Purebred Breed List

Keeshond

Keeshond

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 43.2 to 43.7cm (17”-18”)
Colour: Mixture of grey and black hairs with cream areas. 
Coat: Harsh, offstanding and straight. Smooth on the muzzle and lower legs.
Gait: Clean, short brisk and sharp steps.
With their foxlike heads and confident carriage, these members of the Spitz family present a bold appearance. The dark eyes with the surrounding well defined ‘spectacles’ of lighter grey hair. The wedge shaped head carries small erect ears which show through the hair on the head. The neck with its large ruff, is arched and runs into a short, compact, square body. The high set tail with its black tip ends preferably in a double ring over the back. The hindquarters have profuse trousers and cream coloured catlike feet.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
While most breeds can claim to have had a useful purpose for their existence, the Keeshond does not. All this breed has to offer is a fantastic character which make them ideal companions. Their intelligence is remarkable and having been bred to live in confined spaces on Dutch barges, they must be agile, surefooted and nimble. Their clownish, slightly mischievous behaviour, makes them wonderful pets for energetic children. The coat needs a good brush once a week to keep it free of knots.
HISTORY
Like all breeds in the Spitz family, the origins of this breed are found in the Arctic Spitz. Originally known as the Dutch Barge dog, for over five centuries they travelled up and down the River Rhine with their Dutch owners. The title ‘Keeshond’ came from the Dutch patriot leader de Gyselaer’s dog who was called ‘Kees’, a dog who later became the symbol of his master’s political movement. However, after the suppression of this party by the Prince of Orange in 1576, the breed’s popularity decreased rapidly as their owners avoided political identification. Because of the Keeshond’s even temperament, loyalty, and the fact they would bark at unwanted intruders on the barges, the river boat captains maintained a nucleus of these dogs thus saving them from extinction.

Kerry Blue Terrier

Kerry Blue Terrier

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 43-48cm (17”-19”)
Colour: Born black, by 18 months of age they should be any shade of blue with or without black points.
Coat: Soft, silky, plentiful and wavy. 
Gait: Smoothly co-ordinated with strong fore reach and hind propulsion. These neatly trimmed, wavy coated terriers catch one’s eye with their showy movement. The slight stop and very dark eyes are set mid-way between the proportionately long lean skull and the strong punishing jaws.
The ‘V’ shaped ears are set high but with more of the tips dropping forward than in other terriers. A relatively long neck with a short, straight back and an erect tail that is customary docked. The hindquarters are particularly powerful with well angulated stifles and small round feet.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Puppies are always born black and may take up to 18 months to break into blue. These spirited Irishmen need a firm hand during the puppy training period, but when their achievements are praised, the ultimate result is well worth the effort. The socialised and trained Kerry makes an adaptable, intelligent companion for life. While being protective of their family, they do recognize and accept those outsiders approved by their owners. Their coat neither sheds nor has any doggy odour. If not being shown, clipping or trimming about every 2 months should keep the Kerry looking presentable.
HISTORY
Taking their name from County Kerry in southern Ireland, the origin of this breed - like the Irish Terrier - is old and a little obscure. Some say they are the result of poodles left behind from the beached ships of the Spanish Armada and that some of these later crossed with the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (which would account for the Kerry’s soft silky coat), plus blends of Irish Terrier and possibly the Bedlington from across the Irish Sea. One thing is certain - these terriers made themselves invaluable to the farmers due to their rodent hunting abilities, herding skills and, possbily from their poodle ancestry, their ability to retrieve from both land and water.

King Charles Spaniel

King Charles Spaniel

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Approx. 25cm (l0”).
Colour: Black/tan, Ruby (red), Tricolour and Blenheim (red and white).
Coat: Long silky with or without a slight wave and with good feathering.
Gait: Free flowing with strong fore and hind drive. 
These compact toy spaniels display happy, intelligent dispositions. The skull is large and must be well domed with a very short upturned muzzle which creates the undershot jaw. The large, dark, round eyes are set wide and low in the skull, and the well feathered ears hang to the side of the cheeks. Fore and hindquarters are well angulated and the legs must be straight. The chest is wide and must reach to the elbows. The well feathered tail may or may not be docked, and in movement is carried on the horizontal.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE 
Well suited to apartment living, these spaniels make excellent companions for young and old alike. Their sporting instincts should not be lost. They are highly intelligent, respect their owners’ moods and while alert, are not tiresomely active. While this breed does drop coat seasonally, this is not a major problem due to their size. Five to ten minutes once a week will keep the coat in good condition. The ears should be kept clean and the nails not permitted to get too long.
HISTORY
These spaniels share the same ancestry as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and were popular in both Europe and England 3-4 centuries ago. However, the English breeders preferred their spaniels to have shorter muzzles and, possibly through an infusion of the Japanese Chin and selective breeding, the head shape was changed so that ultimately in profile, the well cushioned muzzle appears almost flat. In the latter part of the 1920s, efforts were made to restore the longer nose variety of the original King Charles Spaniel. As this was successful, separation of the two types was necessary - the original and re established longer muzzled variety added the word ‘Cavalier’ to the title of King Charles Spaniel.

