Slovakian Chuvach

Mountain dogs are said to be descended from dogs resembling Tibetan Mastiffs imported through trade and Asian invasions. The Slovak Chovatch is a dog adapted to the climate of the Tatras mountains in the Carpathians. It is a dog used for sheep guarding, ready to fight bears and wolves. The coat color, uniformly white, is traditionally selected so as not to confuse it with wild animals at night. In the 1930s, Antonin Hrůza, professor of veterinary medicine in Brno, began selective breeding of this shepherd dog traditionally used in the High Tatras. The first breeding association, equipped with its own breeding register, was created in Slovakia in 1933. On August 14, 1965, the breed was recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale during its general assembly in Prague. The Slovak Chovatch is considered a traditional heritage of Slovakia, just like the Hucul horse. In France, the breed is very rare with very few registrations in the French Book of Origins: 1 single registration in 1988, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2007 and 2011 and five registrations in 2012.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard describes the Slovak Chovatch as a loyal and courageous breed.

The Slovak Chovatch is a large dog of mountain dog type with massive and impressive constitution. The height at the withers is 62 to 70 cm for males and 59 to 65 cm for females. The bone structure is robust. The body is inscribed in a rectangle. Attached low, the tail has the shape of a straight cigar and reaches the tip of the hock. At rest, it is carried drooping and arced above the loins in action. The elongated skull is wide, with a shallow central groove. The stop is well-marked. The nose is black, except in summer. Set high, the medium-length ears are mobile in action. They are well-applied against the head. At rest, the rounded lower edge reaches the height of the lips. The eyes are dark brown in color, oval in shape and placed straight. The coat is double. The outer hairs measure 5 to 15 cm and form a mane of long hair around the neck, especially in males. The undercoat is fine and forms a thick layer up to half or two-thirds of the long hairs. The undercoat falls in summer. Apart from the head and limbs, the fur is thick, without a stripe on the back and without fringe on the tail and thighs. The coat is white in color. A yellowish trace at the base of the ears is admitted, but not desirable. Clear yellow spots are not allowed.