What Color is an Akbash Dog?

The Akbash dog (pronounced Ah-k-bah-sh) is also called the Turkish Akbash, the Akbas or Coban Kopengi. But whatever you call it, it only has one recognized color. What color is an Akbash dog? White in order to make it resemble the livestock that it was bred to protect. White dogs could blend in with the flocks they protected. Akbash is Turkish for "white head."

Livestock Guardian

The Akbash breed is thought to be about 3,000 years old. It was large enough to successfully fight off predators to the herds and flocks it guards. Akbash are even known to attack people trying to steal sheep. But, although wary of strangers and strange dogs, the Akbash is gentle towards its herd and its owner.

Sheep, goats and other livestock are naturally wary of wolves, jackals or any other wolf-like canine. Having a guardian dog that in any way resembled a wolf would upset the sheep. But sheep would accept white dogs with floppy ears, perhaps because they did not resemble wolves. Sometimes the white resembles cream or ivory more than a pure snow-white, but the sheep do not seem to mind.

Over the centuries, other colors were bred out of the Akbash, although the United Kennel Club points out that occasionally some spots of black or brown may appear on a purebred Akbash. However, since these dogs do not conform to the breed standard, they are disqualified from the show ring and are usually not bred.

Are They Albinos?

Albinos crop up in all dog breeds and mongrels, including the Akbash dog. It also occurs in people. However, albinos are also disqualified from the show ring and usually are not bred. Albinos tend to have more health problems than white dogs. Albinos have no pigmentation at all in their bodies while white dogs do.

Albinos also have pink or red eyes while the Akbash has brown eyes. The Akbash can sometimes have blue eyes but these are discouraged, according to the United Kennel Club. The Akbash breed standard also discourages dogs with pink noses, even though multi-colored noses and all-pink noses do pop up in the breed. The all black nose is preferred. But the inside of the ears may be pink.

Coat Types and Effects on Color

Although the Akbash only has one color, it does have two coat types, medium and long. The long-type coat makes it resemble a Great Pyrenees. The longer coat may not be pure white. In its longest places around the neck, tail and lower legs, it may appear as a light biscuit tan, which is allowed.

Skin underneath the white coat may appear spotted, but these spots colorations are not to extend into the hair shafts. Show dogs and breeding dogs need to be all white, even if they are not pure white but have tan patches or are creamy-white.

What is the color of an Akbash dog? Always say white, even if the dog appears to have tan patches or seems more aged ivory than white. The white of the dog show world is not exactly like a white crayon.

Sources

"The Howell Book of Dogs." Liz Palika. Howell Book House; 2007.

United Kennel Club. "Akbash Dog Breed Standard." http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/AkbashDog

Dog Breed Info. "Akbash Dog." www.dogbreedinfo.com/a/akbashdog.htm