KangalFest

3rd Annual
Kangal Dog Festival
July 2001
Kangal Town, Sivas Province, Turkiye!

... under construction. More photos and stories coming!

Except where noted, these photos were taken by Sue Kocher at the Festival, and in the villages of the region during the week preceding the event.

Click on the thumbnails to see a larger photo...

Dogs being led to the stage for judging at the Festival. The banner on the stage reads "Welcome to the Kangal Shepherd's Dog and Sheep Festival." Elizabeth vonBuchwaldt, being presented with an award for her ceaseless devotion to Kangal Dog breed preservation, and for her Kangal rescue work in Germany. Presenters are the Governor of Kangal District, and the Mayor of Kangal Town.

The Cicek brothers with their winning puppies. Tomi, the winning adult male Kangal Dog, with Kangal breed author Dogan Kartay, and owner Onur being interviewed by the news media.

You can see why these puppies were among the favorites. Beautiful young male Kangal Dog.

This shepherd had plenty of protection while out in the pastures. Village elder, and everyone's wise auntie.

These are women in an Alevi village in Kangal. There are other ethnic groups such as Cerkes and Kurds who have settled and assimilated into the way of life in Sivas province. Just about as close to a perfect male Kangal head as I could hope for.

Handsome "gray" Kangal Dog. Such dogs are not genetically gray, but are pale sable like most Kangal Dogs with more dark guard hairs mixed in to give the wolf-gray appearance. These dogs tend to have darker borders around their white chest and feet as well, making these markings more obvious than on paler dogs.

Kalesh--the dog we all knew, loved, and coveted! New sign at the Kangal Dog Breeding Farm in Kangal. Welcome! it says at the bottom.

Chalu, another dog we all fell in love with! Zeytin--she and her brother Savash came home with me.

A trip back to the village where I got my Pasha 5 years ago proved most rewarding. The whole family was there and just as kind and hospitable as I remembered...treating us all to a lunch of bread and cheese and tea. Ilker, on the right, enjoying some of that great flat bread. ... but old Alabash, Pasha's father, was still there too. Over 12 years old now, with his black muzzle almost entirely gray, but still strong and very much loved by his family. This was truly the high point of the trip for me, and the family was pleased to know that their pup was now a champion in the US and sire of a number of beautiful puppies in the US and Australia! I fully expect Pasha and his pups to be as healthy and long lived!

Crossbred dogs with obvious Tazi (Turkish saluki) background. We saw a distressing number of mongrels in parts of Sivas province where these had been rare indeed only a few years ago. This is a reflection of the decrease in numbers of sheep and the movement of many villagers to the cities in search of work. This alarming trend emphasizes the need for concerted breed conservation work and for cooperation between Turkish and non-Turkish Kangal Dog admirers. Shepherd heads for grazing grounds with his pack donkey, sheep and Kangal dogs.

Please note: the dogs shown above are KANGAL DOGS. They are the national breed of Turkey, and the subject of great pride for Turkish people from all walks of life. These are NOT "Anatolian Shepherds". There is no such 'breed' in Turkey, not in name, not in concept, and not in reality. For those who are confused about the difference, read the Turkish Breeds FAQ and look at some photos of Anatolian Shepherds.

The Kangal Dog Festival has been held for 3 years running in Kangal, Turkey, and is covered by the national media. Note that there IS NO Anatolian Shepherd Festival, because the ASD is not and never was recognized in Turkey. The ASD is a western-created breed, a wide-ranging collection of dogs that includes the regional Turkish breeds, mixes of those breeds, and other dogs of unspecific bloodlines. The Turkish people do not consider livestock guardians from all regions in and around their country to be "all the same breed" because they are clearly NOT "all the same breed."

A visit to Sivas to compare Kangal Dogs with other regional breeds and mixed breeds around Turkey makes the reality of the Kangal Dog breed abundantly clear to anyone with open eyes and mind. For those of us who seek to preserve this historic breed and to uphold the right of Turkish people to declare and describe their indigenous breeds, this Festival is a truly joyful experience. There is none other like it in the world, for any dog breed!

For more information about the issue of Turkish breed recognition, hit the FAQs and Articles button below.

Updated August 2001. All material on this web site is copyrighted.

Please do not copy or distribute any portion of this material without written permission from the author, and please give proper credit when you do so.

Contact Sue Kocher at: skocher@mindspring.com

Dogs being led to the stage for judging at the Festival. The banner on the stage reads "Welcome to the Kangal Shepherd's Dog and Sheep Festival."	Elizabeth vonBuchwaldt, being presented with an award for her ceaseless devotion to Kangal Dog breed preservation, and for her Kangal rescue work in Germany. Presenters are the Governor of Kangal District, and the Mayor of Kangal Town.
The Cicek brothers with their winning puppies.	Tomi, the winning adult male Kangal Dog, with Kangal breed author Dogan Kartay, and owner Onur being interviewed by the news media.
You can see why these puppies were among the favorites.	Beautiful young male Kangal Dog.
This shepherd had plenty of protection while out in the pastures.	Village elder, and everyone's wise auntie.
These are women in an Alevi village in Kangal. There are other ethnic groups such as Cerkes and Kurds who have settled and assimilated into the way of life in Sivas province.	Just about as close to a perfect male Kangal head as I could hope for.
Handsome "gray" Kangal Dog. Such dogs are not genetically gray, but are pale sable like most Kangal Dogs with more dark guard hairs mixed in to give the wolf-gray appearance. These dogs tend to have darker borders around their white chest and feet as well, making these markings more obvious than on paler dogs.
Kalesh--the dog we all knew, loved, and coveted!	New sign at the Kangal Dog Breeding Farm in Kangal. Welcome! it says at the bottom.
Chalu, another dog we all fell in love with!	Zeytin--she and her brother Savash came home with me.
A trip back to the village where I got my Pasha 5 years ago proved most rewarding. The whole family was there and just as kind and hospitable as I remembered...treating us all to a lunch of bread and cheese and tea. Ilker, on the right, enjoying some of that great flat bread.	... but old Alabash, Pasha's father, was still there too. Over 12 years old now, with his black muzzle almost entirely gray, but still strong and very much loved by his family. This was truly the high point of the trip for me, and the family was pleased to know that their pup was now a champion in the US and sire of a number of beautiful puppies in the US and Australia! I fully expect Pasha and his pups to be as healthy and long lived!
Crossbred dogs with obvious Tazi (Turkish saluki) background. We saw a distressing number of mongrels in parts of Sivas province where these had been rare indeed only a few years ago. This is a reflection of the decrease in numbers of sheep and the movement of many villagers to the cities in search of work. This alarming trend emphasizes the need for concerted breed conservation work and for cooperation between Turkish and non-Turkish Kangal Dog admirers.	Shepherd heads for grazing grounds with his pack donkey, sheep and Kangal dogs.