The alleged appearance of the dog, the birth of Akbash and its purpose, the uniqueness of the breed, popularization, the organization of dog breed clubs in the USA and its recognition. Akbash or Akbash is a large dog weighing from thirty-four to sixty-four kilograms and quite tall at the withers. These animals tend to be more compact than other Turkish sister dog breeds (Kangal and Anatolian Shepherd Dog).
The breed representatives have a smooth and short or medium full double "coat". The main difference between the variety is its white wool coat. Sometimes it has a light sandy color around the ears. Dogs have long legs, and a slightly curving tail in its last third. It is often covered with hair, which is peculiarly divided in the form of "feathers". There is pink skin underneath the white coat with a black or blackish brown tint. The eye rims, nose, and lips should be completely black or blackish brown, but they can also be lighter in color, especially during the cold winter months.
The genetics of Akbash dogs can be derived from a combination of Molossian and Greyhound breeds as they possess characteristics of both types. Although Akbash dogs vary in size and height, there are tall specimens with long, strong, lithe bodies. They have loose skin around their necks to protect them from predators during battles. Head sizes can range from medium to heavy types, although medium is preferred. The offspring of purebred Akbash are born with double toes on their hind legs. The presence of this factor indicates that recent crosses with other herding dogs or any other breeds have not been carried out.
Akbash dogs' command tends to be calm and aware. As a breed, the dog is not shy or aggressive. When used as a protective dog, he is suspicious of strangers in his territory and of any unusual sounds or changes in the environment. The breed is not naturally hostile, and instead is naturally picky, bred as an independent pet. Akbash can be powerful against predators. Akbash's first defense is to prevent potential threats by barking or growling. The dogs will chase the predator or physically fight if necessary.
Some people speculate that Akbash and Kangal Dog were originally distinct, pure Turkish breeds and were combined to create the Anatolian Shepherd Dog. There is still disagreement today on this issue. Akbash dogs are easy to recognize when placed next to Kangal and Anatolian Shepherd Dogs because of their white appearance, although some individuals of the latter breed may resemble Akbash or Kangal. Now it is legal to export Akbash from Turkey.
The locality of origin of the Akbash dog and its purpose
The Akbash dog, or Akbash dog, is considered an ancient breed that seems to have originated in the area known as the Fertile Crescent. This region of Western Asia, which now includes the countries of Turkey, Iran and Iraq, receives heavy rainfall during the winter. It is ranked as the "cradle of civilization" for the fact that it was in this area that the first cultures originated. The Fertile Crescent is the place from which all future agricultural communities will develop.
The original purpose of dogs in ancient times was more than likely to hunt animals or protect human homes. As humans evolved, they began to domesticate animals for livestock, which gave them valuable products for life. Therefore, it is likely that some of these early hunting and protective canines were modified for the care, guarding and grazing of livestock. It is generally accepted that the Akbash Turkish Shepherd Dog was one of the earliest breeds created for this purpose.
The uniqueness of the Akbash breed and possible progenitors
The Akbash dog is considered the Turkish equivalent of other white herding varieties such as the Great Pyrenean Shepherd Dogs from France and Spain, the Kuvasi Dogs from Hungary, and the Maremma-Abruzzi Sheepdogs found in the Italian Maremma Mountains, which developed around the same time in the northern parts of the Mediterranean peninsulas. Akbash is unique among other white shepherd breeds.
These animals exhibit a rather unique combination of Sighthound (Greyhound) and Mollosser (Mastiff) characteristics. Greyhounds blessed them with long legs, speed and agility, while height, weight and strength came from mastiffs. Akbash even has the same genetic intolerance to barbiturate-based anesthesia as modern greyhounds.
The name Akbash means “white head,” and like many dogs that protect livestock, this breed is predominantly white. The origin of white coloration and the reasoning behind it is a widely debated topic. Some researchers believe that the white color of the coat is related to the age-old myth that white represents the purity of a particular dog in a breed.
Therefore, the whitest shade will identify the canine with a purer lineage as such. It is the most desirable color for being the best animal welfare dog. Other experts believe that the white "coat" helps Akbash to merge with the herd. This peculiar disguise makes it difficult for any marauding wolves or other predators to detect the dogs. Thus, it gives the dogs a tactical advantage to lure the "intruders" into an ambush.
Another theory is that a white coat was developed and anchored in Akbash to make it more distinguishable from predators. The white coat made it less likely that the shepherd would mistake the dog for a wolf at night. Thus, the dog avoided the fate of being accidentally shot. Wherever the truth is, the fact remains that most livestock guardians such as Akbash are white. This modification was due to human intervention and was achieved by selectively culling puppies from litters.
Only in the western regions of Turkey, the name "Akbash" is used together with "Akkush" and "Kangal" to refer to specific species of livestock protection dogs within a particular region, and the term "coban kopegi" is translated as "shepherd's dogs." This is a phrase used to describe all dogs of this type that differ from other breeds.
Some experts consider the Akbash Dog to be a species of Anatolian Shepherd Dog due to its white head, while others claim that it is a distinctive breed worthy of its own recognition. From the very beginning of its existence, many centuries ago, the Akbash dog remained in the villages of western Turkey, protecting the estate and the livestock of its owner from predators and intruders. It is believed that "Akbash" and "Kangal" were combined to form the Anatolian Shepherd Dog.
