Origins
Homeland
The Kangal is a livestock guardian from the Sivas-Kangal region of central Turkey.
It has a proud history in its homeland, where it is still working today as it has done for centurie
Guardian
The Kangal is a large, strong, mastiff-type dog. It is kept by the shepherds strictly as a working animal primarily to guard the flocks of sheep and goats which graze the open plains of the vast Anatolian plateau.
The Kangal is not a sheepdog: its job is to protect the flock, its master and his property from wolves and other predators.
Independent
Working with little human intervention, sometimes with two or three other dogs the Kangal will patrol the hillsides around its sheep or its village, settling now and then, unseen, in some high vantage-point to watch and listen for any unwelcome sight or sound. With its sand coloured coat as camouflage the Kangal is almost invisible in the arid terrain, until danger threatens. The dog will then show itself, standing tall and alert with its tail curled over its back. Any intruder who still approaches will be first warned off with a formidable bark and then chased away or confronted.
Highly Prized
A pure-bred Kangal is highly prized by its owner, who will go to great lengths to organize a mating with another good dog. Because of the hard life they have to lead only the strongest and steadiest pups are kept, and these are carefully reared and fed in the early months to achieve the size and strength required in adulthood. To give the dogs the advantage in any confrontation with wolves, the Turkish shepherds usually fit them with iron-spiked collars to protect the neck. Their ears may also be cropped to avoid them being torn causing loss of blood.
What's in a Name
The name Karabash is popularly used for these dogs in Turkey because of the characteristic black mask (kara = black, bas = head). The true type is also correctly known however as the Kangal Dog, after the aristocratic family of landowners from the Sivas region who, hundreds of years ago, took great pride in preserving this dog as a pure breed distinct from other shepherd dogs of inferior type. Historical evidence shows, in fact, that a breed of lion-like guard dog has been in use in this and other parts of the Middle East since many centuries.
Contact Turkish Kangal Dog Club (UK)
Get in touch with Turkish Kangal Dog Club (UK) to learn more about our work. Download a membership form to get involved. Members receive a quarterly newsletter and can participate in all club actives.
