Kuvaszok are almost never sold in pet shops because they do poorly as commodities in wholesale breeding operations ("puppy mills"). Without human affection, socialization, and a job to do, they can develop emotional problems and become depressed or unmanageable. However, there are several large-scale North American Kuvasz breeders, and you should seriously question whether puppies who grow up in a kennel environment have had enough interaction with loving human beings to develop into normal adult dogs. Most breeders agree that heredity contributes 10%; upbringing, training and socialization contribute 90% to the mental soundness of your Kuvasz. 

When shopping for a puppy, insist on meeting the dam and the sire if he is on the premises or nearby. THIS adult Kuvasz is the dog you will be living with for many years; it is NOT that adorable little snowball you see in the puppy room. 

Puppy buyers should make sure that both parent dogs are x-rayed and certified free of hip dysplasia by Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) at no earlier than two years of age. Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in Canada also examines hip x-rays, but issues certificates to younger, immature dogs; an OVC certificate should be considered preliminary only and should not be considered a valid hip clearance in a dog x-rayed at less than two years of age. Good breeders also certify their stock free from thyroid disease, vWD, eye disease each year by Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF), and deafness by BAER testing if carrier Cigany vom Felsenmeer appears in their dog's pedigree. Any breeder should enthusiastically endorse these tests and willingly provide you with proof of all certifications; if not, go elsewhere. 

[We have not yet seen vWD or deafness in purebred Kangal Dogs, and thyroid problems are thus far rarely seen. Some breeders prefer to use PennHip or the open hip registry at the Center for Genetic Disease Control at UC Berkeley instead of OFA. Ask the breeder.] 

When selecting a Kuvasz puppy, take your time and compare what breeders have to offer for the price they are asking and the demands they are making. Be prepared to place a cash deposit to reserve a puppy and to wait for up to a year for that special litter from a quality breeding. You should expect to pay about $600.00 for a pet and about $1000.00 for a show-potential puppy. Some breeders may ask higher prices; if so, compare pedigrees and the track record of both the breeder and the parent dogs. Ask for references. Many Kuvasz share similar ancestors and exorbitant prices are no guarantee of a better puppy. 

[Purebred, registered Kangal Dogs will be more expensive because of the expense of importing, health testing, and progeny testing breeding stock. These breeds are also far rarer than Kuvasz, and require greater investments in advertising and breed promotion to find quality placements. If you can't afford the purchase price of a purebred Turkish dog, you probably won't be able to afford proper care and feeding. As Gail is about to point out, the initial price is minor compared to costs over the lifetime of the dog, so please keep these things in mind.] 

While the initial cost of a quality puppy may seem high, your Kuvasz will hopefully be with you for almost fifteen years and its purchase price is small compared to the cost of caring for it throughout its life. Your Kuvasz will need a good-quality dog food, routine veterinary care and vaccinations, flea, tick, and intestinal worm control, and heartworm prevention. Vet bills for unexpected medical emergencies must also be taken into consideration. Your Kuvasz will outgrow several collars and happily destroy dozens of toys, and will require grooming tools, first-aid supplies, leashes, and a big crate for traveling. If you decide to show your Kuvasz, expect to spend thousands of dollars obtaining that championship or obedience or agility title. 
 

YOUR NEW KUVASZ PUPPY 

Q: Can I leave my puppy alone all day while I go to work? 

A: If you have purchased your puppy as a companion from a good breeder, it should be no less than eight weeks old and well on its way to being housetrained by the time you bring it home. Good breeders make sure that puppies have the opportunity to follow mom outside to eliminate. Kuvaszok want to be clean and live in a clean environment. Your job is to help your puppy learn the layout of your home and how to get outside to an acceptable area in your yard. 

If no one is home during the day to supervise, you will want to confine your young puppy in a safe (no electrical cords, furniture, carpet, shoes, etc.), sheltered area or crate for no more than eight hours a day. Puppies have small bladders and it is shamefully cruel to keep them in crates beyond their limits of endurance. 

