Kuvasz History
The history of the Kuvasz has long been debated and still to this day there are multiple theories that constantly circulate. However, with recent scientific discoveries one theory prevails.
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A common theory believed by many is that the Kuvasz traveled to Hungary from Tibet with Ottoman Turks, but this is false. There are some that still believe the Kuvasz is a Siberian breed, but this has also been proven to be incorrect. The Kuvasz was established thousands of years earlier, perhaps as early as 6600 BC. With discoveries of ancient text mentioning Kuvasz, we can be assured that the Kuvasz originated in the Tigris Euphrates Valley, otherwise known as Mesopotamia. The ancient civilizations of both Sumer and Scythia (modern day Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran and other surrounding countries) are the ancestors of the Hungarians and established our beloved Kuvasz.
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It has been recently proven genetically as well that Kuvasz, rather than being lumped into the "Livestock Guardian Dog" group such as Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Maremma, Slovac Cuvac, etc., Kuvasz are their predecessor, or one of them. Kuvasz are more closely related to wolves directly than they are to any other dog breed. In the figure below which was taken from a 2015 study (cited below), Kuvasz genetically start their own lineage close to wolves where other breeds descend from (similar to the also ancient Ibizan Hound).
Above is also a picture of a dog skull approximately 1,100 years old recovered from Fenékpusztai near Lake Balaton in western Hungary, which looks extremely similar to our modern-day Kuvasz.
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The oldest written text mentioning Kuvasz was found in 1931 by English archaeologist, Sir H.J. McDonald. On this expedition of the ruins of Uragit, a 5000 BC city in Mesopotamia (modern northern Syria), a 7,000 year old clay tablet was found written in cuneiform, one of the oldest written languages, with "KU-AS-SA" inscribed on it. On another expedition, Maurice Espreaux, discovered two clay tablets at the ruins of the city of Kish (about 80 miles east of Babylon) again with "KU-AS-SA" enscribed.
On an expedition led by Sir C. Leonard Wooley of a 35th century city, Ur, close to the Persian gulf and Euphrates river, clay tablets were found that listed Kuvasz, Komondor, and Puli as some of the belongings of two families by the names Kuth and Bana. The Kuth family owned eight "KU-AS-SA" and the Bana family owned two along with other livestock such as horses and cattle. Another excavation of the ruins of Akkad, located in what is now central Iraq, led to the discovery of another clay tablet with the word "KU-ASSA."
Perhaps the one of the most important inscriptions of Kuvasz is found in the Code of Hammurabi. Babylonian King Hammurabi wrote these laws for his people around 2250 BC and on these tablets Kuvasz, Komondor, and Puli are all mentioned. What is extraordinary about this inscription is that Kuvasz is written with it's modern day spelling. This would prove that "Kuvasz" did not come from the Turkish "Kawasz" meaning "armed guard" as this predates the arrival of the Ottoman Turks in Hungary by thousands of years.
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The origin of the name "Kuvasz" is still debated, but a leading theory is that the name comes from the Sumerian words "Ku" meaning dog and "Assa" meaning horse, making them the dog of the horse. As Hungarians have a strong working relationship with their horses, and relied on them for their livelihood, this theory could be true. The dogs would walk alongside their people on horseback and would also protect them from predators, so this could be the truth behind their namesake.
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For thousands of years Kuvasz lived alongside people protecting their families, livestock, and property and would also travel alongside them for long distances, including in 895 AD when the Magyars conquered the Carpathian Basin.
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In 1458, King Matthias Corvinus takes the Hungarian throne and while being the most beloved King of Hungary, he also becomes the modernizer of what we truly know as our present-day Kuvasz. King Matthias did not trust the people around him as he feared his early demise, but he did trust his loyal Kuvasz.
Parker, H.G., & Gilbert, S. (2015). From caveman companion to medical innovator: Genomic insights into the origin and evolution of domestic dogs. Advances in Genomics and Genetics, 2015(5), 239-255
It is a well-known fact that King Matthias was always seen with multiple Kuvaszok at his side and began his own breeding kennel of the "royal guardians." During his rein, the Kuvasz were the true royal guard of Hungary and it was forbidden for anyone of the lower class to own one. Matthias would also gift one of his Kuvasz to other kingdoms in Europe including to Vlad the Impaler of Romania, the inspiration behind Bram Stoker's "Dracula," as a wedding present for the marriage to Matthias' cousin.
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King Matthias Corvinus is still considered to be Hungary's greatest king as his rein was the country's most prosperous time of wealth, land, and power. With his Kuvasz, Matthias is still the longest reining king of Hungary from 1458-1490. His wife, Beatrice of Naples (later turned Beatrix), was also a beloved figure as she brought culture to the formerly "barbaric" Magyar's, such as silverware and academies for higher education.
Eventually after Matthias' rein ended, Kuvasz became a popular guardian for both the home and livestock among the Magyar. Hungarians would use Kuvasz to guard the farms, family, and children and would take them as their guard as they moved their livestock long distances to market. The Kuvasz is NOT a herding breed and was never the dog that herded the livestock, but rather the guardian of the homestead, family, livestock and the herding dogs.
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Not unlike many other breeds, both World Wars, especially WWII, was extremely detrimental to the Kuvasz population. However, the Kuvasz struggled more than most due to their guardian nature. When Hungary was invaded by Nazis many Kuvasz were left behind as their families fled for safety. There are stories of the abandoned Kuvasz fending off Nazi invaders to protect their villages, killing many soldiers. However, soldiers came back more armed and ready to siege the village and annihilated any Kuvasz in their path. Their bravery is legendary, staving off invaders from their towns, and there are even rumors of Kuvasz being used in enemy trenches to wipe out lines of soldiers.
As the Axis forces caught on to the threat the Kuvasz posed to their advancement and their cultural significance to the Hungarians, soldiers became determined to wipe them out. Most soldiers would shoot Kuvasz on site, and many also died of starvation during this time. By the conclusion of the war, it is estimated the number of surviving Kuvasz was any from thirty to as little as twelve in Hungary. Dedicated breeders in multiple countries are the only reason Kuvasz were brought back from the brink of extinction, including some Germans who became acquainted with them during the war and brought them back home.
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Overtime the population began to grow both in Europe, and in America when the first Kuvasz were brought over in 1920.
In the United States, we have Miss Mabel Marsh to thank for her devotion and work of growing and expanding the breed and establishing America's first Kuvasz breeding program under the prefix Romance.
The American Kennel Club first recognized the breed in 1931 and the first breed club formed in 1939.
