Painting by Benno Adams (1869)
Hundefamilie mit altem Gaul
(Dog family with old steed)
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The robust farm dogs shown in the painting resemble the present breed. Even the three colours are represented.
The Hovawart is both an ancient and a recent breed. It can be traced back to the Early Middle Ages when it existed as a farm dog and guarded properties and herds. The breed then slipped into obscurity. Until the beginning of the twentieth century it had for all practical purposes disappeared. A well-renowned cynologue, K.F.King, decided to recreate the breed using farm dogs that he found in the Black Forest region of Germany. All his efforts nearly came to nothing when the Hovawart was used during the Second World War. Fortunately a few passionate amateurs got together to restart a breeding programme. Their effort was compensated when the IFC accepted the Hovawart in its Working Class in 1964.
To know more about the origins of the breed |
