Does anyone have an Anatolian Shepherd Dog? General Chat

I've been asked to rehome an 8month puppy who i think may be an anatolian shepherd dog. I've never seen one of these dogs before, or even heard of them, I'm only guessing that this is what she is based on pictures that I've seen, she looks a lot like one. But she's also got a line of fur down her back, like a ridgeback, i dont know if anatolians have this?
I'd very much appreciate some advice on this breed as i dont want to welcome her into our home if its not going to be good for her long term becauseim inexperienced and wont be able to handle her properly.
I also know she cant stay where she is, her owner wants me to take her tonight. What should i do?

is this as well as the two staffy pups? Is this for real? No offence but it seems a little odd...

oh, no, we're not getting the puppies now, lol! seems like you missed a lot of the drama yesterday

sorry just read some more of your posts. You're not getting the staffs right? As far as the Anatolian goes...they are NOT an easy breed, they have very strong guarding instincts and the dog is at an adoloscent age which sounds like trouble to me. If your only experience of dogs is Lhasa Apsos it may be a shock to the system. Anatolians can be dominant and aggresssive with other animals too. Why is the owner getting rid of the dog? It may be too much for her to handle., maybe?

doh! posted at same time!

no, i've had experience with big dogs too, but i've never even heard of anatolians. everything ive looked at so far has said that they are difficult to handle, easily trainable but only if they want to do it coz they're stubborn, lol! Obviously we have other pets too, she plays with my lhasa sometimes but im worried they wont get on if they live together. i want to do what's best for her cozshe is absolutely lovely and she really cant stay where she is! And i know the sort of people she could end up with if i dont have her!
At the moment she gets on ok with cats, and she's really good with my son. I'm just worried that if i cant train her properly then she'll become overly dominant and take over the house, lol!

To be honest regardless of breed if this dog is 8 months and has been passed from home to home already and is now unmanageable by your neighbour it hardly sounds like an ideal first time dog.

If your neighbour really wants rid tonight and thats not a bit of blackmail they should be getting in touch with a good rescue to take her and not just handing her over to anyone (no offense intended).

If I was you I would sit back take stock of what you want in a dog and what you can offer a dog, then do lots of research to find a good rescue that knows their dogs, or if you want a specific breed that you've researched go and look for the breed rescues, they all have them.

But take your time and make sure its the right dog for you.

how rude, im not just anyone no, hes going away for 2 weeks tomorrow morning so needs me to have her tonight, but he said that he cant handle her cos he hasnt got enough time for her, and she's too energetic for him so he doesnt want her back when he gets home. The only reason he's asked me to do it is because he knows us, knows our other pets, his daughter plays with my son a lot and its technically her dog. I think he still wants to be able to see her just cant cope with actually owning her. This dog's been to my house before, gets on ok with my other animals, is good with my son. Like i said, id love to have her, its just the practicality of it if she gets too much to handle, i dont want her to keep being passed from home to home

oh, sorry, forgot to say, i dont think its the dog that's unmanageable i think its the owners of her that have been incompetent. my neighbour actually got her from a party so that kind of shows what sort of people she's had to put up with! she's actually very good at the mo!

in that case then, I would think about taking her on a trial basis and finding a really good training school run by qualified instructors (apdt etc.) and see how you get on. It does sounds as though you are sorely tempted. Listen to your gut feelings though. If you think it won't work, don't do it, but if you think she will fit in, give her a try. Good luck with whatever you decide.

He doesnt know the breeder, he isnt even aware what breed she is, and im only guessing based on pics of anatolians on the internet! altho still have no idea if anatolians have a line of longer fur down their back which is what she has. like i said he went to a party a few miles away and came back with the puppy! bizarre!
im just worried for her cos she is beautiful and has a lovely temperament, she should be with someone who knows exactly how to handle her to give her the best life possible. Im just not sure im the person to do that i have no experience with these kinds of dogs. but i dont think he'd give her to anyone else rescue-wise cos he wants to be able to still see her, and more importantly his daughter wants to be able to see her seeing as she is the one who is really looking after her and she's only 12!! She's the one that takes this puppy out for a walk every day, they're inseperable when she's not at school. It would be really sad for these 2 to part when there's so much love involved purely because her dad cant handle her
To be honest, I was really hoping that people with experience of this breed would say that yes they are hard work but it can be done, and that with some good advice I'd be able to provide a forever home for her, but it doesnt seem to be that easy
I want what's best for her in the long run and if that doesnt happen to be with me then Ill have to deal with it. Its just such a shame! She really is GORGEOUS!

