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Minding the Fortes
Several
writers have reported that "since Babylonian times" large,
mastiff-like dogs have guarded flocks for the shepherds who
wrest a living from the Anatolian plateau. These powerful
and swift dogs -- who also excelled at waging war and running
down lions and horses -- were, presumably, the Anatolian shepherd's
ancestors. "Since Babylonian times," unfortunately, does little
to pinpoint (or even bluntpoint) the age of the breed. The
Babylonian civilization endured from the 18th to the sixth
centuries B.C. We can assume, however, on the evidence provided
by Assyrian bas-reliefs in the British Museum in London, that
the Anatolian shepherd has existed since roughly 1000 B.C.
at least. To speculate further is to risk robbing zeros of
their meaning.
In spite
of the Anatolians' designation as shepherd dogs, their forte
is guarding, not herding, flocks. Yet this is not a one-forte
pony. Turkish women working in the fields sometimes fasten
one end of a rope around their young children's waists and
the other end to an Anatolian's collar. The women then go
about their chores, assured of the safety of their children.
Anatolians
are capable of functioning in 100-degree-plus or 0-degree-minus
weather. They survive when water is scarce in summer, when
the snow drifts higher than their heads in winter, and when
scavenging is their meal ticket the year round. Anatolians
also carry out their tasks with no need for folderol. Their
raison d'etre, in Turkey, is protecting their masters' flocks
against wolves, jackals and lions. Anatolians are not pampered,
nor can their owners generally afford to give them veterinary
care beyond that which is necessary to keep them healthy enough
for guard duty. In addition, the Anatolian prevails without
benefit of a breed name, much less records or pedigrees, in
its native land. There it is known by the generic designation
coban kopegi, which means "shepherd dog."
Do not
infer from the foregoing that Turks are not proud of their
dogs -- or above bragging about their exploits. Anatolians
have been credited, for example, with being able to recognize
the scent of each member of a 300-sheep flock. The breed was
also honored on a postage stamp issued by Turkey in 1978.
According
to an official at the Turkish Agriculture Ministry's Karacabey
state farm, the best Anatolians come from the central town
of Kangal, where wolf carcasses hang from poles as trophies,
and proud owners spend winter nights publicizing the feats
of their dogs. One dog from Kangal entered into legend 10
years ago after limping into an army camp 50 miles from home,
10 days after it had lit out, hot on the trail of a wolf,
which it finally killed. Anatolians kill wolves by running
into them to knock them off balance, then biting through their
throats. The dogs are protected from wolf bites by iron collars
studded with long spikes.
Color
and Conformation
The Anatolian
shepherd is a large, robust, 40-mile-an-hour-swift dog. Its
skull is large but in proportion to the body, which is well-balanced
and muscular, with a deep chest and a well-sprung rib cage.
The powerful, level back slopes downward at the croup. The
eyes are medium in size and set far apart. The triangular-shape
ears measure about four inches at the base and five inches
in length. The feet are strong and compact with well-arched
toes. The coat varies in texture from straight to slightly
wavy, and in length from short to the somewhat longer rough
coat.
The classic
color is fawn with a black mask, but the breed also comes
in pinto, white and brindle. Presently, Turkey forbids the
exportation of coban kopegi. "But because there's no
standard," said U.S. Anatolian owner Neal Duncan, "Turkish
veterinarians have a difficult time identifying one. The trademark
seems to be a big fawn dog with a black facial mask. Anything
other than that has a chance of being exported."
Shipping
Out
The Anatolian
has made the progress that it has in the United States because
its fiercely protective instincts appealed to Lt. Robert C.
Ballard, USN, while he was stationed in Turkey from 1966 to
1968. The Ballard family's car had been ransacked during an
overnight stay in Turkey's capital, Ankara (current population
2,553,209). Lt. Ballard was determined not to let this happen
again. He had been impressed by the dogs he had seen guarding
flocks and homes as he drove along country roads in Turkey.
Although he didn't recognize what breed, if any, the dogs
were, he saw that they were definitely "of a kind," and they
made no bones about carrying out their sentinel duties.
Ballard
eventually acquired a three-month-old white puppy from a farmer.
Ballard named the puppy Zorba, which is Turkish for
"tyrant." Zorba, who had been born of semiwild parents, grew
to be such a loved and integral part of the Ballard family
that when they returned to the United States, they brought
a mate along for Zorba - a female they had named Peki, which
means "yes" or "OK" in Turkish.
Births
and Recognition
The Ballards
settled in El Cajon, California, where on August 16, 1970,
Zorba and Peki produced the first litter of Anatolian shepherds
born in the United States. Other Anatolians had come to this
country prior to the birth of the Ballard litter, but in most
cases they were dogs that had been sent by the Turkish government
to the United States Department of Agriculture for experimental
work as flock guardians.
