Komondor Puppies Blog

Is it normal, anyway?!

Yes, it is. Just imagine the situation from the point of view of your Komondor. He is part of the family, often treated as “the kid”, and then, suddenly, a new creature arrives and takes all the attention of his beloved family. It is quite similar to what older children feel, when a little brother/sister arrives. One of the differences is just that the dog can’t speak English

Actually, if we are aware of this ‘problem’ in advance, the situation can be handled, but it needs consciousness and to be started in time, long before the baby’s arrival. Let’s see how we can prepare our Komondor for the new family member.

If your dog’s daily routine has to be changed with the baby’s arrival (it probably will), you should start changing the rules much earlier, giving him plenty of time to get used to the new set up. This way it isn’t going to be so sudden and shocking. If your Komondor hasn’t really been trained before, it’s high time to start. He should learn at least a few commands, like sit, stay, etc. This way, he’ll be easier to handle.

Many families worry about their dog endangering the health of the child, so the best thing to do is to take your pet to the vet, get him checked and get some advice. Get your Komondor used to the new smells, sounds in advance (blankets, lotions, toys). It’s also a good idea, that just after your baby was born, send home a blanket that the baby had been in, so your dog can experience the child’s smell in advance. It is very important to know that your  Komondor will get a lot less attention from the mother, so when taking the baby home for the first time, the mother should greet the dog, so it is better if someone else is carrying the baby.

It is also a good idea not to leave them alone together at the first times, until your Komondor feels comfortable with the baby, because, for example, it is very possible that the dog won’t tolerate the child’s crying very well in the beginning. You have to teach him that this is a normal sound, and you should motivate him not to bark (with treats, for example).

And the most important rule for last, maybe it seems too obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning: try to give as much attention to your Komondor as you can. The point is that he has to feel that you do care about him. If you keep this in mind, most probably there will be no problem. You could also try Preparing Fido, which is an amazing collection of Baby sounds designed especially to get your dog ready for the arrival of the new Baby!

The narrow line between training and abuse

Many dog owners think that their Komondor is the smartest in the world. There’s no problem with this, up to certain a point. This point is when the owner expects as much from the dog as if it really was the most intelligent creature the world has ever seen. They expect them to learn everything right away, whereas dogs need time to learn things, the same way as we, humans do. Just in a different way Well, the point is, that training requires time and patience. It can be different for all dogs, but we do have to keep this in mind and take the time and energy to train our Komondor.

Another common mistake (also because of the lack of patience) is to give up. Many people think that they have already tried everything but the dog doesn’t want to learn. In this case, maybe the methods are not the best, or they need more time. There are no dogs who wouldn’t be able to learn at least a few commands. Giving up is never a solution.

So, if we have the time and the patience we can avoid the next, and maybe the biggest mistake: to turn training into abuse. Probably you expect me to tell you where this line is. I can’t. This is something the owner should know. Training is all about communication. If you know your Komondor, if you pay attention to him, you see how he feels. Unfortunately many dog owners don’t have this ability, because they only keep pets for entertainment, while a dog is much more than that.

Going back to training, a very important rule is that your goal should be that your Komondor obeys to commands because he is keen to do so. NOT BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID. Many-many owners forget about this, and feel the training successful, but actually they are making their dog unhappy. How can someone live happily in fear? No way. These owners are only keeping a dog to make themselves happy, and don’t feel the responsibility they should.

So the point is, that ‘positive training’ is possible. Actually, that’s the only way.

The first difficulties most Komondor owners face is potty training their puppy. As with general training, the main principles remain the same: a positive, rewarding approach and a lot of patience is required. There are, however a few tips and tricks that will make the whole process faster and easier for both puppy and owner. Find out what Sharda Baker has to say on the topic, who has developed her best practices by years of trial and error.

Please comment if you have something to add.

The name of this powerful, unusual-haired dog was first written in a Hungarian codex in 1544. You only have to look at this dog, to know what it was bred for: it’s a sheep dog. Check out how to buy one.

The Komondor’s speed and temperament, a lack of obedience training that should start at an early age, might be dangerous for others. Komondor Water Bottles can help you carry water which is essential when training your Komondor to keep up with its speed. Komondor can be obstinate when bored, that is why it is required for the training sessions to be upbeat and happy. Every time your pet learned something new, praise it or give it a reward as this can establish a consistent and humane connection between owner and pet. Reprimand the Komondor when it is showing an unfriendly or hostile behavior, if you allow it to happen more than once, the Komondor might think that it is an appropriate behavior.

Socialization is essential as well therefore you should expose your Komondor into people and other dogs even if it is still a puppy. As a natural guard dog, this breed if not properly socialized may react in an excessively aggressive manner when confronted with a new person or situation.

It is always a good thing to do some research about a breed of dog before going out and actually getting one. This will lessen or hopefully eliminate any doubt of the breed that you want. If a Komondor is a dog you are eyeing then it is highly recommended that you contact people who own a Komondor. As puppies, this breed is very playful and has such a friendly nature. Paired with their fluffy coats, it may prove to be hard not to get one.

When the Komondor gets older, they tend to mature and their protective or guardian instincts start to develop. This in turn, reduces the vibrant playful personality noticed when they were young. Owners who have not spent time consulting breeders and owners may feel sad and wonder why their dogs have started acting differently and start not understanding the Komondor. So be smart and do some research and reach out to people who know about the breed!