The Kuvasz is perhaps the oldest of the three ancient dog breeds of Hungary, the other two being the Puli and the Komondor. They may have arrived with the Magyar tribes who invaded Hungary some 1,200 years ago, and one Hungarian dog historian posits that they were there many centuries earlier.

The name Kuvasz is said to be a corruption of the Turkish word kawasz, meaning bodyguard. Another theory suggests that it comes from a Sumerian word, ku assa, referring to a dog that guarded and ran alongside horses and horsemen.

Whatever their origin, by the 15th century, Kuvaszok were highly prized in Hungary as guard dogs, especially by King Matthias. Matthias was crowned on March 29, 1464 when he was just 15 years old. Despite his youth, Matthias was a shrewd and wise military leader. He built a large army of mercenaries that was able to beat back the Ottomans and expand the holdings of the Kingdom of Hungary. As might be expected in such turbulent times, palace intrigue was rampant. Plots and assassination attempts were commonplace. It was a time when a king couldn't even trust his own family, but Matthias felt secure so long as his Kuvaszok were close by. It's said that he took a brace of Kuvaszok with him wherever he went, even to his sleeping chambers.

Matthias built huge kennels, housing hundreds of Kuvaszok on his estate at Siebenbuergen. In addition to protecting the king, these dogs were used to guard the estate's livestock and sometimes to hunt large game, such as bear and wolves. The Kuvaszok were highly prized, and sometimes King Matthias would give a puppy to a visiting noble. Because they were associated with royalty, Kuvaszok became very popular.

One noble who received such a gift was Vlad Dracula, the Prince of Wallachia. Vlad (also known as Vlad the Impaler, after his preferred method of torture) was a vassal of King Matthias at different times. At one point, King Matthias imprisoned Vlad in a royal tower for many years. Vlad worked his way back into the good graces of the king, and after his release, reportedly married a member of the royal family--probably a cousin of King Matthias. As a wedding gift, the king reportedly gave Vlad Dracula and his bride two Kuvaszok.

After King Matthias died, the breed declined in popularity among royal and noble families, but continued his traditional role of protecting livestock for farmers and horsemen. In the late 1800s, breeders took an interest in standardizing the breed. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Kuvasz became the most fashionable large dog in Hungary and western Europe.

During World War II, however, like many breeds, the Kuvasz nearly went extinct. Food shortages took their toll, and many kennels cut back or stopped breeding. When Nazi, then Soviet, soldiers moved through Hungary, brave Kuvaszok were often shot trying to protect their families and livestock. Some officers took Kuvaszok home with them, but even so, the breed was nearly wiped out.

By the end of the war, there were fewer than 30 Kuvazok to be found in Hungary. Many Kuvasz fanciers were dead. The Russians who occupied Hungary looked upon dog breeding as a luxury hobby of aristocrats and punished breeders.

Despite these hardships, breeders met in secret, selling puppies and dogs for cigarettes and food. But because food was still in short supply, Kuvaszok, like other large breeds with hearty appetites, were not popular.

Since the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, conditions have steadily improved in Hungary and the Kuvasz has begun to regain his popularity. Today, there are active Kuvasz breed clubs scattered throughout Europe. It has been a struggle, however, because the near extinction left a very small gene pool from which to rebuild the breed, forcing some breeders to use other dogs, such as Great Pyrenees, to continue their programs.

Kuvasz were first shown at a dog show in 1883 when Count d'Esterházy, a strong supporter of the breed, displayed two Kuvaszok in Vienna.

In 1884, the first Hungarian standard for the breed was written. In 1931, the first Kuvasz was registered in the U.S.
The Kuvasz Club of America (KCA) was established in 1966, and granted status as the official breed club in America by the American Kennel Club in 1993.

Today, the breed ranks 134th in popularity among the 157 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.

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