The Anatolian Shepard
As our herd grew we decided that since we could not be with the Alpacas 24/7 that we needed someone or something to watch over them. When a farm down the way from us lost an alpaca and guard llama to pit bulls we decided livestock guardian dogs were the way to go. Living in Texas, we felt the Livestock Guard dog should have short hair. After researching we came across the Anatolian Shepard. We have 2 of them (brothers), Boo Bandit and Boone. Bandi, as we refer to him, is the smaller of the two. The dogs knew their jobs right from the beginning. We were told by the breeder not to make them “pets” as they would lose there ability to take care of the Alpacas. Not so with these two. Although we do not play alot with them we do show them extra loving and of course give plenty of treats. They are very protective of the Alpacas and the Crias love to play and nuzzle with them as well.
Anatolians are one of the most popular of the Turkish breeds of North America, and are regarded as “flock guardians”. They are extremely agile, rugged, large, and posses great endurance. The males average weight is between 110-140 lbs at 3 yrs old and stand about 29-32 inches. The coat is usually short and smooth with the undercoat being thick. They have a black muzzle with fawn markings. Their dew claws are left intact for traction as they are extremely fast. It is said that once they find an intruder that has ignored their warnings to leave, they will chase it down until caught or killed. The photo is of Boone, he is not camera shy.
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