| Our interest in
Kangal Dog began when a Turkish friend brought us our first two Kangal Dogs directly from
the Sivas-Kangal region of Turkey. That was almost 15 years ago, and we have had at
least two Kangal Dogs since then. We have been very fortunate to have started with excellent examples of the breed and wonderful Turkish friends. We have been able to make two trips to Turkey to observe and document dogs in and around Kangal town (and also to observe Akbash in the Sivrihisar-Eshkeshehir area). These trips made us all the more intent on breeding the type of Kangal Dogs we saw at work in the mountain pastures. While we raise about one litter each year and do not maintain a kennel, we have been fortunate enough to raise and own the first Number 1 Kangal Dog to be rated on show points in the U.S. That dog is UKC CH Turkmen Eti, the son of one of our imports. The pups below are not related to Eti, but are bred to have that same classic Kangal Dog look and be athletic as well as solid in disposition. Eti's first litter is expected shortly. |
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These are
photos of our newest litter, born in April of 2002. Their dam is Cafer's Kiraz of Turkmen,
an import from Turkey. Their sire is Ashkabad Temel Tasi, a very promising young male who
combines the best of the original import lines. Tasi (prnounced Tash-ee) is shown at left
at 14 months. He is owned by Jeanne Lowery in Shreveport, Lousiana. |
| We bred Cafer's Kiraz of Turkmen, a Turkish import, to Tasi. The resulting litter gave us what we hoped for. The three males and three females are shown here. They are classically dark colored at birth with very little white on their toes and chest. |
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Here at six
weeks the pups are active and alert. Their coloring has lightened a little, as they always
do, but they are still maintaining their classes "dun" color. They are beginning to venture out on their own a little more and are just now beginning to develop their independence and personalities. A puppy taken away from the litter now will not learn basic canine communication -- they will not recognize a threat nor an invitation to play from another dog. The next few weeks will teach them those things. |
Life at this age for the pups is all about learning to interact with their siblings and people. They are still nursing mom, who is a good mother and still washes them and stays with them. They are fed a dry dog food soaked in warm broth or water and then mixed with fresh goat milk. We feed our pups a low protein meat and bone meal based dry dog food, supplementing pregnant and nursing bitches with cooked organ meats and goat milk. We supplement the pups the same way.
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 The guys wrestling. |
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Because Kangal Dogs are a fast growing breed, we do not try to encourage additional fast growth. In fact, by feeding a lower protein food we hope to slow the rate slightly, to allow the pup time to develop the muscle mass needed to Having years of experience with both horses and other livestock, we have been careful to select for dogs that are athletic. We pay particular attention to the ratio of hindquarter muscle mass to bone. In fact, because of the problems that extremely large boned animals have with their joints, we select for a moderately boned animal with well-developed muscle. |
| The Kangal Dog breed, as with other dog
breeds and animal species, picks up bone mass as it matures, something that breeders and
new owners do not always realize. Thus, a young dog should look young. -- they have
the muscle mass, particularly in the hindquarters, to balance the amount of bone and keep
hip and stifle joints sound. The Kangal Dog in Turkey is a working dog, and so our ours. Since we received our first two Turkish Kangal Dogs, it has been our goal to breed the working dog of the Turkish Shepherd. |
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When can I get my puppy?Our dogs are raised on our farm; many live with our livestock. We do not let our puppies go to new homes until they are at least 10 weeks old. At that age the pups have adequate protection against the various diseases and they have been socialized with other dogs well as humans. Studies done in the few decades now show that pups which leave the litter and their dam too soon often have trouble getting along with other dogs.(Unless the bitch herself is extremely dominant or there are dominant, overbearing puppies in the litter - a problem we see in some breeds but not usually with our young Kangal Dogs.) On the other hand, pups who are not used to being handled by people from an early age do not learn to bond to people nor do they handle stress and new situations well. Thus, our pups remain in a stable "dog" environment but are handled and socialized daily. If you are interested in a Turkmen Kangal Dog and feel that you are ready for a dedicated, very intelligent companion for the next decade (or more), contact us. All our dogs are registered with the United Kennel Club, the first (and only one of three registries) to register the pure Turkish Kangal Dog outside its native land. Our dogs are bred to be healthy -- mentally and physically. Reservations are recommended, since we rarely have a litter more often than every two years. Neutered companion pups start at about $1200. Breeding dogs are priced higher.
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