What would Bob Marley's dog look like?  Well it would have to have dreds, right?  Add in a laid back nature and a passion for being around people, and you've got this strange looking dog,  the Komondor.

Although the dreadlocks suggest it may be at home in Jamaica, the Komondor Dog is actually a Hungarian breed that has historically been used to guard livestock . It is a pretty big and muscular animal that averages about 27 to 30 inches in height at the shoulders. Their most distinctive feature is their noticeable fur, which is ideal for protecting the animal against Mother Nature’s assortment of elements and predators. The fur consists of a soft woolly undercoat which then grows into longer, coarser hair and beings to curl into permanent ringlets, creating the 'dred' look.

While the dogs carry around the heaviest coat in the canine world and are a decent size, they aren’t as heavy as you would imagine. Males generally weigh about 120 lbs and females average close to 100 lbs andKomondors are surprisingly quick and agile for their size, with a long, striding gait.

The dogs may look a little odd or cute, but they are quite brave and fearless when guarding animals such as sheep and goats from predators including bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, and feral dogs. AKomondor is especially effective protecting sheep as its long woolly cords form the perfect camouflage to blend in with the rest of the flock.  Not to be confused with herding dogs such as Collies, which can round up and manipulate a herd of livestock,  theKomondor's job is simply to protect them.  If Collie's are the brains of working dogs, then Komondors are the braun.

The dogs are generally calm in nature although it is in their blood to be protective,  and they are often kept as guard dogs. They thrive on looking after and taking responsibility for other animals. If you don’t have any livestock to protect, you will be happy to know they can make great pets as they are quiet, gentle, and make excellent minders.  As with all large dogs though, the breed isn’t really cut out for city life as it loves to be outside in its natural environment and will need plenty of exercise.

It is important to remember that Komondor's are first and foremost guard dogs, so owners need to train the dogs from an early age. A dog's character is the responsibility of it's owner, and if aKomondor gets away with hostile behavior, it will assume it is okay to act that way.   Young Komondors can be stubborn and overly excitable, and should be introduced to other dogs, people and animals early on to allow them to get accustomed to how to act around them.

All in all these dogs make great working dogs or pets for families with an active lifestyle and who love the outdoors.  And if you are adreadlocked Bob Marley fan,  then you don't have to be offended when people say that owners often look like their dogs.