Akbash Dogs & Puppies

• Energy Level

• Exercise Requirements

• Playfulness

• Affection Level

• Friendliness to Dogs

• Friendliness to Other Pets

• Friendliness to Strangers

• Watchfulness

• Ease of Training

• Grooming Requirements

• Heat Sensitivity

• Vocality

Suitable as both a home companion and guard dog, the Akbash Dog is calm, quiet, independent and steady. He is loyal, gentle and affectionate with his human family, children and other pets. He is naturally alert and suspicious toward strangers and can be territorial toward other dogs. The Akbash Dog is receptive to training and should be properly and frequently socialized and trained from an early age to ensure a well-behaved family dog and guardian.

The Akbash Dog’s medium-length or long white coat, which can have light biscuit- or gray-colored shading around the ears or undercoat, should be brushed weekly to remove dirt and hair that has shed. Occasional bathing and regular teeth cleaning and nail trimming are also among the Akbash Dog’s basic grooming needs. Although his activity level is relatively low, the Akbash Dog is best suited for a home with a large fenced yard to provide him with plenty of room to run when needed.

Major Concerns: N/A

Minor Concerns: Hip dysplasia, epilepsy, dilated cardiomyopathy and hypothyroidism

Occasionally Seen: Gastric torsion and umbilical hernias

Suggested Tests: Hip, heart and thyroid

Lifespan: 10 to 12 years

The Akbash Dog is an ancient breed native to western Turkey’s plains and mountains, where he was bred by villagers and shepherds to guard livestock from wolves and other predators. Although the Akbash Dog is the Turkish counterpart to other white guardian breeds native to the northern Mediterranean Basin, he is the only breed to have the distinct combination of Mastiff and gazehound characteristics. In the 1970s, Americans David and Judy Nelson began studying these dogs, importing more than 40 Akbash Dogs to the United States. These imported dogs became the breed’s foundation stock in both the United States and Canada. In 1980, the US Department of Agriculture included Akbash Dogs in the Predator Control Program, in which they successfully performed, and in 1998, the United Kennel Club officially recognized the Akbash Dog as a member of its Guardian Dog Group.