A well-fenced yard, a doggie door, a Kuvasz-friendly house that has trash and dangerous or valuable objects well out of reach, a big spin-proof bowl of clean water (many Kuvasz prefer the toilet...) and a cool, comfortable place to sleep work best for the owner who will be gone all day. Remember that a bored, lonely dog will find ways to "entertain" itself; two dogs are usually happier than one. 

Bear in mind that the Kuvasz was never meant to live out its life in a crate or kennel run. There are many rueful stories about the confined Kuvasz who barked helplessly while the family home was gutted by burglars. Your Kuvasz needs the freedom to protect you and your possessions. 

THE FAMILY KUVASZ 

Q: I want a dog who is well-behaved around children and guests in my home. I know socialization and training are required, but can a Kuvasz adapt to my hectic lifestyle? 

A: If you are choosing a dog primarily for your children, Collies, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers are also big, intelligent, and beautiful - and are much better choices for the average family. Choose a Kuvasz to protect your children, not as a playmate for them. The Kuvasz is first and foremost a bold, aggressive protection dog. It is especially gentle and forgiving with children; however, children must also be trained that a dog is not a toy and must be treated with kindness and respect. Parents who feel that children should be allowed to abuse, torment or insult a dog without repercussions should not buy a Kuvasz. 

Even so, most Kuvasz will cope with behavior from children that would not be tolerated from adults, and many Kuvasz will assume the role of babysitter if not active playmate of the family children. However, other neighborhood children may present problems if they, too, have not been trained to respect your dog. As we all know, children at any age often lack the ability to foresee the consequences of their actions, and many children deliberately tease and injure each other not to mention any nearby pets. Children must not be left unsupervised with any animal, including the family Kuvasz. 

How would you feel if a neighborhood child grabbed your plate of barbequed ribs and threw it on the floor, or hit you with a baseball bat, or slapped your toddler? Would you retaliate? Unfortunately, many people assume that dogs have a higher pain threshold, better judgment, more patience, and less dignity than human beings. Not so! While a dog may be perfectly justified in barking, growling, seizing a wrist with its teeth, or biting when hurt, frightened, or defending its family, your neighbors and other parents will not agree. We live in a very ruthless and litigious society. If you are not absolutely sure that your children and their playmates will behave like little ladies and gentlemen around your Kuvasz, use your common sense and confine the dog... or better yet, the kids. 

To make a very gross, WORST CASE analogy, think of your Kuvasz as a loaded gun lying on your kitchen floor. Can you assure yourself that your children and their friends won't touch it? Is the adult supervision in the home sufficient to ensure that the children will not have the opportunity to touch it? Are you sure that the adults will ALWAYS lock it up if they can't supervise the children 100% of the time? Like a weapon, your Kuvasz brings you protection and peace of mind. Both deserve your utmost respect. 

Your Kuvasz will develop the intelligence, emotions, playfulness, cleverness, stubbornness, and mischievous nature of a six-year-old child. Some are very protective, loving, and mellow, while others are very protective, loving, and total brats who steal socks out of the hamper, shoes out of the closet, and dish towels off the kitchen counter ("If I can reach it, it's a dog toy!"). 

Like a child, if you have carefully trained and socialized your Kuvasz, it will be polite, well-behaved, and even gracious around your guests. One Kuvasz will bark and lunge at strangers from behind his fence, but when his owners assure him, 'This person is okay with us and you can relax now," he runs to get one of his toys to drop at the visitor's feet. They didn't train him to do this, he just does. 

THE LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN 

Q: I live in a rural area. Coyotes and loose dogs are killing my livestock. How do I train a Kuvasz to guard my animals? Will it herd my sheep? 

A: As a guard, the Kuvasz usually does not herd, but instead works at a distance from the livestock, watchful for trouble and ready to frighten, chase, or if challenged, kill predators. When properly selected, the instinctively protective companion Kuvasz can easily perform a dual role as a family pet and a part-time livestock guardian, alternating between the home and the livestock. Try to find a breeder who raises puppies around livestock and who knows which pups display the temperament required in a livestock guardian. Remember, the Kuvasz is the only member of the old Euroasian guarding breeds who was also developed as hunting dog,. A puppy who chases may keep you from starving if you get lost in the woods, but you don't want a natural-born hunter harassing your livestock. Both temperaments and combinations of them are normal and natural and both will appear in every Kuvasz litter. But a breeder who sells Kuvasz puppies indiscriminately as livestock guardians does a disservice to you, your livestock, and the breed. 

