I had never heard of an Anatolian Shepherd until yesterday when I accompanied my friend Karen to the Nashville Humane Society. (Karen wanted to see if they had a photographer doing fund raising for them like the Josephs do for the Humane Society in Jacksonville.)
Turns out the NHS does have someone who does that, but their events person was very nice and gave us a tour of the facility. That’s when I saw this big white dog who was desperate to get my attention. And when she did, there was such a spark…I just may have to take Wayne back this weekend to meet her.
At any rate, she was large. Bigger than Murphy even. When she stood on her back legs, she stood eye to eye with me. (I’m 5’2”.) She was unlike any breed of dog I was familiar with. The card on her kennel said she was an Anatolian Shepherd.
“What’s that?” I asked Karen. She’s better knowing her dog breeds than I am.
“I don’t know. That’s a new one to me too.”
So I did a little research today. Here’s what I discovered.
History
According to the Dog Breed Info Center and Wikipedia, Anatolian Shepherds are descendants of livestock guardian dogs. It is thought their breed existed in Mesopotamia 6,000 years ago, and that around 1,000 A.D. they were brought to the region now known as Turkey.
They were used either for guarding flocks of sheep, hunting, or even in warfare. Archaeologist and author Charmian Hussey brought Anatolian Shepherds from Turkey to Britain.
Characteristics and Temperament
Anatolian Shepherds are large, muscular dogs. Males weigh between 100-150 pounds. Females weigh between 90-130 pounds.
Their coat can be described as medium-short to medium, and can be fawn colored, white cream, or white with a smattering of cream-colored spots known as “pinto” or “piebald.” Sometimes a “black mask” covers their face and ears. (The one I saw at the shelter did not have the black mask but she was a sort of white cream color.)
Because they were bred to guard flocks without much human supervision, this is a pretty independent breed. Everything I read about them warned it is definitely not a “beginner’s” kind of dog. But that it’s a smart breed and learns fast.
It’s also an excellent guard dog as it’s protective and loyal of its owners and property. (This is a dog at one time valued for defending against packs of wolves, and has even been known to take on bears in defense of its people!)
With other animals in the house, it will herd them and treat them as its flock.
Life with Anatolian Shepherds
It was made clear in everything I read about them that they need a strong, confident alpha leader. They can be quite independent and might not always do what they’re told.
They also need lots of room to run. Which either means a fenced yard they can race around in by themselves, or going for long walks. Both are ideal. This isn’t a dog geared towards apartment life, because it does need room to roam.
They don’t need much grooming either. Just a little coat maintenance during shedding season twice a year.
Oh, and it turns out I may not be familiar with the breed’s name, but I know it just the same. If you saw the movie Kate and Leopold, the dog named Bart in that was an Anatolian Shepherd.
Courtney Mroch writes about animals great and small in Pets and the harmony and strife that encompasses married life in Marriage. For a full listing of her articles click here.