It is not difficult to understand how the Kangal Dog came to be such a strong and hardy breed. After all, it has been subjected to centuries of human and natural selection for working characteristics, stamina, and health. It is also easy to see why the Kangal Dog has such a mellow, easy-going personality under most circumstances, and yet can leap into guardian mode when the occasion calls for it. These dogs have been bred to function as effective guardians against predators and thieves, and yet when they are off-duty in the village, they must be gentle enough to trust around children, visitors, and the various dogs, chickens, and other animals that they share their environment with.

Few genetic diseases have been discerned in the Kangal Dog, but they are subject to several problems of the hips and knees that are found in all large breeds and in many smaller ones. People are increasingly aware of the high incidence of hip dysplasia among many common  breeds, but many are under the impression that hip dysplasia occurs because of "inbreeding" of the more popular  breeds.  As a corollary of this misunderstanding, people sometimes expect native or "natural" breeds like the Kangal Dog to be free of such debilitating diseases that they see in their own or their neighbors' dogs.

The difficulty with eradicating hip dysplasia is two-fold: First, it is possible for a dog to be radiographically dysplastic, even severely dysplastic, and to show no symptoms at all.  Thus, in its native Turkey, villagers might not be aware of any hip problems until the dog is several years old and has already sired or whelped several litters.  And Kangal Dogs are tough, stoic creatures.  Unless the hips become arthritic and very painful, the dog might go along his merry way and continue to do his job.

The second difficulty in eradicating hip dysplasia is that the disease is polygenic, and complicated by environmental factors as well. No one knows exactly  which genes, or how many gene loci, are involved in the inheritance of hip dysplasia,  and so it will be extremely difficult to isolate and eradicate the deleterious genes. We do know that dysplastic parents can produce puppies with strong hips, and that parents with excellent hips can produce dysplastic pups. Both scenarios can result in a range of hip status in a litter.  But we also know that the percentage of dysplastic pups born to dysplastic parents is likely to be higher, and that parents with solid hips are more likely to produce a larger percentage of puppies with solid hips.  Fortunately, the incidence of crippling dysplasia in Kangal Dogs is not as high as it is among many of the common large breeds, and it is decreasing with each generation through careful, thoughtful breeding programs.  We don't have enough data to provide a good estimate of the incidence of hip dysplasia in Kangal Dogs, but it is probably less than 20 percent (be wary  of those who use OFA statistics to report the percentage of dysplasia in their breed! A great many --perhaps most-- owners do not submit xrays for OFA evaluation unless they are fairly certain of a passing rating).

Breeding stock is now being xrayed and professionally evaluated as an important part of making breeding decisions.  Also, research has shown that the symptoms of hip dysplasia can be affected by diet and exercise. We also advocate a fairly low-protein, low-calorie diet for growing Kangal Dog pups as well as adults. This reduces the rate of growth and lessens the stress put upon growing bone structures. While no one has yet found a way to eliminate hip dysplasia entirely, we are committed to reducing the incidence of hip dysplasia and other diseases to a rarity, and to maintain the strong, hearty, hardy nature of the typical Kangal Dog.

Another odd genetic defect found in a few Kangal Dogs so far is a condition known as persistent frenulum. The frenulum is that thin web of skin that holds your tongue to the floor of your mouth. In affected dogs, it extends further forward in the mouth than normal, making the tongue less mobile and perhaps making the dog a "sloppy eater."  It is not a life-threatening problem by any means, and is taken care of by a quick snip with the veterinarian's scissors; nevertheless, we are watching for it and avoiding it in breeding stock.
 

The Kangal Dog is admirably suited to play several roles in modern western culture: with the proper training and supervision, they can be terrific livestock guardians, guardians of the home and estate, and family companions.  Because they are less "sharp" than most other guard dog breeds, they are generally safer to have around children and visitors, and less likely to direct their guardian instincts against an innocent person.  But we stress: WITH THE PROPER TRAINING. Kangal Dogs are independent creatures. They must be so in their role as flock guardians, where they must often make judgements and decisions without commands from a shepherd.  It takes a strong personality and  firm handling to win the respect of a Kangal Dog. It take informed, consistent training to get a Kangal Dog to do your bidding reliably. Sometimes it also requires a very tasty treat!

