Country/Date of Origin: Turkey/1000 BC
This guard dog was developed by shepherds to protect their flocks of sheep from wolves. An ancient breed, depicted in ancient Babylonian sculptures, they have come down through the centuries relatively unchanged. Strict selection for working qualities, type and strength has ensured that the breed is immensely tough and has great stamina. A large numbers of Anatolian Shepherds are still used to guard the flocks in Turkey today. A club was set up in the US in 1970 to promote the interests of the breed. This coincided with an upsurgence in the coyote population in the American West and a movement to use guardian dogs for predator control instead of poison and other methods that had not been effective. The dogs have proven to be cost effective and a more humane way to control predators than indiscriminate poisoning.
FCI Group: 2 (Working)