have you ever hear and know about kangal dog ?

The Kangal Dog is a fierce dog that has been bred over many years. Türkiye’s famous bulldog. Kangal dogs with pure blood are tall, ferocious and powerful. Kangal dogs are use to guard homes or herd sheep . They have the ability to defeat enemies without fighting. When thieves and intruders see this dog, they usually run away.
The Kangal dog is Turkey’s diplomatic weapon, equivalent to China’s giant panda . Türkiye often lends Kangal dogs to its friend the National Zoo for exhibitions to enhance mutual trust and friendship.
The large Kangal dog is one of the largest dog breeds in the world. There are also many Kangal dogs with a shoulder height of more than one meter.

Status of Kangal dog in Turkey

The Turkish Constitution defines the Kangal Dog as a national dog and national treasure. The “national hero” has been present as a national gift to the main leaders of friendly countries 12 times. Kangal dogs enjoy the same right to existence as Turkish citizens.

Gift record about Kangal dog

Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1991

President Karimov of Uzbekistan in 1992;

Kazakhstan in 1995;

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in 1997;

Former US President George W. Bush in 2002;

In 2004, then Russian President Vladimir Putin;

Iraqi Vice President Tariq Hashemi in 2007;

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2009;

Sladizci, Chairman of the Council of the Presidential Palace of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2010;

Greek President Papoulias in 2010;

German President Wulff in 2010;

2011 Egyptian Armed Forces Council Hussein Tantawi;

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in 2012;

Introduction

The Turkish Kangal Dog is the only fierce dog in the world that is regard as a national treasure, “Turkish National Hero” and a diplomatic magic weapon. A first-level protected animal in Türkiye.

Anatolian dogs, Pakistani Kudas , Ukrainian shepherds , Russian mountain dogs and other dogs, some Chinese bulldog enthusiasts also mistake them for Kangal dogs. But this is a misunderstanding, they are not the same type. The difference between the Kangal Dog and other large dogs can be clearly identify by the appearance. The domestically called Cerberus is just a title for the Kangal Dog. The real Kangal Dog has no distinction between large and small bodies. The Kangal Dog has excellent qualities as a large bulldog and has pure blood.

The only certification body for the Turkish Kangal Dog is the Turkish WAD, the Shepherd Dog Association. The association does not have any branches outside Turkey. Currently, all purebred Kangal dogs outside Turkey need to be registered in Turkey. There is no other registration channel.

Character traits

Kangal dogs are often called shepherd dogs. They repel bears, leopards, jackals, etc. that attack the sheep. They are very friendly, gentle and loyal to people and children. As a super large dog, Kangal has high fighting and guarding abilities. Because of its fighting ability, it is widely used in dog fighting gambling in Turkey, although this is illegal in Turkey. In terms of protection, the Kangal Dog is an excellent dog breed. It is very friendly to children and the elderly unless there is a special order from the owner. For those who pose a threat to the owner, they will launch an attack silently. The tacit understanding with the owner makes the Kangal dog superior to other guard dogs in terms of protection.

History

In the 11th century, the Turkic nomadic tribe “Oghuz” (Turkish ancestors) successfully invaded Anatolia. Along with the heroic Turkic army, they also came with the Turkic top military dogs. While bringing about national integration , these military dogs were also genetically fused with local fierce shepherd dogs and produced a new generation of dog breeds. This breed has attracted people’s attention for its characteristics such as nobility, aloofness, bravery, and dexterity. . Because these characteristics rarely appear in the same dog breed at the same time.

it was named “Kangal Dog” as a unique dog breed, which means “fighting model” in ancient Turkic language. However, the Kangal Dogs at this time were not famous… They were just the first generation of Kangal Dogs. More than 200 years later, in the 13th and 14th centuries, these Turkic tribes slowly consolidated their leadership status in the local area through various political, economic, and military measures, won the hearts of the people, and successfully changed the country’s name to “Ottoman Turkey.”

At that historical stage, the strength of the country was more determined by whether there were enough cattle, horses, sheep, grassland, and population… Slowly, at this time, Ottoman Turkey, in order to obtain more grassland and livestock, would The target of conquest was the vast pastures of Europe in the west. Wherever the sword points, national power gathers! Turkey’s many domestic resources have all been incorporated into military planning: knives, bows, crossbows, arrows, firearms, grain and grass, soldiers, fierce dogs… At this moment, its infamous Kangal dog stood out in this national selection and will be Other dog breeds were left far behind… Since then, the Kangal Dog has been used as a special dog breed for the Turkish military, fighting in all directions

Dog breeds

During these war years, Kangal dogs have been continuously optimized and selected by dog ​​breeds. The Kangal dogs that survived the war were paired and gave birth to purebred puppies. In the middle of World War I, Kangal dogs were used to detect mines, stand sentry, deliver battle reports, guard prisoners, etc. After repeated screening and purebred matching in terms of physical strength, fighting ability and IQ, more than 200 years later, a mature Kangal dog breeding lineage was gradually formed. However, there is no recognized formal Kangal dog management organization in Turkey. None of the dogs have pedigree certificates like those recognized by the FCI.

