We all have our different tastes in dogs. When I own my own place someday, I plan on rescuing a German Shepherd. That has always been my dream dog. For one woman living in Kaunas, Lithuania, her ideal pet was a Komondor. This very unusual-looking dog is also known as a mop dog because its coat looks like the strands of a mop. Gintarė Bertauskienė has had a deep fascination with the breed ever since she was a child and received a postcard that had a Komondor on it. After years of wishing, she finally saw her dream come true when she became the proud owner of Hanga. Hanga is only one of two Komondors within her country – talk about exclusive.
Gintarė loves Hanga, but wherever the pair go, they usually draw a lot of attention because of Hanga’s fur. Gintarė has shared that people on the street often stop them and ask for pictures. Because of the constant attention Hanga receives, Gintarė will often wait until later in the day to go for walks with him. As tiring as it might be for the duo to constantly be stopped in the street, we can understand why people are intrigued by the pooch. Komondors are quite a spectacle since they’re one of the few breeds of dogs who have naturally occurring dreadlocks. Because these dogs have fur coats that are long and thick, their require proper grooming care. Luckily for Hanga, he will never need to worry about his coat growing knots or mats since Gintarė works as a pet groomer.
Hanga became popular after the pup was filmed swimming in a lake. His video clip gained more than 19 million views! The video was so widely popular that Gintarė even managed to make some money off of it, and it went to pay for a surgery that Hanga needed.
As strange as the Komondor coat might be, these dogs aren’t born with their dreads. When they’re puppies Komondors are born with white coats that are short and fluffy. Over time as they grow, their hair turns into long mats, usually around a year old. And by the time the Komondor has turned 5, they’ve grown the distinct dreadlocks that they’re renowned for. If properly maintained their dreads won’t pose a problem.
If you’re considering a Komondor, there is still a lot to think about. Besides proper grooming care, you also need to take into consideration this dog’s temperament. Komondors are large and powerful dogs who were bred to be guardians over livestock. While they are generally calm and loyal dogs, they are also quite protective which means that obedience training is recommended. The Komondor breed is quite intelligent so they’re pretty easy to train. And the earlier the better, especially if you start teaching them when they’re between 4 and 8 months.
What do you think of this breed? Would you get a Komondor? Do you own one? Let us know!