[Kangal Dogs were not developed for hunting in Turkey; thus, they are less likely to exhibit predatory behavior. Also, they put on a loud and awesome protective display, but are generally not  are not as aggressive as some other LGD breeds. However, puppies do also need to be trained not to chase or play with stock.] 

Whether it will be used as a part-time or full-time livestock guardian, the puppy should be raised with gentle animals who will not intimidate or injure it. If the puppy is intended to be a full-time livestock guard, it should be introduced to its duties at around six weeks of age, and should receive minimal contact with human beings until bonding with the livestock is complete at about fifteen weeks of age. 

 
RIGHT DOG FOR YOU 

Q: My spouse is apprehensive about owning a guard dog. Will a Kuvasz obey all our family members, even if some don't like it or are afraid of it? 

A: Everyone in the home needs be in agreement about bringing a Kuvasz into the family. Although Kuvaszok are usually very tolerant of children, a jealous child can create severe problems by covertly abusing the dog; does your child want the dog, too? Your clever Kuvasz will quickly recognize hostile individuals and may test them relentlessly. If some members of your household leadership structure (pack order) are not willing to interact with and assert dominance over the Kuvasz, the dog may feel justified in moving up the hierarchy to assume dominance over them. If anyone in the home is fearful or dislikes disciplining and controlling a guard dog, do everyone including the dog a favor and don't buy a Kuvasz. 

 
Q: Do They Shed? 

A: Resistance is futile. 
 

TELL ME MORE........... 

Q: Will I need a personal trainer to keep up with my dog? 

A: Although they are athletic and can be superb runners, swimmers, backpackers, and carting dogs, Kuvaszok are not hyperactive and adjust to your lifestyle easily. If you are very active, they will be able to keep up with you, then sleep soundly for hours. If you like to do nothing, they will do that with you too, and then sleep soundly for hours. 

Q: Will my Kuvasz bark at insects, birds, and the wind ? 

A: Some do. Some will sleep at the foot of the bed and bark only enough to alert the family, then stop. Others prefer to sleep outside to guard their kingdoms. They bark to alert, and then keep barking... Just because why not? 

Remember that a guard dog is supposed to bark. The Kuvasz style is "prevention by intimidation," and almost all threats can be neutralized by a blood-curdling bark. One Kuvasz stood up on the bed at 2 AM and barked out the window. Her owners told her to be quiet and go back to sleep, which she obligingly did. The next morning they discovered that their car had been broken into and the cellular phone stolen. They'll listen to their Kuvasz next time. 

Most Kuvasz sound off only for good reasons, but a good reason in your dog's opinion may be the UPS truck, cyclists, evil joggers, or the iguana next door. Be aware that your Kuvasz will also protect the houses next to yours. the house in front of yours. and the house behind yours. If your neighbors cannot accept a moderate amount of barking, don't buy a Kuvasz. If you buy one anyway, be prepared to experience a relationship you never wanted with your local animal control officer, otherwise known as your worst nightmare. 

Q: My house has a nice view and I don't want to block it with a fence. Is it true that Kuvaszok don't wander? 

A: The Kuvasz is a guardian dog, bred to instinctively protect anything within its territory. Without a clearly defined boundary like a fence, or invisible fencing, your Kuvasz will vigorously expand its territory, and the possibilities are endless... Your Kuvasz is not "roaming;" it is conquering new frontiers and enlarging its kingdom. Not only does this go over poorly with your neighbors, but the only car that comes down the road all day WILL run over your unfenced dog. 

[I'm sure Gail would agree that tie-outs or chains are NOT a suitable way to confine a dog of any breed; a Kuvasz or a Kangal Dog chained for much of the day is likely to become either depressed or aggressive. We will not sell a dog to anyone without adequate fencing of an area large enough for the dog to exercise in.] 

