Hungarian Sinka Dog Breed - All You Need To Know

The Sinka Dog is relatively new dog breed native to Hungary and it is a tireless working and herding dog breed. 

Lets start with little bit of history and ancestry of the Sinka dog. It is the youngest of all Hungarian dog breeds with its history dating back only few decades, approximately 50 years.

It was developed from various herding dogs that already existed in Hungary. Some of the dogs that played a role in the breeds development are Hungarian herding dogs like Mudi, Puli and Pumi. Especially the Mudi and Kopasz and Német Puli played important role in the creation of Sinka. But it is believed that breeds like Kelpie, German Shepherd or Belgian Shepherd also played a role in the breeds development.

The breeds name – Sinka – comes from hungarian words sima szőrű which can be translated into english as smooth hair. And their smooth hair comes in several possible colors, namely in solid black, brown, wolf grey, white or brindle.

The breed has athletic, streamlined and strong body, typically it has upright erect ears, dark colored eyes with alert expression and long tail. It is medium sized dog breed with height between 45-55 cm, which is 18-21 inch and weight between 18-27 kg, which is 40-60 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

This breed is almost exlusively used for working and herding. There is approximately 800 Sinka dogs and almost all of them are owned by shepherd who use them to managing their herds. They most often herd sheeps and cows. And they have amazing qualities for herding as they are very alert, independent, loyal, brave and they are not afraid of the livestock. They are also extremely endurant and they have very very high energy level. They are just tireless, they can work for all day long without tiring. You can say that this is a workaholic, they definitelly are happiest if they can work a lot.

It is a tough dog breed that is absolutely loyal to its owner. And of course, it does love its owner and family, it is affectionate, playful and loving dog breed, but it is not a dog breed for everyone and it is mostly due to their high energy level. They will not be happy if they would live in small apartments as typical companion pets. They want to live on a large property.

The Sinka can live with other dogs or even with other animals like chicken and other household pets like cats, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. They typically guard their property and defend it from intruders.

When it comes to grooming and maintenace, it can not be easier than with the Sinka. They can take care of the coat by themselves. The Sinka is extremely clean dog breed, some might say they are almost cat like in this area and they stay very clean bythemselves. Of course, regular brushing from time to time will remove all the dead and loose hair, minimize the shedding and redistribute natural oils all over it. No other grooming is needed. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

There are no studies about the breeds health, but it should be very tough, resilient and healthy dog breed and there are no genetic health issues linked with this breed.