Hovawart: Nutrition, character, training and much more about the Hovawart

By Roland Berger

The Hovawart - what a beautiful dog. The name of this breed is as graceful as its outward appearance. But what is its meaning?

This guide will tell you. Here you will learn everything about this working dog. A Hovawart has very special characteristics that you should definitely get to know before this dog moves in with you. These special characteristics also require a special living environment, without which a Hovawart would not feel comfortable.

The diet does not present any special requirements, nevertheless, here you will learn what a healthy dog diet looks like. One or the other health issue will be explained to you, as well as certain preventive measures, so that serious illnesses do not occur in the first place.

The contents of the book are:
- The dog breed Hovawart
- Education of a Hovawart
- Health and nutrition
- Character, training and much more
- Many illustrations

And the entertainment of a Hovawart ... how does the species-appropriate occupation of such a special dog look like? This guidebook will give you so much information about that, too, that you will need a whole dog's life to be able to try out everything. But maybe after the first Hovawart a second one will follow ... Have fun reading!

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: Mar 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9783987628719

Book preview

Introductory

The Hovawart - a real beauty among dog breeds. Once bred as a farm dog, today he is extremely popular as a family dog. Whether blond, whether black, this breed captivates with its true beauty. However, he is not necessarily a beginner dog, as he needs a confident and experienced owner by his side. To his human family he will build a strong bond, because the Hovawart is a very social and sociable dog. He loves the company of his pack more than anything. The Hovawart needs a lot of space, preferably a large garden that he is allowed to guard. He is not suitable for a small city apartment. Neither does he feel comfortable in a kennel, because this breed needs its free run. Have you developed interest in a Hovawart and think you have found the right dog? Read on and you will learn much more about this truly beautiful breed.

The Hovawart - breed portrait

As the breed name suggests, the Hovawart is a yard guard. In the Middle German language, the term hova stands for yard, while wart titles a guard. This breed designation came about because of its characteristics. The Hovawart still possesses these characteristics today and is therefore an excellent guard dog. However, he is not aggressive in any way and can also serve well as a family dog.

Hovawart - The history

This breed in itself is relatively young. Breeding officially began only in 1922, but the Hovawarts existed well before that time.

In the past they were called hovewarts, which means guardians of the yard and belongings. Already in the 13th century the Hovawart was mentioned in a law, which said: A dog is called hovewart, which guards someone's houses and yards day and night .... (Quote from Origin & History of the Hovawart in www.hovawart.org). The theft of such a dog was punished with a 10 guilder fine and an equivalent replacement had to be made. A description of these dogs, which guarded the farms a few hundred years ago, is kept quite consistent, but it is not handed down how this breed actually looked like. However, it would be conceivable that there was already a great resemblance to today's Hovawart. There is a painting from 1869, which shows a dog with very similar appearance of a present-day Hovawart. Furthermore, the offspring of this bitch is depicted, which even shows the color strokes of today's breed standard.

However, a purposeful breeding has begun only in 1922. The Hovawart-Verein für Deutsche Schutzhunde e. V. was founded, which aimed at the preservation and reconstruction of a medieval farm dog. In order to realize this project, dogs typical for the breed were found and selected in the Harz Mountains and in the Odenwald, of which one was convinced that they would meet this standard.

In this year, of course, the studbook of the Hovawart was created. Here is recorded as the first litter the offspring of a breeder who by then had already made a great name for himself: Curt König. The litter included four puppies and is called the official beginning of Hovawart breeding.

These first breeding dogs were crossed with Newfoundlands, Kuvasz herding dogs and shepherd dogs. Later, dogs were bred into them, which carried a share of the Leonberger in them. The breakthrough probably happened in 1932, because a litter from that year produced a black-marked male named Castor. This dog became the showpiece of the Hovawart breed and was systematically used for further breeding. After many attempts and efforts, the breed of today's Hovawart was finally created. It was officially recognized in 1937 during the Green Week of the Reichsnährstand.

When the Second World War ended, there were only a few breeding dogs left and the breeding club of that time was dissolved. However, a few breeders continued breeding without the help of a recognized breed club. Gradually, different national groups were formed, which, however, also produced different types of breeds. However, today's Hovawart would not exist without these courageous breeders who spared no effort.

