KANGAL DOGS

ORIGINS OF THE KANGAL DOG

The Kangal Dog, or the Sivas-Kangal Dog as it is sometimes called in its native Turkey, is a breed that has existed in a specific area of Turkey from ancient times. However, there is no doubt that the Kangal Dog is a descendant of ancient mastiff-type dogs, as this classic young female here depicts. With her cropped ears and her distant look, she is in all ways a livestock guardian with little concern for meeting and socializing with strangers. To understand this remarkable breed, we must understand its heritage as a descendant of the ancient mastiff or molosser. While little can be proven about the origin of the archetypal mastiff, there are many theories .

"Duman," as she is named, illustrates the ancient natural mastiff with her pendant ears (now cropped to prevent tearing or ripping during a fight), relatively short muzzle, broad chest, and powerful muscling. Unlike many modern day mastiff breeds, the Kangal Dog's proportions are unexaggerated, for it is still very much a working guard dog in its native Turkey. In order to protect its master's sheep flocks from wolves, it must be capable of chasing and even killing predatory wolves.

Where the original "mastiff" type dogs came from, we are not sure. A striking fact is that the mastiff type dog does not appear in early Eygptian art. This tells us that the mastiff was not bred in ancient Egypt as was the gazehound and other types of dogs. The first record we have of mastiffs are the Assyrian friezes which date from as early as 2200 BC. Some cynoglogists theorize that the ancient ancestor of all mastiffs came from Asia and today is best depicted by the Tibetan Mastiff. Others suggest that ancient Assyria may have been the place of origin. Still others argue that we can not know where the mastiff-type dogs originated and that they may have in fact developed in different areas at approximately the same time; their development arising from similar needs for a calm yet fearless guardian against intruders. Whatever the origins of this ancient breed, the Kangal Dog carries on in the tradition of the eastern mastiffs, protecting his master's possessions and being a devoted companion.

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