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HOVAWART |
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Dogs named Hofewart^
meaning estate dog or farmyard warden, were mentioned and reproduced
in documents and pictures since the 13th century. This dog was used to
guard the courtyard, and a writer of that era told of his rescue as a
baby by a wounded Hovawart. When the family castle was besieged, he was
carried by the dog to a neighboring estate.
In those early times, stealing the Hovawart was penalized with a fine and a demand to replace the dog. The fine was higher for a nighttime theft than a day-time one because their worth as guards was so highly valued. The original Hofewart seemed to disappear with the German aristocracy. No mention of the breed was seen in formal dog circles for centuries. The breed reappeared around the turn of this century under the impetus of enthusiast Kurt Konig. Much controversy
exists over whether the 20th-century Hovawart was a "reinvented"
breed or a resurrected one. Believers of the reinvention theory state
that breeders used Leonb-ergers, German Shepherds, Newfoundlands, Kuvasz
and the semi-wild African veldt dogs to create a tough working breed
which looked like the Hofewart of old. It is hard to imagine type being
established and dogs breeding true in a short period of time, after
this extreme crossbreeding procedure—especially since neither the German
Shepherd nor the Leonberger were themselves fixed in type at that time.
The resurrection
proponents believe dogs of the old-type Hovawart survived on isolated
farms and in remote rural areas of the Harz and Black Forest. These
people contend that Konig and his cohorts scoured these areas, acquiring
dogs that had the desired looks and temperament. It was these farm dogs
that formed the base for the "new" breed.
Whatever the true story, type
was well set in the early decades of this century and the German Kennel
Club (VDH) recognized the Hovawart in 1937. The War years were hard
on the breed. The new beginning of the breed had a tenuous hold, not
only because of the cessation of breeding and scarcity of food during
those years, but because many of the kennels were designated as part
of the eastern zone when Germany was divided in 1945. Interested owners
reaffirmed their dedication, and the Hovawart— although not in large
numbers—now is firmly established in Germany. In the 1960s, breed
enthusiasts saw sponsoring organizations formed in Switzerland, the
Netherlands, Austria, Denmark., Finland, Sweden and Scotland. Hovaw-arts
were introduced to America in the 1980s. Characterized
as "weatherproof," intelligent, trustworthy and responsive
to training, the Hovawart, however, tends to stay puppyish for a long
time, and needs patience in training. Bred to protect their home and
family, they are void of any hunting or roving tendencies. They work
well with livestock in their role as farm dogs. Natural guardians
even in puppyhood, the Ho-vawarts require a dominant hand. Care must
be taken to assert the "pack leader" position of the human
in this relationship. An aptitude for obedience and schutzhund work
is apparent. A "job" and extensive exercise keeps them happy
and fit. Hovawarts are good house dogs, being quiet in nature and
requiring minimal coat care.
The breed
is classified in Europe as a working dog, in the same group as German
Shepherds, Boxers, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Giant Schnauzers. The
breed organizations are very strict in selecting for good conformation,
proper color, sound hips and health, and proper guardian temperament,
which includes a gun shyness test. Puppies are guaranteed and German
stock is 95-percent free of hip dysplasia.
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