SO YOU WANT TO BE A DOG BREEDER 

Q: I intend to breed my Kuvasz to recoup the money I spent buying it, okay? Kuvasz breeders must make megabucks. Besides, I want to show my kids the miracle of birth. 

A: If your AKC Kuvasz was sold as a pet, it almost certainly has non-breeding registration status (an "orange slip"), and your breeder should have advised you to spay or neuter your dog. If your Kuvasz was sold as show-potential, you have much to think about and do before you should even consider breeding. Ask yourself if your dog has any superior characteristics which can contribute to the improvement of the breed. If you don't know what superior characteristics are, you are not knowledgeable enough to be a breeder. 

[Some breeders alter companion dogs before sale to ensure the safety of the dog, the happiness of the family, and to avoid adding to the shelter-dog problem; in some cases, spay or neuter will be required by contract. BTW, Kangal Dogs are not AKC recognized, and we are not interested in pursuing that; however, we are pleased that our dogs are recognized by the United Kennel Club.] 

Do you have enough money ($1000.00 and up) to afford a service for your female Kuvasz from an excellent stud dog and to transport her to and from him? Have you shown your Kuvasz, and did it ever win? Did it finish its championship? If you intend to produce livestock guardians, is your Kuvasz an outstanding livestock guard? If your dog can't beat the competition in the show ring or in the pasture, it lacks the qualities necessary to justify breeding it. The Kuvasz gene pool is small, and even when one mediocre dog is bred, it has significant impact upon the breed as a whole. What kind of impact do YOU want to make? How do YOU want to be remembered? 

 
If you do decide to breed, you must first obtain all the essential hip, eye, ear, thyroid, and blood certifications your Kuvasz requires, as well as determine that the prospective mate has them, too. Next, are YOU prepared to be a dog breeder? Most Kuvasz have very large litters. Do you enjoy staying up all night? How about losing that big promotion at work because you had to stay home on midwife duty? Are you prepared to watch your Kuvasz die trying to give birth? Are you prepared to watch little puppies die? Are your children prepared to witness every aspect of "the miracle'- or bloody nightmare - of birth? Are you prepared for a doggy cesarean or a litter of sick puppies and a $5000.00 vet bill? Like to buy dog food by the ton? Like to spend thousands of dollars on advertising? Like to trim 280 toenails a week? Who will be responsible for (yuck) puppy janitorial? 

Will you have the time to be a loving and compassionate human role model for the puppies? Will you have the time to help them, to play with them, to teach them, to reassure and comfort them when they cry? 

Are you ready to spend all your remaining time carefully interviewing hundreds of potential buyers in order to find the right homes for your puppies? Are you ready to be insulted by people you turn down? Are you ready to be insulted by people you didn't turn down? Do you have time to be a twenty-four-hour support system, doggy psychologist, canine behavior therapist, and scapegoat for all your puppy buyers? How many questions did you ask your dog's breeder? If you produced a litter of ten puppies, could you answer ten times the questions you asked as a novice owner? Would you be able to pay your phone bill? Is anyone else in the household expecting to be able to use the phone too? 

[None of this is an exaggeration, I can assure you!] 

Would you enjoy discovering that weird people you've never heard of are experts on your breeding program and are saying horrible, nasty things about you? Would you like being a travel agent on hold for hours trying to find airlines that will still ship puppies? How about driving 200 miles to the airport at three in the morning? What if nobody wants to buy one? Do you have the room and resources to care for fourteen six-month-old Kuvasz puppies? Are you ready to assume lifelong responsibility for every puppy you produce? 

Will you be able to take back every dog you bred regardless of what age and what mental or physical condition it is in when it is returned to you? 

So much for the megabucks. Bottom line: most good Kuvasz breeders rarely break even, financially or emotionally. It is much less expensive to buy or adopt a Kuvasz than to breed one. Your kids can discover the miracle of birth in safer, less costly, less painful ways. If you really want to breed Kuvasz, do it right and do it for one reason only: love. 

[Bottom line for small-scale breeders of any large, uncommon breed: it's a huge expense of time, money, and emotion. It can tax marriages and interfere with family life. You must really love the breed and be committed to helping ensure its future if you wish to consider breeding.]