sheepdog

Meet the Anatolian Shepherd by Jennifer Floyd
Walking through the crisp dawn, the heavy farm gate looms in the dim light. The first rays of the sun sparkle over the heavy frost blanketing the field. As I open the gate, pushing my wheelbarrow full of feed, two big furry shapes gallop up, exhaling smoke-like plumes, ice crystals spiking their thick fur ruffs and forming a white blanket over their backs; this phenomenon is more visible in the smaller liver masked roan bitch, Yildiz, while her companion, the huge, solid white male, Sim, merely glistens a bit.
Both of them are Anatolian Shepherds, a breed of dog that originated in that region of Turkey referred to as the Anatolian Plateau; their ancestors kept wolves and other predators from devouring the herds of sheep and goats which were entrusted to their care. Today, many farms and ranches in the USA and around the world continue to use these dogs for their ancestral purpose; Anatolians are even used in Namibia as a part of the cheetah conservation program. By protecting the farmer’s livestock from predators, there is not the overwhelming need to shoot those predators, in order to make a living. This breed is recognized by the FCI, and in the United States, by AKC and UKC.
Sim and Yildiz are partners, protecting a small flock of Shetland sheep, and a larger flock of rare breed exhibition poultry, in the rugged hills of San Diego’s East county. This region is still quite rural, and boasts a diverse population of predators, ranging from the ever-present coyote packs, to raccoons, bobcats, and the occasional cougar. By using flock guardian dogs, my animals are kept safe, and the biodiversity of the region is left untouched. While having snug dog houses thickly bedded with grass hay, Sim and Yildiz prefer to bed down immediately next to their flocks, ready to sound an alarm at any unusual movement or sound.
Sim and Yildiz on a "look-out" rock - sheep shed in background.
They are actually larger than the sheep they guard; Sim, at 145 pounds, outweighs the rams by 25 pounds, and Yildiz is, at 100 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than the individual ewes. Newborn lambs tip the scales at around 4 pounds, so are very vulnerable to predators - during lambing season, both dogs stick to the flock as though magnetically attached. Otherwise, the dogs are likely to be found at the top of the huge granite boulders scattered around the pasture, watching over their territory, or making frequent forays along the fence line. Anatolians can travel in bursts of speed, over 35 miles per hour, but are sprinters, and prefer to spend much of their time looking inconspicuous. They are helped in this by the variety of colors found in the breed, ranging from the most common, black masked fawn, through white, pinto, brindle, and other colors, such as liver masked fawn, which allows them to blend into many types of terrain.
Despite the fact that both of them are altered, which allows them to concentrate on their job, the fact that they are an opposite sex pair is not an accident. This breed is typically same-sex aggressive, and gets along best in households where they do not have to share territory with dogs of the same gender. With proper socialization, Anatolian Shepherds can be quite well-mannered in public, though. In fact, Sim is now on his second career - he is also an ARBA champion, with a Canine Good Citizen certificate, an American Temperament Test Society certificate, and a novice obedience leg to his credit. He was bored with the life of a house dog, and has settled happily into his new role. His partner, Yildiz, is his sister’s daughter, and was raised with the sheep from puppyhood - she tends to regard herself as a member of the flock, while Sim views the sheep more as his property. She is the swift one, and Sim is the muscle to help back up her warnings.
While Anatolian Shepherds can be versatile dogs, and be successful in a variety of situations, they are not for the meek, or the novice dog owner. They are big, dominant, serious dogs, requiring a handler that knows how to both lead and persuade, and who is willing to commit to the time it takes to train these dogs properly, and to allow for the kind of lifestyle that can include them. Without fences, Anatolians will not stay put, within fences, they are prone to digging and rearranging the landscape; one of Sim’s brothers, while growing up in his new home, peeled the ornamental stripping off of his owner’s brand-new van. Most will not tolerate strangers coming and going in their houses; "strangers" are anyone whom they have not grown up seeing frequently, or is not a member of the family. They also, being double coated, tend to shed profusely. With this in mind, some creative minded, patient people have trained Anatolians to be service dogs, have titled them in tracking and obedience, and have done carting, agility and other activities with them. In the role of companion animal, the dog that will allow lambs or kids to climb over them, will regard the attentions of children with much the same sort of tolerance. These dogs regard their family to be their "flock", and will tend to lie around the house, keeping an eye on them; if not kept involved with their human flock, they may be prone to destructive behavior and excessive barking.
After licking up the last scraps of their breakfast kibble, Sim and Yildiz nuzzle my pockets hopefully, checking for biscuits. They follow me up the hill, headed for the barn, and the sheep, whose plaintive "baahing" tells us to hurry up. They trot off ahead, circling the field one more time, in a timeless moment that could be anywhere, anywhen, and is repeated in many places - the flock guardian dogs and their ancient calling.