Stretching hundreds of miles from east to west, Turkey is an ancient land famous for its rich history and diverse traditions. Turkey has given to the world such products as exquisite handmade carpets, quality cotton and leather goods, and the Ankara goat, now known as the Angora goat. The Angora is a tribute to the early Turkish people's ability in "animal husbandry" and animal breeding, for its is the "Ankara" goat that became the basis for the world's mohair industry. Another unique contribution has been made by the native dog breeds of Turkey, which have been bred in the rugged terrain and relative isolation of various Turkish regions.

Today virtually any breed of dog may be found in Turkey, from pets like American Eskimos (imported from the U.S.) and cocker spaniels to guard dogs, such as the ever popular German Shepherd, to hunting breeds, such as Weimaraners. However, there are also native breeds. These breeds are of two types: the av kopegi which translates hunting dog and the çoban kopegi which translates shepherd's dog or sheepdog.

Although Turkey is thought to be the birthplace of the ancestors of St. Hubert's hounds and, thus, today's Bloodhound, the only native hunting dog breed which still exists in Turkey today is the Tazi (tah-zuh), a breed that hunts by sight and is in the gazehound or greyhound family. With its silky coat, it resembles the Arabian salug, whose Western name is the Saluki. The spotted Tazi in the illustation typifies the breed. He is a classic example of the Turkish Tazi, which, like other members of the gazehound family, comes in a variety of coat colors. This dog was purchased by Dr. Cafer Tepeli for the kennel for native breeds at Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey.  The university, and particularly the Veterinary School and its Dean, must be praised for its realization that, as lifestyle changes, the native Turkish breeds are becoming endangered.  

The other native breeds are members of the çoban kopegi (cho-ban ko-pay-hee) group. These dogs have been used generations in their native Turkey primarily for protecting sheep against predators, such as bear in ancient times and now wolves. In Turkey, the shepherd's dogs accompany the shepherd and the flock to the high summer pastures, or yaylas, and live there until after the harvest is finished in the lower valleys. The flock then moves back to the village fields until the onset of winter. During winter, sheep, dogs and any other livestock, such as the family's cattle or goats, are housed in the village in low barns. Throughout most of Turkey the çoban kopegi are simply village dogs. They are not bred on a pure or pedigreed basis. However, there are certain regions in Turkey where the dogs have become a matter of great pride and have been bred on a purebred basis for hundreds of years. In these areas, regional breeds are found.

The first of these breeds is the snowy white Akbas (ahk-bash) Dog,which is from west central Turkey. It was from this region slightly south and west of Ankara, from the areas around Sivrihisar and Eskishehir and south toward Konya, where the first imported Akbash Dogs came from in 1978. The long-legged, almost gazehound-like Akbash Dog was immediately placed in both livestock guarding situations and in companion homes in the U.S. In 1980 the breed was added to those being used in the United States Department of Agriculture Livestock Guard Dog Project, and by 1986 the breed had established itself as one of the most successful livestock guarding breeds. Its distinguishing traits were - and continue to be - that it is less people aggressive than many of the other breeds in the project, but was very aggressive to both wild predators and to intruding dogs. It is also more heat tolerant than some of the heavier, more massive breeds.

These dogs often have cropped ears and iron spiked collars, as are seen on this Akbash Dog. As in this photo, a cloth is often placed under the collar to prevent chafing. Both customs serve to protect the livestock guarding dog. Ears are easily ripped and torn in a fight. Such wounds, where the dog is unable to lick, are potential sources of infection, and protecting the throat means protecting one of the most vulnerable parts of the dog. Thus, these customs, which surprise many Westerners, are aimed at protecting the dog.  Today the Akbash Dog is recommended by the USDA Animal Damage Control as one of the best three breeds for that purpose. However, that has not kept well-socialized Akbash Dogs from adjusting to life as family companions as well.

