Kuvasz E-Book

Nikki Moustaki

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Comprehensive Owner's Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 244

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

An ancient breed from the Middle East region, the Kuvasz is hailed as one of Hungary's fearless and courageous flock-guardian dogs. His large, muscular frame is enrobed in a solid white, full, luxuriant coat. This powerful sheepdog cannot be excelled as a guard; he's a self-motivated, thinking dog who lives to protect his family. His innate desire to guard his herd extends to his family, and he's particularly fond and protective of children. Author Nikki Moustaki has compiled a comprehensive and useful guide in this Special Limited Edition dedicated to the Kuvasz, covering the breed's origins, characteristics, the breed standard, showing and more. Guest authors and top breeders, Connie Townsend and Bea Page have provided an extensive look at the breed's history in the United States, highlighting the important dogs and breeders responsible for the breed's progress here. This full-color volume also discusses topics such as selection of a puppy, rearing the puppy, house-training and obedience lessons. Keeping in mind the Kuvasz's unique temperament and high sensitivity to praise and blame, the author instructs owners about the advantages of positive reinforcement in training the breed. As strong-willed and independent as the Kuvasz is, he is still a quick learner given the proper training. General maintenance, including feeding, grooming and exercise, is carefully considered, as is the preventive healthcare of the breed, capably handled by Dr. Lowell Ackerman, covering parasite control, vaccinations, infectious diseases, spay/neuter and much more.

Leseprobe

Physical Characteristics of the Kuvasz

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Skull: Elongated but not pointed. The stop is defined…raising the forehead gently above the plane of the muzzle. The longitudinal midline of the forehead is pronounced, widening as it slopes to the muzzle.

Head: Length of head measured from tip of nose to occiput is slightly less than half the height of the dog at the withers. Width is half the length of the head.

Ears: V-shaped, tip is slightly rounded. Rather thick, they are well set back between the level of the eye and the top of the head.

Eyes: Almond-shaped, set well apart, somewhat slanted.

Nose: Large, black nostrils well opened. Lips black, closely covering the teeth.

Neck: Muscular, without dewlap, medium length, arched at the crest.

Muzzle: Length in proportion to the length of the head, top straight, underjaw well developed. Inside of the mouth preferably black.

Chest: Deep with long, well-sprung ribs reaching almost to the elbows.

Forequarters: Shoulders—muscular and long.

Back: Of medium length, straight, firm and quite broad.

Tail: Carried low, natural length reaching at least to the hocks. In repose it hangs down resting on the body, the end but slightly lifted.

Hindquarters: The portion behind the hip joint is moderately long, producing wide, long and strong muscles of the upper thigh. The femur is long, creating well-bent stifles. Lower thigh is long, dry, well muscled. Metatarsus is short, broad and of great strength.

Color: White. The skin is heavily pigmented. The more slate gray or black pigmentation the better.

Coat: The Kuvasz has a double coat, formed by guard hair and fine undercoat. The texture of the coat is medium coarse. The coat ranges from quite wavy to straight.

Feet: Well padded. Pads resilient, black. Feet are closed tight, forming round “cat feet.” Some hair between the toes, the less the better. Dark nails are preferred. Feet as in front, except the rear paws somewhat longer.

Height: Measured at the withers: Dogs, 28 to 30 inches; bitches, 26 to 28 inches.

Weight: Dogs approximately 100 to 115 pounds; bitches approximately 70 to 90 pounds.

Contents

History of the Kuvasz

Travel back thousands of years to learn about the origins of the Kuvasz in what is now known as the Middle East. From there follow this durable hardworking guard dog to its adopted home of Hungary, where it became a favorite amongst the country’s royalty. Discover the dedication of Kuvasz enthusiasts in the US to increase the popularity of the breed, as well as the breed’s participation in numerous conformation and sporting events.

Characteristics of the Kuvasz

A guard dog at heart, the Kuvasz is a strong and agile breed that will always keep a watchful eye on its family. With personalities unique to each individual Kuvasz, this breed can be the perfect addition to almost any home. In addition to the breed’s physical characteristics and personality, learn about the training process, health issues and what type of owner is best suited for this wonderful breed.

