Pastoral group · Turkey
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Also called Kangal Dog, Anatolian Karabash, Turkish Guard Dog.
What makes them remarkable
Its traditional job is to stay with a flock and deter predators, rather than move sheep like a herding dog.
- Independent
- Loyal
- Reserved
- Protective
- Intelligent
- Size
- Giant
- Weight
- 36 to 68 kg80 to 150 lb
- Lives
- 11 to 13 years
- Energy
- Moderate
- Trains
- Low
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training an Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
This is Not a Pet Breed
Start here
Bred for millennia to make independent decisions while guarding livestock. They think for themselves and may not obey commands they disagree with.
Secure Property Essential
Will patrol and expand their territory. Tall, secure fencing mandatory. Will not stay in an unfenced yard.
Socialisation with Limitations
Socialise extensively but understand they will always be suspicious of strangers. This is their job.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Anatolian Shepherd Dog and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsLow
- StrangersVery Low
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1-2 hours daily. Large property to patrol is ideal. Not a jogging companion.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Weekly brushing, more during seasonal shedding.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Short to Medium, Dense undercoatFawn with Black Mask, Brindle, White, Pinto
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint malformation; less common than in other large breeds due to natural selection
Entropion
Mild
Eyelid rolling inward; can require surgical correction
Hypothyroidism
Mild
Underactive thyroid causing weight gain and coat issues
Where they come from
History
Ancient livestock guardian breed from the Anatolian Plateau of Turkey, developed over 6,000 years to protect flocks from wolves, bears, and thieves. Still used today for predator control programmes worldwide.
- Butch · Voiced by James Earl Jones
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