It was not until 1948 that the Rassezuchtverein für Hovawart-Hunde e. V. (Breeders' Association for Hovawart Dogs) was founded, in which the various national groups merged. This breed club is now a member of the VDH.

External appearance

The Hovawart is characterized by a medium stature. The physique appears somewhat overlong, the head, on the other hand, quite strongly developed. However, the ladies carry a much slimmer head on the neck. The floppy ears have the shape of a triangle.

A male Hovawart can reach up to 44 kg body weight, while the bitch comes to about 30 kg. The sexes also differ significantly in size: the male can reach up to 70 cm, while the female stops growing at about 65 cm.

In the breed standard three color strokes are recorded. The Hovawart is bred in the color black. Here, small white markings may be present on the chest and toes and on the tip of the tail.

Furthermore, this breed exists in blond color. Here, too, small white markings are allowed as in the black variant.

In addition, the Hovawart is bred in the color scheme black marks. Here the base color is black, but interspersed with blond markings. These must be clearly distinguishable from the base color. However, these markings must not appear anywhere in the coat, but only in very specific places. These markings start on the head under the bridge of the nose and go around the lips to the neck. Above the eyes are blond dots in the coat, resembling eyebrows. Blond markings are also found on the front and hind legs of the Hovawart. These extend to the abdominal wall.

Especially the coat texture makes the Hovawart so beautiful, which is why he is becoming more and more popular, because his coat is long and wavy.

The character

The Hovawart has an innate ability to guard the house and yard. Therefore, he is equipped with a very pronounced protective instinct. In order to do justice to this task, he also possesses a great deal of self-confidence. As an owner, you must be able to counter these breed-related characteristics in order to be able to handle him.

However, this breed is by no means aggressive, but rather a very affectionate fellow. The Hovawart faces strangers with a healthy distrust, which he owes to his pronounced protective instinct. Although he guards his territory extremely well, he is nevertheless well-balanced and characterized by a great strength of nerves. Nothing can upset him that easily.

However, as the pack leader, you may face quite a few attempts to wrestle leadership away from you. A Hovawart, because of his strong character, will test every now and then how far he can go with you. So you need to have an equally confident demeanor towards your dog so that he doesn't take the command from you at some point.

Never appear unsure or awkward to a Hovawart. He might interpret it as timidity on your part and want to protect you. Then intimidating and aggressive behaviors will appear.

However, the Hovawart is a distinct pack animal and needs the social contact with his family. Despite his lively temperament, he is suitable as a family dog, if the conditions of his environment are right, because he is a very affectionate dog. Living together with children goes without problems as long as he is treated with respect.

You yourself must act as a respecter and build trust and a good bond with your four-legged friend. Then you will have a loyal and faithful companion, who will also watch over your property. The strongly pronounced protective instinct only comes to light when you want and demand it from him.

The sensitive athlete

The Hovawart was bred as a working dog and is also recognized as such. Therefore, he is very active and needs an appropriate occupation. You yourself should be equally active and sporty, if you want to call this breed your own. In addition, such an occupation requires a lot of time on your part. You must be able to reconcile this with your professional and family obligations.

There are many possibilities in dog sports to keep your Hovawart adequately busy. Here he can then also use his genetically determined joy of working. But since the Hovawart is also considered to be very intelligent, he can use it just as well in thinking tasks.

Maybe you think about a training as a rescue dog. However, such a training would also be suitable as a tracking or protection dog. Here your four-legged friend will certainly have a lot of fun and so will you. This cooperation can provide for a good bond with your dog and deepen it.

The Hovawart is characterized by a sensitive character. Furthermore, he is very affectionate. These characteristics enable you to keep his innate protective instinct in check and to make him understand when he is allowed to act it out and when it is inappropriate.

Utility dog equals family dog?

A working dog has innate abilities that no other living creature can match. Each breed has specific abilities that are constantly improved through breeding. The use of such working dogs is quite diverse and can be, for example, in guard or police service. A guide dog or search dog is also a working dog.

Every working dog breed is extremely intelligent, willing to work and learn. So is your Hovawart. Therefore, you need to provide species-appropriate husbandry and employment, otherwise your four-legged friend will quickly get out of control.

