Overview

The Kangal is one of the earliest of the mastiff type breeds and can be seen in Assyrian art all over Turkey. They were used as a guard dog for sheep and goat flocks. They can be extremely territorial, especially with their family when it comes to strangers, but they are loving and calm around their family especially with children.

Activity

The Kangal requires an amount of mental and physical exercise that equates to a life guarding stock animals. If you have a ranch or farm with stock animals, this should be easy to maintain, but family dogs can become hard to handle if not given the right stimulation on a daily basis.

Care

This breed requires a yard that has a well-built fence as the Kangal loves to roam. They tend to think that property boundaries mean nothing and without a fence they will wander. They need constant physical and mental exercise to keep them happy so daily walks or jogging is recommended.

Character

Highly alert and intelligent, the Kangal is a breed that does well on a farm or ranch setting. While indoors they tend to be inactive, but outside they shine at protecting herds and other animals that they have been socialized with. They do tend to be wary and aggressive with other dogs that they are not socialized with at an early age.

Coat

The Kangal's coat requires little to no grooming, which makes it great for owners. There are those two times a year when shedding happens and they should be brushed during those times, but overall they are very easy to maintain. You should also only bathe them when it is absolutely needed to maintain their natural oils and coat health.

Temperament

With strength, courage, and speed, the Kangal will show intruders who the boss is in short order. They will usually growl and bark before becoming overly aggressive, but aren't afraid to mix things up if it comes down to it. Around the family they are compassionate and protective and quite fun loving when it's time to play. They tend to distrust strange dogs and are weary of strangers entering their domain.

Training

Training of the Kangal can be difficult for people that are not familiar with the pack mentality of dogs. This breed needs to know his order in the family and that order needs to be maintained at all times. They require a strong and authoritative leader that knows how to be compassionate with this breed. They love having mental stimulation, which makes training challenging and exciting for them.