These dogs are very independent and intellectual. This, paired with their strong-willed ways means they are fairly difficult to look after and handle and not the best choice for first time owners. They take a fairly long time to reach maturity, sometimes longer than three years, meaning they need a special form of consistent training throughout their lives.

Their wariness of strangers makes them excellent guard dogs, however they can act aggressively, especially towards other dogs, even when properly socialized which is something to consider if you have other pets.

These dogs are thought to be a very ancient breed, first developed in Hungary to herd and guard flocks of sheep. Many believe that the breeds ancestors were bought over to the country by the Magyar and Cuman Tribes in ancient times and may share an ancestry with Russian Ovcharkas. Although we know these dogs are an ancient breed, there is no record of them up until the 16th century. Their long and heavy coats are there to protect them from large predators such as wolves and additionally protect them from the harsh weather and terrain that they faced everyday as sheep dogs.

Unfortunately, the onset of WW2 saw a huge decline in the number of these dogs as many were killed when Hungary was invaded in 1944. It's thought that there were as little as 20 dogs left after the war and it was only thanks to breed enthusiasts that they are around today. Nowadays, the breed is still used as a sheepdog, but remains very rare and unknown outside of their native country.