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General Appearance
Large, cord-coated muscular dog, of great strength, with plenty of bone and substance. Powerful conformation.

Characteristics
Excellent guard, wary of strangers, noted for imposing strength and courageous manner.

Temperament
Faithful and devoted. This strong, sharp guard dog must be treated with respect.

Head and Skull
Head somewhat short in comparison with width. Skull slightly arched viewed from side. Stop moderate; muzzle slightly shorter than length of skull. Broad, rather coarse muzzle, not pointed. Nostrils wide. Nose black, though dark grey or dark brown nose acceptable but undesirable.

Eyes
Medium-sized, not too deeply set, darker the better; rims dark grey or black, closely fitting.

Ears
Medium-sized, hanging U-shaped. Erect or partially erect ears incorrect.

Mouth
Powerful jaws, strong teeth, Scissor bite ideal, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws, (pincer bite tolerated but undesirable). Lips tight fitting and black. Ideally gums and roof of mouth black or dark grey.

Neck
Strong, medium length, moderately arched, no dewlap.

Forequarters
Straight, well boned, muscular, forelegs vertical, viewed from front and side; well laid tight shoulders.

Body
Broad, deep muscular chest, back level. Rump broad, slightly sloping towards root of tail. Body slightly longer than height at withers. Belly tucked up.

Hindquarters
Strong bone, very muscular. Viewed from rear, legs fairly wide apart, parallel, well angulated. Dewclaws should be removed.

Feet
Large, strong and compact, well arched toes. Nails strong, grey or black; toes slightly longer on hindfeet. Pads firm, elastic and dark.

Tail
Continuation of rump line; reaching to hock, slightly curved at tip; when excited, raised in line with body.

Gait/Movement
Light and easy, moving with very long stride.

Coat
Long coarse outer coat, which may be wavy or curly, with softer undercoat. Hair tends to cling together like tassels, giving a corded appearance. Cords of an adult strong and heavy, and felt-like to touch. If neglected, forms into large, matted ‘plates’. Coat longest on rump, loins and tail, of medium length on back, shoulders and chest, shorter on cheeks, around eyes, mouth and lower parts of legs. Coat is fairly slow in cording and may not be fully formed before two years of age. Puppy coat should be soft and fluffy, adult coat usually starts appearing 6-9 months of age. Presented corded.

Colour
Always white. Ideally skin grey but pink skin acceptable.

Size
Height: dogs: average 80 cms (311/2 ins), minimum 65 cms (25 ins); bitches: average 70 cms (271/2 ins), minimum 60 cms (231/2 ins). No maximum height, but it should be taken into consideration with overall appearance. Weight: dogs: 50-61 kgs (110-135 lbs); bitches: 36-50 kgs (80-110 lbs).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - March 1994

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available to order from the Online Shop.

	Kennel Club Breed Standards Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve. The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.
	The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts. This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

• KOMONDOR CLUB OF GB. Sec. Ms K Sear. Tel No: Not available - for more information contact the Kennel Club

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