Livestock protection dogs have been used for centuries in Asia and Europe but were not considered seri­ously in North America until about 20 years ago. Most livestock producers are familiar with herding sheep dogs such as Border Collies and Australian Cattle Dogs. Until recently, the idea of using a dog to protect sheep and goats was a foreign one, as strange to some as the unusual types of dogs that were bred to do that job. Some of the more familiar breeds that were imported here several decades ago as companions, guardians and  show dogs include the Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, Komondor and Tibetan Mastiff. There are still a good number of these dogs that have the temperament to guard livestock, inspite of a long history of selective breeding for show and companion characteristics. Some of the less com­mon breeds that have been imported more recently, specifically for their use in livestock protection, include Maremma (Italy), Shar Planinetz (Yugoslavia), Anatolian Shepherd and Akbash Dog (Turkey). There are many other breeds found throughout the world, but very few are available in North America.

We decided after researching LGD's that the Akbash Dog was the one we wanted for our own flock of sheep. We understood that the dogs received no veterinary care in Turkey, tended to be malnour­ished, parasitized, and eliminated early if they were unhealthy or did not display good working ability. We wanted a breed with such a strong working temperament and we have not been disappointed.

The Akbash Dog is a large, all white dog with dark eyes, nose and skin pigment. They have a keen sense of sight, hearing and smell. They are tall, long-bodied and long-legged, and can run with amazing speed. This trait may come from their sight- hound ancestry. Modern sighthounds include breeds like the Greyhound, Saluki and Borzoi. The Mastiff in their background gives them their size and protectiveness. They are calm dogs with a low rate of metabolism and their quiet temperament allows them to be tolerated by the stock they are guarding. Their low metabolic rate also enables them to survive on a rel­atively small amount of food. They are relatively free of serious genetic problems such as hip dysplasia, blood disorders and infertility.

Female Akbash Dogs range from 80 to 100 pounds, 27 to 30 inches at the shoulder. Males are between 100 to 130 pounds and measure 29 to 32 inches tall. They have two types of coat; a medium smooth coat, 2 to 3 inches long, or a longer coat reaching 6 to 8 inches along the mane and tail. Both coats are coarse, relatively non-matting fur ideal for outdoor lifestyles. In the summer heat they shed their undercoat; in the cold they can grow incredibly thick coats and are well protected from the snow and wind of a continental winter climate.


Akbash Dogs are slow to mature and males may not reach full size until the age of 3 years. Males and females alike possess a strong mater­nal instinct, especially with respect to small and young animals and chil­dren. They bond to whatever they are raised with, which is why it is sug­gested that as pups they be placed with the livestock they will eventually be expected to protect. A pup will not usually be dependable until it is about 12 to 18 months of age, although some may `get to work' at 6 months.


Akbash Dogs have also been used as companion dogs, although it is not usually advised unless the owners have had previous experience with a large breed, particularly of the guard dog variety. Livestock protection breeds are noted for their indepen­dence, which requires firm handling and consistent discipline. If not brought up properly, Akbash Dogs can become dominant aggressive, which means they may challenge their owners and even bite them. In the majority of such instances, the dog grew up thinking he was an equal or ranked above the owner in the family hierarchy. As gentle as they appear to be with lambs and sheep, when Akbash Dogs are allowed to share the home and yard, they must be taught from a very early age that they are subordinate to all the humans in the family. This is not something that the average dog owner can do successfully with strong-willed Turkish breeds, such as the Akbash Dog.

To illustrate the strong survival and working instincts of Akbash Dogs, here is a true story about these dogs told by a Turkish expatriot. An old shepherd took his flock of sheep and several dogs up into the highlands for summer pasturing. This is a com­mon practice all over Turkey and in many other Asian and African coun­tries. In the fall, all the flocks were brought down from the mountain pastures to overwinter near the vil­lages. But the old shepherd did not return, so several men went up to look for him. When they located his flock, he was nowhere to be seen. The flock seemed to be doing well. There were several pups with the dogs since a bitch had whelped her litter during the summer. The dogs had been hunting for small game such as mice and rabbits, and were thin but otherwise well. Eventually the old shepherd was located. He apparently had died earlier in the summer. Even so, the dogs had man­aged to keep the herd safe and raise a litter of pups.

This story illustrates the strong working temperament of this breed. These instincts must be born in mind when a sheep rancher is deciding how to manage his flock. Most Akbash Dogs have a very large sense of territory and need good fencing to keep them on a small farm. Electric fences are the most effective. Bored dogs without enough work to do can become nuisance barkers, diggers or escape artists. Akbash Dogs are also one of the most dog-aggressive of the protection breeds, which is a plus where predation is a problem, but a negative to the typical companion owner. They are generally sensible around larger predators like bears and cougars, although some have been known to flight when they are confronted or catch the predator in the middle of their flock. Fortunately, most predators, even large ones, prefer to avoid the dogs when they are actively marking their territories and staying close to their flocks. 
Within any litter of Akbash Dog pups, there can be great variability in temperament.  Not all pups in a litter from any of the working breeds will necessarily be successful with livestock. Some should be chan­neled toward companion homes where they can interact with people rather than stock. Even so, Akbash Dogs placed in companion environ­ments should only go to experienced owners.


Akbash Dogs not only live with and guard domestic livestock and poultry, some have been successfully raised with exotic animals such as emus, ostriches, alpacas and mon­keys. For such bonding to occur, the animals a pup is raised with must somehow interact with the dog, preferably in a positive manner. The mature dog will then guard this unusual 'pack' as if they were part of its family unit. If complete bonding does not occur, such as in cases of aggressive, established livestock to which a pup is introduced, the Akbash Dog can still provide protec­tion by being territorial, especially within fenced property. We have read of one dog who guards mink in cages. His primary role is to keep unautho­rized, after-hour human visitors away from the mink. However, since he was raised with the mink, he has been known to alert the workers to any escaped animals, and occasional­ly even helps to capture them. When a baby mink kit falls out of the cage, he will bark until someone comes to return it to it's cage. This is remark­able when one realizes that normally Akbash Dogs consider animals like mink to be vermin and will kill them. In fact, they selectively kill gophers, mice, rats, skunks and sometimes trespassing cats.



Much of this information is from the Shepherd's Journal, January 1996 Article by Orysia Dawydiak of Odessa Farms

Dr. David E. Sims, an associate pro­fessor of veterinary microanatomy, teaches veterinary students and does research at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Orysia Dawydiak, is a research toxicologist at the same institution. They have raised sheep, goats and dogs on their farm, and have written a book based on their own as well as others' experi­ences and research called, Livestock Protection Dogs - Selection, Care and Training. This book received a Dog Writers' of America award in the Best General Reference category in 1990.

Reprinted by permission of the Shepherds' Journal