What do Turkish people say about their native breeds?
The Kangal Dog is the regional breed most widely known and admired in Turkey. Ask almost any Turk what a Kangal Dog is, and you will get a pretty accurate description, perhaps embellished with a bit of glorious myth and legend about the prowess of the breed. Everyone knows this breed, where they come from, what they look like, what they have been bred for. Other breeds, such as the Akbash and Kars Dogs, are less widely known outside their region of origin. However, you would be hard pressed to find any Turkish person who believes that the Kangal Dog and the Akbash dog are the same breed, or that all the livestock guardians throughout the country are the same breed, and most Turks have never heard of the “Anatolian Shepherd Dog.” Keep in mind that the majority of Turks today live in urban areas, and those who keep dogs tend to prefer small foreign pet breeds. But as the popularity of dogs as pets is on the rise in Turkey, interest and pride in indigenous Turkish breeds is rising also. T