In the second half of the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire prospered and declined, and finally collapsed. These extremely combat-effective Kangal dogs were also scattered among the people. Among them, the Kangal dogs of the emperor’s blood were gathered in Sivas Province, Turkey. Later, the Kangal dogs were The gathering place was renamed Kangal Dog City to represent the birthplace of Kangal Dog.

With the decline of Ottoman Turkey and the popularization and development of gunpowder weapons, the Kangal Dog’s status as one of the main forces of the army was gradually replaced by history. Except for a small number of modern Kangal dogs that still serve the Turkish Defense Forces, most of them are scattered in two fields. The first type is collect by nobles and wealthy individuals in Türkiye, Europe and the United States, and is carefully raised.

The second category consists of wealthy Turkish military families and their descendants. These two groups still carefully preserve the purest breed of Kangal dogs and preserve the purity of the Kangal dogs. Origin: Türkiye (Sivas, Urfa, Ankara, Aksaray and other cities)

Shepherd dog

Kangal dogs are often call shepherd dogs and are used to repel bears, leopards, jackals, etc. that attack the sheep. Very friendly to people and children, gentle and loyal to their owners.

As a super large dog with high fighting and guarding abilities, Kangal dogs are widely use in dog fighting gambling in Turkey because of their fighting abilities, although this is illegal in Turkey. In terms of guarding, the Kangal Dog is an excellent dog breed. It is very friendly to children and the elderly unless there is a special order from the owner. For those who pose a threat to their owners, they will launch attacks silently. The tacit understanding with their owners makes Kangal dogs superior to other guard dogs in terms of protection.

In the Kangal Dog City, Seva Province, Turkey, the hometown of the Kangal Dog, non-purebred Kangal Dogs also receive great attention (pure-blooded Kangal Dogs are mostly communicated within the inner circle of dog lovers, and less appearing in general public places). There, it is still mainly use to guard herds, and in their homeland it is believe to be the only dog ​​that can fight wolves. They are take out of the village by their owners every year to participate in the annual Kangal Dog Festival (a demonstration of Kangal dog skills. Non-dog fighting, dog fighting in Turkey is illegal)

Difference between close species

Honor

The Turkish Constitution defines the Kangal Dog as a national dog and national treasure. The “national hero” has been present as a national gift to the main leaders of friendly countries 12 times. At the same time, Kangal dogs have help Türkiye resolve several diplomatic crises and prevented Türkiye from being isolate by the international community. This Kangal dogs enjoy the same right to existence as Turkish citizens.

Kangal dog standard

(1) Body

Short hair. The colors are mostly solid colors, including light yellow, red, spots, black, off-white, yellowish brown, and mixed colors. The fur is short and dense, not very long and does not feel downy to the touch. Among the light gray-white and yellow fur colors, there are many black and mottled furs.

(2) Head

The head is strong, large and wide; the mouth is mask-like and black, the ears are drop and sometimes have folded ears, the neck is thick and slightly arch-shaped, and most of them have cropped ears. All Kangal dogs have a black mask-like face and black or black gradient ears. Eyes small, set back, mouth square.

(3) Posture

Length is greater than height. Male Kangal Dogs are 85 to 93 centimeters tall at the shoulders and weigh 120 to 160 kilograms. Female Kangal Dogs are 70 to 83 centimeters tall at the shoulders and weigh 90 to 130 kilograms. The Kangal Dog has strong bones, well-developed limbs, muscular body, no excess fat, and a thick neck. The shoulders are strong and the chest is deep and broad. When alert, the tail is raise high like a sickle. It is huge in size, slightly like a Mastiff, but extremely dexterous. When it or its guardian is threaten, it immediately steps forward and fully demonstrates its courage, strength, speed and bravery! The bite force of the Kangal Dog is very strong, reaching 350 pounds, which is among the best among fierce dogs.

(4) Character

The Kangal Dog, which has a noble bloodline and is well-train, has a typical character of being aloof, independent, calm, controllable, inviolable, and highly protective. It can get along well with common guests, family members, and children, and should not be too shy or too aggressive. But he is very cold towards strangers. When face with threats or being provoke, they will respond forcefully until they fight back. Revealing its extremely powerful, ferocious, and strong attack power!