As Majestic as His Name “KING DAVID”

Owned by Jane DeJong

We had lost our faithful friend. For 15 years Dutch, our German Sheppard had followed my husband around the farm, loyal and trustworthy.  Being on the farm, we needed a dog around, not only to protect the property, but also the livestock and the children.  We were in search of the perfect breed for the demanding job it would be required to do.

.

Willy had seen a Kuvasz on a farm years ago, and the majestic beauty and temperament of the dog stayed in his mind. That was what he wanted, and that was what we finally found a four-hour drive from home.

Kassie was beautiful. Full of life and eagerness, she quickly became an important part of our family and farm.  Our livestock consists of horses, many cows with calves, a few chickens, and the odd cat.  Kassie soon became a guardian to them all. It was nothing to see her fly into the cornfield and come charging out with a groundhog in her mouth. She showed the patience of Job by sitting at the base of a tree waiting for the raccoon to slowly make its way down, only to snatch it up and play it to death. She understood that the chickens were her property to protect and when coyotes would howl at night she would make her presence known, telling them not to come within a mile of the farm.

Kassie’s loyalty didn’t stop at the barn, she also watched out after the children. She would sit close by and watch that nothing is amiss and no one bothers them. If strangers drove onto the property, Kassie clearly let them know that, she was friendly, but don’t mess with the owners!  She would circle the vehicle with caution before allowing them out. She truly is a super dog.       

With all of Kassie’s wonderful qualities, I wanted to breed her so badly, but could never catch a heat on her.  A phone call from Amber Kunz prompted me to take a quick peek at her one day, and low and behold, she was in heat.  Amber knew of a wonderful stud (Huron’s Odyssey) and she was off for her first date.

The union produced two of the most gorgeous boys I had ever seen. ‘King Solomon’ and

‘King David’.  Every bit as majestic as their names implied.  Solomon journeyed to Ottawa taking his wisdom to a family farm, and King David stayed at home with his family.

As I work with these dogs and watch  as they instinctively protect their property and families, I am amazed by the intelligence. This dog

knows his job . Both Kassie and David have never been tied and never wandered off the farm. Kassie does however, join us for our horse rides but stays close by while searching for some rodent to take home.

After careful consideration, we have decided to continue to breed the Kuvasz, promoting them as the wonderful working farm dog that they are.

David won his first Best of Breed point at the Forest Kennel Club show just recently, making me so proud.

The Kuvasz are known as being a breed that thinks independently. Rarely can they be trained to respond on command. Most will look at you and require a 500-word essay on “Why exactly I Should Listen to You”.  David, on the other hand, is eager to please. I have never met a more submissive and gentle dog. Kassie wants answers. She wants to know why she needs to sit, or come, and what is in it for her? Funny how they all develop their own personality. Knowing that little tidbit about them, Amber convinced me to enter David in the Canine Good Neighbor test at the show. I thought it might be fun, not really understanding all the things that would be required of him. I may sound like a puffed up Granny but he was just great!  He did it all, even the sit stay, and gate walk. He blew me away, along with Amber I think.

As each day passes and I watch these two dogs, I know most certainly that God smiled down at me and said...

“Here Jane. Here is a small piece of loyalty and love.  Enjoy them for I have made all things wonderful for you.”