Anatolian Shepherds originated from Turkey, bred to protect their owners’ livestock. They could fight away wild animals that come searching for prey. Central Turkey was also known as Anatolia hence the name Anatolian Shepherds. The Americans imported Anatolian Shepherds before World War II, intending to discover which breed was suitable to meet the needs of American ranchers. Thus, American farmers gradually started importing Anatolians from Turkey in the 1950s.
Kangal is the official breed of Turkey and is rarely referred to as Karabash. He comes from a particular area in Turkey, the Kangal District, Sivas Province, where dog lovers found this breed. However, some claim that Kangals still exist and are not allowed to export.
Vs. Anatolian Shepherd Kangal Dog
According to the American Kennel Club, Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal are the same breeds, although the United Kennel Club recognizes them as separate breeds. The Federation Cynologique Internationale also considers them to be the same. Thus, they are recognized as the Kangal Shepherd dogs.
Table of Contents
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal – Pros
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Terrific guard dogs
Terrific guard dogs
Easy to train
Children-friendly when trained
Affectionate and loyal family dogs
Devoted and alert
Tolerates being alone
Tolerates being alone
Easy to groom
Medium grooming needs (High when compared to Anatolian shepherd
Intuitive and intelligent
Protective but not aggressive
Fewer exercise needs
Long life span
Hard-working dog
Wonderful herding skills
Adapts well to both cold and hot temperatures
Rarely feels threatened
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal – Cons
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Willful, independent, authoritative, and confident
Pack leaders with other pets and dogs
Sheds profusely
High exercise needs
Proper socialization is a must
A Kangal’s attack can be hazardous
Barks loudly
Barks loudly
Unsuitable for apartment lifestyle due to large size dogs
Unsuitable for apartment lifestyle due to large size dogs
Unsuitable for new owners
Unsuitable for new owners
Great wanderer and escape artist
High shedding amount
Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolian Shepherds are bold, confident dogs with protecting and guarding instincts. They are large dogs that originated in Turkey some thousand years ago by nomadic men. He is relatively healthy and requires significantly less grooming, training, and exercise. However, he would require proper socialization and monitoring amidst the strangers. He belongs to the working dog’s group of fearless, loyal guard dogs of family, flock, and property.
Kangal Shepherd
The Kangal Dog is an exceptionally loyal, kid-friendly, and family-friendly guardian dog. They need a lot of space for their everyday exercise needs. Belonging to the working dog group, they are good at protecting and herding livestock and their owners. Kangal Dogs are large, powerful, heavy-boned dogs whose size and proportions have developed naturally due to their continuous use in Turkey as guardians against predators. Finally, early socialization and training will make him a well-mannered dog.
Anatolian Shepherds are muscular, large canines with features like flat or rectangular ears, a rectangular face, muzzle, and a moderate-length neck on a barrel body with brown or black eyes. In contrast, blue and bi-color are a deviation from the breed standard. Anatolian Shepherds have soft, double coats that make them look fluffy. The coats come in smooth and rough, short and long. Anatolian Shepherds come in myriad colors such as brindle, red fawn, blue fawn, white-biscuit, and liver. However, some standard colors are cream, white, sesame, brindle, white and biscuit, blue fawn, red fawn, liver, and piebald, of which a fawn coat with a black mask is typical. Anatolian Shepherds have more fur around their shoulders, neck, and thighs. In addition, their coats are generally longer.
Kangal
Kangal dogs are characterized as dogs with broadheads moderately wide and small floppy ears. They boast a double coat that barely sheds except during shedding season. He is a massive dog with a broad chest and sturdy and muscular fore – hindquarters that end in big paws. The tail is curled up over his back. Unlike Anatolian Shepherds, the Kangal dogs bear a short to medium length, double coat. They have a coarser topcoat with an exuberant undercoat.
Male and female Kangal dogs are similar in many ways; however, the shape of their head is different. While the male’s head is large, the female’s is narrower. Their eyes are dark, oval and sedative owing to their droopy eyelids. Kangals have black patches on muzzles that sometimes extend up to heads.
