Anatolian Shepard

[JB]

I am considering a Anatolian Shepard to replace my older German Shepard. Is there anyone out there who has experience with this breed. I'm mainly concerned if they are the type of dog that will wander if left home alone in an unfenced area. Also, if someone the dog doesn't know comes onto the property will the dog attack the person or just bark and look intimidating?

 

[kstaven]

I can tell you from experience that only time and training or lack there of will answer those questions.

 

[terrilhb]

 

[greybeard]

JB--welcome to BYH!!

I have a 1/2 anatolian shepard and tho I agree 100% with kstaven's response, I will offer my experince and say my 1/2 shepard 1/2 collie will bark at anything and everything new that moves within sight, sound or scent. That includes people, but once they are actually on premises, no matter who they are, he's immediately their best friend. Not neccessarily a good thing. I had a theft take place last year on the front of my property, and it had to have taken a couple of hrs to complete, and I have little doubt that my dog went to investigate, barked a few times then sat right down nearby and watched the whole thing go down as they hauled off a compressor, welding machine, and about 300 lbs of copper wire. Craves attention and is unwavering in faithfullness. Follows everywhere I go on the property whether I'm afoot or tractor or truck--freezing wet weather or blazing hot. If I stop to do work, he just lays down and watches till I move on. Fearless to a fault. I've a ton of vet bills as he has taken on feral hogs, coyotes, and a mountain lion. Very very intelligent, but a mind of his own when he wants to be that way. I learned quickly tho, he's very jealous of other dogs, specifically males. I had another dog, a blue healer male, and learned to pet them both AT THE SAME TIME--otherwise, the battle is on and it ain't pretty. They were best of friends 99% of the time, but show one more attention than the otherand the shepard will not tolerate it. The healer was officially named Spot, but I called him buzzsaw. He was docile as can be, but if threatened by something wild, he turned into a screaming, fighting ball of fur, teeth and claws. Another that cost me a bunch of vet bills--he just won't back down no matter what the predator was. Tough country here--for man and beast. Living in the heart of a National Forest has it's perils--we don't traverse the property at night unarmed or without the dogs--especially without the dogs--not that we could stop them from going.

 

[JB]

Thanks for the info. Here in Northern Idaho we have lots of predators native to the mountains. Most recently the grey wolf, which was reintroduced about 15 years ago, has been a problem for livestock owners. I haven't had any trouble on my place other than there are fewer elk now. My German Shepard gets in more fights with skunks and racoons than anything. My acreage is not completly fenced to keep a dog in. My German Shepard runs free all the time and stays close to the house. I am hoping he will help train a Anatolian puppy to do the same. To me it does no good to have a watch dog if he isn't out and free to do his work. I was wondering if the breed is a natural roamer.

 

[fortheloveofgoats]

I am considering a Anatolian Shepard to replace my older German Shepard. Is there anyone out there who has experience with this breed. I'm mainly concerned if they are the type of dog that will wander if left home alone in an unfenced area. Also, if someone the dog doesn't know comes onto the property will the dog attack the person or just bark and look intimidating?

I have never owned one, but I have a friend who has one. He will never get another kind of herd protection. He even started a breed program. He said that the parents teach the kids what to do, but with his first two, he had to train them on what to do. They have kept stray dogs off the property, and have chased off numerous coyotes.

 

[carolinagirl]

Anatolian Shepherds (and really ALL of the LGD breeds) have been used for thousands of years guarding livestock in large open areas. They are quite used to patrolling huge areas, to make sure predators are not around. Because of this, they are not a breed that can be expected to stay in an unfenced area. They do need good fencing (and usually some electric wire) to make sure that they don't try to establish their own territory, which will probably be far beyond your property line.

 

[dwbonfire]

these are questions i had too because i lost my german shepherd and she was just as you describe your dog- loyal and stayed close to home. we have a dog we rescued here and i have no clue of her breed, she wanders alot. she coaxed my shepherd off one afternoon and my shepherd never came back. i do strongly believe a hunter got her because they are ridiculously territorial out there and say dogs scare away the deer so they just shoot them. terrible.
anyway i think i will get another german shepherd, rather than another breed. i also agree with a dog needing to be loose to do thier job so i need a dog that stays home. if you get an anatolian (which i have no experience with) and it wanders as some have said they would, it will do you no good and possibly make your shepherd wander like what happened to me.
then again, the pup may learn from your shepherd to stay home too. its kind of a toss up, and im in the same boat as you. i need a dog thats also protective with PEOPLE, not strictly predators, so i feel like another german shepherd is the way to go for me. good luck with what you decide, and i'd like to hear back from you with your decision and experience with it!

