| |||||||||||||
| Additional Information: The Anatolian Shepherd dog is a noble, large powerful mastiff type dog, which belongs to the pastoral group. The dog has a short dense coat and distinctive facial markings, the coat is relatively easy to look after and only needs brushing once a week but they do shed very heavily in moulting seasons. The Anatolian Shepherd is an ancient breed that used to hunt lions and horses, they are now used for guarding flocks of sheep and goats in Turkey. This is a very loyal dog and is affectionate with his family but is also possessive. They are natural guard dogs and suspicious of strangers so early socialisation is essential. This breed is good with children but supervision is required because of their size. Anatolian Shepherd’s can be aggressive to other dogs of the same sex when they are living together in the same household. They also tend to bark at night and do like to dig. Training should be undertaken with patience, although this breed is intelligent they are also dominant and stubborn and training should be started as soon as possible in a consistent, motivational and loving way. They are slow to mature and can be 4 years old before they are fully mature. This is not a breed for novice owners. This dog is very active and requires at least 2 hours of exercise per day. They need a large, enclosed and safe area for running around off lead. Generally they have no major health problems but before buying a puppy owners should insist on screening for temperament and physical traits, including hips and eyes. Average lifespan is 9-15 years | |||||||||||||
Back to previous page | |||||||||||||