Turkish Kangal herding dog breed - description, characteristics

Origin story

A worthy representative of the breed
Officially, the Kangal is a dog breed registered as recently as 1989. Yes, dog kangal was included in the FCI lists less than thirty years ago. But in fact, the variety has existed much longer.

According to some sources, the breed appeared several thousand years ago - even in ancient Babylon, bas-reliefs were created depicting these dogs.

Initially, they were exclusively hunting animals and coped well not only with herbivorous onagers, but also with lions, rushing at dangerous predators in a whole pack. But over time, the Turkish Kangal Shepherd changed its focus and became a constant companion of many shepherds.

True, unlike collies and other dogs that help the owner drive sheep in the right direction or gather them into one flock, the Kangal had only one function - protective.
Indeed, the Turkish wolfhound, thanks to its size, strength and fearlessness, could easily resist the gray predator. For reference! The official name under which the breed is included in the FCI register is Anatolian Shepherd.

History of the breed

A stable description of the breed emerged in the Middle Ages, but official recognition took place in the 19th century.
The breed was developed by crossing Hungarian and Old German Shepherds, but features of the Croatian Shepherd and the German Schafpoodle can be found. The difficult times of World War II destroyed the breed, and to restore it, they added the Belgian Shepherd, Pumi and Collie dogs. The standard was approved in 1966, since then Mudi dogs have become popular not only in Hungary, but also far beyond its borders. Moody's ancestors did not progress in their development thanks to any standards, but improved as the best assistants to shepherds who needed cheerful company and good help.

The year 2000 was marked as the year of the final formation of the Mudi standard, which is still used today.

Description and characteristics of the breed

Like all herding dogs, the Kangal dog has a sharp mind. This allows her to quickly master many commands and carry them out with pleasure.

In addition, it is worth noting that the Turkish galangal is a dog with a very pronounced sense of responsibility towards the owner’s things. No stranger will be able to touch him with impunity, which makes the breed an excellent guard and watchman.

The dog will react to any attempt to steal something with a bite - perhaps even without a warning growl.

Description

Hungarian Cattle Dogs are small and proportionally built animals, distinguished by an interesting curly coat, short on the head and paws and medium length on the body and tail. Various colors are recognized as standard: brown, black, marbled, ash. Small white markings on the chest are allowed, but are not desirable. An abundance of white spots is considered a defect, and dogs with this color are removed from breeding.

The Mudi has a wedge-shaped head and a slightly elongated muzzle. The eyes are almond-shaped, obliquely set, dark in color with black rims. The ears are triangular and set high. The physique of these dogs is strong and quite compact, the back smoothly slopes from the withers to the croup. The tail is set high, any length is allowed.

Breed standard

You can’t call him small.
In Turkey itself, they don’t pay much attention to breed standards, often allowing the Kangal to cross with other similar Turkish dog breeds - Karabash and Akbash. Therefore, standards may vary significantly.

But in Russia, as throughout Europe, the characteristics are closely monitored.

Males are very large - height at the withers is from 74 to 81 cm with a weight of 50-65 kg. Bitches are much smaller - 70-79 cm and 40-55 kg, respectively.

For reference! Some experts believe that the Turkmen Alabai and the Turkish Kangal are quite close relatives.

Variety according to wool

In Turkey, there are both short-haired and long-haired Kangals. However, according to the FCI standard, the coat must be dense, short, and close to the body. The color range is not too rich and includes the following colors:

• brown-yellow,
• taupe,
• grey-yellow.

But, regardless of color, the muzzle and ears must be black. The presence of white spots is allowed by some federations and excluded by others.

Breed traits

Breed traits (on a 5-point scale)

This breed is often compared to the following dog breeds: German Shepherd, Caucasian Shepherd, Australian Shepherd (Aussie), Akita Inu, Cane Corso.

The photo shows what Anatolian Shepherds look like:

Pros and cons of the breed

Of course, the Turkish Kangal is an interesting and even exotic dog.

Note! Before getting such a pet, it would be a good idea to carefully study the characteristics of the breed, and first of all, its strengths and weaknesses.

The main advantages are considered to be:

• endurance,
• fearlessness,
• strong immunity,
• serious appearance
• balanced, calm character.

But at the same time, the Kangal is a breed that has certain disadvantages, for example:

• high cost of a purebred dog,
• difficulty of training,
• expensive maintenance (the dog eats a lot),
• not suitable for apartments.

