| Anatolian Shepherds: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Anatolian Shepherd Dog personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Anatolian Shepherd, including these excerpts:
"The rugged Anatolian Shepherd is not inclined to play fetch or Frisbee, nor should you expect animated responsiveness.
Developed strictly for utilitarian purposes, as a guardian of livestock, he appears serious and dignified, calm and quiet, unless challenged.
Livestock guardians bond with flock animals and their own family with fierce possessiveness. They make their own decisions about who is a friend and who is a foe, what is a threat and what is not, and they react to every situation as they see fit.
Potential owners who cannot understand and control these powerful instincts should look for another breed.
Anatolian Shepherds are dominant, self-reliant dogs who will try to manage everyone and everything unless you are an assertive leader who knows how to instill respect.
This breed requires a formal introduction to strangers before being touched by them, and he will remain vigilant every moment they are on his territory.
He is patient with his own children and with submissive family pets, but he should not be expected to welcome those outside the family.
Despite his bulk, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog is remarkably agile and reactive. He needs a spacious yard with a six-foot-high fence."
History
A native of Turkey, the Anatolian Shepherd has survived in weather extremes from mountain snow to desert heat for thousands of years, protecting the flocks.
Size
28-34 inches and 90-160 lbs |
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Anatolian Shepherds
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is very large and rugged, yet agile and athletic
- Will protect your horses, llamas, sheep, goats, and chickens
- Is steady and dependable, rather than playful
- Is serious with strangers, but not aggressive unless provoked
- Needs only moderate exercise
An Anatolian Shepherd Dog may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- A very large dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car
- Providing enough exercise to keep him satisfied
- Massive destructiveness when bored
- Suspiciousness toward strangers
- Aggression toward animals who don't belong to his family
- Providing six-foot fences and lots of supervision to prevent wandering
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Deep booming barks, especially at night when he hears a sound
- Heavy shedding
- Legal liabilities (increased chance of lawsuits)
An Anatolian Shepherd Dog may not be right for you.
| If I were considering an Anatolian Shepherd... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Anatolian Shepherds MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and do interesting things. Otherwise they will become rambunctious and bored -- which they usually express by barking and destructive chewing. Bored Anatolians are famous for chewing through drywall, ripping the stuffing out of sofas, and turning your yard into a moonscape of giant craters.
| Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are most satisfied when guarding livestock. You can substitute pulling a cart or sled, or advanced obedience, or tracking, or a similar canine activity, but if you simply want a pet for your family, I do not recommend this breed. Anatolians were never intended to be simply household pets. |
- Suspiciousness and over-protectiveness. Anatolian Shepherds need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they are likely to be suspicious of everyone, and with their power and determination, this can be exceedingly dangerous.
| If you have small children, I do not recommend an Anatolian Shepherd. Young Anatolian Shepherds (up to about three years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. In addition, Anatolian Shepherd Dogs may try to protect their own children from other children, which could lead to tragedy if kids are simply roughhousing and the Anatolian decides to stop it. With such a massive dog, I wouldn't take the risk. |
- Animal aggression. Most Anatolian Shepherds will treat the pets in their own family as members of their flock. However, they have strong instincts to drive away animals who do not belong to their family. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
| To keep your Anatolian Shepherd in, and to keep strangers and other animals out, fences should be high, with wire sunk into the ground along the fence line to thwart digging. Gates should have the highest quality locks. |
- The strong temperament. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Many Anatolians are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Heavy shedding. Anatolians shed a LOT. You'll find hair and fur all over your clothing, upholstery, carpeting, under your furniture, on your countertops -- even in your food. Frequent vacuuming will become a way of life. Make sure you're REALLY up for this.
- Noise. Unless you live on a farm or ranch away from close neighbors, Anatalian Shepherds should never be left outside in your yard, unsupervised. Their deep, booming barks will have your neighbors calling the cops to report the nuisance -- or perhaps letting your Anatolian out of his yard so he'll wander away.
- Legal liabilities. In this day and age, the legal liabilities of owning any giant breed that looks intimidating and has a history as a guard dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
| Frankly, most Anatolian Shepherds are "too much dog" for the average household. This is a serious working dog with tremendous strength. Very few people really have the knowledge, facilities, or skills necessary to manage this breed and provide the type of work that keeps him satisfied. |
| Not all Anatolian Shepherds are alike! |
- There are energetic Anatolians, and placid Anatolians.
- Hard-headed Anatolians, and sweet-natured Anatolians.
- Serious Anatolians, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Anatolians, and Anatolians who love everyone.
| If you acquire an Anatolian Shepherd puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Anatolian Shepherd... |
There are plenty of adult Anatolians who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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