Pride of Hungary: the komondor
November 6th 2010 21:33
Owners of the komondor breed of dog (introduced to Zoomies readers here) have heard every mop joke there is, and they are not amused.
Not that there is any getting away from the resemblance between a komondor, an old and large Hungarian breed, and a mop.
The first known mention of the breed is in a Hungarian codex dated 1544.
According to justdogbreeds.com, the komondor is known for dignity, bravery and strength.
The dog was bred to guard livestock, and today makes an excellent guard dog as it is territorial and protective of family and home. Like a German shepherd, a komondor is reserved and aloof with strangers. Once they get to know you, however, you're a mate for life, and komondors have been known to greet enthusiastically people they haven't seen for years.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the breed, apart from its resemblance to a mop, is that it doesn't shed. Not at all. So that massive, coarse coat just gets moppier.
That coat also needs to be groomed daily. One assumes they come with a grooming instruction manual. A big one. They probably have university courses in komondor grooming in Hungary. Semester 1: How to tell one end of a komondor from the other.
Like a greyhound, they can be couch potatoes, but unlike greyhounds, they'll happily ramble through the woods with you for hours.
Komondors have been declared a Hungarian national treasure. There is a law in place ensuring their protection and banning any breed modification. There goes hope for a short-haired-version.
justdogbreeds.com, Wikipedia
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Comment by Jessiesmum
But I don't like the idea they have of liking going for walks! Nope...the couch for me...The longest I like to walk is to my outside bed from the inside one...(only when its warm out or when my mum gets that giant noisy sucky thing out)
I pity that dog's mum and dad...how do you get out the grass and sticks from his fur when he comes home?? Would make great nesting stuff for my mums noisy birds I reckon.. must need a really BIG comb for that!!
Jessica
Comment by heidiclyde
The Missus assures me you are right but I still don't believe it is a dog. Just look at that last picture, I've got a toy squeaky hedgehog that looks just like that except it's maker's tag is green not pink!
If it is really a dog I think the kindest thing would be to put it down, could any animal enjoy having to carry around so much hair? And how sad to be so ugly. Surely it would pine to be sleek and svelte and elegant like Daisy and me?
Tail wags,
Heidi.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Yes - I think it should be renamed the Hungarian Dreadlock Dog.
How to get the grass and sticks out of its coat after a woodland ramble? You've summed it up with that question, I think. Wouldn't these things be a full-time job for a team of dog groomers, plus apprentices, plus fully-equipped salon/drying room/shearing shed?
You'd have to borrow the stroke of a heavyweight rowing eight just to get a comb through its coat, and think of the shampoo bill!
Comment by Chris Champion
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I didn't know you were such a wit ...
That's funny!
I don't think the komondor would have trouble carrying all that hair around because it's a Large breed, and I don't suppose hair is all that heavy.
The Wikipedia entry says the breed may date back 800 years, brought to Hungary by the Turks. It developed the coat to protect it from both hot and cold conditions during its livestock protection vigils, and as a defence against aggressors such as wolves. Bite me if you can ...
Komondors only get into trouble if they get wet, when they probably weigh more than a Jumbo jet.
Big cuddles,
Chris
Comment by Anonymous
Old Soul
Doctoring The Soul
Comment by Chris Champion
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Comment by heidiclyde
Thut mop's not cool, ut's er theif, ut stole my name! Thut's not cool ut's er real mongrel uv er thing ter do. I'w real narked an I'm as mopey as er wet hen. Me an Daisy dunt hev'ter share our names, they're ours. I mean, yer dun hear noone else callin their dog Scratchy d'yer?
Heidi has er friend called Black Heidi but thut's diff'rent, she's another Greyhound an they sed they could share.
Clyde.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Viewed from a less subjective (non-greyhound) perspective, the komondor is a remarkable animal which would get any photographer excited.
Perhaps we shouldn't judge all komondors by the one which stole your name. Pity the Hungarians don't have a law against that too.
As for Margaret, judging by her blog here, she's an expert in old souls, a subject I have an amateur interest in as well.
Amongst our little community here, Clyde, I'd say the prime candidate for an old soul is you.
But do us all a favour and eat a little more of your dinner. Please.
Cuddles,
Chris
Comment by heidiclyde
You are my favouritist man after the Boss (who is an expert at ear rubs, Mmmmm, he sets my teeth chatter going really loudly!)
I do apologise for Clyde's grumpy mood, he is usually very even tempered except when he is having to teach new foster hounds about doggy personal space, or when Daisy and I go a bit too far with our teasing (I do enjoy getting him riled). He has been quite rattled by the discovery that another dog shared his name, I remember that Daisy had a spot of bother with that too.
Apparently our Missus knows about the Comondor and about a smaller version called a Puli too. She has told Clyde that it is all right for Clyde the Comondor to share his name because no one could ever mistake them for each other so he (our Clyde) still owns his name himself. It's rather twisted logic if you ask me but it seems to have made Clyde happy and he's no longer muttering about that thief (remember Clyde, i before e except after c). The Missus says it must be very difficult to be a fierce guard dog when everyone's first reaction is to fall about laughing at your appearance and we should all feel some sympathy for poor Comondor Clyde's plight.