Breed Standard for the Kuvasz

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Kuvasz by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Your Puppy Kuvasz

Find out about how to locate a well-bred Kuvasz puppy. Discover which questions to ask the breeder and what to expect when visiting the litter. Prepare for your puppy-accessory shopping spree. Also discussed are home safety, the first trip to the vet, socialization and solving basic puppy problems.

Proper Care of Your Kuvasz

Cover the specifics of taking care of your Kuvasz every day: feeding for the puppy, adult and senior dog; grooming, including coat care, ears, eyes, nails and bathing; and exercise needs for your dog. Also discussed are the essentials of dog identification.

Training Your Kuvasz

Begin with the basics of training the puppy and adult dog. Learn the principles of house-training the Kuvaz, including the use of crates and basic scent instincts. Get started by introducing the pup to his collar and leash and progress to the basic commands. Find out about obedience classes and training for other activities.

Healthcare of Your Kuvasz

By Lowell Ackerman DVM, DACVD

Become your dog’s healthcare advocate and a well-educated canine keeper. Select a skilled and able veterinarian. Discuss pet insurance, vaccinations and infectious diseases, the neuter/spay decision and a sensible, effective plan for parasite control, including fleas, ticks and worms.

Showing Your Kuvasz

Step into the center ring and find out about the world of showing pure-bred dogs. Here’s how to get started in AKC shows, how they are organized and what’s required for your dog to become a champion. Take a leap into the realms of obedience trials, agility and tracking tests.

KENNEL CLUB BOOKS®KUVASZ

ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-381-5

eISBN: 978-1-62187-041-8

Copyright © 2007 • Kennel Club Books® • An Imprint of I-5 Press™ • A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC™

3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618 USA

Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Moustaki, Nikki, 1970-

  Kuvasz / by Nikki Moustaki.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-59378-381-7

1. Kuvasz. I. Title.

SF429.K88M68 2006

636.73--dc22

2006011615

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Photography by Isabelle Français and Lara Stern

with additional photos by:

Kim Booth, Paulette Braun, Alan and Sandy Carey, Carol Ann Johnson, Bill Jonas, Chuck Tatham and Alice van Kempen.

Illustrations by Patricia Peters.

The publisher wishes to thank all of the owners whose dogs are illustrated in this book.

The Publisher dedicates this book to a great friend and dog man Greg Warne (1950-2006), whose love of the Kuvasz breed and his friends, family and associates at I-5 Publishing, LLC™ remains with all of us forever.

The modern Kuvasz has its direct roots in Hungary, but this breed has a rich and ancient history. The Kuvasz is perhaps one of the oldest breeds in the world, an ancestor to dozens of other breeds and recorded in the histories of several countries over thousands of years. Throughout its history, the Kuvasz has always served as a guard and herding dog.

Archeologists estimate that the history of the Kuvasz begins sometime around 6600 BC in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley, the area that is now Iraq and its neighboring countries. The ancient Kuvasz worked on trade routes between Europe and Asia, generally accompanying nomads and their flocks. As a result of this constant movement, the ancient Kuvasz probably bred with other kinds of dog common at the time. Many other breeds are thought to have their beginnings with the Kuvasz; for example, the Tibetan Mastiff, Great Pyrenees, Samoyed, Maremma Sheepdog, Anatolian Shepherd (Karabash), Akbash Dog, Tatra Sheepdog, Slovac Cuvac and Shar Planinetz. The two closest relatives of the Kuvasz, though, are the Komondor and the Puli, two other native breeds of Hungary.

The name Kuvasz originates from Kuassa, a Sumerian word originating over 7,000 years ago. Ku meant “dog” and Assa meant “horse,” combining to describe this animal as a “horse dog,” an early reflection of the way that the Kuvasz worked on farms to protect the horses and livestock. Other theories about the origins of the breed place it in Russia and have it named after the Chuvash people, who kept this dog to guard over their livestock. Written records of the Kuvasz go back to Mesopotamia around 5000 BC in the city of Ugarit. While exploring the ruins of this city in 1931, Sir H. J. McDonald found a clay tablet with the dog’s name inscribed on it in cuneiform (one of the earliest writing systems). Kuvaszok were also included on clay tablets uncovered in what was formerly the city of Ur. These tablets are presumably from around 3500 BC.

