Turkish Ministry of Culture
The Turkish Shepherd Dog
The Kangal Dog is found in the high rolling plains country of central
Turkey. The approximate geographic center of the region is Sivas City.
The Kangal Dog has historically been associated with the town of
Kangala district town within Sivas Province. While much of the
landscape is rolling plains, the region is cut by the Kulmaç Mountains
and the Tecer Mountains running approximately NE/SW. The Uzun Yayla
southwest of Kangal is a major Kangal Dog and sheep producing area. The
Kızılırmak River runs through the province. A karst topography
dominates the northern part of the province.
Although Sivas
Province is the center of Kangal Dog breeding, good examples of the
breed can also be found in parts of the neighboring provinces of
Kayseri, Yozgat, Tokat, Erzincan, and Malatya, where they border on
Sivas Province. The precise regional boundaries for the Kangal Dog
cannot be defined, but the demarcation between true Kangal Dogs and
other dogs is usually abrupt.
Kangal. A name well known to the
people of Turkey! Its very name evokes the romance and legendary aura
of this land so steeped in history. This ancient breed springs forth
like a lion from its epicenter - the Kangal District - a region in east
central Turkey located in what is known as the Anti-Taurus. While
Turkey has more than one indigenous dog breed, the Kangal is the most
famous of them all. This breed's status is manifested by its portrait
on a national Turkish postage stamp. If any dog breed can be
characterized as the national dog of Turkey, that breed is the Kangal
Dog.
Standing a minimum of 30 inches (dogs) at the withers and
weighing an average 120 pounds, the Kangal Dog is a strongly-built,
magnificent dog distinguished by its black face and ears. The short,
soft body coat ranges from light dun to steel grey in color and is
usually accented with a white chest blaze and white stockings on the
feet and legs. Turkish shepherds frequently crop the ears close to the
skull, thereby enhancing its leonine appearance. When equipped with the
traditional spiked, iron collar around its neck, the Kangal Dog, in its
native land, projects an intimidating and powerful image.
The
correct, traditional name for the breed in Turkey is Kangal Köpegi or
Sivas Kangal Köpegi. (The Turkish word köpek means "dog" in English.
When used with an adjective in the Turkish language, the word "köpek"
takes the form köpeği.) Thus, the direct translation is Kangal Dog or
Sivas Kangal Dog. No other name is acceptable to the Turks, nor to its
original sponsor in Europe and the United States - The Kangal Dog Club
of America, Inc., a non-profit corporation founded to preserve the
breed, protect its name, and maintain the Turkish-American standard for
the breed.
To understand the Kangal Dog, one needs to
understand the context-historical, cultural, and physical-in which it
is found. Our objective is to provide all the information needed to
understand and appreciate this magnificent breed.
If any dog
breed can be characterized as the "national dog" of Turkey, the Kangal
Dog is that dog. Simply stated, the Kangal Dog is a cultural and
historic icon of the Turkish people.
The image of the Kangal
Dog in Turkey is very positive. This image connotes power, strength,
and generates a great sense of pride. There is a feeling of awe for the
great Kangals of Turkey!