A Kuvasz is a large dog that excels at being a guard dog. It has a naturally aggressive nature towards strangers, but can be devotedly loyal to its handler. The aggression can come out as an overall suspiciousness or it can provoke barking and biting behavior. In order to handle the dog's natural aggressiveness, you have to understand the mind of a dog that was bred to guard nobility and then later to herd sheep.
This type of dog has a herd mentality and considers its natural role to be protector of the herd. The herd will be anyone in the family unit that it has become familiar with since young and that it has socialized with in depth. The herd can include other pets in the family unit and small children too. The dog will tend to be very protective of any member of its herd or family unit, but this friendliness and loyalty does not automatically extend to other small animals or children who visit. The dog is also highly territorial and will easily kill any stray animal that crosses your property. It will also threaten anyone that comes near your property boundaries. Keep in mind that the aggressiveness it demonstrates is usually an act of loyalty, and not innate animosity. It is merely doing its duty to guard the family and the household.
That is why you will need to get this dog socialized early. You will want it to become very familiar with your own family members so that it can include them in its list of herd members. This includes other pets and children. Just be careful to supervise the dog as a puppy because some dogs do not take to any other dogs in the household and some Kuvasz are too rowdy for children. However, if they are properly socialized within the home, they stand a better chance of being more manageable with other people.
While you are socializing your Kuvasz, you will also want to get it obedience training. This combination of socialization and obedience training greatly helps to handle aggressive behavior. While the dog is stubbornly independent, the use of obedience training will increase the chances it will listen to you and follow your lead when accepting strangers at your door.
Finally, if a dog just can't be trusted, keep it away from strangers when they come to call. The dog can be placed outdoors in backyard with a large fence and locks on the gates or an outdoor kennel when visitors come calling. This will ensure that even if the dog misbehaves, it won’t result in injuring someone who was just trying to pay a social call to your home.
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