I think it is highly unlikely she is a purebred anatolian. anatolians are not common at all and are also quite expensive i imagine. And also due to them being not as common there will be less chance of irresponsible breeders which is obviously where her current owner got her from, judging by what you have said about him aquiring her from a party!
I think the best thing you can do is assess the dog on her own merits, if you are going to take her on, then take her for the 2 weeks on a trial basis and be honest with yourself during that time as to whether she is really suitable for your home.
ANY dog can be trained, regardless of breed, its just that some breeds are easier than others and alot depends on the dogs individual temperament.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would tell your friend to take the dog to a reputable rescue. Then maybe you could ask the Rescue to help you find a suitable dog. The whole affair, from Back-Yard-Breeders to a puppy owned by someone who doesn`t know who bred it or even what breed it is indicates that perhaps a bit of expertise would be helpful.

you seem tepted andyou know the dog well. I would agree, take her on for the two weeks. One way or another her life will be changed for that two weeks anyway if they are going on holiday and you will be able to see if she can fit in with your family.

Shepherds whatever the mix can be wonderful dogs. They can get closely bonded to their families and become protective so socialisation is important, but a good training class or social dog walk should help no end to prevent that. Nearly all the shepherd I have ever met have been adorable cuddle monsters!

In the end you know the dog and your situation but my gut feeling would be, what harm can two weeks do? Watch her with your little dog and have a plan in mind to separate them if tensions get too high. But there's no reason they can't get over any tensions and get along fine after a month or two.

thanks, that really helps, i dont think i really have a choice anyway, if i dont take her at least for the 2 weeks then what would happen to her? he only asked me yesterday and is planning on leaving tomorrow! when we went away for a week we had arrangements AND a backup plan for our pets about 3 months before we left, lol!
i think having her on a trial basis is a good idea, and i hope she fits in cos i dont want her to settle and then be uprooted again
im not entirely sure she is anatolian, if she is its prob a cross, but she really does look like one. i wish i had a pic to show, i'd love someone to tell me what she is

Firstly no 12 year old should be walking a bousterous puppy in the first place.

Secondly if there is all this love for the dog - why on earth were there not plans in place the day before he went away to either kennel the dog or find a sitter (unless of course thats why he wants you to have her for 2 weeks?)

What was he going to do with the dog if you were not looking for a dog, as he is going away for 2 weeks?

I dont mean to offend you again but what will happen to this dog if she doesnt settle in well? Will he take her back and then try to find someone else to take her at such short notice or will you try to rehome and give the back up that a rescue would?

I think there is no harm trying for two weeks, it will give you a good idea of what the dog will be like in your home. I guess if the owner has given the dog to you, it will be left to you to find an alternative home if it doesn't work out. Good luck with whatever you decide. Perhaps you could post some pics so we could see what she looks like.

Hi,

Can you post a pic of her?

I have an anatolian shepherd dog, and they do not have a ridge of hair down their backs. They tend to look like giant labradors with a high percentage having a black mask. (mine doesn't). Their tails curl over when they are on guard. I've had my boy since he was 7 weeks old, he is now 2. Anatolians can be very stubborn, they are highly intelligent and will dominate if you let them. They require a high degree of attention, long walks and proper training. They grow up to be very large animals, my boy is 63kg (and not overweight) and over 6 ft tall on his back paws. I would be very wary of taking on an 8 month old anatolian who appears to have been rehomed a lot. These animals have a reputation (undeserved in my book) for being over-protective and I know of a couple who have killed cats/dogs/foxes.

I would not recommed this dog to anyone who does not have experience of large, dominant dogs.

I'd be happy for you to e-mail me if you wish to discuss this further

Regards

Sue
(Monty's Mum)

This is an old and rather perplexing thread and the OP seems to have fallen off the board since this last post.