Clyde finally ate most of his dinner tonight, he's been off his food lots of times before but this time he wouldn't even eat his chicken necks, we were all beginning to wonder if there was something really wrong with him.
Everyone is much happier now, hopefully we've heard the last of the shared name saga.
I like your idea that Clyde is an old soul. he really is a very dear boy but don't ever tell him I said that.
your darlingest Heidi.
Comment by Chris Champion
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I had to type that quietly - I don't want Daisy to get jealous.
You flatter, but I'm grateful for your kind words. It's interesting that your teeth chatter when your ears are rubbed. The only teeth chattering around here is by Scratchy when it's walk time, or me when it's cold.
I'm delighted to hear that Clyde had a full meal for once. You'd think it couldn't get much better than chicken necks, and I can well understand how worried you all must be when he turns even them down.
Maybe old souls rely more on spiritual than physical sustenance.
Cuddles,
Chris
Comment by heidiclyde
Frankly, I think Clyde relies more on thin air than anything else. The Missus had to take Martha down for THAT operation today so she took Clyde too and weighed him. He's all skin and bone but can't be much worse than usual because he's only lost about 200 grams she says and that's nothing. Some of us she says could loose 2000 grams to good effect. She was giving me one of those meaningful looks as she said it. I have a feeling I'll be the next one to be weighed, perhaps if i suck my tummy in hard she'll forget to do it.
It really is a bit hard. Clyde is considerably taller than I am, but only weighs 29.5 kg. I weigh 32 Kg (most of the time, a tiny bit more at present). Most boy dogs of Clyde's height weigh between 35 and 37 kg but here am I always being compared to this anorexic bean pole. I'm sure if I lived with Roman most of the time no one would notice a few extra kilos on me, he weighed 40 kilo and probably raced at about 36, in my next life I'm going to insist on a companion built like that.
We are going to have a holiday soon with our best friend Amber. She lives in the city, the smells there are really interesting when we go for our walks, her Missus isn't quite so particular about restricting my food intake and her garden has lovely soft vegetable beds for us to dig in (the Missus grows her vegetables outside our fence, a mean spirited thing to do if ever there was one!)
I think the Boss and Missus are going for a holiday too, I'm sure it won't be as much fun as our one though, Hoomans really don't understand the finer points of olfactory exploration or the real meaning of the word relax.
Your darlingest Heidi.
(I do hope we aren't making Daisy jealous, she is a very dear friend and I have no wish to offend her but I do like talking to you.)
Comment by Chris Champion
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Clyde sounds like he may be Scratchy's size and Scratchy weighs 38kg. It could be more at the moment because in the past two weeks he's eaten every peach off the peach tree that he can reach. It doesn't seem to matter to him that the peaches are green rocks the size of a walnut.
You sound like you may be Daisy's size - she weighs the same as you.
Roman sounds a giant. Scratchy reached 42kg in the first year after I got him, before experience and some veterinary pointers made me aware that Scratchy's capacity did not equal practicality. He looks great at 38.
All of which leads to sharing the sadness that Clyde weighs just 29.5kg. Darling boy. If only we could give him a proportion of Scratchy's instinct for gluttony.
Little Boss and I are going on a holiday too - to New Zealand in January. Scratchy and Daisy are going to stay with a Great Dane. He weighs 60kg!
Ear rubs,
Chris
Comment by heidiclyde
Roman is a lovely big boy, with a nose to suit his name. He has gorgeous soft eyes and a very affectionate, cheeky nature, he is not the handsomest of Greyhounds with his hook of a nose but everyone really liked him except for Clyde who was jealous because I liked him a lot.
You might get to meet Roman. He's moved to live in Melbourne, a young man adopted him at a publicity day. The Missus says they were meant for each other, she says she's never seen a Greyhound bond with someone like that before. It turned out the young man was just visiting us but he fell as utterly in love with Roman as Roman did with him so he got to keep him.
The Missus says she'll send you a photo of Roman so you can keep an eye out for him.
He isn't the only really big boy we know, Angela (who looks after GAP here for us) is the Missus for Hulk, he is like his name too, he weighs about 40 kg too.
Clyde says everyone is to stop carrying on about how skinny he is, he always was skinny, he raced skinny, and he doesn't intend to change for anyone. He says the Missus is a good one to be criticising seeing as she is as scrawny as an old chook and it doesn't seem to worry her.
We leave for our holiday with Amber tomorrow, she is the most beautiful Greyhound ever. I'll get the Missus to send you her picture too. She is our friend who broke her leg just after Scratchy did. It was a very worrying time with both of them so ill.
I'll write to you again after we get back.
Give Daisy a big tummy rub, and a lick on the nose from me,
your second favourite bitch (or should I say lady Greyhound, it does sound more elegant doesn't it?)
Heidi.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Thanks for getting the Missus to send the pics. I'm going to post the Roman picture here so everyone else can see his almost-handsome face too.
That's good advice about Clyde. We'll try not to worry so much. As for the Missus, maybe you should tell her to keep one or two of the bacon rinds for herself.
Have a good holiday!
Tickles,
Chris