Popularization of Akbash dogs outside their homeland
In the 1970s, Akbash's distinguished reputation as a livestock guardian attracted people from other countries. Foreigners drew attention to the excellent herding abilities of these dogs, and they began to be exported from Turkey to other regions and states around the world. In 1978, a pregnant Akbash bitch named "Cybele White Bird" was brought to the United States of America. It was brought to this country by the American owners David and Judy Nelson, who lived in Turkey as part of the diplomatic corps. It was the puppies from their pet that formed the basis of the breed in America and served as the beginning of the founding of the Akbash Dog International Association (ADAI), and the Akbash Dog Association (ADAA), the North American branch of ADAI.
While the Nelson family lived in Turkey, they combined their love of travel and photography. These people began filming Akbash as well as other breeds that were native to the Turkish region. In their opinion, after observing and testing the litters of the Akbash dog, amateurs concluded that these dogs were analogous to other breeds used to protect animals. For example, Greece, Italy, Poland, Hungary and France have similar indigenous unique regional breeds with consistently inherited behavior, appearance and job functions. This revelation motivated the Nelsons, and they became determined to introduce the herding breed into the United States of America.
After the importation of the first female Akbash "Kibela White Bird" and the formation of the American Association of Akbash Dogs in 1978, more and more breed animals were imported to America from Turkey as the breed's popularity with pastoralists steadily increased. The dogs were selected from different lines, litters and from different rural areas in Turkey. This tactic has been used to ensure good genetic variation once they are bred in the United States of America.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) took notice of these canines, and in the early 1980s, purebred Akbashis from Nelson, Canada were acquired for use in a livestock conservation project. Nevertheless, the variety was not officially recognized either in America or in Canada as an independent, special species. However, these dogs were increasingly appreciated by livestock producers as excellent livestock guardians. Farmers considered them to be unique and distinct from any other breed that was used in such work at the time.
Akbash has proven that he aggressively defends his herds from coyotes, cougars and even bears, while remaining trustworthy in the herds he defends. Unlike many other herding dogs for livestock that were used in the United States of America at that time, the Akbash dog demonstrated a real ability to be closely associated with the herd and did not leave it even during the hottest part of the day.
Akbash had another unique trait revered by livestock producers that set him apart from other breeds used in the work. The dog has a strong dislike for stray dogs that have shown too little interest near the pasture. But this was a real problem for some ranchers, accustomed to finding individuals from their herd, killed while grazing after the invasion of strangers' dogs.
As the popularity of the Akbash continued to grow, the Nelsons began to import more and more of this breed directly from the Turkish lands. Many of these were sent directly to Western sheep producers, while a smaller percentage went to semi-rural or farm households. This turned out to be a wise decision, as the depletion of the canine population was high on the territory of most ranches, and many of them never had the opportunity to breed.
Organization of breed clubs in America and recognition of Akbash
As a result of a similar situation, the Utonagan clubs were a fiasco, as two unscrupulous breeders appeared to be more interested in making a profit from the breed than in preserving a purebred heritage and healthy generations. These "amateurs" not clean on hand, in order to create a good basis for their machinations, tried to arrange a coup inside the kenel club and remove the Nelsons from ADAA. The move was aimed at taking control of the breeding, registration, distribution and future of Akbash dogs in America. The Nelsons and current members of the ADAA thwarted an attempt to seize power by these people, then the would-be breeders ousted from the organization formed their own independent group called the Working Akbash Dog Association (WADA).
Using the members' mailing lists that were received earlier, they sent a mail message to all ADAA representatives asking them to join WADA. After the vast majority of ADAA members withdrew from this group, no one else heard of the WADA organization. But, soon she appeared again under the more official sonorous name "Akbash Dog International" (ADI). Subsequently, after the first mailing list, regardless of whether ADAA members showed interest in joining this breakaway cell, a mail program was sent out demanding that they now join ADI.
Along with this event, questionnaires were sent by the postal service to the ADAA asking them to rate their dogs. The newly founded ADI believes that the current regulatory standards have been too strict and should be lowered in order to include more copies, thus deviating from the ADAA criteria to more lenient ones. The ADI website states: “ADI was formed in 1987. The North American Akbash Dog Club was previously established, but members are unhappy with attempts to create an Akbash Dog that is ideal for both display and animal welfare. ADI was created to preserve the working dog and remains true to that mandate.”
This new group found support for their activities and began registering their own dogs, using the original ADAA dogs as the basis. Therefore, many breeders are now forced to investigate the pedigrees of the breed, which are in a rather confusing situation. This happened because those ADAA members who switched alliances re-registered their pets as ADI dogs, and some of them used different kennel names or a completely different name. This new club experienced its own series of growing problems, through disagreement with the old organization, and eventually split into smaller groups. The ADI group still exists to this day and registers their dogs with the UKC ("Akbash dog", whose line is from the original ADAA / ADAI dogs). ADI dogs are generally eligible for registration with the ADAA and UKC as purebred dogs.
In 1996, breed officials from America, as a result of the success of the Akbash dogs, were invited by Turkish officials to participate in the first international Turkish Shepherd Dog Symposium at Selcuk University in Konya, Turkey. Among the invited American experts were: David Nelson, founder of the ADAA; Dr. Jeff Green, a USDA biologist who was involved in the original canine project; and Tamara Taylor, a Texas livestock producer with nearly twenty years of experience working with Akbash and Turkish kangals brought in to guard livestock.
As a result of the Symposium and a letter written by Dr. Tekinsen regarding the position of Turkey towards their native breeds, ADAA contacted the United Kennel Club (UKC) to propose to open and control pedigree herd books. Created in 1998, the ADAA became a temporary breed club for the Akbash dog along with the UKC. The United Kenel Club UKC is now responsible for maintaining all pedigree records and providing any additional information such as DNA test results.
You will learn more about the Akbash breed from the video below:
