Mary Allen
The Hovawart is an intelligent, hardworking, and beautiful dog. You can find out here what else makes him special and what connects him to the dachshund.
Anyone who first thinks of a foreign dog breed when hearing the beautiful name Hovawart will probably be surprised. The name comes from Middle High German and means nothing more than court keeper. The beautiful dogs have an ancient tradition in Germany as guardians of courtyards and houses and are still a popular working dog breed today.
Because the breed is now also considered a popular family dog, we have put together all the important aspects of the lovable court warden: from his appearance to the right care and his historical career.
What does a Hovawart look like?
Black Hovawarts bear a striking resemblance to the Flat-Coated Retriever, and blonde Hovawarts bear a striking resemblance to the Golden Retriever. But despite the similarity, the dogs belong to a completely separate breed with different characteristics and historical backgrounds.
The breed’s physique is strong, yet slim and elongated. The dogs have a powerful head with a broad forehead, large triangular lop ears, and a muzzle of medium length. A striking feature of the breed is the very beautiful fur coat with long and wavy hair and a little undercoat.
Colors permitted in breeding are black, blond, and black marks, i.e. a combination of predominantly black with brown markings.
How big is a Hovawart?
Hovawarts are among the medium to large-sized dog breeds. Males reach an average height at the withers of between 63 cm and 70 cm and females between 58 cm and 65 cm.
How heavy is a Hovawart?
Despite their size, the dogs are relatively light. Males should ideally weigh between 30kg and 40kg and females between 25kg and 35kg.
How old does a Hovawart get?
Hovis, as enthusiasts like to call the breed, can look forward to very robust health and reach an average age of between 12 and 14 years. With good health, care, and nutrition, many dogs even live up to 17 years. This makes the Hovawart one of the longest-lived breeds among the large dog breeds.
What character or being does the Hovawart have?
The clever farm dogs have a very distinctive character. You are confident, courageous, and independent. The will to please is not as pronounced in the dog as in other working dog breeds. Instead, he certainly has a mind of his own. He is well able to make decisions and act at his own discretion, even if this actually goes against the educational measures of his owners. At this point, the Hovi is said to have a certain similarity to the dachshund.
True to its name and history, the dog exhibits strong guarding and guarding behavior. This applies both to “his” territory and to his family. With optimal upbringing and socialization, however, he only encounters strangers and animals attentively and vigilantly, but never aggressively. The dog has strong nerves and is generally considered balanced and good-natured.
At the same time, the proud dogs are also very sensitive, affectionate, and in need of companionship. They are always looking to be close to their people and are happiest between their mistresses and masters on the couch. The dog loves children and gets along great with them, provided they are properly used to each other. Then the Hovi fits very well into a family.
Like all working dog breeds, the Hovawart is very active and willing to learn and work. Games and training outdoors are therefore a lot of fun for both the dog and its people.
Where does the Hovawart come from?
As with many other dog breeds, one can only speculate about the history of the Hovawart these days. The breed is believed to date back to the 13th century. At that time the first written mentions of a “Hovawart” appear, but without the dog being described. Since in the Middle Ages many guard and court dogs were generally referred to as “court keepers”, a clear assignment is no longer possible today. The first verifiable descriptions that apply to the current appearance of the dog are from the 19th century.
The ancestors of the dogs probably led a simple life as farm dogs for centuries without any attempts at controlled breeding. Puppies were simply passed on to the next farm or dealer. It was only in 1922 that the German breeders Kurt Friedrich König and his father Bertram König started serious attempts to define a new standard. At that time, the two breeders were looking for a new type of working dog. He should be able to act independently and make decisions according to the situation. The men found him in the shaggy farm dog, which was relatively rare in Germany at the time.
Breeders crossed other dog breeds into the breed, such as the German Shepherd, Newfoundland, Leonberger, and Kuvasz, laying the foundations for the appearance and personality traits of today’s Hovawart. The breed was officially recognized in Germany in 1937 and registered internationally as a working dog in 1964.
Hovawart: The right posture
The self-confident, intelligent, and independent personality of the Hovawart definitely already requires some experience and competence in dog ownership. The dogs are considered late developers and not only test their limits as puppies. The Hovawart is therefore not necessarily a beginner’s dog.
When it comes to training and keeping, early socialization, patience, empathy, and a loving but steadfast consistency are particularly important. The dog must be taught early on when it is allowed to think and act independently and when it is not. The Hovawart closely scrutinizes the leadership qualities of its human at a young age and needs to be raised sensitively but confidently in its subordinate role. Harshness, aggression, and impatience, on the other hand, have absolutely no place in education.
As a working dog breed, it goes without saying that the Hovawart should be able to enjoy a comprehensive and daily program of outdoor sports and fun. Just going for a walk is by no means enough here. Rather, the dog must be challenged mentally and physically on a daily basis and ideally also be registered at the dog school.
The more busy the dog, who is willing to work and learn, is, the more balanced and satisfied it becomes in keeping. Due to its history as a farm dog, a property with a garden is recommended, but it can also be kept in an apartment as long as it has plenty of opportunities to exercise nearby.
What care does the Hovawart need?
Despite the long, wavy hair, caring for the coat requires little effort. Outside of the molting phase, a thorough brushing every few days or even just once a week is perfectly adequate.
As with all dogs, skin and ears should be checked regularly for parasites for optimal care and the dog should be given a balanced and healthy diet.
What typical diseases does the Hovawart have?
When defining the Hovawart standard in the 1920s, breeders König and König were more concerned with positive character traits and robust health than appearance. By crossing different dog breeds and using a broad breeding approach, they laid the foundations for one of the healthiest and longest-lived large dog breeds out there.
In Germany alone, there are three large Hovawart clubs (including the RZV), all of which have committed themselves to remarkably strict rules and controls in breeding. As a result, breed-specific diseases were largely suppressed. This includes, for example, hip dysplasia, which is widespread in large dog breeds and only very rarely occurs in Hovawarts.
How much does a Hovawart cost?
Breeders in Germany and Europe have succeeded with the Hovawart in what some other breeders have been trying in vain to do with other dog breeds for decades: to reduce and prevent breed-specific diseases through strict specifications and controls so that the puppies can look forward to a long and healthy life be able.
These efforts have their price because there is nowhere to buy a puppy from reputable German breeders for less than 1,000 euros. Be sure to stay away from offers below this amount from dubious dealers from abroad or on the Internet. It is highly unlikely that the strict rules for breeding will also be observed there. The best thing to do is to find out about the various offers and breeders from the three major breeding clubs in Germany. So you can be sure that you will soon be able to take a healthy and loving puppy into the family, which will enrich your life enormously for the next 14 years.