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Kangal shepherd dog

The Kangal is Turkey's national dog, a livestock guardian from the Sivas region, bred to protect flocks from wolves and bears.

It is fawn with a black mask, standing 65 to 82 centimetres and weighing 40 to 65 kilograms, and it lives twelve to fifteen years — long for its size.

It is famous for the force of its bite, and more usefully for its work in conservation: Kangals placed with Namibian farmers by the Cheetah Conservation Fund have sharply reduced livestock losses and, with them, the shooting of cheetahs. It is a calm, watchful, independent guardian rather than an aggressive dog, but it is a very large animal bred to confront predators alone.

Origin
Sivas region, Turkey; the national dog
Size
65–82 cm; 40–65 kg
Lifespan
12–15 years — long for the size
Coat
Short dense double coat, fawn with a black mask
Temperament
Calm, watchful and independent; a working guardian
Health
Robust; hip dysplasia, entropion, bloat

Related: Anatolian shepherd dog · Australian shepherd · Bohemian shepherd · Bucovina shepherd dog · Caucasian shepherd dog

2 kangal shepherd dog photos of 1 dog, newest first

  • Flint, a kangal shepherd dog

    Flint

    Flint was promoted to stern orchestra conductor; unfortunately, a balloon bouquet pulls a tiny chair upward.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

Living with a kangal shepherd dog

This is a working guardian and it is happiest with something to guard. In a suburban garden the territoriality, the night barking and the indifference to obedience all become problems.

Socialise from the earliest weeks and never stop. A guardian that has not learned who belongs is a serious liability at sixty kilograms.

Fencing must be high and genuinely secure.

Check local law and insurance; the breed is restricted in some jurisdictions.

They are healthier and longer-lived than most giant breeds. Ask for hip scores, grow puppies slowly, and learn the signs of bloat. The short coat moults heavily twice a year.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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