Anyone out there have a Kangal or Anatolian Shepherd dog?

How is your dog? Does he/she shed a lot? My main concern is how much it sheds. I want a dog I can keep in the house and feel safe. If an intruder comes, do you think this dog can be intimidating? Thanks (:I know it's the same dog, I used both names in case people weren't familiar with it's various names. Thanks.

They are livestock guarding breeds. They would not do well as house dogs. Going by your question, they would probably eat you one day.

Forget the Kangal which is the SAME dog as the Anatolian by the way and get a Fila, enough said about home protection as there is NOTHING better for that purpose.

I've had and imported these Turkish dogs in the past over twenty years and I know hundred of people that own or have owned these dogs. They can appear intimidating to some people; some people are afraid of children, some women are afraid of men, some people are afraid of any large dog and some are afraid of people of color, scare some other people. So your question is really about people. They can be big barkers and if you don't learn to train the dog, it can be a serious problem that can result in citations to you. When they are outside, they must be on a leash or a fenced area or they will roam for miles because they are independent and will be proactive to check for unusual activity in the environment. They will not stay by you and may drag you along if you do not train them well.These dogs have thick double coats and yes they shed a lot especially if they are house dogs. Many people keep them as indoor pets without a problem but you need a good vacuum cleaner and will have to do a lot of brushing. Outdoor dogs are subject to natural and seasonal light and they have their coat shedding seasons working at a natural rate so they are NOT constantly shedding but they blow their coats about twice a year.. Indoor dogs have artificial light affecting them and this is what causes constant shedding.As to being kept for a pet or guardian, they are independent dogs. Many people don't really understand independent animals when they think all dogs live to please their people. Have you trained any kitties to jump through a hoop and shake hands? That's a rhetorical question, but illustrates that independence can seriously affect how you live together. Learning to work with independent animals helps you develop a good relationship with a Turkish shepherd's dog. In Turkey for thousands of years, these dogs had to think independently and were not developed as a breed that would 'take orders from people. If you want a dog that listens to what you want it to do, and don't want a lot of independence, then you should avoid breeds from the livestock guardian genre.Some owners of these dogs do well in agility, search and rescue, and other obedience but most people do not. This is because few individuals are very in tune to their dogs to the extent that the dog will do almost anything for them. Not talking about Anatolians here... Your average person who has a dog on the leash, usually has the dog yanking them everywhere the dog wants to go. If you have owned dogs like that and didn't learn how to fix that, then the Turkish guardian dogs are completely unsuitable for you. If you do have motivation and will go to dog training classes to learn to work with your dog, then an independent guardian breed might work for you. A lot of dog trainers are actually pretty clueless about the Anatolian. Some who have had them in their classes or have tried to own one, have treated them as if they are 'average' dogs, and this has created problems that experienced Anatolian owners have had to remedy.The dog is a natural livestock guardian, but even then they require guidance to correctly learn their jobs. No dog is like farm equipment or a machine.

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