Belonging to the family of large white flock guardians, the Hungarian Komondor is one of the closest relatives of the Kuvasz.

Perhaps the most famous ancient mention of the Kuvasz is in the Code of Hammurabi. This text describes a system of laws and was written by King Hammurabi around 1780 BC. The Kuvasz is actually referred to by its modern name in this text. It is amazing to think that the breed has retained the same title and purpose for thousands of years. The durability of this breed is further proof of its success as a working dog.

Around 900 AD, a tribe called the Magyars invaded the Carpathian Basin, taking over the land now known as Hungary. They brought dogs with them, which bred with the native dogs like the Kuvasz. Influences such as this certainly affected the breed. By 1443, the Kuvasz was quite popular, eventually becoming a favorite of the king of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus. The breed was the preferred guard and hunting companion of the powerful nobility during this time and was not found in the homes of the poor. The king established a careful breeding program to produce better Kuvaszok. He preferred them over human guards and kept the dogs by his side at all times. He also gave the dogs as gifts. One of the people said to have been awarded one of these special dogs was Count Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) on the occasion of his marriage to the king’s daughter after his release from the king’s prison.

Eventually, this area was taken over by the Ottoman-Turkish Empire. During this time, the dog’s common name, Kuassa, was changed to Kawasz, meaning “nobility’s armed guard.” With King Matthias Corvinus gone, the Kuvasz soon returned to its life on the farm, where its abilities were best served. Even today, the name Kuvasz means “café-keeper” in Turkish. For several more centuries, the Kuvasz worked primarily guarding horses, sheep and other livestock on farms.

The Hungarian Kennel Club was formed in 1880. The first official standard for the Kuvasz, which only emphasized its performance ability, was approved five years later. In 1883 the first Kuvasz competed in a conformation show. Two Kuvaszok were brought to a show in Vienna by Count d’Esterházy. Two years later, the first breed standard was written for the Kuvasz in Hungary. This was certainly many years in the making, but the Kuvasz earned its official place in both the field and the show ring.

In 1912 the standard was revised to more clearly define breed characteristics and this resulted in improved breed uniformity. Consequently, world interest increased and the Kuvasz began to be exported to Germany, Holland, Switzerland and the United States.

THE KUVASZ IN THE UNITED STATES

By Connie Townsend and Bea Page

The first Kuvaszok in the United States were brought across the ocean in 1920 as the pets of an immigrant Hungarian couple. The couple was eventually forced to part with their dogs for financial reasons, and their male dog found a new home with Miss Mabel Marsh (to become Mrs. J. Scoffield Rowe) from New Jersey in the late 1920s. Miss Marsh took more than the average interest in her thenunusual dog and worked tirelessly to bring a female Kuvasz from Hungary as a mate for him. With this pair, she became the first person in the United States to breed the Kuvasz, and she established the Romance kennels in the early 1930s.

A noble breed indeed, the Kuvasz was once popular among Hungarian royalty.

The kennel only lasted until the late 1930s but accomplished much in its short time of operation. In 1931, Miss Marsh had the first Kuvasz admitted into the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) stud book. Aino Andres, a longtime Kuvasz fancier, reported in two Dog World articles, November and December of 1978, that the first Kuvasz was registered with the American Kennel Club in August 1931. The entry is listed as follows: “Tamar v. Wurmtal, Bitch (791,292) Owner Ignatz Schmidt. Breeder Rudolf Fischer, Germany. Whelped Dec. 16, 1925. White, black nose. By Sultan von Rosenhain out of Dumm von Franken.” Miss Andres went on to say that, “Both Sultan and Dumm came from a mixed bag of Hungarian and German dogs, most of them simple farm dogs, but pure-bred and registered.”

Tamar v. Wurmtal was bred to a Hungarian male in Los Angeles and produced a male puppy in July 1928, Rigoletto von Romance. The sire, Futykos von Cibakhaza, was never AKC registered. Miss Mabel E. Marsh was the owner of Rigoletto, and he was the first to bear the Romance kennel name.

