Kangal Breed, an amazing dog!

Hi, my name is Kippie, at least that is my short name.  I am the little girl of champions.  I am a Livestock Guardian Dog and my roots are in Turkey.  I watch over the alpacas and the other dogs and animals, (two-leggers & four-leggers) at my home, The 1 Alpaca Farm. Livestock Guardian Dog is simply my job description, actually I am a Kangal Dog.  Let me tell you a little bit about my breed of dog.  My breed springs from the Kangal District, a region located in east central Turkey.  The Kangal is the most famous breed of indigenous dog in Turkey.  We are on the face of a Turkish postage stamp and surely must be known as the national dog of Turkey.  Our size is intimidating to say the least, standing a minimum of 30 inches at the withers and weighing at least 120 lbs.  In our homeland we are called Sivas Kangal Kpegi, which is translated to Sivas Kangal Dog.  Sivas is a small town south of the Pontic Mountains.  This area was called Galatia in the biblical times.  No one knows how long we have been there but judging by our numbers and the historic role that we have played in the lives of our sheep herding people, we are without doubt a very ancient breed.  In fact along with the other Turkish LGD, the Akbash Dog, we still watch over the sheep and goat herds of our people just as we have for thousands of years.  I am going to be making babies soon and so if you are interested in one of my puppies for the job of looking over and guarding your livestock, just click on the contact us button and send an email to my owners, David & Terri.

Following are some Frequently asked Questions and their answers:

What is the temperament of the Kangal Dog?
The Kangal Dog possesses the classic livestock guardian dog temperament; a temperament characterized by a calm, alert, and independent demeanor. Possessing a natural protective instinct, he is loyal, bold, and courageous without showing undue aggression. Moreover, the Kangal Dog is sensitive and his responses to individual situations clearly demonstrate his intelligence and sensitivity.
While generally calm and quiet, the Kangal Dog is also curious and outgoing, particularly as a puppy and young adolescent. He needs considerable exercise to develop his muscles and expend his youthful energy. This exercise is readily available to Kangal Dogs in livestock guarding environments, but those dogs living in home environments require extra attention and exercise opportunities.
The Kangal Dog is alert to everything around him. He will sound an alarm at unusual sounds and sights, following up with an investigation. The deep sound of his bark, which is reinforced by his powerful build and massive size, is usually enough to deter any type of predator.
Although somewhat independent in nature, the Kangal Dog is also attuned to the will of his master and, therefore, is easier to train than some livestock guardian breeds. For example, the Kangal Dog is bred, trained and employed as guard dogs by the Turkish military. This breed can be seen patrolling the grounds of the President's Palace with military officers in Ankara, Turkey. The Kangal Dog tends first to look to his master for guidance, but is capable of reacting independently when called upon to react on his own.
Kangal Dogs are loyal to their masters and livestock - protecting them as necessary. Bold and courageous, Kangal Dogs will challenge intruders of any type or size. In Turkey, many regard the Kangal Dog as the only breed capable of killing a wolf. In the home/companion environment, Kangal Dogs - like most other dog breeds - need socialization and training, including exposure to other dogs and people, in order to provide them a broad base of experience for determining what is and what is not threatening to their master and home. The well-socialized, well-trained Kangal Dog, under the guidance of his master, usually accepts strangers and most other dogs readily.
When the need to challenge and protect is absent, the Kangal Dog is calm, quiet, and accepting. Kangal Dogs raised with (well-behaved) children are generally loving and gentle - demonstrating sensitivity and intelligence in their behavior. When introduced to new livestock, they often behave submissively with head down, eyes averted, tail wagging slowly while the animals investigate them and learn to accept them.
The Kangal Dog is well-suited to protect livestock. He is also an excellent home companion dog for owners committed to training and socialization, who can provide him with ample exercise and an adequately fenced yard.

 Are Kangal Dogs good family dogs?
Kangal Dogs are excellent family dogs under the right circumstances and with the right owners. Prospective owners should be aware that this is a large breed with a naturally protective instinct, a breed that is actively used to guard livestock in Turkey and the United States. Therefore, training and socialization are essential ingredients to the success of Kangal Dog ownership in the home and family environment.
Training and firm, but patient discipline, are necessary for owner control of the dog in the home and in public places. Socialization, starting with the young puppy, is required to teach the Kangal Dog to differentiate between normal occurrences in his daily routine and unusual events that may be threatening to his family and home. Because the Kangal Dog has been bred as a livestock protection dog, it is important to introduce him to other dogs at an early age and teach him to interact well with them. It is also important to avoid aggressive interaction between a young Kangal Dog and an older aggressive dog of any breed, because this may have a lasting effect on the Kangal Dog's reaction to other dogs.
The properly raised Kangal Dog is a good-natured, steady, and reliable home companion. Prospective owners who are unable or uncommitted to training and socializing their dog should consider a different breed.

