The Komondor is a naturally loving dog who needs very little exercise and loves to be around or keep its human companions’ insight, usually following them around.
This intelligent dog breed has a keen instinct for protection and an independent thought process, making it a dog breed ill-suited to many people.
Komondor dog At a glance
Always alert and protective, the Komondor dog breed is a loud barker.
It is important to consider whether the canine lives close to other people besides the owner.
Weight Range
- Male: 80-100 lbs.
- Female: 70-80 lbs.
Height at Withers
- Male: 28
- Female: 26
Features
- Floppy ears (naturally)
Expectations
- Exercise Requirements: 20-40 minutes/day
- Energy Level: Average
- Longevity Range: 10-12 yrs.
- Tendency to Drool: Low
- Tendency to Snore: Low
- Tendency to Bark: Moderate
- Tendency to Dig: Low Social/Attention Needs: High
Bred For
- Sheep guardian
Coat
- Length: Long
- Characteristics: Double coat, curly, corded
- Colors: White
- Overall Grooming Needs: High
Club Recognition
- UKC Classification: Guardian Dog
- AKC Classification: Working
- Prevalence: Rare
The Komondor has a distinctively imposing presence; if not for the heavy musculature, it is for their large stature. Sometimes for their most striking feature — a lovely tasseled white coat made up of tight cords resembling Rastafarian dreadlocks.
At the shoulder, the female Komondor averages 25 1/2 females, and the males average 27 1/2 inches. They weigh between 80 and 120 pounds (36 to 54 kilograms), both male and female.
The Komondor dog has a medium-sized head, with its facial features covered by cords of hair. The dog has a strong body and a straight tail.
The Komondor’s coat is a mop-like one, developed to protect it from extreme weather and predators giving it a look similar to the appearance of the Hungarian Racka sheep.
The dog’s white coat allows it to blend with the sheep flocks. The coat of a Komondor puppy is fluffy and starts to mat at 8 to 10 months of age.
Personality
Konmodors are Bred as the main protector of herds; thus, it is wary of strangers and a fiercely protective breed. In today’s households, the Komondor is a dedicated guard dog for its owners or human “flock” and a devoted companion.
The early foundations of the Komondor dog were in the open fields, where it was left on its own to make working decisions for the benefit of the flock, which it protects, which is why it has become a double-edged sword in many domestic environments or homes today.
Although the breed is an intelligent one and has a keen protective instinct, the Komondor has independent thought processes that make it ill-suited to many households, especially those with babies.
Despite this caveat, the Komondor dog is known as a loving family dog who likes to protect its humans and keep them in sight, often walking side by side from room to room.
The Komondor is usually great with the children and is quite adaptable to other pets. The right person to own a Komondor is a person who ensures that the dog’s character traits, which made it the perfect dog for guarding livestock centuries ago, do not become a liability to them today.
Living With a Komondor
Coat care for this dog breed is one of the biggest challenges for many owners. Cording and matting of the Komondor’s coat happen naturally in the dog’s early adulthood.
When that time comes, the owner of a Komondor is advised to pull the larger mats apart to form smaller mats to create tight cords.
Once formed, the cords will grow longer with age, growing long enough to reach the ground if not cut.
Twice a year, the dog’s undercoat is shed. At this time, the Komondor’s cords must be separated manually to prevent them from matting together close to the skin.
This straightforward process only entails a few hours of work every year.
The cords of this dog should also be maintained every week to keep them neat. The fast-growing hair should be regularly plucked from the ear canal as required, and the bottoms of the feet must be trimmed.
Many guardians would rather keep the cords of their dog trimmed to a length of between eight to 10 inches since a coat of floor length can be hard to keep clean.
The Komondor should also be sheared at least two or three times a year and bathed often to prevent dirt from storing in the tassels. Bathing this dog, especially drying it, takes a long time.
Training this dog and monitoring its behavior is another common challenge. The Komondor guardian must consistently direct the canine during puppyhood, training it to follow simple orders and abide by the master’s decisions.
Obedience classes for a Komondor dog must begin once the dog reaches four to eight months of age. It is also vital to socialize the Komondor as a puppy if you want to interact generally with people and other pets as it ages.
Because the Komondor tends to do what it wants and choose who to threaten or welcome, the dog must be trained to behave when there are visitors to the house.
Always alert, as earlier mentioned, the Komondor dog is a loud barker. This is one vital issue to consider if the dog resides close to other people.
Although these dogs can run fast, the adult Komondorok are naturally inactive and need a little exercise.
These dogs typically remain in a guarding position and do not require large yards. However, owners should endeavor to walk them two or three times per day.
The largest Komondor populations today are in Hungary and the United States. However, these dogs are still rare, with the worldwide Komondor population estimated at far below 10,000.
The interesting thing about the Komondor dog is that most people worldwide have never seen it.
