Anatolian Shepherd - Training Course on Anatolian Shepherd
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Anatolian Shepherd: Breed Personality, Fitness & Care (Karabas, Coban Kopegi)

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About Anatolian Shepherd

Country of Origin, History of Anatolian Shepherds

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog was developed over 6,000 years ago in what is today Turkey to withstand the harsh climate and the nomadic lifestyle of Turkish shepherds. With their impressive size, the serve as the shepherd’s frontline of defense against predators. Loyalty, independence, and hardiness set it apart from other breeds. Although it is extremely intelligent, it is often slow to respond to commands because of its attitude.

Anatolian Shepherd Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Anatolian Shepherd the right breed for you?

Is the Anatolian Shepherd the right breed for you and your family?

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Check Your Anatolian Shepherd's Learning Style

Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Anatolian Shepherd's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Anatolian Shepherd training methods.

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Anatolian Shepherd Calorie Calculator

Do you know how many calories your Anatolian Shepherd needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Anatolian Shepherd Calorie Calculator.

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A General Appearance of the Dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a fairly large livestock guardian. He is more slender and agile than the Great Pyrenees, capable of both speed and endurance. His large head is in proportion with his body. The Anatolian Shepherd has a square muzzle. His triangular, pendant ears are usually black and rather small with rounded tips. In Turkey, the ears are often cropped very short. Nose and eye rims are normally black or brown no matter what color the dog’s coat or eyes are.

The Anatolian Shepherd’s upper lip hangs down to about the bottom jaw’s lower edge. His thick and muscular neck has a slight dewlap and his chest reaches to his elbows. He has a short back relative to his leg length. The Anatolian’s legs are set fairly far apart. His high-set tail hangs low with a slight upward curl or curls over the back.

Coat Color

The most frequent coat color is fawn with a black mask. However, many coat colors (white, liver, pinto, and brindle are common) are seen and are acceptable.

Coat Type

The coat is short to rough (one to four inches in length) with neck hair slightly longer. The length of the coat depends on the dog’s lineage and the season of the year. There is somewhat of a mane. The Anatolian Shepherd has a thick undercoat. There is feathering on the ears, legs and tail.

Height

Males: 28 – 30 inches
Females: 26 – 28 inches

Weight

Males: 100-150 lbs
Females: 90 – 130 lbs

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Anatolian Shepherd Personality Traits

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Temperament of the Dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is affectionate with his own family but suspicious of strangers who must be formally introduced to the dog so that he will accept them.
He is very, very loyal and possessive of his home and family (as if they were his sheep). He tends to bark at night to warn predators away unless he is inside. He can be a very fierce fighter if he needs to be.

Full socialization as a puppy is a must; obedience training is an absolute necessity. It is recommended you do not add any guard training to this dog since he is naturally a fierce protector. Early and consistent dominant leadership is necessary with an Anatolian Shepherd.

The Anatolian Shepherd is not a dog for beginners as he is stubborn and dominant and must be trained firmly and consistently starting at a very early age. He needs a good and strong trainer.

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs need a large, secure yard, including a 5-6 foot fence and locked gate. They are very suspicious of strangers. Anatolians bark at night if left outside. Many of them are diggers.

Better suited to an indoor or outdoor lifestyle?

He likes to guard his territory and family, so being outside is fine with him. He tends to bark at night, so he needs to be put inside unless he is actually guarding livestock.

Are they suited to homes with kids?

Sensitive to corrections and eager to receive affection, Anatolians are patient and protective with children of the family, but may accidentally knock them down. Children should always be supervised and properly introduced.

Anatolian Shepherd Activity Level

How Active is the Breed?

The Anatolian Shepherd is a very active breed.

How Much Exercise Does the Dog Need at every stage of its Life?

Anatolian Shepherds are not recommended for apartment living. They need a large, secure yard for running. They need a lot of exercise throughout life and feel safest getting their exercise in their own fenced yard.

Grooming

They do not need much grooming, but do shed their entire coat twice a year.

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Free Anatolian Shepherd Training Secrets

Free Course on Anatolian Shepherd Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Health and Care

He is a light eater and needs a low protein lamb and rice diet.

Genetic Problems

The genetic issues are dependent upon the lineage of the dog, so ask questions of the breeder. Some are prone to eyelid entropion, hypothyroidism, or hip dysplasia.
Anatolians are very sensitive to anesthesia.

Immunity in Anatolians is slow to develop, so extra vaccinations against things like parvovirus are often necessary. Have the immunity tested after the recommended vaccinations to assess the need for more.

Litter Size: 5-10 puppies

Life Span: The life span of the Anatolian Shepherd is 12 – 15 years.

National Breed Clubs

National Breed Clubs

British - Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of Great Britain
US – Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America
Anatolian Shepherd International

Other Recognition: CI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, NKC, SKC, NZKC, CKC, APRI, ACR

Currently, there are over 3000 Anatolian Shepherds registered in the United States. Anatolians can be registered with the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America and Anatolian Shepherd International.

Rescue Link:
www.asdca.org

Group: Working Group

AKC Popularity Ranking: 111

Also Known As: Karabas, Coban Kopegi

Train Your Anatolian Shepherd To Listen To You

Get Instant Access to Your Training Now - For Free

Sign up for our Free Anatolian Shepherd Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.

You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Karabas owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

  • The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.

  • How to obedience train your Anatolian Shepherd to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

  • Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.

  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Anatolian Shepherds have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Karabas information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Karabass have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Anatolian Shepherd training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

Here are a few of our experts:

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