Komondor

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: Minimum 70cm for dogs, 65cm for bitches.
Colour: White.
Coat: Hair falling in curly tassels and cords.
Gait: Light, free, and ground covering.
These dogs with their distinctive coats are noted for their strong guarding instincts. Beneath the hair which covers the entire head, the skull should be wide and the muzzle relatively short. The medium sized eyes are dark and the U shaped ears hang to the side of the cheeks. The strong neck runs into a body which is slightly longer than its height and has a deep, broad chest.
The long tail is curved at the tip and may be raised when excited. The fore and hindquarters are well angulated and the large feet are compact.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Like many herding and guard breeds, these dogs are wary of strangers and should always be treated with respect. They are devoted to their masters and will protect them against any sort of attack. Making use of this characteristic, the Hungarian shepherds used them more for guarding than herding. (See also Hungarian Puli). Being a big dog, they require plenty of exercise and a fair amount of space in which to roam. The cording tendency of the coat is natural from about nine months of age, however, in order to form individual cords rather than matted platelets, care should be taken to see that hairs from one cord do not knot up with those of an adjacent cord. Once this has been achieved, most coat care is limited to keeping the dog clean.
HISTORY
Looking like their smaller cousins the Hungarian Puli, this breed also has its origins in Asia, but differs in that their origins lie with the Asian mastiff family. Some theorists believe the Komondor, together with the white Kuvasz, are among the oldest European breeds. While the history is obscure, it is believed that the Komondor incorporates lines of the heavily built Russian Outcharka which arrived in Hungary during the 9th century. Their sheep-guarding skills are legendary and their long corded coats act as protection if attacked by other animals.

Kuvasz

Kuvasz

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Height at withers: Dogs 71-76 cm Bitches: 66-70 cm
Weight: Dogs: 48-62 kg Bitches: 37-50 kg
The dogs of this breed are strong and large and carry a dense, wavy, white coat. Their pleasing appearance radiates nobility and strength. The individual body parts fit together harmoniously, the limbs being neither too short nor too long. The bone structure is strong but not coarse. Well muscled, he shows a strong build, a lively temperament and great agility. 
The Kuvasz’s head is typically wedge shaped, in harmony with his body, pleasing, noble, and it shows a considerable strength. The Kuvasz can mainly be distinguished from other breeds by his head shape. The head is characteristically lean and dry. In dogs the head is slightly more massive than in bitches.
Seen from the side, the body forms a prone rectangle, only slightly differing from a square. The withers are long, rising markedly above the level of the back. The back is of medium length. Straight, broad, well muscled. The very dense coat gives the appearance of being slightly overbuilt.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
The Kuvasz is brave and fearless. He defends the people entrusted to his care and his protection and their property, even with his life. He is self confident and may become aggressive if ill treated. He is faithful, dependable and loves his master and his surroundings. He needs plenty of exercise and must be kept busy. He is undemanding. His care is easy and he can stand very severe weather conditions. He appreciates any love and solicitude given to him. 
The coat is moderately harsh, wavy, slightly stiff, not tending to mat. Under the coarser topcoat, there is a finer downy undercoat. The head, ears and feet are covered by short (1-2 cm long) dense, smooth hair. The front and sides of the front legs as well as the hind legs below the stifles are covered by equally short (1-2 cm long) straight hair. On the body, upper thigh and upper arm, the coat is of medium length (4-12 cm long)
White, ivory colour is permitted. Noseleather, rim of eyelids and lips are black. Pads are black or slate grey. 
HISTORY
The Kuvasz is used as a watch and guard dog for houses, property and other valuables, as well as for people. He has also been used as a hunting and scenting dog. The Kuvasz is a long established, ancient Hungarian Shepherd Dog. His ancestors came
into the Carpathian basin at the time of occupation by the Magyars. These dogs were needed to watch and guard their flocks against beasts of prey and thieves. Because of his hunting instinct, the Kuvasz was the preferred hunting dog at the time of King Matthias Corvinus. Since the decline in stock-herding, he has much less been used for his original duties and he has settled in villages and later even in towns.