Even though it is not on the list of official breeds, the Kangal is a beloved dog. It is not particularly widespread in our area, it comes from Turkey. It is called this way because it takes its name from the district of Kangal, located in the province of Sivas, the place where the breed originated. We must imagine a dog with a robust and muscular physique and with a very faithful, intelligent and calm character . It adapts to any type of climate, it does not fear the cold also thanks to its short but very thick fur. It is a perfect dog for guarding the sheep but also the house, it does not lead the cattle but protects them. Its large size, its courage and its determination make it a perfect defense dog, it does not retreat in the face of any danger or threat. It is used to walking at high altitudes, so it can be a good hiking companion.
Kangal: breed
This term is often used to refer to the Anatolian Shepherd because the Kangal is not a breed listed by the FCI nor by the American Kennel Club, although there are smaller canine societies that have begun to recognize it as their own breed, such as the United Kennel Club . Internationally, this breed made a big step forward when it was recognized by this English Kennel Club in 2013, but in Turkey the rules are reversed. In fact, in Turkey, most dog experts consider the Kangal a pure breed, but at the same time they do not accept the Anatolian Shepherd because they consider it a group of mixed breed dogs.
Kangal: Origin
Whether it is an official breed or not, the Kangal is included in the group of herding dogs or livestock guardian dogs called Çoban köpeği. It is a very ancient breed, there are some rumors that tell of its existence even in Roman times when it used to accompany the army during adventurous expeditions.
At a more genetic level, this dog would be the result of the crossing of 3 dogs: the dogs of the Assyrian empire, which were Mastiffs, the Roman molossers that came from Greece and the English mastiffs . They could have been born thanks to the desire of the Roman people to obtain a type of dog that could guard livestock during war and that was very powerful and courageous.
At a certain point in its evolution, not recently, the Kangal was exported to various European countries and in Turkey it spread in a particular way, developed definitively and becoming, at least for some, a real breed.
Kangal: characteristics
Its structure is robust, it has a very muscular and massive body and is quite tall as a dog, which makes it quite similar to a Mastiff . The head is also imposing, elongated but with a large mass, perhaps also for this reason the eyes appear small and separated from each other, they are usually brown, dark brown or golden.
The ears have a triangular shape but a little rounded, they are not very long and hang on the sides of the head. The tail is long but in most cases it remains curled on the back, especially when the dog is moving.
The most important characteristic of this breed is the coat, it is in fact the hair that allows us to distinguish a Kangal from an Anatolian Shepherd . In the first it is short and very thick, with a rather dense and thick undercoat. The color of the coat can vary, we can in fact find brown or dark gray specimens, usually a single color except for the presence of a black mask on the muzzle. It is possible that there is also a small white spot on the chest.
Kangal Height and Weight
Kangal dogs, in adulthood, have a height that varies between 75 and 85 cm for male specimens and between 70 and 75 cm for female specimens .
The weight of Kangal dogs is decidedly significant with an average varying between 50 and 70 kg , but with exceptions that exceed 100 kg.
Longevity of the Anatolian Shepherd and frequent diseases
The Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd is a robust dog that usually lives in excellent health for over 14 years .
Kangal: character
The character is typical of a guard dog, which means that we are dealing with a reserved and serious animal, sometimes even aggressive if it does not know people or if it finds itself facing a male dog. If we are raising a Kangal , it is very important to take care of socialization to make it become a tolerant, affectionate, protective and independent dog. If well educated from an early age, this dog gets along very well with children and can also live with other pets.
At home he tends to bark a lot and sometimes destroy objects but he is an excellent guard dog and herder, he knows how to protect livestock even from aggressive animals such as the Cheetah, in Namibia, for example.
Kangal: breeding
To teach this dog the primary signals, you need to work on rewarding him. Let’s not forget to socialize him from when he is a puppy, getting him used to coexistence and tolerance. It is not trivial to train, especially if you are a first timer, and it is better to ask for help from a professional.
From a health point of view, as already mentioned above, he does not suffer from any particular pathologies.