Here at Kovacs Kennels, our passion is first and foremost with the working German Shepherd dog regardless of their utility. As devoted trainers ourselves, we appreciate the importance of trainability in any working dog. As such, we only promote dogs who are willing to take direction from the handler. Without this most important quality, there is no working dog.

Further to workability, our aim is to produce healthy dogs with healthy minds, whose working attributes may be moulded to suit whatever task is required of them. We only utilise dogs in our breeding program who are physically healthy, and possess the clarity of mind to remain neutral in ordinary situations combined with the ability to approach their work with conviction.

Our dogs can be found around the country, and have been sourced by various service groups and hobby trainers alike. We would recommend any who are serious about working dogs, regardless of the nature of work required to contact us for more information.

We do not promote dogs that are unstable, or who respond with aggression where it is not appropriate to do so, nor do we support any activity which promotes dogs of this nature.

Our History/Story:

Istvan has been involved in working dogs since 1989, when he began showing and working with Giant Schnauzers both as a trainer and helper in IPO (then Schutzhund) in Hungary at just 14 years of age. During this time, he was also working part time alongside his schooling in the dog training industry until he came to Australia some years later. Since arriving in Australia in 1993, his involvement in IPO and working dogs has continued. Istvan initially sourced a locally bred Giant Schnauzer with the intention of participating with him in IPO. Unfortunately, the dog did not have sufficiently strong nerves suitable for IPO and was moved into an understanding pet home shortly after. He was surprised by the then lack of availability of dogs suitable for IPO, as this also indicates that temperament of breeding dogs remains largely unknown. After time involved in the local IPO club (Lakeside Schutzhund Club, NSW) where he assisted as club helper while attempting to find a suitable dog to train with, he then moved to WROCA (Working Rottweiler Club of Australia). Shortly after, he took on a Rottweiler for training and it was not long before he also purchased a German Shepherd puppy. Along with several others, Istvan was then involved in the forming of the Western Sydney Dogsport Club. Istvan went on to title his Rottweiler, Atilla to IPO.1 before he was purchased by a private security company. He continued on with his German Shepherd bitch, Cendraise Elly to IPO.3. Elly was to become the foundation bitch of Kovacs Kennels. We bred our first litter in 2000 after being introduced to a male who impressed us at the time and who we believed would be a suitable match for Elly. Kovacs "A" litter was subsequently born in the same year.

IPO (Schutzhund) has long been a selection tool throughout the world but not so much within Australia, (largely due to a lack of understanding), for the breeding of German Shepherds. It is designed to ensure that only those dogs with correct temperament and strong working aptitudes are bred with. It is only through tools such as IPO that civilians are able to ensure that they are contributing to the maintenance of the German Shepherd as a working breed. With an already strong understanding of and background in IPO, which was developed well before the establishment of our kennel, we felt confident in selecting dogs for breeding. It is only through the training of dogs, that both their positive and negative qualities can be exposed and known or understood. From there, appropriate breeding partners can be selected on the basis of knowing which qualities may require enhancement in your breeding dog and those that may require countering. Unlike many others, we did not become involved in breeding for the purpose of raising revenue. It was apparent to us at the time at which we established our kennel, that the Australian bred dogs were largely lacking in workability. They were often stubborn and refused to take direction. This informed our decisions on breedings at the time, and temperament strengths and shortcomings in addition to health, continue to inform our breeding decisions today. It can be difficult in a country where proving dogs in IPO remains largely non existent hence why we continue to shy away from the use of Australian dogs within our breeding program. We have come to the 5th generation of breeding to our own female line. We know our mothers inside out and seek the same from any male we select for breeding.

Since the establishment of Kovacs Kennels in early 2000, and during the last 20 years, we have continued to participate in IPO, have supplied numerous young dogs to Government Services that we developed specifically for police and corrections. Not only as a puppy supplier, but also as a supplier of young adults appropriately prepared for work. Our background is firm in IPO and dog training and we are strong believers in the German Shepherd as a working breed. There may be operational differences in dog training with view to the type of work required although dogs that are strong and good working dogs should be versatile to a range of applications. We initially entered the service dog market at a time where IPO was wavering in Australia and when we saw that one particular state was looking to abandon the German Shepherd as a police dog within their agency. We needed an outlet for working dogs, and training and the German Shepherd needed reaffirming as a service dog. In WA in particular, the police had been on the receiving end of so many poorly bred German Shepherds that they were losing faith in the ability of the breed to perform as a working dog. We are proud to have re established the German Shepherd as the primary police dog in WA once again. From then WA Police Inspector Lysle Cubbage on our relationship with WA Police Dog Unit "this partnership will see the breaking of new ground within the policing services in Australia. We in WA have been frustrated for years at the lack of supply of mature and competent dogs within Australia. Breeders bred for their purposes not ours and our internal breeding programmes had proven ineffective. When we needed dogs they weren't available and we spent a considerable amount of time and effort finding testing and mostly rejecting dogs. The dogs we did find were not guaranteed of passing our training course and often they did not. What we needed was a guaranteed supply of mature dogs, well bred with a history of success in the policing industry. I also saw the benefit of having the dogs partially trained before we received them as this would reduce the time spent by our officers training and the failure level of the Dogs in our programmes. I am very confident our partnership with Kovacs will provide the benefits the Western Australia Police are seeking and we look forward to working with them closely to achieve our goals. Our first dogs are currently being trained and bred and we look forward to receiving them in 2014."

Based on litter registrations since the establishment of our kennel, we breed on average 1 to 1.3 litters a year. Many of these have involved litters of 3 and under. We do not have a large amount of dogs within the marketplace. Our motto is quality, not quantity and we go to extraordinary lengths to select strong working dogs for inclusion into our breeding program. We regularly attend world and various national IPO competitions and follow with great interest popular bloodlines around the world and the reasons for their popularity. We have a large network of friends overseas who we can rely on for credible information and to keep an eye out for any possible young talents that we may be able to acquire. We have a strong background and love for working German Shepherds, and whether you are seeking your next working partner or a healthy, well bred and stable active companion we urge you to contact us for further information.

 

 

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