by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: November 07, 2009

The Mudi, also known as the Hungarian Mudi or the Canis Ovilis Fenyesi, is a tough and hardworking dog. Their native homeland is Hungaria, where they are used for herding livestock. The breed was not apparently created intentionally, but simply appeared on the scene about one hundred years ago and is bred today as a breed of its own. They are still quite rare, even in their land of origin, being one of the least opopular herding dogs in existence there. Aside from herding, these dogs can also be used for hunting both game and vermin or guarding both flocks and families.

Today, this breed is accepted for registry in the CKC, the FCI, the NKC, the APRI, the ACR, and the DRA. They are classified under the "herding" dog category. Although having a registered dog may not mean that much to the average pet owner who is only looking for a loving companion, it does increase the monetary value of the dog for those who want to breed the animal or compete with him or her. There are currently other registries that are working on getting these dogs accepted.

According to breed standards, the Mudi should be between 14 and 20 inches tall, when measured from the ground to the withers and their weight should be between 18 and 29 pounds. The Mudi has a well-muscled and nicely proportioned body. The wedge-shaped head has a noticable stop. The triangular ears are held in the upright, pricked position. The lips are pigmented black. The nose is also black in color and is relatively long. The jaw is strong and hold teeth that meet in a scissor bite. The eyes are dark, holding an expression of intelligence and alertness. Many pups are born without tails. Dogs that do have tails hold them either in the downward position or curved upwards over the back.

The Mudi has a dense, soft coat that has a wave to it and is shiny when healthy. According to breed standards, acceptable coat colors are black, white, brown, red, gray, fallow, and blue merle. The blue merle is the most uncommon of the breed colors. Their grooming is quite easy, especially for a coat of this length. A weekly thorough brushing with a stiff, rubber-bristled brush and a shampoo when absolutely needed will suffice. The breed are medium shedders.

They are highly intelligent dogs and can be trained quickly, especially in areas they are instinctively adapted and used for. Training must be consistent, with the human establishing his or her position as "pack leader" from the start. This dog enjoys learning and working, and is

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