Kennel Profile: Lajosmegyi Komondorok

For many years, Lajosmegyi was known as boys town, because Patricia and Anna kept several males on the premises. We have, in the past, had as many as four stud dogs. We mainly kept them for our own use, but have always accepted outside bitches from those folks we feel are working to preserve the breed. We always recommend which of our dogs we feel would work best with the bitch, and if we do not feel we have the correct male, we send them elsewhere. We always follow the Komondor Club of America Breeders Code of Ethics and expect any outside bitch owner to do the same.

We separate our bitches in whelp from the other dogs after they are halfway through their pregnancy. We closely monitor the whelpings and are with the bitches all the time. We have what we call a puppy house. It is separate from the rest of the kennel and we can, and do, sleep out there with the new litter. Generally Komondorok are very good mothers, so we don't have to stay with them very long. We have had more than our share of C-sections, probably because we act on the side of caution. We have spent too many years of planning and work to take a chance on losing bitches and/or puppies.

Lajosmegyi puppies stay with their mothers for five to six weeks. We start feeding the puppies Eukanuba weaning formula at five weeks. We start with at least three feedings a day. The ones we keep are fed twice a day for at least a year.

We have a huge puppy pen attached to the puppy house. It is on natural surface and puppies have unlimited access to the indoors and outdoors until they leave us. We crate-break all of our babies before they leave.

Anna and Patricia, like so many other breeders, select puppies when they are 8 weeks old. We first look for structure, then breed type. We are always attracted to the one with beautiful breed type, so for years we went to Bob and Patricia Hastings to have our litters evaluated. They would give us the lowdown on the structure.

When selling puppies, both ladies like to talk to potential buyers. We have some requirements, like fenced yards and that the puppy buyer will get a crate. We also have them sign a contract that the dog will come back to us, if they cannot keep it. This is our policy whether the puppy is purchased as a pet or to show. Our pet puppies are guaranteed against any condition that will make them unsuitable to function as a healthy pet. Our show puppies are guaranteed against all disqualifying faults. We always watch our puppies to try to make certain the placements will work. For example, we do not sell a mouthy puppy to a working home, and so on. When they go to families with children we are very careful to find the right match.

We have watched this breed go through many changes. In the 70s the breed had beautiful heads, and then we lost them. It has taken years to get them back. We no longer see the broad, tough animal we had in the earlier days. Ironically, most of the dogs that won in the 70s, 80s and 90s would not fit the standard the way it now reads. They were, however, some of the best animals this breed has seen.

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