are not recommended for most families. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their 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.
Height:
25.5 inches minimum for females, 27.5 inches minimum for males
Weight:
80 to 134.5 pounds
Health Problems:
The Komondor breed of dog is prone to hip dysplasia, bloat and skin problems.
Living Conditions:
The Komondor breed of 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. They do well in most climates, for the Komondor lives for many months outdoors in all kinds of weather.
Exercise:
It is possible to keep the Komondor breed of dog in an urban environment, but the country is more to its liking. If they are not actively working as a flock guardian, they need to be taken on daily, long brisk walks. This dog can be extremely lazy and will sleep and rest for hours upon hours.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 12 years
Grooming:
The hair of the Komondor breed of dog must never be brushed or combed. It is divided into cords and trimmed. Its coat needs a lot of bathing and takes a long time to dry. It sheds very little if any.
Origin:
The Komondor breed of dog is descended from Tibetan dogs. Some think the Komondor was brought to Hungary a thousand years ago by nomadic Magyars to guard flocks of sheep. However, newer studies show they came from the Cumans. The name, "Komondor", came from the name, Koman-dor, meaning, dog of the Cumans. Komondor remains have been found in Cuman grave sites. The earliest written reference is from the 16th century. It spread throughout the rest of the world beginning in 1920 when the breed began to be presented in dog shows. Elsewhere, the Komondor lives for many months outdoors in all kinds of weather, protecting his master's flocks. In the US, however, the Komondor breed of dog is primarily a home guard and companion, and livestock guard dog. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
