How to Identify a Komondor

The Komondor is bred as a livestock guard dog–calm under normal circumstances, but will fearlessly defend in times of trouble. This breed is intelligent and can think on his own. He is wary of strangers at first, but if his family accepts them, and they show no harm, the Komondor will also accept them. He is a good family dog and good with children. Because of the type of job the Komondor is bred for, he is an extremely athletic breed, and if brought into a companion situation, should have a job to do every day–even if only going for an hour walk.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure this breed’s majestic strength, self-respect and dauntless demeanor--mixed with the large, muscular conformation and coat of heavy cords--characterize the general appearance, giving off an impressive expression. It uses this characteristic build up to guard flocks, not herd them.

2. Look at the size and proportion of the Komondor. Males are 27 ½ inches and taller at the shoulders and females are 25 ½ inches and taller at the shoulders. Males generally weigh in at 100 pounds or more, while females weigh in at 80 pounds and more. Both have lots of bone and substance, mixed with a body that is a bit longer than the height of the dog measured at the shoulders.

3. Note the large head. It is two-fifths the height of the dog when measured at the shoulders. The medium size eyes are almond-shaped and a bit set into the skull. The iris is not any color other than dark brown. The ears are a long triangle with a rounded tip. They are long enough, when extended over the top of the head, to reach the inner corner of the eye on the other side of the head. The wide muzzle is plain and quite short. It is only about two-fifths the length of the total head. The black nose is wide, sporting large nostrils.

4. Look at the conformation of the rest of the body. The medium length neck is muscular, starting at the erect head and arching slightly to the shoulders. There is no dewlap. The shoulders lead into a deep, powerful chest that is well-muscled and broad. They are well angulated. The heavily boned legs are straight, and the elbows are close to the body. The huge feet lead to closed, arched toes with hard, elastic pads. The pads are usually black or gray. The strong rear bone structure is covered with large muscles. The long tail hangs at least to the hocks. The tail does not raise higher than the back, even when in motion.

5. Look at the coat of the Komondor. It is a double coat, and the coarse hairs of the outer coat grab the soft undercoat. This forms strong cords that feel like felt. The cords grow with the dog, so a puppy does not have cords, a young adult has rather short cords, and a mature dog will have long cords as seen in the picture above. They look like dreadlocks. The coat is always white, and covers gray skin. It is not white-white, but usually an off-white, but should not be tan or cream.