KOMONDOR

Temperament: Loyal, Dignified, Brave

AKC Breed Popularity: Ranks 173 of 197

Height: 27.5 minimum inches (male), 25.5 minimum inches (female)

Weight: 100 pounds or more (male), 80 pounds or more (female)

Life Expectancy: 10-12 years

Group: Working Group

ABOUT THE KOMONDOR

The Komondor may look like a mop on four legs, but beneath all that hair, there’s a big dog with a big personality. Originally bred to guard livestock–a job they still excel at–the Komondor is intelligent, independent, and highly protective. In fact, they enjoy nothing more than watching over their family.

The Komondor comes with lots of benefits in addition to the responsibilities. This loyal breed will happily spend their days under or on your feet, serving as companion, friend, and guardian.

PERSONALITY

Komondor puppies take a long time to reach maturity–generally three years or so–but when they do, they have a calm, devoted personality. They’re intelligent, independent, and fiercely protective, willing to rise to the challenge of defending home and family. Komondor are wary of strangers and can be aggressive to other dogs.

These traits, plus their large size, make them a bad match for first-time or timid owners.

NUTRITION

Komondors don’t eat a lot for their size and will do well on a high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some owners note that too high a protein content can lead to scratching, hotspots, or other skin reactions.

“Komondors don’t require much volume and will sometimes skip a meal if not hungry,” says one breeder. “In their traditional job they probably shared what the shepherd was eating.” Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with high fat content.

HEALTH

Here are a few conditions to watch for in this breed:

Hip Dysplasia

Entropion

Gastric Torsion

CARE

Komondors are agile and athletic for their size, and sufficient exercise is important to keep them healthy and happy. Free-running time in a large, securely fenced yard, going for walks, and playing with their housemate dogs all help a Komondor stay in shape. Dog parks are often a bad idea for Komondors. Developed as a livestock guardian breed, their guarding instincts can cause them to react badly to loose stranger dogs, or to the perception that a group of dogs might be a threatening pack.

GROOMING

A beautiful corded coat is the result of special care. An experienced breeder reports, “We never brush, but do wash the dogs regularly. When the coat starts to clump or ‘plate up’ at 9 or 10 months, we start to split the clumps or plates into areas that grow out of an area on the skin about the size of a quarter. Those grow out into the cords. There is no reason for a corded coat to smell bad or be dirty. Bathing with dilute shampoo gets the job done. To finish the bath, make sure to rinse out every hint of the shampoo, and then dry by squeezing, using towels, and then in front of a strong fan overnight. If the coat doesn’t get dry or has residual shampoo, it might smell badly.”

Source: dogtime, akc.