The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-05-01 / 5. szám
The New Jersey AMCRICAN-HUNGARIRN A Special Section for the American-Hungarian Community in New Jersey The Komondor guards his flock against all comers — man or wild predator. THE KOMONDOR: Guardian of the Great Plains Coyotes were slaughtering the American sheep and livestock population. Guns, steel traps, and other lethal control methods failed to stop them. The flock and herd decimations became so acute that the sheep-raising industry out West, including the owners of large ranches, tottered on the brink of total bankruptcy. The coyote reigned supreme. But, then, the United States Department of Agriculture decided to try one more experiment. It imported a special breed of dog from Hungary and testtrained them at the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station in Dubois, Idaho. The result of this last-ditch attempt to solve a very serious problem was the coyote no longer can prey with impunity upon our country’s livestock resources, the widespread butchering of our sheep population has stopped, and our sheep-raising and livestock industries out West are almost back to normal. May, 1984 The Hungarian breed of dog responsible for this great victory over almost insurmountable odds was the KOMONDOR, who still stands proudly on guard out on the Great Plains and elsewhere around the country where livestock are raised! A Natural Instinct to Guard When the Magyars, under the leadership of Almos, swept through the Vereczke Pass of the Carpathians to invade, conquer, and occupy the former Roman province of Pannonia in the 9th Century, they were accompanied by an unusual breed of dog. Bred and trained to guard livestock, as well as personal possessions, this breed of dog was the Komondor. After more than 1,000 years, and after having become almost extinct because of bloody battles with wolves, wild predators, and even Russian troops, this breed of dog has staged a remarkable comeback right here in the United States. Today, there are about 3,000 Komondors on duty here, or about 10 times the number left in Hungary. A Tough Dog to Fool Around With A large, powerful dog, weighing between 100-120 pounds, the Komondor has a long, dense, shaggy outercoat that cords into ropelike tassels and a soft, wooly undercoat. Together, the two coats serve as armor that is all but impregnable to an enemy’s teeth. The Komondor is not only an effective guardian of livestock. He is also superb as a family companion, household caretaker, and childrens’protector. An independent thinker and, by instinct, a decision-maker, he has to be obediencetrained by an alert master. The breed’s natural instinct to guard the property of his master is so strong, for example, that, when guarding Hungarian munitions depots during World War II, the advancing Russian troops had no recourse but to kill them in order to take the depots. Consequently, by the end of the war, only about 12 of them remained alive in all of Hungary and these few were saved by a Hungarian woman, Mrs. William Evers. The Komondor in America The first dog-lover to introduce the Komondor in America was Oscar Beregi, the son of the famous Shakespearean actor of the same name. The first American champion of the breed was his “Hattyú”, who won the ribbon in 1965. Since then, there have been more than 100 prize-winners. Today, the Komondor is so popular that he is being bred by established breeders, ranchers, and others. There is even a Komondor Club of America and a regional branch of this organization can be found at 102 Russell Road in Princeton, New Jersey! Support “The Eighth Hungarian Tribe" Magazine with your Subscription and Readership Page 7
