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Anatolian
Shepherd Dog
Anatolian
Shepherd Dog
The Anatolian Shepherd dog is
known for their large, strong frame and their courage.
Steady and bold but never aggressive, the Anatolian
Shepherd dog should be loyal, independent and hardy. The
Anatolian Shepherd dog has a large head that is evident
from puppy hood; broad muzzle; dark nose; and almond
shaped, brown eyes. Anatolian Shepherd dogs at one time
were used to hunt wolves but today in the United States
they are used as hunters, sheepdogs, and in the
military. Similar in looks to the Great Pyrenees, the
Anatolian Shepherd has tighter frame and are more agile.
The Anatolian Shepherd dog are large dogs, reaching up
to 30 inches. They come in colors of solid cream to fawn
and often have a black mask and ears. The Anatolian
Shepherd dog have medium sized drop ears, a furry
rectangular body and almond shaped eyes. The Anatolian
Shepherd is keen on protection and guarding, and acts as
if that is their main job. The Anatolian Shepherd dog
are intelligent and easygoing, yet very stern about
their job. The Anatolian Shepherd dog are rather
protective and thus do not usually like strangers. The
Anatolian Shepherd is a big guard in which owners
stress, "This is not a gentle giant."
Anatolian Shepherds are laid back, easygoing,
intelligent, reliable, and very serious when it comes to
guard duty. The Anatolian Shepherd dog and puppies are
very devoted to family and suspicious of strangers. The
Anatolian is territorial and reserved, but affectionate
with friends and family. The Anatolian Shepherd dog are
independent, watchful and calm. The Anatolian is always
on alert. Loyal and trainable, training should start
from puppy hood. The Anatolian Shepherd dog does not
like small spaces to live in. They have a natural
affinity for keeping themselves clean. The Anatolian
Shepherd dog are gentle and playful with children and
family. The Anatolian Shepherd dog breed is not a
"gentle giant", and they should be properly introduced
to any kind of stranger. An owner should post a sign for
delivery people to not enter an Anatolian dogs space.
The Anatolian Shepherd dog are very loving toward their
families children, but other children should be properly
introduced. Pups should be taught to socialize early on.
They should be supervised with children. The do well
with other pets providing the are raised with them since
puppy hood.
The Anatolian Shepherd is an ancient guardian breed that
probably descended from Roman war dogs and came to
Turkey more then 4,000 years ago. They have existed on
the plateaus of Turkey across from Afghanistan for
years. At first they were used as hunters for big game,
being lions and horses even. In Turkey they proved to be
amazing defenders of livestock against even the toughest
of foes, such as wolves and bears. They were used
primarily as sheep and livestock guards after this. The
Anatolian Shepherd accompanied the nomadic shepherds and
became widespread over a large geographical region,
accounting for the Anatolian's great variation in size,
coat type, and color. Some believe there are different
types within the species and assign them names based on
their region. The Anatolian would always find a high
patch of ground to keep watch from, then strike when
they saw a threat. This breed was at first believed to
receive a spiked collar after they had killed a wolf,
but in fact, the spiked collars were used for
protection. One owner remarked that they simply got the
spiked collar for their dog, and instantly all other
dogs did not dare go near his dog. Respect was shown for
the spiked-collared Anatolian. They were not brought to
America until the 1950s and were not accepted into the
AKC Miscellaneous Class until 1996. Soon afterward they
became members of the Working Group.
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