The Komondor is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most unique-looking
dog breeds in the world. It was mentioned for the first time in the
Code of Hammurabi (a set of laws created by the Babylonian king
Hammurabi around 1750 BC). However, the Komondor is nowadays considered
Hungary’s traditional dog.
The first thing you’ll notice about these dogs is their resemblance
to giant mops: indeed, their 2000-cord coat alone weighs around 15
pounds (30 kilos) and they are approximately three feet tall (a bit over
90 centimeters). The Komondor’s cords develop during its first two
years of life and their length increases with time, as the coat grows.
Thankfully, the dog doesn’t need brushing, but you do have to separate
the cords, which may take a while, as they tend to get tangled. If the
dog’s natural look is maintained, which means letting its corded coat
grow long, you’ll be able to notice its distinctive rectangular
shape. These adorable leaving mops were used as livestock guard dogs,
and with their corded coat acting as camouflage they were especially
useful for guarding sheep. The Komondor breed is believed to have been
so efficient at its task that it nearly wiped out all Hungary’s wolf
population.
As adorable as it may seem, having a Komondor for a pet isn’t as easy
as it may seem: first of all, it needs a lot of space for daily
exercise, so living in the countryside may suit it best. Second,
although this breed hasn’t been used for guarding purposes for quite
some time now, and is actually preferred as a pet by most families, keep
in mind that it still has strong protective instincts, thus it may not
be so friendly to strangers. Lastly and most importantly, the Komondorok
(Hungarian plural for Komondor) are very independent, self-willed dogs,
so you may have to professionally train them from an early age. The one
thing you don’t have to worry about is excessive shedding. Contrary to
what most people think, shedding is minimal with this breed once its
thick cords are fully formed.
No comments:
Post a Comment