Akbash
Also known as: Akbaş Çoban Köpeği
Breed at a glance
- Origin
- Turkey
- Weight
- Males
- Height
- Males
- Coat
- double coat [ 2 ] : 90
- Colour
- white [ 2 ] : 90
- Other names
- Akbaş Çoban Köpeği
intro
The Akbash ( Turkish : Akbaş ) is a traditional Turkish breed or type of flock guardian dog from western Anatolia . [ 3 ] The word akbaş means 'white head', and thus distinguishes this dog from the Karabaş , or 'black head'. [ 4 ] : 33 It was recognised by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2006; it is under the tutelage of the Köpek Irkları ve Kinoloji Federasyonu , the Turkish dog breed society, but is not recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale . [ 3 ] [ 5 ]
History
The Akbash is a traditional breed of livestock guardian dog , used to protect flocks from predators in the rugged terrain of western Anatolia . [ 2 ] : 90 It is distributed mainly in the provinces of Afyon , Ankara , Eskişehir and Manisa ; some are present in the provinces of Ağrı , Konya , Sivas and Tunceli . [ 1 ] : 7 [ 6 ] : 5 A standard was published by the Turkish Standards Institution in 2002, and in 2006 the Akbash was recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs ; it was added to the list of recognised native breeds and types, and the breed standard was published in the Resmi Gazete , the official government gazette. [ 6 ] : 5 [ 7 ] [ 8 ] : 8 [ 9 ]
Characteristics
The Akbash is a flock guardian dog, providing protection from predators to shepherds and to their sheep; it does not have any herding ability. [ 1 ] : 7 It is a large and powerful dog: [ 10 ] : 406 mean body weight is approximately 45 kg (100 lb) , and mean height at the withers just over 75 cm (30 in) . [ 1 ] : 6 The coat may be either long or of medium length; it is always double, and is usually white, though there may be some shading towards a biscuit colour. [ 11 ] : 70 [ 10 ] : 406 As with other white-coated flock guardian dogs, the white coat makes it easy for the shepherd to distinguish between the dog and a predator, even in the dark. [ 10 ] : 406 There is considerable feathering behind the legs, and the tail is heavily feathered. [ 11 ] : 70