Anatolian Shepherd Dog - breed description and character of a dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a rather old breed, derived from the ancient hunting and cattle dogs of Mesopotamia. Subsequently, this breed has changed its territorial location. The main task of the Anatolian Shepherd ancestors was to protect the sheep from the attacks of predators. It is worth noting that this breed existed more than 6 thousand years ago. Over time, the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs underwent numerous changes, which allowed them to have outstanding qualities and meet the requirements of modern realities.

The greatest impact on the formation of the nature and characteristics of the behavior of this breed had an unusual climate: a very cold winter and at the same time a dry and hot summer, as well as a semi-nomadic way of life and responsibilities in the form of constant protection of herds.In ancient times, these dogs were used to drive herds from one locality to another.

Anatolian Shepherd Dog: breed standard

It is worth noting that these dogs are an impressive sight. This is not surprising, because their shepherd roots take from the Middle Eastern mastiffs, which are famous for their large size. The males of the Anatolian Shepherd at the withers grow to 79 centimeters and weigh 68 kilograms. The females are slightly smaller, the maximum height at the withers is 76 centimeters, and the weight is 59 kilograms. Such shepherds are very powerful animals, however, despite their external heaviness and boldness, they are rather calm and confident.

Dogs of this breed can be recognized by the following appearance description:

1. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs have a large and fairly wide head. Between the ears it has a flat shape, between the eyes an unexpressed groove. In a healthy animal, the skull is proportional to the body.
2. The muzzle of the animal has a shape close to the square. Jaw with strong teeth, bite scissors. The lips are usually black.
3. The nose is mostly dark in color: black or dark brown, pronounced.
4. The eyes of the animal are not too large, on such a large face look even small. However, such a keen glance gives the impression of an attentive and responsible guard. The shape of the eyes is almond-shaped, the color is deep brown or amber. The eyes, as a rule, are deeply set and widely spaced.
5. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs have triangular drooping ears that fall on the face in front of it. The length of the ears of an animal is average.
6. The neck of the dog has a somewhat arched shape, very powerful and weighty.
7. Shepherd hull is proportional, has a slightly square shape. Animals have a taut abdomen and deep chest. Also, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog has a strong muscular back.
8. The tail of the representatives of this breed is long and high, however, it is most often rolled into a ring.
9. The front legs of shepherd dogs are straight and steady. The hind legs are also well developed and have great strength.
10. The paws of the representatives of the breed are oval. They have strong claws and curved, steady fingers.
11. Wool Anatolian Shepherd Dogs can be of various lengths. There are representatives of the breed with short hair from 2.5 centimeters, and there are also long-haired animals with hair up to 10.5 cm. Shepherd's hair is straight and not curled, there is a good undercoat.
12. Color in animals of this breed can be varied. However, the most preferred options are solid solid color with a tan or fawn in the presence of a dark mask and ears.

Nature of anatolian shepherd

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs were bred without any special human involvement in this process. Initially, they were created specifically for the protection of large flocks of sheep and other domestic animals. These dogs were not brought up by man, they had to make the right decisions on their own. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are exclusively shepherd’s breed, and therefore these animals spend almost all their time with the herd protected by them. The dogs are very brave and ready to protect their wards from any threats.

In behavior, representatives of this breed can periodically be very stubborn and unwilling to obey the host. Such shepherds are very fast and smart, however, it is not always possible to make them execute commands. Despite their independence, as well as the desire for independence, the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are good guardians, as well as defenders of their own home,hosts and animals living nearby.

Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a breed that developed as a working one. Such animals are not suitable for the role of a partner or pet. Due to the fact that representatives of shepherd dogs are very serious about their duties, it is quite difficult to cope with them in normal communication. It should be understood that the Anatolian Shepherd has a natural instinct to dominate, making it very difficult to control them. For this reason, it is highly recommended not to get dogs of this breed to people who have not previously had experience with dogs and their upbringing, since the animal can simply get out of control.