If you now want to make your Hovawart a family dog, he still needs his breed-specific tasks. Otherwise he will separate himself from you and your family and then he will have no need to spend his time with you and cuddle. The likelihood is rather high that he will attract attention by an undesirable behavior. This may manifest itself in a destructive rage, for example. You will learn more about this later.

Not every dog is therefore suitable as a family dog, but can certainly live as one, as long as his personal needs are considered and respected. For a Hovawart you need a lot of time, should be athletically inclined and show interest in dog sports. Then a Hovawart will also cuddle with you and be happy when you are there for him.

The tasks of a working dog

Depending on the type of breed, a working dog can have different tasks.

For example, there are so-called guard dogs, which independently guard a herd of farm animals without the help of a human and also protect them against predators in an emergency.

The guard dogs include, for example, the following breeds:

the Pyrenean mountain dog

the Maremma Abruzzo Sheepdog

the Komondor

the South Russian Ovcharka

the central asian owtscharka

the caucasian owtscharka

the Kuvasz

the Kangal

They all come with an impressive size and an equally impressive appearance. They can also make decisions on their own and are largely independent of humans. These characteristics are also very important in the harsh areas where they are used, as they are supposed to ensure the safety of a herd.

The variety of hunting dogs also belongs to the working dog breeds. These are mainly used for hunting, but here too each breed has its own tasks. One is suitable for rummage hunting, the other is responsible for retrieving the killed game. Still others follow the trail of a game particularly well.

Hunting dogs include the following breeds:

the german wire hair

the German Longhair

the German Shorthair

the Munsterlander

the pointer

the setter

the retriever

the German Bracke

the dachshund

the beagle

All these breeds, in turn, have specific characteristics that make them a good and successful hunting dog.

Guard dogs are responsible for the security for house and yard. Your Hovawart is one of them, because he was born with an excellent protective instinct. In his line join the following breeds:

the Bernese Mountain Dog

the giant schnauzer

the boxer

the Great Dane

the Akita

the Rhodesian Ridgeback

the Bullmastiff

the German Shepherd Dog

the Rottweiler

the Doberman

These breeds require a species-appropriate employment opportunity should they not be used as a guard dog.

Of course, other breeds can also be used as working dogs. An official working dog is one that has passed the appropriate tests. However, the genetic basis should be present for the corresponding field of application, so that the dog can cope well with its work and tasks.

The acquisition of a puppy

You have now decided to buy a Hovawart puppy. This is most certainly a good choice if you are able to keep and raise such a breed. Now it is time to search for a suitable breeder. Here there is a lot to consider, because not every kennel keeps what it promises at the beginning. Therefore, you should take good care not to end up with a puppy trader who is only after the inside of your wallet.

Find a reputable breeder

To find a recognized breeder of the Hovawart breed, you should first take a look at the VDH website. Here all breeders are listed and you can also see if puppies are currently offered or at least a litter is imminent.

The breeder of a dog breed should belong to a dog club that is a member of the German Kennel Club. Then you can be very sure that this kennel offers only recognized and therefore healthy puppies.

So if the breeder you have chosen bears the VDH seal, the first hurdle is cleared and you can calmly make an appointment for a viewing.

On your first visit there, however, you still take a critical look around. What impression do you have of the breeding operation? Is the facility clean and well-maintained and does it appear the same to you on future visits? What do the dogs look like? They should have a neat appearance and not look neglected. Furthermore, the puppies must be able to visit their mother without hindrance. And last but not least: How many breeds are bred here? If there are more than three, you can assume that the breeder spends little time on breeding and the growing puppies. This is very much to the disadvantage of the litter, because good socialization by humans cannot take place here.

But now you are lucky that the breeder you have chosen meets all the criteria. Take a lot of time to make a choice, because this dog that you are about to choose should accompany you for many years. You should also not choose the puppy alone, but involve your family, because they will also spend a lot of time with the new member of your household. You may also visit the breeder several times if you are not sure at the beginning which animal is the right one for you. You will be met with a lot of understanding from a reputable breeder and he certainly has nothing against it.

Do not be surprised if you are asked many questions. This curiosity makes a good breeder, because he is interested in where his puppies go and how they will spend their future life. In addition, he will provide you with valuable information about the breed of Hovawart.

Once you have found your puppy, visit him several times at the breeding farm until the pick-up date. This way you can already get to know the little pelt-nose and build a relationship with him during this time. Also the puppy will then get to