Ironically, while the numbers of Akbash Dogs in the U.S. and Canada have increased dramatically in the last twenty years, observations and field studies in Turkey reveal a dramatic decrease in the Akbash Dog population there. Babür Bilir, a veterinary student at Ankara University, summarized the result of field studies done from 1991-1993 in the region considered to be  "Akbash Dog Country", saying that the pure Akbash Dog population had been greatly reduced due to crossbreeding with more popular breeds, such as the Kangal Dog and the German Shepherd. This crossbreeding is not intentional; however, with the increasing media coverage, resulting popularity, and influx of Kangal Dogs, shepherds, and karabash colored (black masked) dogs in general into the region, it is understandable.

These findings support less formal observations made in 1996 by David and Judith Nelson, the original U.S. importers of the Akbash Dog to the U.S., who conducted field observations over nearly  a 20 year span the region where Akbash Dogs were most common and, even more recently, by Dr. Cafer Tepeli, DVM, of Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. The ultimate result is, however, as demographics and agricultural practices change,  magnificent pure Akbash Dogs, like this 31" male, are disappearing. 

The existence of the dark-masked, fawn colored Kangal (kahn-gall) Dog, the "national dog" of Turkey, was first reported in Western literature in 1983 by David and Judy Nelson, who had imported the first Akbash Dogs as a result of extensive field studies while living in Turkey. Not long after, limited importations of the Kangal Dog began. The large frame, the powerful chest, pendant ears, slightly shortened blunt muzzle reflect the influence of the early mastiff on the Kangal Dog.

The multi-colored, heavy-coated Kars Dog had been observed but never well defined until the first detailed description of this breed from far northeast Turkey appeared in the study Classification of the Native Dogs of Turkey, authored and presented by David Nelson at the 1996 International Symposium on Turkish Shepherd Dogs in Konya, Turkey.

These three agricultural breeds, each with distinctive coat, color, conformation, and disposition, developed over centuries in geographically limited regions in relative isolation.

There are many çoban kopegi or shepherd's dogs, in Turkey. They are found in virtually every village. These village dogs are not bred on a pedigreed basis or even to conform to a certain uniform appearance; thus, they vary greatly in color, coat type, and conformation. Their form is very much defined by the function. As with any dog used for guarding, they tend to be large and territorial. In the areas around military bases, the local shepherds often breed their females to the trained German Shepherds. In Turkey, there are no herding breeds; thus, the word "shepherd" translates into Turkish as "shepherd's dog," meaning a livestock guarding dog. Unfortunately, many of the Western shepherd breeds such as the German, Dutch, and Belgian Shepherds are, in fact, herding breeds with strong "prey drive." An infusion of such blood results in a dog that has the instinct to chase stock rather than guard it.

In the U.S., the United Kennel Club provides a registry for pure Akbash Dogs; however, other registry bodies outside of Turkey, such the British Kennel Club, FCI, and even the American Kennel Club, do not.  Instead these bodies have historically "lumped" all dogs from Turkey together, registering them under the name Anatolian Shepherd. Thus, in the West, the crossbreeding of purebred Akbash Dogs and purebred Kangal Dogs with other dogs of Turkish descent is not only condoned but even encouraged by most registeries.

The first known importation of Turkish çoban kopegi to the U.S. was made in the 1950s by Professor Rodney Young, an archeologist from the University of Pennsylvania known for his work at Gordion, Turkey. It is from that area that his dogs came from. Then, as is recounted in Kathryn Braund's book The Uncommon Dog Breeds, in 1968, a U.S. naval officer, Lt. Robert Ballard returned to the U.S. with his two family canine companions. These çoban kopegi were the foundation of the breed that in 1970 was named the Anatolian Shepherd Dog. For those who wish to see photos of the foundation stock for that particular breed in the U.S., Braund's book is an excellent resource.

The purpose of these pages is to provide information concerning the recognized breeds in Turkey, particularly the Akbash Dog and the Kangal Dog, which in January of 1998 were recognized in the United States by the United Kennel Club. To date, there are no known importations into the U.S. of the Turkish Tazi or of the Kars Dog in which those dogs were maintained as pure breeds.

Livestock Guardians Index |Native Dog Breeds of Turkey (top) | Akbash Dogs | Kangal Dogs