“DOGS OF TURKEY: Anatolian Shepherd (Anadolu Coban Kopegi): The
Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a remarkable shepherd’s guard dog of
ancient lineage. It is a large, formidable working dog with a
self-sufficient temperament. Such dogs are found throughout the
Anatolian Plateau of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye). Historically
since Babylonian times there was a breed of large, strong dogs.
They were variously employed as war dogs and for hunting huge
game such as lions and horses. Some spectacular examples can be
seen on the very well preserved relieves in the Assyrian Rooms
of the British Museum, London. The breed has evolved over the
ages and is now well adapted to suit a specific set of
circumstances. Of these the most formative are the climate, the
peoples’ lifestyle and the job assigned to the dogs. The climate
of the Central Anatolian Plateau of Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye) is
continental. The average elevation is 3000ft (1000 meters) above
sea level, surrounded via mountains 5-10,000ft (1600-3000
meters) high; the summe