Anatolian Shepherd

Temperament:
The Anatolian Shepherd is a very loyal, alert and possessive dog. It is intelligent and easy to train, but is not a dog for beginners. It needs a handler who naturally radiates leadership. Calm, steadfast and brave, but not aggressive. Independent, very watchful, proud and self-assured. Affectionate with their own family, but suspicious of strangers, especially after reaching adulthood. Strangers should be formally introduced before the mature dog is asked to accept them. The Anatolian Shepherd is possessive with respect to its home and property and will not allow anyone into the family property if the owner is not home, unless it has had frequent contact with the person, but he is fairly friendly with those people the family accepts. The dog is demanding of itself, and can be stubborn and dominant. When training the Anatolian Shepherd, the best results are achieved by motivational training methods with a determined, consistent and loving approach. It is very important to begin training as early as possible, because a fully grown dog may be too strong and too big to be corrected and because this dog has his own ideas and will not cater to his owner's every whim. Sensitive to reprimands and eager to receive affection. This breed is patient and protective with children of the family, but may accidentally knock them down. Children should always be supervised and properly introduced. The Anatolian Shepherd does not require any additional protection training. It already has very strong protection instincts that grow as the dog matures, often coming suddenly to the fore at around one and a half years of age. They will generally get along with other animals provided they have been introduced to them when they are still young. They can be rather dominant towards other dogs and it is important to socialize them while they are still young. These dogs mature quite slowly, reaching full adulthood at about four years old. Dogs that are going to be made into flock guards should not be family pets or they will prefer the family over the sheep. They should live their entire life with the flock, but still should be socialized with people out in the field and accustomed to grooming procedures when they are puppies to make veterinary care possible later in life. Anatolian Shepherds guard, but do not herd, livestock. They often patrol the outer perimeter of their territory, then find a high place from which to watch over their charges. Anatolians possess excellent senses of sight and hearing to help them in this work. They check their "protective zone" around the flock every few hours to be certain nothing threatening is brewing. If danger approaches, the Anatolian will first bark a warning, then accelerate and raise the volume of the barking if the danger persists, signaling the sheep to crowd in behind him for protection. The dog will attempt to drive the danger away and will only attack as the last resort. In Turkey, the Anatolian Shepherds wear spiked collars to protect their throats in battles with predators. They will do best on a low-protein, lamb and rice diet. They do not eat much for their size. Extensive early socialization, obedience training and consistent dominant leadership are very important when owning an Anatolian Shepherd. They tend to bark at night and some like to dig.

Grooming:
This breed requires little grooming. The coat needs thorough brushing-out during the twice a year shedding season. You can get away with little attention the rest of the year. The Anatolian Shepherd is a seasonal, heavy shedder.

Exercise:
This breed needs a lot of exercise. They do best when they can run free in their own fenced-in yard, but still need to go on long daily walks.

Living Condition:
Anatolian Shepherds are not recommended for apartment life. They are relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least a large yard. This breed is very suspicious of strangers, and it is therefore necessary to provide a secure, fenced yard.

Origin:
The Anatolian Shepherd is native to Asia Minor. It protects flocks and serves as a shepherd's companion. On the high Anatolian Plateau, where summers are hot and very dry and winters are cold, the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs live outside all year round. For centuries the ancestors of the Anatolian Shepherd were used as a combat dog in war and for hunting. It was particularly valued for the victorious battles it could fight with wolves. As a sheepdog, it was bothered by neither fatigue nor bad weather. Today it is still used as a sheep dog as well as a guard dog. The Anatolian Shepherd is very closely related to the Kangal Dog and some people even declare all Turkish shepherd's i.e. the Kangal Dog, to be one breed, the Anatolian Shepherd, however the true Turkish Kangal Dogs are said to be a separate breed from the generic Turkish shepherd's dog. The isolated historical conditions of the Sivas-Kangal region has resulted in the development of the Kangal Dog as a distinct breed, which has been declared the National Dog of Turkey and a national treasure. The true Turkish Kangal Dogs are first and foremost still primarily working shepherds. The export of pure Kangal Dogs from Turkey has been controlled and now is virtually forbidden. The Kangal Dog Club of America continues to work to ease import restrictions. Imported dogs are considered to be extremely valuable for their potential contribution to the genetic pool in the United States.