Turkish Kangal Dogs:

The Kangal Dog is a stock-guarding breed that has existed from ancient times in the small town of Kangal, south east of Sivas in Central Turkey (Central Anatolia). However, there is no doubt that the Kangal Dog is a descendant of ancient mastiff-type dogs. The relative isolation of the Sivas-Kangal region has kept the Kangal Dog free of cross-breeding and has resulted in a natural breed of remarkable uniformity in appearance, disposition, and behaviour.

Alert, territorial, and defensive of the domestic animals or the human family to which it has bonded, the Kangal has the strength, speed, and courage to intercept and confront threats to the flocks of sheep and goats that it guards. Kangal Dogs prefer to intimidate predators but will take a physical stand and even attack if necessary, a quality that makes them an ideal guard dog.

The Kangals possess a short double coat that allows them to withstand extreme temperatures. The coat is slightly longer on the neck, shoulders and tail; shorter on face, head and ears, and varies in colour from light dun to steel grey. The black mask is a characteristic that distinguishes this breed. They are powerful and muscular, with males standing at approximately 30-32 inches at the shoulder and weighing ~120 lbs.

The Kangal Dog is the guardian par excellence. They assume guardianship over all their master's possessions. When they are raised with livestock, they learn that their responsibility is to protect those animals. However, the Kangal Dog combines this ability to bond with other species with a deep devotion to its human master(s).

Recently, Kangal Dogs have been recruited by the Cheetah Conservation Fund to protect the cheetahs in Namibia and Kenya which are under the threat of extinction. The dogs’ natural instincts to protect the flock, paired to the cheetah’s natural flight vs. fight instinct, made Kangals the ideal choice...

For more information on the Cheetah Conservation Fund's Guarding Dog Program and role of Kangal Dogs, please visit:
http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=guarding_dog_program