Miss Marsh was able to get the dam, Tamar, registered with the AKC, and in 1934 Rigoletto was registered. At that time she also registered an imported Hungarian female, Csiba-Te. Csiba-Te whelped her first litter of four, sired by Rigoletto, on February 6, 1932.

At one time, Kuvaszok were held in such high regard that they were only to be owned by the upper tiers of society.

FROM FIELD TO FAMILY

The Kuvasz is an ancient Hungarian herding dog. Eventually, it was taken from the field and treasured by nobility as a fierce guard dog. The breed eventually found its way back into the field to do its original job of protecting livestock. It has recently moved into a more urban setting, where the breed is now prized as a family guardian and companion.

Miss Andres reported that through the 1930s Miss Marsh campaigned aggressively to gain the American Kennel Club’s recognition of the Kuvasz. Under the kennel name Romance, she bred, imported, exhibited and advertised in the New York/New Jersey area. The first four AKC Kuvasz champions were Ch. Gilda of Romance, Ch. Astor von Ostseestrand, Ch. White Knight of Romance and Ch. Rigoletto of Romance II.

Miss March imported Astor von Ostseestrand, a five-year-old German champion, who sired four litters of puppies. In 1936 she imported two Hungarian Kuvaszok, a male and a female, from Count Uchtritz-Amade. The male was never bred. The female, Lokosi Bajos, produced litters in 1938 and in 1939. Miss March also imported Almo v. Arabienhof, a male, from Switzerland in 1936. He sired three litters, the last in 1940.

In 1935 she entered her American-bred Kuvasz in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and showed it in the regular class, as well as in the team and brace competitions. That same year the AKC approved the official standard for the breed in the United States, which remained in place until 1974. Her last litter was recorded in December of 1940. After only 8 years, at least 17 litters and at least 5 imported dogs, Romance kennels was no longer active.

In the late 1930s, Miss Marsh married J. Scoffield Rowe; her husband’s untimely death in 1940 essentially caused the end of the kennel, and many of the dogs were sold. A few Romance dogs were bred by their owners in the 1940s but only one, Sir Christopher of Fresno, sired a litter as late as 1950.

WWII

Bitter wars in Europe separated Kuvasz owners in various countries, and bloodlines became diluted as breeders tried to correct “faults” in the breed. For example, it is suspected that the Germans introduced the Great Pyrenees into their Kuvasz stock to straighten its coat, though this isn’t proven and may be simply anecdotal. Some people believe that after World War II Hungarians bred their dogs with the German type, resulting in dogs that did not appear very much like the written standard.

Following the Ottoman-Turkish takeover, Kuvaszok returned to the field as guards of livestock.

By World War II, the Kuvasz was still popular in Europe, used as both a livestock dog and a police dog. Unfortunately, the breed did such a good job protecting its villages that it was targeted by invading armies. Others were shot by their owners so that they wouldn’t give up their hiding places. The dogs that weren’t killed outright starved to death. These factors, along with limited financial resources after the war and no one focusing on breeding, caused the Kuvasz to become nearly extinct after the war, with fewer than 30 individuals of the breed remaining.

When the war ended, many factory workers wanted Kuvaszok to guard their properties, but there were few to be found. In Hungary, the breed’s native country, only 12 individual dogs remained. Nearly every remaining Kuvasz was gathered from across Europe, and a breeding program was instituted. The breed’s numbers began increasing again.

The first Kuvasz club began in the US in 1939. There were still not many of the dogs in the country, but much effort was being put into increasing their numbers. It was also during the mid to late 1930s that Kuvaszok began to appear at dog shows. Around this time, another couple came to the aid of the Kuvasz: Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler of Manchester, Pennsylvania. The couple brought over a German dog, Dickens Von Leonardshof. They were so dedicated to making the Kuvasz more common in America that they persevered in spite of financial difficulties. The couple imported another dog, Rike Von Waldfrid, and the pair of Kuvaszok produced ten puppies.

