Anatolian Shepherd

Breed Type: Working
Weight: 110 to 150 lbs for Males, 80 to 120 lbs for Females
Height: 29 inches for Males, 27 inches for Females
Coat type: Smooth and short coat but it has longer hair around the collar and tail.
Color: Mostly available in fawn color with a black mask shaped patch on face.

Anatolian Shepherds are extremely large, rugged and powerful dogs with great agility and stamina. They are a versatile breed which can tolerate even the worse of climate and nomadic lifestyle. They are fast learners, bold as well as confident. An Anatolian Shepherd matures slowly and doesn't completely mature until an age of four years. Anatolian Shepherd is a fiercely loyal and protective towards his master, which makes him perfect choice for a pet variety.

History
The place of origin of Anatolian Shepherd couldn't be traced, though it is highly believed that they are probably the descendent of the Tibetan Mastiff by way of Roman war dogs, who were supposedly brought from the Himalayas with migrating shepherds of the Central Asia, who settled in Turkey. However some zoologists are of the opinion that they are an evolutionary descendents of the large Asiatic wolves which were found on the Anatolian Plateau covering most of Turkey, and into Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

It is said that the Anatolian Shepherd Dogs came to the U.S. for the very first time in 1930's. They were actually a gift from the Turkish Government to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. After this, several efforts were made to increase the population of Anatolian Shepherd Dogs in the country; several pups and dogs were imported to the country. The researches on this dog also began in 1930 in England when Dr. Charmian Steele, an archaeologist of Great Britain found the ancestral links and traits of this of this breed. His two dogs Gazi and Sabahat were the first Anatolian Shepherd dog to be registered with any foreign Kennel Club. He later gifted a dog of the breed to Bob Ballard, a gentleman in US Navy who later founded Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America in 1970.

Appearance
The Anatolian is a muscular breed with a broad head and sturdy body. It is about 27 to 30 inches high and weighs around 40 to 65 kg. It has a set of triangular drop ears on the slightly wide and rounded skull. The eyes of Anatolian Shepherded range from gold to deep brown in color. The legs of these dogs are straight and set apart. The coat of the Anatolian Shepherd can be any color, though the most common are white cream, 'sesame' and white with large colored spots known as piebald. These colors may or may not be accompanied by a black mask.

Personality
Anatolian Shepherds are majestic and noble companions of humans; they have been used by Turkish shepherds for herding and serving as flock guardian since long. They are brave, cautious around strangers and get along with other animals and children of the family and that they are acquainted with early in life. They may be stubborn sometimes and need firm, experienced trainers. They need to be trained very early in life.