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Kuvasz

The breeds · working

AKC Working · UKC Guardian · FCI standard 54

Kuvasz.

Livestock and property guardian with a hunting past. FCI 54 utilization: watch and guard dog for houses, property and people; has also been used as a hunting and scenting dog; ancestors came with the Magyars to guard flocks against beasts of prey and thieves; preferred hunting dog at the time of King Matthias Corvinus. AKC standard: an unexcelled guard able to act on his own initiative; primarily a one-family dog; good scent and used to hunt game; untiring ability to work rough terrain. UKC: historical and present uses as hunting dogs, flock guards and guard-companions. Kuvasz Club of America: ancient livestock guardian brought by the Magyars about 955 AD, used by Hungarian kings as guardian, hunting dog and drover, central to Hungary's agricultural and wool industries; functions without human supervision but needs to be among his pack; slow maturing, a juvenile until two or three years. USDA bulletin: the Kuvasz has a history of protecting livestock but only a limited number of dogs is available.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
70–137LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 90 to 137 lb; breed bitches 70 to 110 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 28 to 30 in · bitches 26 to 28 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

Low and high span AKC, UKC and the FCI printed range; center blank.

Weight

dogs 90 to 137 lb · bitches 70 to 110 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

Low and high span AKC, UKC and FCI; FCI ceiling 50 kg. Center blank.

Coat

AKC: double coat of guard hair and fine undercoat, medium coarse, ranging from quite wavy to straight; short smooth hair on head, muzzle, ears, paws, front of forelegs and hind legs below the thighs; backs of forelegs feathered 2 to 3 in; back of thighs and tail 4 to 6 in; neck mane covering the chest. White with no markings is the only acceptable colour (UKC: ivory occurs but is not preferred and ivory is not disqualified; FCI 54: white, ivory permitted). Slate gray or black skin preferred (UKC)

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1999

Shedding

Kuvasz Club of America: for many Kuvasz two major shedding seasons a year with some ongoing shedding, varying by climate. AKC and UKC standards: it is natural for the Kuvasz to lose most of the long coat in hot weather and to grow a full coat seasonally; a summer coat is not penalized. AKC breed page: shedding level 3 of 5

Breed clubKuvasz Club of America, 2012

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · AKC: double coat of guard hair and fine undercoat, medium-coarse, quite wavy to straight; short smooth hair on head, muzzle, ears, paws and lower legs; neck mane; body and thighs medium length; most of the long coat is lost in hot weather. FCI 54: body coat 4 to 12 cm, abundantly wavy

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1999

Derived from the coat description (3 = medium double). The standards say the breed sheds most of its long coat in hot weather and can stand very severe weather (FCI).

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

FCI 54: needs plenty of exercise and must be kept busy; undemanding. AKC breed page: energy level 3 of 5. Kuvasz Club of America: an age-appropriate exercise program of walks or play; needs a secure enclosure (6 ft fence recommended with self-locking gates) and must never run loose; needs to be among his pack, human or animal, for emotional wellbeing. AKC standard: untiring ability to work and cover rough terrain for long periods

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 54, 2000

No Royal Kennel Club page was found for the breed, so there is no numeric minutes band; exercise_need_min is omitted.

Energy

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

2 of 5 · Kuvasz Club of America: weekly grooming with a long pin brush, rake or comb; frequent bathing unnecessary because a healthy coat tends to shed dirt; the fine hair behind the ears mats easily and should be combed often. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5

Breed clubKuvasz Club of America, 2012

1 = wipe-down, 2 = weekly brush; the breed club states weekly brushing. FCI describes the coat as not tending to mat.

Grooming

Weekly brushing; nails clipped or ground weekly or biweekly; hair between the footpads often needs trimming (breed club). FCI 54: moderately harsh, wavy, slightly stiff coat, not tending to mat, care is easy

Breed clubKuvasz Club of America, 2012

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Livestock and property guardian with a hunting past. FCI 54 utilization: watch and guard dog for houses, property and people; has also been used as a hunting and scenting dog; ancestors came with the Magyars to guard flocks against beasts of prey and thieves; preferred hunting dog at the time of King Matthias Corvinus. AKC standard: an unexcelled guard able to act on his own initiative; primarily a one-family dog; good scent and used to hunt game; untiring ability to work rough terrain. UKC: historical and present uses as hunting dogs, flock guards and guard-companions. Kuvasz Club of America: ancient livestock guardian brought by the Magyars about 955 AD, used by Hungarian kings as guardian, hunting dog and drover, central to Hungary's agricultural and wool industries; functions without human supervision but needs to be among his pack; slow maturing, a juvenile until two or three years. USDA bulletin: the Kuvasz has a history of protecting livestock but only a limited number of dogs is available

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 54, 2000

Livestock guardian, not a herder (USDA bulletin distinguishes guarding from herding; FCI files the Kuvasz in its sheepdog group). Hunting use is history and a stated ability in all three registries; no source gives game species or field trial rules.

Also used on

Hunting and scenting dog (FCI 54, AKC standard: good scent and has been used to hunt game; UKC: well-developed scenting ability); guard for houses and property; guard-companion; drover (Kuvasz Club of America)

Breed clubFCI Standard N° 54, 2000

No source names the game hunted.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

17.6% · 17.6% dysplastic of 2,127 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 80.5% normal; mild 9.8%, moderate 6.2%, severe 1.6%; breed rank 67 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is higher. Current all-data figure, undated.

Elbow dysplasia

5.5% · 5.5% abnormal of 711 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 94.5% normal; grade 1 4.8%, grade 2 0.6%, grade 3 0.1%; breed rank 76

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is higher. Current all-data figure, undated.

Most common disorders

Kuvasz Club of America: a rugged, healthy breed with few health issues; like many large breeds can suffer hip dysplasia and other joint problems; thyroid disease and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) are two other conditions of concern. Parent-club recommended tests on the AKC CHIC page: hips, elbows, thyroid. The club adds eyes, patellae and heart as recommended but not required

Breed clubKuvasz Club of America, 2012

Breed-club statement, not a prevalence study; no VetCompass paper or insurer report was found.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 5; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 5; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 2; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 6 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Kuvaszok, Hungarian Kuvasz

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