The Hovawart isn’t a small dog, the dogs are between 63cm and 70 cm high at withers, the bitches between 58cm and 65cm. They are powerful but not heavy.
The strong long-haired coat is lightly waved and lying close, with only little undercoat and only needing a weekly brushing. There are three colour varieties : black/gold, black, blond. Due to his social character this is certainly no dog to keep in a kennel ! The Hovawart is very attached to his owners and prefers to stay in their neighbourhood. By keeping him in the house he will consider this as his territory and defend it to all costs.
With patience and persistance the Hovawart can be trained to become : tracking- avalanche- defence- and guarddog. He also is an excellent companion. The golden rule for a Hovawart is to train him in a playful way. Putting him under pressure will have a negative effect and slow down the learning process.