The Akbash Dog

Akbash Dog Conformation: A Natural Athlete

Because of his heritage from both the ancient mastiff and the Middle Eastern gazehounds, the Akbash Dog gives the impression of a unique combination of strength and agility. When viewed from the side, he appears long-legged, deep in the chest, and "tucked up" in the flank. This "tuck-up" (or waist) is proof of his greyhound heritage. Over the decades that the breed has been in North America, these proportions have been maintained, due in large part to the fact that, just as in its native Turkey, the Akbash Dog in the New World is highly valued as a livestock guardian against animal predators. Thus, the Akbash Dog must maintain conformation that gives him the strength, speed, and agility to confront (and successfully avoid injury from) predators like those he faces in the U.S.: coyotes, wolves, bear, and mountain lion. If the Greyhound is the canine equivalent to a runner, and the Bullmastiff, the canine equivalent to a wrestler, the Akbash Dog might be a canine soccer player or a football quarterback.

Size
Akbash Dogs, like most of the other guarding breeds, are large. In fact, they are among the tallest of the livestock guarding breeds. Females usually stand from 28" to 30" high at the withers and weigh from 85 lbs. to 100 lbs. The male Akbash Dog is usually taller, standing from 30" to 32" and is correspondingly heavier. Some individuals will exceed these upper measurements slightly. While the Akbash Dog is tall, however, it is not "massive" in the sense that  its more "mastiff" type relatives are (such as the Great Pryenees and the Spanish Mastiff).  Much of this is due to its more moderate bone size.  Reponsible breeders realize the importance of maintaining the "gazehound" influence in this breed, which results in a unique combination of  heighth, power, and agility.   It is the combination of those traits which have made the Akbash Dog one of the most successful livestock guardians in less than 2 decades in North America.  It also contributes to the individual dog's own physical well-being. 

Color
Along with their size, their color is another distinctive feature. With few exceptions, the livestock guarding breeds are white, and so is the Akbash Dog. There are many theories as to why. The color may allow the shepherd to differentiate between his dog and predators, which usually attack at night or at least in the dim light of dawn or dusk. White is also the most common color of sheep, the usual charge of these breeds. A white dog moving with the flock is less obvious and may be more readily accepted by the flock.

The color of the Akbash Dog is known as "sut beyaz" or milk-white in Turkish. The term "beyaz," while often translated as "white," is also used by the Turkish people to describe light-colored dogs, some of which we would call "blond," "light fawn," "cream," or "golden." The Akbash Dog is not blond; it is white. Thus, care must be taken when translating color terms.

The eyes of the Akbash Dog should be a shade of  brown. The lips, nose, and eye rims of the dog should be solidly colored. That color  may vary from chocolate brown to black. On many dogs, these may change color, becoming lighter or darker as the dog matures or as the seasons change.

Coat and Grooming
Akbash Dogs vary greatly in coat length, but not in coat texture.  It can be difficult to decide if a dog is long-coated, short-coated, or something in between.   That lack of specialization, in fact, is a compliment to the Akbash Dog breeders that have not selected for coat.  The recommendation has always been to breed long and short-coated dogs together, a guideline which hopefully will help the Akbash Dog from being a dog that is "slick-coated" with little or no undercoat (and thus more vulnerable to injury from tooth and claw) or from being a dog that is too heavily coated with a coat that does not shed, but that mats (and thus more subject to skin problems and injuries from things like weed seeds and burrs).

Seasonal variation is also seen in the coat of the Akbash Dog, short or long.  No matter what the coat length, the Akbash Dog has a double coat. In winter, the undercoat thickens, and the dog's coat becomes noticeably heavier. Even short-coated dogs are comfortable wintering with their livestock in the Rockies or on the Western plains. Where the weather is hot, the Akbash Dog literally "blows" its coat, shedding all the undercoat. A long-coated dog may retain its feathering on the tail and legs, his summer coat resembling an Irish Setter's. Some long-coated dogs shed their coat so completely that they are indistinguishable from short-coated siblings. Thus, climate seems sometimes to have a greater effect on coat than does genetics. Companion dog owners find that brushing will help reduce the length of time the Akbash Dog sheds.

Most people will find that the Akbash Dog coat requires no special care -- in fact, in most situations it requires virtually no care. Akbash Dogs that are on range with livestock are never groomed. Their coat texture is such that it does not mat or tangle. Even mud literally drops off the coat once it is dry.  Living on pasture in Texas, this mature long-coated female, will have shed her heavy winter coat by late summer.  In fact, she will have shed so completely that, except for light tail feathering, her coat will look like her brother's summertime intermediate coat (above).

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This page is copyrighted and maintained by Tamara Taylor.  If you wish to use any material from these pages, please request permission by email:  ttaylor7@gte.net.  This page was last updated July 14, 1998.