Therefore, before getting this pet, you should think carefully about everything, weigh the strengths and weaknesses, so as not to later regret a bad decision.

What are they intended for and character

As mentioned above, the main purpose of the breed is to fight predators like wolves. Of course, this is not relevant for most breeders today. But still, the Kangal may well become an excellent guard or watchman. And the relationship with children is quite smooth and calm.

Attitude towards strangers

The Kongal frankly does not like strangers. In every stranger he sees a potential enemy who wants to harm the owner or his property.

This makes him, on the one hand, an excellent watchman and security guard, and on the other hand, it significantly complicates the difficulty of care. During a walk or when visiting guests, you need to watch your pet very carefully.

The dog is good with children

Who is the breed not suitable for?

People living in apartments should immediately abandon the idea of ​​getting such a puppy. Yes, due to its large size and the need for physical activity, the Kangal simply cannot live normally in cramped housing - it needs space. Even a large enclosure will do, but it is better to let it out into the area, giving it freedom to patrol.

Also, people who do not feel confident in themselves should not get a pet - it is definitely not suitable for beginners. If a person, coming home from work, takes out a bad mood on a dog, the dog may well respond with aggression. Only a strong, self-confident and determined person can become a worthy leader and authority for a dog.

For reference! The most popular breed is in the Turkish city of Sivas, where, in fact, the city of Kangal is located, which gave the dog its name.

Personality of Anatolian Shepherds

The Anatolian Shepherd is a brave, determined dog with a stable psyche. He is friendly and obedient with family members. Shows wariness towards strangers, but without aggression. Kangals have strong innate guard qualities. The character of these dogs has the following features:

• equilibrium;
• courage;
• vigilance;
• independence;
• friendliness;
• devotion;
• stubbornness;
• self confidence;
• responsibility;
• performance;
• intelligence.

The breed was bred as a herding breed, so the Kangal needs someone to herd and protect. If he does not live on a farm and there is no herd, he will protect the owner’s family members and pets.

These dogs are serious and balanced. Even as a puppy, they are not very playful, although they need high physical activity. Their main quality is efficiency. They need to constantly do something: protect, guard, shepherd. Without work, this dog gets bored and may start acting out.

Features of training

The positive traits of the Kangal appear only under the guidance of a strong and balanced owner, who is capable of becoming a leader for the dog. For a beginner with a weak character, keeping such a large dog can be dangerous. He simply cannot cope with it, both physically and mentally, this can lead to serious problems. But with the right approach, the Kangal is easy to train.

This is a very smart, quick-witted dog. Although he does not always follow the owner’s commands. Guard instincts overcome the dog to act independently. If he considers the request useless, he will not comply with it. Therefore, it is very important to be able to overcome the stubbornness of this dog and gain authority from it. To achieve this, training begins at an early age.

Socialization of the puppy is also necessary. He needs to be introduced to cars, strangers, and other animals. Even when kept in a spacious area, it is recommended to walk your pet so that it gets new experiences. Dogs love to explore new territories. Walking is also a way to communicate with the owner and can be used for training.

The main condition for proper training is a respectful attitude. The owner must be an authority for the dog, a leader. He must be calm and confident. When raising such a dog, you need to be firm and consistent. But do not allow rudeness; physical punishment is excluded.

The video shows how to properly train a Kangal:

Video: First lesson with an Anatolian Shepherd named Roxy

Video: Progress this week with the Anatolian Shepherd named Roxy

Video: Training in Kangal

Training

Training for such a large dog is vital. After all, not every person will be able to subdue a dog weighing 65 kg simply by force. Therefore, training should begin at 2-3 months, and if possible, even earlier.

Despite the dog's keen intelligence, training is quite difficult - it may not be possible for a novice dog breeder. The fact is that the puppy constantly wants to play, and not carry out commands that in his opinion are meaningless.

In addition, this dog is a herding dog. And they often act at their own discretion, sometimes even ignoring the requirements of the owner. So, coping with the training will not be easy.

Health and life expectancy

Puppies look like bear cubs.
A shepherd dog, seasoned in battles with predators, not spoiled by special care, can boast of excellent immunity and health - they have been passed on even to distant descendants.

Therefore, infectious and colds rarely cause problems for your pet.

The main problems are joint dysplasia (alas, the lot of all large dogs) and diseases affecting the eyes.

