History
Descended from Molossians of Asian origin, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog’s roots can be traced to the high plateaus and mountains of Turkey. This breed was used to guard sheep and protect them from predators, such as wolves.
Description
Large, upstanding, tall, powerfully built, livestock guarding dog with broad strong head and dense double coat.
Grooming and Physical Needs
- Grooming Needs: Brushing once a week ideal but not necessary. They will shed heavily during the moulting seasons but do not mat.
- Coat Type: Short or mid-length, dense, with thick undercoat. Great variations in length according to climate.
- Moulting: Constant light shedding, heavy moult twice a year.
- Exercise Needs: Rather sedentary when mature, but benefit from a daily walk if not given the room to self-exercise. Rigorous exercise should be avoided in growing pups.
- Average Life Span: 12 to 13 years or longer.
Behaviour
- Family: Makes a wonderful family companion when integrated correctly, great with children.
- Temperament: Steady and bold without aggression, naturally independent, very intelligent and tractable. Proud and confident. Loyal and affectionate to owners, but wary of strangers when on duty.
- Trainability: Very intelligent and strong willed dogs. They have been bred to use their initiative, and are therefore not candidates to be reliably obedient; preferring to make their own choices. They require a firm, consistent approach to training.
- Sociability (Other Pets): Fine within their own home when integrated correctly, generally once mature are not strange dog social.
- Barking: Varying.
Talents
Originally used as a guard dog for livestock, capable of enduring extremes of heat and cold and capable of great speed.
Notes
Not all temperaments within the breed make suitable working and/or suburban dogs.