Representatives of this breed are ferocious, large and extremely hardy animals. They will definitely try to pull the blanket over themselves and take responsibility for the order in the house, especially if there is no strong leader in it. Owners of the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs must understand the order inside the pack, otherwise they risk remaining on the secondary line and handing over the leadership to a strong dog. Such animals need a very strong and confident owner who can take responsibility for the pet and raise it properly.

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs can become very real family members, they rarely show aggression towards the household, as well as neighbors. As for alien people and animals, here the dog may exhibit aggressive behavior. It is worth noting that the representatives of this breed accurately determine who can be a danger to the household and who is not. If you engage in the upbringing and training of dogs from an early age, you can teach the animal not to react aggressively, but to treat all visitors equally.

About the Anatolian Shepherd can not be said that they are very friendly and the more shy. These dogs are very restrained by nature, and therefore are not very fond of when disturbed. In order for an animal to respond normally to exposure from the outside, especially from households, it is necessary to inculcate tolerance from an early age.

If for some reason a representative of the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs considers a stranger, be it a person or an animal, to be a threat to himself or his wards, he will behave very confidently and defiantly towards them. However, representatives of this breed never attack just like that, but only when there is a real threat.

Socialization and attitude towards children

When interacting with children in the family, shepherds tend to be quite friendly and are in close contact with the kids. However, children should not be left without attention alone with the animal, especially if there are also other children playing nearby. A dog can easily perceive other people's children as a threat.

The peculiarity of the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs is the presence of a strong family attraction, which forms in the animal affection for family members and other animals living together in the household. If there are other dogs in the house, the shepherd is unlikely to share his guard duties with them. In addition, the dogs of the Anatolian Shepherd will try to take over other animals and become their leader. Representatives of the breed may perceive the protective functions in the family solely as their own, without taking into account other watchdogs.

Guarding qualities

For Anatolian shepherds, patrolling of the protected area is typical. Dogs of this breed can often be seen lying in the yard in a calm state.However, you need to know that at this time the dog watches over the territory entrusted to him and determines the potential danger.

If any visitor enters the courtyard, it can be recognized by the loud barking of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog. The animal will stand in the way of a stranger and will not miss it to the entrance. With his barking, the dog makes a kind of warning for the stranger, and then he will observe his behavior. Guests must be accompanied to the house, otherwise the dog may not miss it and even attack.

What is the health of anatolian shepherd dogs?

The main problem of the health of the Anatolian Shepherd is traditionally considered to be a low level of development of the immune system. The fact is that in this breed the immunity begins to develop somewhat later than in many other animals of the canine family.This problem can be solved at an early age with the help of special injections.

Note! Sheepdogs are very sensitive to anesthesia, so before its introduction it is very important to test its effects on the animal.

The most likely pathologies in Anatolian shepherd dogs can be:

• skin diseases;
• hypothyroidism;
• spinal dispersion;
• entropion century.

How to care for the Anatolian shepherd?

In order for the animal to be healthy, strong and well-groomed, attention should be paid on the following fronts:

1. The coat of this dog has an average length. As a rule, when changing the undercoat, shepherd dogs begin to fade, so at this time you should not forget about cleaning, it is best to hold it once a week. Dogs of this breed do not have a strong odor, and therefore they can be bought quite rarely, just a few times a year is enough.
2. Teeth should also pay attention. It is necessary to teach an animal to brush teeth from an early age. For this procedure, you need to buy a special brush with silicone bristles, so as not to injure the dog's oral cavity, as well as a special paste that will attract the animal. Brushing your dog's teeth is enough once a week.
3. The dog's ears must be constantly cleaned so that dirt and parasites do not accumulate in them.
4. The eyes also need to be regularly checked and cleaned, especially when the animal returns from pasture.
5. When the claws grow above the norm, they must be cut off.
6. To feed the representatives of this shepherd's breed with natural feed is best. If you want to choose a dry food, you should first consult with a veterinarian.

Despite the fact that in most cases animals of this breed have freedom and move freely over the territory entrusted to them, it is nevertheless necessary to allocate special time for periodic walks.

Video: Anatolian Shepherd Dog Breed