Kangal dogs come in very few color combinations: gray, tan, and light pale yellow with white paws, a black snout, and black ears. They mostly boast brown shades with some facial colorings.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Temperament
Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolian Shepherds are affectionate, loyal, bold, intelligent, confident, and courageous with a bit of aggressiveness. They are lovely family dogs, friendly with both kids and animals. The suspicious and defensive instincts come naturally due to their primary job guarding the livestock. These canines should be properly socialized and monitored when they are amidst strangers. Anatolian Shepherds are not challenging to train with great ability to think. The trainer should control these canines and follow firm, authoritative training methods.
Kangal
Kangal dogs are alpha dogs, calm till getting attacked, wary of strangers, protective, and rambunctious with other pets. They stand grounded during the process of guarding, which prevents them from impending danger. Thus, he is a dog with an unpredictable defensive nature. They are excellent family dogs who highly protect their family and livestock without being aggressive. Despite their positive attitudes, they are still unsuitable for first-time owners.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal – Temperament Overview
Temperament
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Affection level
Low to medium
Low to medium
Family-friendly
High
High
Kid-friendly
Low to medium
Medium to high
Pet-friendly
Medium
High
Stranger -friendly
Low to medium
Low
Good for apartment living
Low
Low
Good to new owners
Low to medium
Low
Sensitivity level
Low
Low
Tolerates being alone
Medium to high
Medium to high
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Training
Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolian Shepherds need early socialization since they are aggressive towards strangers and are instinctively protective. These canines should be trained for obedience; however, training can be challenging. Anatolian shepherds are intelligent, and they love independence. Thus, they make their own decisions by not responding quickly to commands. Therefore this breed requires a dominant trainer who would train firmly.
Kangal
Kangal dogs can be excellent watchdogs and loving companions with firm and consistent training. These canines are intelligent and obedient. They work dedicatedly as guarding dogs, although learning protecting skills demands patient training. Although they are eager learners, they love independence and can be stubborn. Hence it is essential to train them when they are young. Housebreaking, positive reinforcement, and reward-based training are some training methods to be followed. Thus proper and early socialization and training are essential to teaching them how to behave with children, strangers, and other pets.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Trainability Overview
Trainability
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Easy to train
Medium to high
Medium to high
Intelligence
Medium to high
Medium to high
Mouthiness tendencies
Low
Low
Barking and Howling tendencies
Low to medium
Medium to high
Prey drive
Low
Low
Wanderlust tendencies
Low
Low
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Exercise Needs
Anatolian Shepherd
An Anatolian Shepherd requires a vast fenced yard to exercise every day. They are high-energy dogs, and working dogs would crave a lot of physical activities. Lack of physical stimulation and mental stimulation can make them destructive.
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Interactive Puzzle
A minimum of forty-five minutes of exercise daily is vital for Kangal dogs. These dogs would require a yard and be happy to roam around and run if given plenty of space. They are not very energetic dogs but are active and athletic. Therefore to meet their exercise requirements, a simple daily walk to the park or letting them roam from room to room, or several outdoor runs or ample outdoor space with a tall secured fence will be sufficient for them.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Exercise Needs Overview
Exercise Overview
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Energy level
Medium to high
Medium to high
Exercise needs
Medium to high
Medium to high
Playfulness
Medium to high
Medium
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Grooming
Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolian Shepherds bear a dense undercoat to guard against the unwanted elements while working. The outer coat is short and would require weekly brushing. It sheds profusely twice a year while losing the undercoat. Other grooming needs include:
Brushing their teeth regularly.
Cleaning their ears and eyes.
Trimming their nails when required.
Kangal
Kangal dogs bear double coats that shed significantly less except during shedding season. Therefore, pet parents must brush their coats daily during shedding season to remove dead hair with an appropriate deshedding tool. Other grooming needs include:
Brushing their teeth regularly.
Cleaning their ears and eyes.