 Are Kangal Dogs good with children?
The Kangal Dog is usually very good with children, especially children in his own family. However, it is also important that the children behave well towards the dog. Children should not be allowed to harass, tease, or play rough with the dog. When the children are misbehaving, the dog should be removed from the area and provided a quiet place to rest.
Introduction of the Kangal Dog to children should begin when the dog is young in order to accustom him to the behavior of children and teach him to accept that behavior as normal. Visiting children should be introduced to the Kangal Dog and supervised in their interaction with the dog. If these children are ill-mannered or if the dog shows any signs of irritation, the dog should be removed immediately and confined.
While the Kangal Dog is usually gentle and patient, it is important to consider that this is a large breed that should not be mauled or mistreated.

 Do Kangal Dogs bark excessively?
Kangal Dogs usually bark when they see or hear something unusual near their territory. Sometimes, the owner may not understand why the dog is barking. If the owner and dog investigate the cause together, the owner can assure the dog that everything is okay and encourage the dog to be quiet. This eventually teaches the dog to be more selective in alerting his owner to activities near his home.

 How much exercise do Kangal Dogs need?
Kangal Dogs need steady exercise on natural ground in order to develop their muscles. Exercise and muscle development are particularly important during the early growth stage. The physically sound Kangal Dog will have mostly muscle and bone and very little fat.
Young, growing Kangal Dogs should not be allowed to slide on slippery floors, such as linoleum, tile, and wood. Although these surfaces allow easy clean-up during the housebreaking stage, sliding on such surfaces is probably not good for the dog's joints, which are still composed of cartilage at this stage. We recommend using remnant pieces of in-door/out-door carpeting in the area where the puppy is being trained. If there are several pieces, a clean dry one can be put down while the soiled one can be cleaned with a hose and dried. This relatively inexpensive compromise allows for clean-up and sound footing.

 What and how much do Kangal Dogs eat?
Kangal Dogs should be fed a low protein (23% or less) dry dog food. Young dogs should be weaned from feed formulated for puppies to adult feed at 12 to 14 weeks of age. This helps slow their rate of growth, but does not prevent them from reaching their genetically determined adult size.
Puppies should be fed several times a day. The amount will increase as they grow older. Adult dogs may eat 6 or more cups of dry food once a day. The amount of food required will vary with the individual dog. Owners need to monitor the individual animal's weight and physical condition increasing or decreasing the food as needed. But, always remember -- overweight, fat dogs are not healthy dogs! The Kangal Dog is a working breed; healthy specimens are lean and well-muscled.
Owners -- especially pet/companion dog owners -- often tend to select expensive, high-protein, dry food for their dog(s). They also tend to supplement this feed with extra vitamins, calcium, and canned dog food.
This "the more, the better" philosophy for nutrition and vitamin/mineral supplements may not be good for the overall health of the Kangal Dog.
In Turkey, the country of origin, Kangal Dogs are routinely fed a barley meal from hulled and boiled barley- readily available in Turkey. Occasionally, they are also treated with day-old pita bread, and sometimes, the dogs consume the after-birth at lambing time or take off surreptitiously with an already dead lamb to consume at leisure. While we haven't personally observed this, the dogs may also hunt, kill, and eat small game. They are not fed highly formulated, expensive, chemically preserved dry dog food and they are not given vitamin/mineral supplements.
In recent years, some veterinary researchers have published articles about the effect of canine nutrition on the incidence of certain canine diseases, including OCD, HD, HOD, and some types of cancer. These researchers emphasize the importance of maintaining a low protein, natural diet -- without a multitude of chemical preservatives -- that may be more compatible or similar with the diet of these dogs in their native countries.
Although our KDCA data base of information is limited and does not allow the KDCA to support these theories scientifically, we agree with the basic "natural, back-to origins" philosophy on the nutritional requirements of Kangal Dogs.

 Are there any health problems in the Breed?
To date, reports about health problems in this breed are minimal. The Kangal Dog, like many other breeds, does have some incidence of Hip Dysplasia. The Kangal Dog Club of America, Inc. established a hip evaluation program for the Kangal Dog with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Responsible breeders are evaluating the hips of their breeding dogs either through the OFA or through other orthopedic evaluation services in order to minimize the incidence of dysplasia in the breed. Other significant, genetically transmitted health problems have not been reported.