On this page I would like to give you some information about the level of hovawart breeding in Poland and give some tips for getting a puppy. Be sure to read this page to the end!

Hovawarts in Poland have been bred since year 1988, e.i. already 30 years. Full statistical data can be found on the Statistics for breed page. The problems I see in today's hovawart breeding in Poland are, first of all, the lack of knowledge among breeders about anatomy and mentality, and the breeding of dogs on the basis of a "colleague to the friend". This means that not the best dogs and of different origins are used for breeding, but those for which there is a lobby among a small group of people. It is horrifying that there are people in Poland who can threaten, frighten or insult someone who would only had intentions to use a dog that does not belong to the "circle of mutual adoration". So we can regularly observe that an anatomically poor dog is taken to an anatomically poor female, but belonging to the right owner.
From time to time there appear also much inbreeded litters (e.i. with parents' great blood relationship), and some dogs turn out in one pedigree even 3-4 times. What's worse, this inbreeding is done for risky ancestors. For what purpose, I do not know...

Some time ago, the Hovawart Club in Poland was established, which due to crass transgressions and actions to the detriment of breeders was closed by the Kennel Club in Poland (Związek Kynologiczny w Polsce). The club was managed by a narrow group of several people who seemed to have the power and capabilities comparable to the German RZV Club (which operates on completely different rules than the cynology law being in force in Poland). It occurred that these ladies, without any rights or authorizations, signed contracts on behalf of ZKwP, who had no idea about all this unregulated practice. The overriding idea was to finish and block the competition, that is, everyone they thought was a threat and an enemy. The dogs did not count at all, but only who is with whom and who they like. Anyone who opposed them or did not want to listen to them was vilified by them and hindered his breeding, for example by blocking abroad matings and hindering the sale of puppies. The club was to introduce improved mental tests for Hovawarts, as it turned out, their goal was not to be better breeding selection, but PR and marketing. The tests were supposed to be easy, nice and pleasant, and everyone would pass them, also even if the dog escaped in the midst of them... The history of abuses and proceedings against ZKwP regulations is long and has been confirmed by 3 instances of the General Court in Poland. The same people who so ineptly were managing the Club at the moment are promoting themselves under the name Polska Hovawart. And unfortunately their proceeding is still the same, it does not count the dog and his breeding at a high level, but only personal prejudice and dishonest PR. And in the times of the Club and now in PH times, the same people are against the establishment of the Polish Hovawart base, thus they hide the appearing diseases and faults by the dogs they breed.

Breeding requirements for hovawarts in Poland:
1. males must obtain at 3 exhibitions, including one of international rank, mark "excellent", while females minimum "very good" mark;
2. dysplasia: result A, B, C; unfortunately in Poland dogs with a result of even C (light dysplasia) are allowed for breeding; I personally do not recommend puppies after a male with the result of dysplasia other than "A", while by females safe result is "A" and "B"; very risky are litters from both parents with "B" result; among the dog-lovers the best opinion on the accuracy and reliability of X-ray pictures in the direction of dysplasia has Dr. Adam Pietroń from Warsaw, I always recommend this radiologist ;-)
3. mental tests; polish mental tests are unreliable and not trustworthy, but they check the dog's reaction to the shot and wheather he is not afraid of a helper and a group of strangers.
German / foreign mental tests only for Hovawarts are completely different than polish ones. They check above all the dog's working abilities, self-confidence, reactions to strange situations and sociality towards people.

Therefore the future buyer, before you buy a puppy, take some time to familiarize yourself with the breeder. See how he is raising the puppies, what he knows about their origin, parents, what he knows about the breed, etc. Making sudden, hasty decisions can not always be successful.

When is it possible to buy a purebred puppy, but for a smaller amount?
It all depends on the integrity of the breeder. An honest and reliable breeder will sell a puppy for a smaller amount when:
- it has disqualifying faults from breeding (missing teeth, malocclusion/wrong bite, lack of testicle/testicles by males, tail anomaly, etc.),
- if it has a faulty color (the red and white color of the blond is disqualified and connected white arrow on the nose and forehead; too much tans by the black and tans, i.e. glasses around the eyes, double tans on the chest, connected tans on legs with chest, undercoat of tans color and not black),
- when the color is still in standard, but not very of show class (especially by black and tans: when there is no tans above the eyes, on the throat or chest; when the puppy has too many tans, but is still in the standard; when the color of the tans is too bright or uneven),
- when the puppy has white markings (medium or large spot on the chest, white paws or white markings in forbidden place, e.g. on the neck).
Disqualifying faults are described in the Hovawart standard.

Below are some pictorial examples of faults, which are increasingly appearing by polish Hovawarts, e.i. hovawart from judge`s point of view:

For comparison, ears of good size are well carried by puppies and adult dogs.

Color faults - all disqualifying:

* blonds - red (s.c. berliner blond) without lightenings or white;