Trimming their nails when required.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Grooming Overview
Grooming Needs
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Easy to groom
Medium to high
Low to medium
Drooling tendency
Medium
Low
Amount of shedding
Low to medium
High
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Health
Anatolian Shepherds and Kangal are purebred dogs that would be healthy with proper health care. However, some ailments are vulnerable and involve genetic and non-genetic health problems. A healthy Anatolian Shepherd will live up to 11 to 13 years, and a healthy Kangal lives up to 12 to 15 years. The breed-specific health conditions of both these dogs are listed below:
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Health Overview
Health overview
Anatolian Shepherd
Kangal
Overall health
Medium to high
Low to medium
Weight gain tendencies
Low to medium
Low to medium
Size
High
High
Anatolian Shepherd Specific Health Conditions
Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is a disorder that affects dogs during their growing phase. It causes the hip joint to relax, resulting in discomfort and dysfunction. In addition, the cartilage and bones in the dog’s hip start to wear away as he develops. This leads to arthritis, muscular atrophy, and decreased mobility over time.
Elbow Dysplasia: This disorder occurs when the elbow joint bones don’t fit appropriately. This condition generates abnormal pressure at the joint, leading to chronic rubbing and painful osteoarthritis.
Symptoms
Mild to moderate pain
Lameness in the forelimbs
Mange: Sarcoptic mange is an infectious skin disease that affects dogs. It is passed from dogs to people and vice versa. Dips and topical lotions are used in the treatment of mange in dogs. When a dog is identified with mange, it will have severe itching on many portions of its body.
Entropion: Entropion is caused when the eyelid rolls inward, irritating the eyeball from eyelashes rubbing on the surface. In critical cases, entropion can cause a corneal ulcer. The treatment for this disease is surgical.
Hypothyroidism is when a dog’s metabolism is slowed due to the lack of thyroid hormone production. Symptoms are:
Lethargy
Gaining weight
Reluctance to work out
Hair Loss
Anesthesia Sensitivity: Some dogs are sensitive to anesthesia. Hence, it is better to check with the breeder and inform your vet before adopting or buying any dog breed.
Pet owners can minimize the severity of health issues in the dogs by buying these breeds from an authorized breeder engaged in proper breeding practices and screening for frequent ailments.
Kangal Specific Health Conditions
Entropion: Entropion is caused when the eyelid rolls inward, irritating the eyeball from eyelashes rubbing on the surface. In critical cases, entropion can cause a corneal ulcer. The treatment for this disease is surgical.
Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is a disorder that affects dogs during their growing phase. It causes the hip joint to relax, resulting in discomfort and dysfunction. In addition, the cartilage and bones in the dog’s hip start to wear away as he develops. This leads to arthritis, muscular atrophy, and decreased mobility over time.
Anesthesia Sensitivity: Some dogs are sensitive to anesthesia. Hence, it is better to check with the breeder and inform your vet accordingly before adopting or buying any dog breeds.
The pet owners can minimize the severity of health issues in the dogs by buying these breeds from an authorized breeder engaged in proper breeding practices and screening for frequent ailments.
Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Kangal: Diet and Nutrition
Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal belong to the working dog group and are large breeds. Thus, these breeds would need the same quantity of food, typically three to four cups daily. In addition, a high-quality kibble specially designed for large breed dogs is preferred. This is vital during their early stages of life that helps reduce the chances of developing skeletal issues such as elbow and hip dysplasia.
Adding anAnatolian Shepherd to Your Family
The pet owners should be ready to provide physical activities and spend time with them.
Anatolian Shepherds are unsuitable for new owners, apartments, and houses without yards.
They would need a firm trainer.
Proper socialization and training can make Anatolian Shepherd a perfect addition to the family.
Sensitive to anesthesia.
They have a slight drooling tendency.
Cost of an Anatolian Shepherd Puppy
The cost of an Anatolian Shepherd puppy is $1000 and above.
Things to Remember Before BreedinganAnatolian Shepherd and Kangal
Several factors are involved while breeding that apply to both the Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal dogs. They are as follows:
Reputed Breeders
Vaccinations
Bloodline
Certification from Kennel Clubs
Disease Testing
Always keep observing your pet, and if you find any changes in their routine with their temperament or diet, you must immediately take them to the vet. Fixing regular vet checkups and sticking to vaccination schedules are the two ways to help you keep your Anatolian Shepherd and Kangal healthy and hearty.
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