Anatolian Shepherd: A Rare and Wonderful Dog Breed

I love rare dog breeds. I like to have an animal that others have never heard of. Seven years ago, I was looking for just that - something different. I was looking through the dog classifieds when I saw an ad for an Anatolian Shepherd. I'd never heard of it, so I did some research on it. I liked how it sounded, talked it over with my family and decided we'd take a look. Well, one look and I was hooked. She was gorgeous! Here we are seven, almost eight years later, still as happy, if not happier than the day we brought her home. Now, Anatolians are not the rarest of breeds, but there are still a lot of people that don't know about them. I'm always happy to talk about my dog, so I educate as many people as I can about Anatolians.

One of the more important things to know about Anatolians is this: they are NOT playful puppies. We brought Honey home when she was eight weeks old. We had a kennel for her to stay in - which she did. Even with the kennel door open, she preferred to stay in it. She was always very watchful and attentive, but never playful. This is probably one of the most unusual characteristics of the Anatolian. The longer she was with us, the more loveable she became, but it was a slow process. My children were a little disappointed that she wasn't playful, but my husband and I appreciated that fact. She never chewed or destroyed anything as a puppy. Honestly, that's how calm she was.

This is a working breed, not a herding breed. They are for protection and the breed is very serious about it. The family is seen as "the flock". It will also protect other animals in the household. As Honey has grown, her protection has become more fierce. We didn't do any formal training to make her an excellent guard dog. It's an instinct that has been bred into her.

The breed originates from Turkey. This is a country of nomadic people. Most of them have sheep. The Anatolian has been used there for centuries to guard, not herd, the sheep. It was kind of a trade the dogs made long ago with the people. The breed protects as long as the people feed them. Though the Anatolian can be left alone in the mountains with the flock for several months and manage to find food on it's own. The dog is very loyal and will not desert it's post.

For the most part, it is a very calm dog. This way, it doesn't frighten the livestock. They only bark when there is an intruder. It will give a warning bark first, hackles up. If the intruder leaves, then the dog settles down. But if the intruder continues toward the flock, or family, and seems to be a threat, the barking gets louder and more threatening. To sheep, this bark also tells them to get closer together, making it easier to protect them. If the dog feels it's necessary, it will attack. It has a bite that is very controlled, so if the intruder acts like it will leave, the dog will release it and let it escape. But, if the intruder continues to be a serious threat, the dog is more than capable of killing it.

One of the most fascinating facts about Anatolians is how agile they are. Wolves and coyotes tend to be a real threat to sheep, so agility is very important in a guardian. The dog's body is just a little bit longer than it's height, so it is capable of moving very quickly. As they run, they can jump into the air, mid-stride, turn around and land in front or on top of the intruder. This of course will startle the wolf or whatever animal it may be, but also traps them. Once the intruder is pinned down, the dog will do whatever is necessary to eliminate the threat. As gentle as an Anatolian can be with its charges, it can be equally as deadly with intruders. That is just how loyal and dedicated this dog is.

This is a characteristic of the breed that we had to carefully contemplate. It has indeed been a challenge. They are a very independent and stubborn breed, so letting the dog know early on who the "alpha" is is extremely important. My husband is our "alpha". All he has to do is look at Honey and she becomes submissive. By this, I mean, she lays her ears back, bows her head and tucks her tail. She follows his commands to perfection. When we are eating, for example, she is not allowed into the dining room. We don't lock her up or shut doors. My husband simply tells her to go to bed, and she does, staying there until we either call her in for scraps or we're finished.

One of our biggest problems with Honey has been strangers. If someone new comes into the house, she gets agitated. This is normal with the breed to be reserved, though. We must slowly introduce new people to her. One of the best methods I've found is to take her out to the driveway when they pull up and introduce them out there. It seems she's more accepting to strangers that way. We've also discovered, though, that if the person is frightened of her, she senses it and taunts them by barking, growling or snapping at them. In these cases, we must put her either outside or in her kennel. We can't force her to accept new people. Our daughter and son have many friends who will not come into the house unless Honey is out back. Yet others have warmed up to her and she to them and they have become great friends. Our family has never had any trouble with her accepting them. I think she senses it in some way.

Something else I've noticed with Honey, is how accepting she is to people with disabilities. We've had deaf friends and mentally challenged friends over and she's very gentle with them. Not once has she shown any aggression towards them. Just total acceptance. (Too bad people can't have that trait.)

Pacing is common with the breed, also. It is in her blood to guard; she seems to have an internal clock telling her when to patrol. If she's inside, she'll walk from one end of the house to the other, checking each room. If she finds everything to be okay, she'll lay down for a while. She doesn't sleep very deeply, either. Any unusual noise or movement and she's up, checking it out. When she's outside, she trots along our fence. If someone or something is too close, she'll bark her warning. Most of the time, she just wags her tail, though. She knows what is normal activity in our neighborhood. She will even check on our neighbor's puppies. She really enjoys watching over them and nosing them through the fence. Our neighbor has a habit of tossing her treats, so she feels her job is to protect them, too.

If an Anatolian is allowed to roam, she'll expand her territory. She'd protect the entire neighborhood if we'd let her. I don't think all of our neighbors would appreciate that, though.

The breed can be an inside or an outside dog. One thing about Honey that I've noticed, is if she's outside, she won't sleep. She tends to work more and harder when she's outside. Once inside, she'll sleep pretty well for a while. They are an adaptable dog, though, so if left outside in the cold, they are fine. Their coats can be very thick with an undercoat for cold climates or thin for warmer climates.

Food has not been a problem with an Anatolian. Since she is a large dog; they grow to be 27-29 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 110 to 150 pounds, people might think they eat a lot. This has not been true with Honey. This breed tends to be conservative eaters. Honey eats about 1 to 2 cups of high protein dog food a day. I supplement with dog treats, too. This gives her the extra vitamins and minerals her body needs. She does drink a lot of water, though. We have a five gallon water bottle that needs to be filled almost daily. We do have other pets drinking from it, but it mostly goes to Honey. She'll stand and drink for what seems like five minutes at a time.

Shedding can get out of control during spring and fall. But with daily brushing, it can decrease. The vitamins can help with that also.

For people that like large breeds, Anatolians offer a longer than normal life expectancy: 10 to 15 years. But the breed does have some health concerns. Hip dysplasia is the most serious one. This is something that I worry about with Honey. She has popped her hip out of place twice in the past year. Each time we had to quickly get her to the vet so he could get it back in. He has not diagnosed her with the disease, but he does monitor her for it. We didn't have any health concerns with her until she had an accident. One morning in early spring two years ago, Honey fell into our pool. She was in for almost an hour before she was found. Luckily, it wasn't completely full yet, but unluckily, it was very cold. My mother and daughter were her rescuers. When they got her out, she was so cold that she couldn't move. They rubbed her and put a hairdryer on her and she finally regained movement. The vet checked her out to make sure she was okay. But it's been since then that she's had hip problems. We deal with it as it comes, though.

I hope that I've taught you about this special breed. There are about 4,700 registered Anatolians in the United States. If you choose to own one, you'll definitely have an unusual breed. Keep in mind that they are a challenge, but a very rewarding one. Honey is part of our family and will be for a long time. We love her and she clearly loves us back. It's an ongoing relationship that grows stronger each day. As I write this, she's under my feet snoozing away. I know in my heart that we chose a breed that's best for us while she has a home best for her. That's all a dog lover can ask for: seeing her happy and content, doing her job.

Resources:

www.angelfire.com/oz/asdca/facts.html

www.anatolianshepherd.com