However, Kangal Dogs are regularly described, by breeders and observers alike, as among the most people-oriented and biddable of the livestock guardian breeds. They enjoy performing to an extent, as long as the training does not become dull nor the expectations too demanding. The most important requirement in training any dog, and definitely a Kangal Dog, is to be absolutely fair and consistent. Rewards or praise must be given when earned, and discipline must be meted out swiftly for every infraction.

This does not mean that you need to get physical with your dog! In fact, if you attempt force or excessive punishment, the Kangal Dog is more likely to "shut down" and stubbornly refuse to obey.   But you need to be firm in showing your disapproval for bad behavior. For example, if you don't want your dog to jump up on you, you must NEVER allow your dog to do so, or at least not without an explicit command. Growl and lift your knee into the dog's chest when he jumps up, then ignore him. Our dogs will no longer jump on us unbidden, but enjoy the occasional "up" command that brings a big hug.

If a companion is what you want, it is of the utmost importance to spend lots of time socializing your Kangal Dog. Kangal Dogs are great with people when they are not guarding their territory, but they can be dog aggressive if not thoroughly socialized. This means taking your dog along at every opportunity for walks, picnics, doggy fun matches and the like. Start early and keep it up.

If you do so, you will have a dog that is reliable and easy going around other people and dogs of all sizes. If you neglect this aspect of training, you may well end up with a dog that you cannot control, and which will not develop the grace to ignore challenges from other dogs.

Our dogs are obedience trained, and perform admirably in the ring, but not always so admirably when out for a walk in the park. They will Sit, Down and Stay on both verbal and sign commands.  They have learned a few tricks with clicker training and they learn amazingly quickly.  They will fetch and retrieve objects. Certain objects.  And if the reward is worth it. Like liver bits, or perhaps a bit of cheese.  If you don't have a decent treat, they might take a step toward the object and then look at you with a dog grin as if to ask, "Yeah, what for?"  On the other hand, there are times when they will perform for the sheer fun of it, such as on a cool autumn day when feeling frisky.  But performing for fun, and performing reliably in competitive obedience training are two separate things.  You'll need the patience of Job and some directed energy to make an obedience champion out of a Kangal dog.  But training is a good way to bond your dog to you, the dogs enjoy it, and it keeps their already impressive brains active. They are great fun to work with, but be careful that they don't outsmart you!

Introducing other pets
Got another cat or dog, but afraid your Kangal Dog will eat it?  Kangal Dog puppies shouldn't be a problem--they will accept the supremacy of the resident animals.  For new pets, I've found that once Kangal Dogs see another animal going in and out of our house, it's accepted as "family" as long as the new animal doesn't challenge their dominance.  They are especially tolerant and gentle with small and baby animals of any species. But just to be on the safe side, you might consider following these steps to introduce a new pet to your Kangal Dog. (click the thumbnails to see larger photos)
 

1. What?~ ! We're big dog people, but we suddenly got this little dog with a big heart... Ripley the Rat Terrier. I guessed how our two Kangal dogs would react to the little invader, and I was right...  No problem!	2. First we let the Kangal Dogs see the little dog  go in and out of the house for a few hours. Then Ripley ventures a sniff at Chilek through the fence. Brave puppy!
3. Next  we brought a Kangal Dog into the house, and kept Ripley caged until everyone settled down. When they did, I opened the cage door and ... instant buddies. This is Ripley with Pasha.	4. Introducing new pets is a breeze when they're young. If you're introducing an older pet and it or your Kangal Dog seems aggressive, you may need to extend the familiarization period before letting them meet face to face. But in time it will usually work out fine.

Coming up... words of wisdom from the wise!