Interest
in the Anatolian shepherd spread rapidly in this country,
and in the same year the Zorba-Peki litter was born, the Anatolian
Shepherd Dog Club of America (ASDCA) was formed in Alpine,
California. One goal of the ASDCA was to achieve breed recognition
from the American Kennel Club (AKC). That mission was accomplished
in 1996 when the Anatolian shepherd was accepted as the 143rd
breed recognized by the AKC, which admitted 1,678 Anatolians
to its stud book. Last year 184 Anatolians were registered
with the AKC, placing the breed 134th among AKC's 145 breeds
in terms of new registrations for the year. (The United Kennel
Club has recognized the Anatolian as a separate breed since
1991, but registration figures for the breed are not available
at this time.)
Health
and Maintenance
Like all
large dogs, Anatolians are susceptible to hip and elbow problems.
Responsible breeders have their dogs x-rayed and seek Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals (OFA) certification for all their breeding
stock before it is used for breeding. Therefore, the parents
of all puppies offered for sale by responsible breeders have
been OFA certified, and the breeders are happy to discuss
the meaning of their dogs' ratings.
Other
congenital defects found in the breed include entropion, a
condition in which the eyelid rolls in toward the eye, allowing
the lashes to rub against and to irritate the cornea; and
hypothyroidism, a condition marked by inadequate hormone levels
from thyroid-gland secretion. This forces the body to function
at a lower metabolic level.
Anatolians
live to a surprisingly old age for a dog so large. A well-cared-for
Anatolian may live to be 11 or 12, and many live into their
teens. The Anatolian can be extremely sensitive to anesthesia.
Veterinarians should be advised of this tendency before undertaking
any procedures that require anesthesia.
Though
Anatolians are expected to endure the extreme climatic conditions
of Turkey without troubling their masters about shelter, U.S.
owners should not be cavalier about the way they keep their
dogs. The Anatolian's double coat serves to protect it from
all kinds of conditions, but owners should always provide
a sheltered place where their dogs can get in out of the weather.
The Anatolian's
coat, whether rough or smooth, requires twice-weekly brushing
and the occasional bath. During the breed's biannual shedding
periods, vigorous daily brushing will result in considerable
savings in house-cleaning time.
Anatolians
are also easy keepers. The amount of food consumed by an adult
is surprisingly less than one would expect for a large dog.
Though
a mature Anatolian needs far less exercise than most dogs
its size, it still needs a long walk daily as well as a chance
to run and play in a fenced area, especially if the dog spends
most of its time indoors. Anatolian puppies, for their part,
need plenty of room in their exercise yards to run off some
of their energy. Just don't expect them to get excited about
playing fetch.
"You're
unlikely to see an Anatolian catching a Frisbee or fetching
a ball," Ballard told one reporter. "My dogs seem to think
that if you threw it away, you must not want it."
Puppy
or adult, the Anatolian must live in a securely fenced environment.
The fence should be five to six feet high, and all gates should
be kept locked. You should define the area your dog is to
protect. Left to its own devices your Anatolian can choose
territory far beyond your own to protect and will defend it
actively.
Full-Service
Protection
Powerful,
protective and impressively built, the Anatolian shepherd
dog is without equal as a guardian of home or flock. In the
United States Anatolians are used to guard several kinds of
livestock -- primarily chickens, sheep and cattle -- or to
guard their owners' homes and holdings. These dogs have also
proven superior at guide and assistance work. One Anatolian
this writer had the pleasure of knowing lives with a young
lady in Northern California who has a physical disability.
Her Anatolian is always directly at her side to steady and
to support the woman to whom he is so obviously devoted. He
not only accompanies her everywhere but also is sensitive
to her needs. This dog can be fast asleep in the corner of
a room but all his owner needs to do is attempt to get out
of her chair, and he is at her side. His awareness and keen
sensitivity to his person are remarkable and touching.
Not
Everyone's Cup of Kibble
For all
its virtues, the Anatolian shepherd dog is not a breed for
all seasons. To begin, this is a large dog. Males usually
reach 29 inches or so at the shoulder and weigh between 110
and 150 pounds. Females are an inch or two smaller and weigh
from 80 to 120 pounds. That's a lot of dog to handle, and
to quote most Anatolian owners to whom this writer has spoken,
"They do require some handling!"
The Anatolian
is a one-person dog that will accept other family members
but remains suspicious of strangers until they have been properly
introduced. Whether an Anatolian's "flock" is a herd of sheep
or the dog's family and household, the breed is supposed to
perform its duties without aggression. An untrained and undisciplined
Anatolian can be a nuisance or, worse yet, a menace. Young
males can be extremely pushy, particularly when they reach
the age at which they attempt to establish their place in
the world. This is too much dog not to be properly trained
and socialized, and that socialization should continue throughout
the dog's life. The Anatolian's instinct to protect must be
channeled by its owner. This decision isn't something that
dog should be allowed to decide arbitrarily.
Moreover,
said Anatolian owner Neal Duncan, "they bark a lot at night
... and they're diggers." And if you want one that gets along
with your other dog(s) and/or your cat, it's better to introduce
the Anatolian to these housemates while it is still a puppy.
Despite
-- or perhaps because of its unrivaled skills as a guard dog
-- the Anatolian shepherd comes with the following warning
label from the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America. "While
ownership of the Anatolian shepherd entails more responsibility
and commitment than most any other breed of dog, the Anatolian
shepherd can be a wonderful and intelligent companion, guardian
and friend."
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