Historically bred to be the guardian of the flock, the Kuvasz also assumes the post of companion and show dog.

These Kuvasz puppies were shown at the Morris and Essex show in New Jersey as well as at the Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Garden. The Zieglers did much for the Kuvasz as a breed in just a few short years, but they were ultimately forced to stop breeding dogs as they got older.

For the next decade or so, the Kuvasz remained very much in the background of the American dog world. No one was working to produce quality Kuvaszok in the country, and therefore the breed’s numbers did not increase much. The occasional litter was born, but breeding was very infrequent.

Despite the scarcity of breeding stock, two American kennels, Mrs. Margaret Hutchinson of Wish-A-Way and Mr. and Mrs. N. De Lorenzo of Oznerol, promoted the breed in the 1950s. From 1940 to 1966, only five Kuvasz earned their AKC championships: Ch. Rike v Waldfried, Ch. Anitra von Premer, Ch. Wish-A-Way’s Hassan von Elfin, Ch. Condor Oznerol and Ch. Gyapjus Kapitany. Also during this period, the first obedience Companion Dog titles were awarded to Kuvasz; the recipients were Anika From The Farm CD and Amigo von Premer CD.

Though primarily a guardian of stock, some Kuvaszok have demonstrated a knack at herding their keep as well.

In the mid 1960s Dana Alvi became an active breeder and advocate for the Kuvasz. Her foundation bitch, Mex. Ch. Tall Grass Princess Magda, was imported from Canada. Magda was bred to Ch. Gyapjus Kapitany in April 1966 and then to Moby Dick in November 1966. From these litters, she crossbred offspring. In 1969, she used a male Hungarian import, Nagyhazi Betyar, to strengthen her lines.

The first Kuvasz Newsletter was printed in January 1966. This periodical attracted Kuvasz owners interested in increasing the quality and popularity of the breed. These people worked together to breed the Kuvasz more regularly, and the number of Kuvaszok in the United States continued to grow.

On April 30, 1966 a small group of Kuvasz fanciers formed the Kuvasz Club of America (KCA) under the leadership of Dana Alvi. The purpose of the club was to encourage and promote the breeding of quality Kuvaszok, to educate and guide novice owners and to share experiences and ideas among breeders. It wasn’t until 1986 that the Kuvasz Club of America was incorporated.

The preliminary constitution that was adopted by the KCA was received from the American Kennel Club. The Kuvasz Club of America accepted this constitution with only one addition—the recommendation that Kuvasz owners x-ray their dogs. The following is a quote from a letter sent to the KCA membership by Dana Alvi: “The part in the constitution, to urge Kuvasz owners to x-ray their dogs was placed there at my suggestion. We are rather proud that the AKC accepted this section and believe that our club was the only one in the United States at the time to have this concern mentioned in its constitution.”

While not as popular as other breeds, the Kuvasz is headed for a bright future as enthusiasts continue to promote the breed.

Between 1968 and 1979, 33 Champions, 7 Companion Dogs and 1 Companion Dog Excellent were AKC titled under the Hamralvi kennels name. On July 10, 1977, Ch. Hamralvi Heimdall Odin (Odin), handled by Doug McClain for owners Lynn Schiesel and Dana Alvi, became the first Kuvasz in the US to receive the Best in Show honor at the Starved Rock Kennel Club show in Ottawa, Illinois. Odin’s show career included a total of 25 Group placements: 3 Fours, 7 Threes, 9 Twos, 5 Ones and the much coveted Best in Show.

Other Kuvasz kennels active during the ’60s and ’70s were Hugh and Luciana Glasgow of Glasgow and Clifford and Shirley Rutter of Pridonis. The 1970s and 1980s saw the following new breeders appear to carry on in the preservation of the breed: Ethel Adams of E’Don kennels, Sally Furgeson of Santa’s Forest, Claudia Buss of Aquilon, Aino Andres and Doris Bartels of Budavari, Loretta Ouellette of Whiteacres/Whitewoods and Nancy McGuire of Oak Hill. Today, Sally Furgeson and Bonnie Leech are still breeding Kuvasz under the Santa’s Forest kennels name.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there were so few Kuvaszok being shown that the breed qualified for the “Sexes Combined” class. That meant that a single male and a single female entry combined constituted one point for the winner. From 1936 through 1969, 17 Kuvasz championships and 2 Companion Dog titles were earned, although from 1959 through 1965 no Kuvasz earned an AKC title. As the breed gained popularity from 1970 through 1986, however, the AKC recorded titles for 214 Champions, 48 Companion Dogs, 8 Companion Dog Excellents and 1 Tracking Dog.

