TRANSLATION : Mrs C. Seidler and Mrs Elke Peper.
INTERPRETATION: Dr. Péter Pongrácz and Edina Lakatos
ORIGIN : Hungary.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 09. 11. 2004.
DATE OF INTERPRETATION: June, 2008, Budapest, Hungary
UTILIZATION : Herding dog. Because of his courageous disposition he is very popular with the shepherds for the use of herding large and difficult livestock. He is even used for the battue of wild boar. Excellent guard and companion dog. A dog used for searching out drugs. Watch and alarm dog. Excellent agility dog, lovable house pet. Because of his relatively short coat and his excellent adaptability, it is no problem to keep him in the house.
CLASSIFICATION FCI :
Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The breed came into being during the 18th to the 19th century from cross breeding Hungarian herding dogs most probably with various prick eared German herding dogs.
There is no firm information about the
origin and development of the Mudi
breed. The breed was described in the
1920s, its first and full description was
published in Hungary in 1936. The
original FCI standard was accepted in
1960. The contribution of the western
European spitz-like herding breeds in
the formation of the Mudi lacks any
scientific proof, and most probably was
inspired by some outer resemblances.
There are sporadic indications of
Mudi-like herding dogs in Hungary from
the late medieval times.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Medium sized herding dog with a wedge shaped head. Prick ears.
Body topline is distinctly sloping towards the rear.
The head and the limbs are covered by short, smooth coat.
The other parts of the body have a somewhat longer, very wavy to slightly curly coat.
There are different variations of colour.
The Mudi is sometimes characterized as
a spitz-like dog. In reality there are at
least as many differences as similarities
between the Mudi and an average Spitz-
type breed. The general appearance of
the Mudi shows an energetic and swift
dog. It is powerful, but never bulky or
heavy. The outlook of the Mudi should
mirror its function: an all day working,
fast herding dog, with great stamina.
Neither fragile, light structure, nor
thick boned, heavy build is desirable.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
- The body length is approximately equal to the height at the withers.
- The depth of the brisket is slightly less than half of the height at the withers.
- The length of the muzzle is slightly less than half of the total length of the head.
"Human beings exercise responsibilities within a social setting and a framework of obligations which transcend the principle of intelligence."
Michael Polanyi, Hungarian Scientist and Philosopher, 1891-1976
Key Definitions
Battue: A form of hunting in which game is forced into the open by the beating of sticks on bushes etc; a hunting style common to the Mongols, the hunters formed a circle and drove the game into an inner ring where they were killed; a hunt in which beaters force the game to flee in the direction of the hunter
Brisket: Forepart of body below the chest, between the forelegs
Muzzle: The head in front of the eyes; foreface
Wedge: Any shape that is triangular in cross section or profile; A piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other; In geometry, a wedge is a polyhedral solid defined by two triangles and three trapezoid faces; A wedge has five faces, nine edges, and six vertices
Withers: Highest point of the body immediately behind neck; this is the top of the shoulder blades, the point from which height is measured