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Anatolian Shepherd Dog Puppies for Sale
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
(Coban Kopegi) (Karabas) (Perro de pastor de Anatolia) (Anatolischer
Hirtenhund) (Chien de berger d'Anatolie)
Male Anatolian, Woodyacres Cenk
Koda aka Koda at 18 months old. "Koda was a lot of work as a pup,
intensive socializing, firm but loving discipline, and so much time invested
bonding. But it was worth every moment. Koda is a wonderful companion. He
passed his Canine Good Citizen and is now training for therapy dog
certification at the relatively young age of 18 months. And he makes me
laugh every day."
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Description |
The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a large, noble and powerful livestock guardian. He is very similar
to the Great Pyrenees and the Kuvasz, but is more slender and agile. Capable of
great speed and endurance. The head is large, but in good proportion with the
rest of the body. The rectangular muzzle should be a bit shorter than the skull,
with a blunt profile and is often black. The skull is wide and slightly rounded,
with a slight stop. The lips are edged in black and hang down slightly, however
the upper lip should not hang down lower than the bottom jaw's lower edge. The
teeth should meet in a scissors bite. The triangular, pendant ears are often
black and rather small with rounded tips. In Turkey, the ears are often cropped
very short. The small, deep-set eyes range from gold to brown in color. Liver
colored dogs have brown eye rims and a brown nose. Nose and eye rims for all
other dogs should be black. The thick, muscular neck has a slight dewlap. The topline is mainly level; though slightly rounded at the loin. The chest reaches
to the elbows. The back is short relative to leg length. The front legs are
straight and set well apart. When the dog is alert, the high-set tail is carried
curled over the back; otherwise, it hangs low with a slightly upward curl
reaching the hocks. The short or rough double coat is generally fawn with a
black mask, though any color is acceptable. Other frequently seen colors include
pinto, white and brindle. The outer coat is smooth and the length may vary
greatly depending on the season and the dog's lineage - it is longer around the
collar and tail. There are two basic coat types: medium length and medium long. |
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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. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: Dogs 28-30 inches (71-76
cm.) Bitches 26-28 inches (66-71 cm.)
Weight: Dogs 100-150 pounds (45-68 kg.) Bitches 90-130 pounds (41-59 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Some are prone to eyelid entropion or to
hypothyroidism. Hip dysplasia does occur, but is not as common as some other
large breeds. They are sensitive to anesthesia. The Anatolian Shepherd's
immunity often takes longer to develop than with many other breeds and therefore
young Anatolians should be given extra vaccinations against parvo-virus. |
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Living Conditions |
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. |
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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. |
Life Expectancy |
About 12-15 years |
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Litter Size |
5 - 10 puppies |
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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. |
| 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. |
Group |
Flock Guard |
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Recognition |
FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, NKC, SKC, NZKC, CKC, APRI,
ACR
Currently, there are over 3000 Anatolian Shepherds registered in the United
States. Anatolians can be registered with the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of
America and Anatolian Shepherd International. |
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FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
Male
Anatolian, Woodyacres Cenk Koda aka Koda at 18 months old
"Koda is standing behind the couch in this photo. He's a little over 30
inches tall at the shoulders and weighs 130 pounds."
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Photo Courtesy of Alaturka Anatolians
Photo Courtesy of Alaturka Anatolians
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Adult Anatolian Shepherd
Adult Anatolian Shepherd
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