Country of Origin:  Turkey

The Turkish Kangal is the national dog of Turkey.  Although similar in appearance and often confused as one another, it is not the same as the Anatolian, a breed that is considered a crossbred street mongrel in Turkey, although afforded AKC registration status here.  

One of the best general information sites I have found on the breed is here at this link:  http://www.kangalkopegi.org/breed.html .  

My personal interest in the Kangal stems from my belief, after owning them and seeing how they work guarding my livestock and ranch, that they are highly capable of holding their own against large predators, such as the wolf.  If run in the right numbers, and/or in conjunction with other LGD breeds, such as the Spanish Mastiff or Maremma for example, a working LGD pack made up with some Kangals in it could probably successfully keep a flock of sheep protected and safe from any attacks.  Their tolerance of pain is above most other LGD breeds.  They can withstand cold winters as they develop a thick winter coat for protection, and can exist in hot climates just as well.  

With its short hair the Kangal is a low maintenance breed that has minimal health issues, in all probability to its primitive nature and not having been “AKC’d to death”.  Strongly affectionate with their owner and immediate family, the breed is aloof and suspicious of anyone else.  They possess great stamina and athletic ability and can leap over anything not tall enough to stop them, thus adequate fencing is paramount for owning this breed.  They are ‘homebodies’ not inclined to roam like some other LGD breeds.  They will strive to be the alpha dog in most packs.  If the LGDs you are currently running lack courage or grit, adding some Kangals into your pack will definitely increase your livestock's chance for survival against large predators, including packs of marauding or feral dogs, bear, lion, wolf packs, coyotes and the two legged variety that might be thinking about nabbing some free lamb or beef.

The Kangal has been somewhat rare in the US due mostly to the parent breed club’s imposition of strict no-breed, forced neuter-spay agreements on puppies, and an incredibly obsessive tight control over the breed.  

Prices of pups have been kept out of reach of most people and the breed has been heavily marketed as an ‘elite estate guardian’ to the wealthy few who could afford $2500-3000 for a puppy that was not even going to be allowed to breed as an adult.  By doing this the KDCA (and a few ‘old guard’ non-KDCA breeders as well) kept competition to a minimum and only “their” Kangals were considered to be “real” and “purebred”.   Unfortunately this still goes on today, and some people will pay those prices because they think they have to.  

Ironically, in spite of being formed in the 1980’s the KDCA only has four breeders it recognizes, which gives you an idea of the control they have tried to maintain over this Turkish breed in the US.  

In this country the Kangal scene has been a dictatorship, run mostly by monied elite control freaks with no real ranching, cowboying or livestock background, who are afraid of their dogs and have strived to ‘breed down’ some of the Kangal’s natural guardian ability and intensity.  

The directions they have been pushing the breed here in the US have not been accepted well at all by many Turkish Kangal breeders in Turkey.  There are some Kangal breeders here in the US who would like the breed to morph or melt down into a ‘kinder, gentler’, sanitized, prim couch potato that only occasionally rears its head to yap.  Rest assured I am not one of them.  My Kangals are trustworthy, stable and devoted yet intense powerhouses when it comes to stopping a threat, and will remain that way.  Period.

Finally there are now options.  Not just myself but some other Kangal breeders in the US are NOT supporting OR recognizing the parent club, joining it or buying breeding stock from its breeders, nor are we affiliating ourselves with some of the older more established and well-known Kangal breeders who try to control who’s dogs can get registered.

Fortunately now for anyone wanting a Kangal, there are now breeders of purebred Kangals in the US who, by refusing to operate through the KDCA or some of the more elitist breeders, are able to produce non-registered yet positively top quality purebred Kangals of excellent conformation, temperament, guarding and working ability - at far more reasonable and affordable prices.  The stranglehold on the breed in this country that the parent club has had is slipping rapidly.

As could be expected, those of us ‘rogue breeders’ who aren’t kowtowing to the ‘old guard’ have been subject to slanderous attacks by these people trying to discredit us, who falsely claim we “fight Kangals” or have brought them over illegally, none of which is true.  Obviously we are rocking their boat...and it needs to be rocked - if not entirely sunk.  That they are bad-mouthing my Kangals and others’ behind our backs only shows how jealous and frightened they are of competition.

It is my intent to make this wonderful LGD breed available to ranchers, livestockmen and families without binding contracts or stipulations and no forced spay or neuter agreements, at reasonable prices that the working man can afford.  I truly believe this is one of the breeds that can turn things around for ranchers losing stock in terms of non-lethal predator control.

If you are a rancher thinking about trying out Kangals in your LGD program, please call me for more information and to discuss this wonderful breed’s potential.  When it comes to Kangals you DO have options.  You do NOT have to pay a fortune for a puppy, nor sign away your breeding rights to that dog, or agree to a forced spay/neuter.