Attention! A sufficient amount of calcium in a dog’s diet (cottage cheese, kefir) reduces the risk of developing joint dysplasia.

If you monitor your pet’s health, provide appropriate care and promptly contact a veterinarian, the dog can live on average 12-15 years, which is a very good indicator for large breeds.

How to organize proper pet care

In many ways, how happy the dog will be and how many years he can live depends on whether the owner provides him with suitable care. And for each breed there are certain nuances that are very important for the breeder to know about.

What and how to feed the Anatolian Shepherd

On cheap dry food, the kangal will not grow as big and strong as it could. And analogues from the premium segment will simply ruin the breeder - the dog eats a lot. Therefore, it is best to opt for homemade food.

Of course, the basis should be animal proteins. Lean meat, fish (only sea fish and without large bones) and offal are good options.

Carbohydrates are also important - it is best to prepare a tasty porridge mixed with chopped meat. Buckwheat, millet, and rice are suitable here.

Finally, we must not forget about the vitamins that vegetables such as carrots and pumpkin are rich in. It is advisable to give them raw, thoroughly crushed and mixed with main dishes.

Attention! With little mobility, the dog quickly gains excess weight, so you need to feed your pet in moderation.

Walk

The dog should walk a lot and often. Therefore, as mentioned above, it is better not to keep it in apartments at all. Of course, it will be better if she has the opportunity to run around the entire area around the owners’ house. If the kangal lives in an enclosure, then you need to let it out at least twice a day for at least 40-60 minutes. Then the pet will run around to its heart's content, burn off extra calories and sleep better, feel better and get sick less often.

Hygiene

Short hair needs to be brushed at least once every week or two, and more often during shedding. It is better not to use a regular brush; a special glove that effectively collects loose hair will do. If this is not done, the dog will itch all the time and will not feel very comfortable.

There is no need to trim your nails - they already wear off just fine with regular jogging.

But you need to pay attention to your ears - it is advisable to clean them every week. Moreover, the procedure does not take much time and effort. Armed with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide, you need to carefully clean the ear from wax and any other contaminants.

Finally, the teeth. If you give your pet a stick, a bone or a suitable toy, then you don’t have to think about this aspect of hygiene - the dog will brush his teeth just fine. Otherwise, a couple of times a month you will have to arm yourself with a brush and clean it. Otherwise, the dog will lose his teeth, and this will affect his well-being and longevity.

Loving mother with children

Mating

Like most large dogs, the Kangal matures rather slowly. Therefore, it is advisable to allow males who are at least one and a half years old to be mated, and females who are 2 years old and older. Otherwise, childbirth may harm the bitch, and the health of the puppies may suffer.

For reference! Further mating can be carried out every year and a half up to 7-8 years.

Price

The average price of kangal can vary significantly - the range is from 20 to 80 thousand rubles. Of course, if a breeder wants to get a loyal and strong dog, then he can save money.

If the dog is needed for prestigious exhibitions, as well as mating (for males) and the birth of elite puppies (for females), you will have to fork out the cash and purchase a puppy from elite parents.

Of course, the Kangal can become exactly the dog that the breeder has dreamed of all his life. But only if you manage to provide him with a happy life and train him correctly. So, before getting such a dog, you need to think carefully and weigh everything.

How to buy a Turkish Kangal puppy

In our country, this dog is rare; to buy a purebred Kangal puppy, you need to find a specialized nursery. There are few of them, most are located in Moscow and the Moscow region. That’s why they are expensive – 40-80 thousand rubles. It is important to pay attention to the living conditions of the animals, documents from the parents, and certificates from the veterinarian. All animals must be vaccinated.

Anatolian Shepherd puppies are sold at 2-2.5 months. At this age, the main breed characteristics appear: body type, color, bite, paw and tail placement. The puppy must be healthy and moderately active. He should not show cowardice or aggression.

The photo shows what the puppies look like:

The video complements the characteristics of Turkish Kangals:

Video: Anatolian Shepherd Dog (Karabash). Breed characteristics, care

Video: Kangal - the strongest dog in the world

Video: Kangal - review of the most “survival” dog)))

The Kangal dog is not for apartment living. This is a vigilant and brave guard, a large, hardy dog. He is efficient, hardy, and always ready to protect his owner. But without proper upbringing it can become dangerous.