At the first Sanctioned “B” Match, held on August 26, 1972 in Columbus, Ohio, Best in Match was Hamralvi Jeges Medve Indas. On May 29, 1973 the KCA supported the Queensboro Kennel Club (New York) with a record entry of 17 Kuvaszok. The Best of Breed winner was Ch. Devilo Prince Khan. Khan went on to a fourth place in the Working Group to become the first male Kuvasz to get a Group placement. The first female Kuvasz to win a Group placement was Ch. Hamralvi Own That Girl on March 24, 1974. She was owned by Claudia Buss of Aquilon kennels. The first Companion Dog Excellent title was earned in 1979 by Ch. Danlos Pericle CDX.

Known for its hard work and durability, the Kuvasz is a fantastic breed for many outdoor activities.

Prior to this time little attention was paid to hip dysplasia. As the Kuvasz Club of America and Kuvasz breeders educated owners and new breeders, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals’ (OFA) listing for clear hips started to grow. By the early 1980s, there were 82 cleared Kuvaszok listed with OFA. The first was Kyomi May Casewe, and the second was Tall Grass Gay Liesel.

In 1982 Elizabeth Kondor (Pyramid kennels) obtained a Hungarian import from Miss Kinga Fabo of Calgary, named Can. Ch. Budagyongye Opal (Opal), who won a Canadian Best in Show in 1977. He earned his AKC championship in August 1982. Both his sire and dam were well-recognized Hungarian champions. He became a significant addition to the American Kuvasz gene pool, siring 28 champions. Opal can be found in the extended pedigree of most of the Best in Show-winning Kuvasz today.

Here’s a very well-traveled Kuvasz, Am./Can./Int./Puerto Rican/South Am. Ch. Oak Hill’s Captain Courageous ITT.

Am./Can./Int./Puerto Rican/South Am. Ch. Oak Hill’s Captain Courageous ITT (Captain), bred by Marla Adams and Nancy McGuire and owned by Nancy McGuire and Darla Lofranco, had a significant impact on the breed. A descendant of the first BIS winner, Odin, Captain became a champion in 1984. He was the first Kuvasz to receive an International Temperament Test Certificate. He sired 13 champions. He is also found in the extended pedigree of some Best in Show winners.

It wasn’t until November 27, 1987 that the second Best in Show in United States Kuvasz history was awarded, and it went to Ch. Santa’s Forest Title Wave (Soka), bred and owned by Sally Furgeson. An Opal descendant, he sired five champion get. He is also a descendant of Am./Can. Ch. Santa’s Forest Danielle, who produced 12 champions, 9 of which were sired by Opal.

Am./Can. Ch. Oak Hill’s Inanna of Sumer takes a Best in Specialty under judge Michelle Billings.

In 1987 the first AKC tracking title was awarded to a Kuvasz, Dahmer’s Ursa Minor Minnie TD, owned by Richard and Kathleen Dahmer. It wasn’t until 1990 that the second tracking title was awarded, and it went to Lofranco’s Impero Joshua CD, TD, also owned by the Dahmers.

The late ’80s and ’90s saw further growth with the addition of a number of new kennels: Valerie and Gary Eastman of Ghosthill, Sue Thomas of Mauna Kea, Agi and Sandor Hejja of Starhaven, Fred and Gudrun Stein of Bjel-Saros, Marla Adams of Damara Magyar/later Marla and Dave Conkey of Telperion, Herbert Sweeny of Macsuibhne, Dr. Henry and Karen Nichols of Nordland, Bobbie Kelley of August, Lorraine and William Blosser of Walors, Henry and Millie Fellerman of Rocky Mountain High, Linda Lloyd of Czigany, Susan Secor of Gwyndura, Dawn and Randy Ham of Peachtree, Lynn Brady and Connie Townsend of Szumeria, Chuck and Kathy Ringering of Double Ring and Debbie Blank of Glacier Creek.

