or his new best friend. My friend just said, “OK, Toby, a friend,” and then she turned to me and said, “You’ll be fine to come and go now.”
“Sure,” I thought, “I understand her, but does the dog?” Evidently Toby did understand, because he and I became fast friends and I came and went over the next few days without incident.
My next encounter with the breed was a tad more intimidating in that “Jake” was on the other side of another friend’s fenced property. When I drove up to the gate, I had to get out of my car to ring the bell that announced my arrival. Jake’s bark and bared teeth made it clear that in no uncertain terms my side of the fence is exactly where I should remain, and remain I did until my host came down and let our protective friend know I was friend and not foe.
For the rest of my weekend there, Jake was the most amiable and fun companion I could have imagined having. He was my hiking companion and, by mutual agreement, shared the guest room with me. He would also have gladly shared my bed had there been room for both of us. It was then and there that the Anatolian earned a special place on my list of breeds that I especially admire.
SECURITY
When the Anatolian worked as a guardian of the flocks, there were no fences. Rather, he staked out the territory that his herd occupied and trespassers were not permitted within those boundaries. Most of us do not live in pastures and, if we do not, we cannot afford to allow our Anatolian to define his own perimeters. It could mean instant death to an unsuspecting stray or a neighbor’s dog who did not understand that your Anatolian had included part of the road in his stakeout.
No Anatolian should be in a home that does not have a property that is secured by a fence of adequate height—at least 5 or 6 feet (152–183 cms)—and that has gates that can be locked. There can be no exceptions to this rule.
The Anatolian is not a dog that can be left on his own continuously. Yes, he spent little time with the shepherd in his life on the Anatolian Plateau, but don’t forget, he was working then. He was not only a protector but also a member of the flock with whom he lived. Thus, he had companionship. He had something to do and lots of woolly whites to do it with. Denied the opportunity to serve and protect, the Anatolian could easily develop behavioral problems, often manifested in destructive digging.
The Anatolian is an ideal family dog in that he is able to share his devotion with every member of the family and has an innate ability to adjust his own mood to that of a particular family member. Do understand that your Anatolian will be on patrol at all times and will advise you vocally of the least suspicious sound or movement. In other words, the Anatolian barks. This is especially so with the young Anatolian who is still learning what is a threat and what isn’t. Time and supervision help in this situation, but your Anatolian is going to let you know when there is anything going on that he isn’t quite sure should be taking place. His only way of doing so is vocally.
TRAINING THE ANATOLIAN
Commonly used training techniques may not always work with Anatolians, and new owners should stay in touch with the breeder from whom their dog was purchased so that they can be guided through problem training periods. Force does not work with this breed, and patience is high on the list of virtues a good trainer must possess.
TRAINABILITY
When you think about training an Anatolian Shepherd, you must first stop to remember his history: as sole guardian of the flock, this dog was expected to make sound decisions based on the welfare of his charges. That takes having a mind of his own and little or no experience in blindly following orders just because someone blurted them out.
Can you train an Anatolian? The answer is yes. Will it be easy? Well, a lot will depend on the individual dog and your ability as a trainer. Don’t, however, expect your Anatolian to do things like dash off after and retrieve a ball 88 times in a row. The Anatolian is more apt to assume if you’ve thrown something away, you probably don’t want it. And if he does bring the ball or tossed item back to you and you immediately throw it again, he’s far more apt to give you a puzzled look that tells you he thinks you’ve taken leave of your senses. In other words, blind and seemingly pointless obedience is not the Anatolian’s strong suit. Anatolians have acquired obedience degrees in competitions, but I wouldn’t anticipate their pressing Goldens or Border Collies in accumulating top awards.
There are times when your Anatolian needs correction, and you must be forthright and uncompromising in this respect. This, however, never means striking your dog. A rap on the nose with a finger or holding his head in your hands with eye-to-eye contact and a stern “No!” may well be necessary. The young alpha-type Anatolian male particularly can try and flex his dominance muscles. He must be made to understand that it is you who establishes and maintains law and order. Firmness will not shatter the Anatolian, but harsh methods can destroy the dog’s personality and trainability.
Repetition and determination work best with the breed and, once learned, lessons seem almost a natural part of the Anatolian’s character. Avoidance of bad habits works best. Not allowing unwanted behavior to occur in the first place is infinitely simpler than trying to convince your Anatolian to stop something he has been doing all along.
WITH OTHER PETS AND ANIMALS
Our Anatolian friend Toby lives in a home that also includes what I refer to as an entire “flock” of Papillons. When visiting there, I have watched in awe as the Papillons—adults and puppies—climb over and under this quadruple-dip vanilla mountain. The oldsters cuddle up next to him to keep warm and the puppies dangle happily off his ears. When the “Papillon Wrecking Crew” gets to be too much for the patience of this gentle giant, he simply nudges them aside and then stands by patiently for the next assault. But let a stranger or strange dog even threaten to harm a member of his little flock and Toby is ready, willing and able to turn himself into a canine tornado capable of taking down a full-grown man.
This is the same dog that amazingly plays sentry the minute he realizes one of the Papillon mothers-to-be is about to commence whelping. And this he knows long before there are any signs discernible to the humans who are in residence. No man or beast is permitted beyond the whelping room door other than his owner or the individuals to which his owner gives the OK, and then only when she is present.
Another Anatolian whom I got to know on a one-to-one basis is owned by a young lady who suffers from a physical disability. She uses her friend and companion as an assistance dog. He is always directly at her side to steady and support the woman to whom he is so obviously devoted.
Her Anatolian accompanies her everywhere, but I see them most often at dog shows where strange dogs of all shapes and sizes pass by. Her boy, however, ignores them all and usually will be seen fast asleep in the corner of a room somewhere just far enough away where he can keep a closed but somehow still watchful eye on his mistress. All his owner needs to do is attempt to rise from her chair and he is at her side. His awareness and keen sensitivity to her needs are remarkable and touching.
Your Anatolian would be no less diligent, watchful and tolerant if your other pets were cats, rodents or birds. But do note that I said your other pets. Woe be to the strange dog or other beast that might trespass! It had better be fleet of foot!
HEALTH CONCERNS IN THE ANATOLIAN BREED
The Anatolian Shepherd is still close to his Spartan working dog origins and presently has few significant genetic problems to concern new owners or breeders. The breed lives to a surprisingly old age for a dog so