 

[carolinagirl]

these are questions i had too because i lost my german shepherd and she was just as you describe your dog- loyal and stayed close to home. we have a dog we rescued here and i have no clue of her breed, she wanders alot. she coaxed my shepherd off one afternoon and my shepherd never came back. i do strongly believe a hunter got her because they are ridiculously territorial out there and say dogs scare away the deer so they just shoot them. terrible.
anyway i think i will get another german shepherd, rather than another breed. i also agree with a dog needing to be loose to do thier job so i need a dog that stays home. if you get an anatolian (which i have no experience with) and it wanders as some have said they would, it will do you no good and possibly make your shepherd wander like what happened to me.
then again, the pup may learn from your shepherd to stay home too. its kind of a toss up, and im in the same boat as you. i need a dog thats also protective with PEOPLE, not strictly predators, so i feel like another german shepherd is the way to go for me. good luck with what you decide, and i'd like to hear back from you with your decision and experience with it!

nope....an Anatolian pup won't learn not to wander from the shepherd. It has too many generations of wandering in it's DNA to learn not to from another dog. Quite honestly, no dog should be left loose unless you are on hundreds of acres. I have had too many of my own animals killed by people's pets who are not confined at home. And yes....domestic dogs are very hard on the deer population and are often shot by hunters.....which is actually quite legal to do in most states. If the dog was in the woods near a hunter's stand, it was not staying home anyway, right? Dogs who are allowed to wander is the main reason I bought Anatolian shepherds. I am not home to protect my sheep all the time. Once these dogs get big enough, neighbor's dogs will no longer be an issue to me.

 

[dwbonfire]

these are questions i had too because i lost my german shepherd and she was just as you describe your dog- loyal and stayed close to home. we have a dog we rescued here and i have no clue of her breed, she wanders alot. she coaxed my shepherd off one afternoon and my shepherd never came back. i do strongly believe a hunter got her because they are ridiculously territorial out there and say dogs scare away the deer so they just shoot them. terrible.
anyway i think i will get another german shepherd, rather than another breed. i also agree with a dog needing to be loose to do thier job so i need a dog that stays home. if you get an anatolian (which i have no experience with) and it wanders as some have said they would, it will do you no good and possibly make your shepherd wander like what happened to me.
then again, the pup may learn from your shepherd to stay home too. its kind of a toss up, and im in the same boat as you. i need a dog thats also protective with PEOPLE, not strictly predators, so i feel like another german shepherd is the way to go for me. good luck with what you decide, and i'd like to hear back from you with your decision and experience with it!

nope....an Anatolian pup won't learn not to wander from the shepherd. It has too many generations of wandering in it's DNA to learn not to from another dog. Quite honestly, no dog should be left loose unless you are on hundreds of acres. I have had too many of my own animals killed by people's pets who are not confined at home. And yes....domestic dogs are very hard on the deer population and are often shot by hunters.....which is actually quite legal to do in most states. If the dog was in the woods near a hunter's stand, it was not staying home anyway, right? Dogs who are allowed to wander is the main reason I bought Anatolian shepherds. I am not home to protect my sheep all the time. Once these dogs get big enough, neighbor's dogs will no longer be an issue to me.

i dont want to get into an arguement over the right hunters have to shoot someones dog. my dog had a collar on, and never went off into the woods but that one time. i think its quite clear to tell a scraggly dirty stray dog to a clean well fed purebred dog, and to me thats very wrong to kill someones pet who may have stepped off thier property one time. also, if i had a dog that could be a danger to anyones animals, firstly i would not have it because i have livestock of my own, but secondly i would not let it loose to wander and possibly kill someones livestock. i have had my sheep killed by something and stray dogs were said to be a possibility so i understand the concern of keeping your dogs in your own yard. BUT again, my dog never hurt a fly and was not the kind of dog to take down a deer so that was most certainly not happening, therefore no need to shoot her. i think hunters need to take it down a notch with being so territorial because hunting is a SPORT, this isnt the old days where people are hunting to feed thier families. sure some are, but most of the hunters around here have brand new atvs and deer feeders baiting the deer and cameras in the woods, all expensive items for thier hobby. i dont knock hunting, but i also wont be told someone had the right to shoot my dog because she innocently crossed thier path.
but anyway to stay on track, if keeping a dog loose is your plan as is mine, an anitolian is probably not the way to go from the info provided.