In 1989 the first Utility Dog title was achieved by Ch. Glasgow’s Avalanche Aerro UD, owned by Dr. Connie Petrick.

In July of 1992, Am./Can. Ch. Oak Hill’s Inanna of Sumer (Inanna), bred by Nancy McGuire and Janet Kleber and owned by Lynn Brady and Connie Townsend, began her show career. At 18 months, she was 1992’s top Kuvasz of the year with over 20 Group placements in 4 months. On December 6, 1992 she won Best in Show in Brantford, Canada.

Ch. Szumeria’s Same Old Song or “Ditto” winning Best of Opposite Sex in 1998.

Also in 1992, two handsome male Kuvaszok were coming to the attention of judges and the breed fanciers. Ch. Nordland’s Rocky (Rocky), bred and owned by Dr. Henry and Karen Nichols, gained his championship at age 18 months and began placing in the Group. Am./Mex./Int. Ch. Szatmari Shadow of The Chief (Shadow), bred by Paul Yuhas of Budapest and owned by David and Marla Conkey, was beginning to take some Group placements as well.

After fulfilling the AKC’s requirements, the KCA formally became a member club and the parent club for Kuvasz in September of 1992. The first national specialty was held on June 4, 1993 in Reno, Nevada, with an entry of 100 in conformation, 21 in sweepstakes and 8 in obedience. Conformation classes were judged by Mr. Robert H. Ward and the sweepstakes classes were judged by Dana Alvi of Hamralvi kennels. Best of Breed was Ch. Czigany Abracadabra, bred, owned and handled by Linda Lloyd, who later became an AKC judge. Ch. Szatmari Shadow of The Chief won an Award of Merit. Ms. Alvi’s Best in Sweeps and Reserve Winners Bitch went to a nine-month-old female, Szumeria’s Arsenic and Old Lace, bred by Lynn Brady and Connie Townsend and owned by Doreen MacPherson. Best of Opposite Sex in Sweeps went to her litter brother Szumeria’s Affordable Luxury, owned by Jenny Chua and Dennis Soong. They were out of Ch. Oak Hill’s Goin For The Gold by Ch. Oak Hill’s I’m Mr. Rock ‘N Roll (an Inanna littermate).

Inanna, Rocky and Shadow competed heavily for the remainder of 1993. Shadow sired a litter out of Ch. Telperions Thanksgiving Day which produced two beautiful bitches, Telperion Halima (“Bean”), owned by David and Marla Conkey, and Telperion Himalay, owned by David and Suzanne Wille.

The year 1993 culminated with Inanna’s being awarded the first Best in Show for a female Kuvasz in the US on November 28, 1993 at Greater Naples Dog Club under judge Eleanor Evers. In July of 1993, Inanna became the top-winning Kuvasz of all time with over 11 Group Ones, 10 Group Twos, 18 Group Threes, 10 Group Fours and 117 Bests of Breed. She was the number 1 Kuvasz in breed and all-breed and the number 15 working dog. She ended the year with a Group One win at the Western Reserve Kennel Club in Cleveland, Ohio with an entry of over 850 working dogs.

The second KCA national specialty was held in 1994 in Louisville, Kentucky. Inanna, Rocky and Shadow were in this competition. Mrs. Michele Billings awarded Best of Breed to Inanna, Best of Opposite Sex to Shadow (who died of torsion shortly after in July) and an Award of Merit to Rocky. Winners Bitch and Best of Winners was Shadow’s daughter, Telperion Halima (Bean). Two additional females were honored with Awards of Merit. The first was Ch. Mauna Kea’s Promises To Keep, bred by Sue Thomas and owned by Sue Thomas and Sue McCarthy. She was a daughter of Rocky’s sire. The second was Ch. Aquilon Photo Finish, bred by Claudia Buss and owned by Linda Harvey.