With an adult dog, you will
have more of a "What You See Is What You Get" dog.
There are plenty of adult
Anatolians who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative
characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives"
worry you. All the more reason to look to rescue for an adult
Anatolian!
When you acquire a puppy,
you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed
characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're
acquiring what he already IS.
If you want a dog who...
-
Is very large and rugged,
yet agile and athletic
-
"MAY" protect your horses,
llamas, sheep, goats, or chickens
-
Is steady and dependable,
rather than playful
-
Is serious with strangers, but not
aggressive unless provoked
-
Needs daily, but moderate exercise
An Anatolian Shepherd Dog may be right for you.
If you don't want to deal with...
-
A very large dog who takes up a lot of
space in your house and car
-
Providing enough exercise to keep him
satisfied
-
Massive destructiveness when bored
-
Suspiciousness toward strangers
-
Aggression toward animals who don't
belong to his family (and sometimes aggression to animals within his family as
well)
-
Providing five to six-foot fences.
These are not dogs that will "learn to stay home" without fencing. Also never taking off lead hiking or trail riding
-
Strong-willed mind of his own,
requiring a confident owner who can take charge. You will be living with a dog
that is more "wolf-like" than "dog-like". Can you take on the role of the
"Alpha Wolf"?
-
Deep booming barks, especially at
night when he hears a sound
-
Heavy shedding
-
Legal liabilities (increased chance of
lawsuits)
An Anatolian Shepherd Dog may not be right for you.
When considering an Anatolian
Shepherd...
Major concerns would be:
Anatolian Shepherds MUST have regular
opportunities to vent their energy and do interesting things. Otherwise they
will become rambunctious and bored -- which they usually express by barking and
destructive chewing. Bored Anatolians are famous for chewing through drywall,
ripping the stuffing out of sofas, and turning your yard into a moonscape of
giant craters.
Anatolian Shepherds need
extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal
behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they are likely to be suspicious of everyone, and with their power and determination, this can be exceedingly dangerous.
If you have small children, I do not
recommend an Anatolian Shepherd. Young Anatolian Shepherds (up to about three
years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so
with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. In addition,
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs may try to protect their own children from other
children, which could lead to tragedy if kids are simply roughhousing and
the Anatolian decides to stop it. With such a massive dog, I wouldn't take the
risk. Anatolians may also not see your small children as figures of authority,
rather lower-ranking pack members. They may feel they have the right to
discipline a child for bothering them during meal time or nap time or while they
are enjoying a chew bone. Their discipline would be a warning growl to let the
child know they do not approve of the child's behavior.
Most Anatolian Shepherds
will treat the pets in their own family as members of their flock. However, they
have strong instincts to drive away animals who do not belong to their family.
If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or
management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other
animals. They are also very dominant and will most likely want to be the "top
dog" in the house if you have other dogs. Anatolians do not usually get along
well with dogs of the same gender living in their home, so it is not recommended
to get, say, a female Anatolian if you have another female dog in the house.
Even if you bring home a very young pup, there is a very good chance that pup
will challenge your other dog(s) for alpha position as it matures.
To keep your Anatolian Shepherd in, and
to keep strangers and other animals out, fences should be high, with wire sunk
into the ground along the fence line to thwart digging. Gates should have the
highest quality locks.
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are
not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not
pushovers to raise and train. Many Anatolians are willful, obstinate, and
dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make
them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean
what you say.
To teach your Anatolian to listen to
you, we recommend "Alpha Boot Camp" and "NILIF" (Nothing In Life Is Free). We
also recommend reading "Leader of the Pack" by Steve Duno and Nancy Baer.
Anatolians shed a LOT.
You'll find hair and fur all over your clothing, upholstery, carpeting, under
your furniture, on your countertops -- even in your food. Frequent vacuuming
will become a way of life. Make sure you're REALLY up for this, as this can
occur year round in some reagions.
Some Anatolians are
excessive barkers. All Anatolians will bark at animals or people that pass by
your property. They are more likely to bark at night, so if you have neighbors
close by, it is best to bring them in at night unless they are outside guarding
the livestock.
In this day and age, the
legal liabilities of owning any giant breed that looks intimidating and has a
history as a guard dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue
if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
This is a serious working
dog with tremendous strength. They are not always suited for the average pet
owner. The Anatolian owner must be willing and able to be a strong alpha owner
that will give their dog definite rules and boundaries and be consistent in
training. These are wonderful dogs if handled correctly. They are not good "yard
dogs" that are left outside round the clock with little to no human interaction
and nothing for the dog to do.
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