Why Adopt a Kangal Dog?

The European market seems to be saturated with Kangal Puppies. Some are born in poor conditions. Some are bread simply for the owner’s financial gain. If lucky, the puppies get sold to good homes, but too often this is not the case. There is times when those adopting a cute-Kangal-puppy soon learn that the dog grows up way too quickly, becoming  strong-willed,  independent, and causing challenges for inexperienced owners, who then end up giving the dog away. There is also the type of owners, who simply neglect the dogs, keep them chained, or locked in basements, in horrific conditions. There were  times when the dogs were found abandoned in forests, or by a road side. To say the least, the situations the dogs were rescued from were often disturbing.

Kangal Dog Abuse

Maybe the most disturbing abuse of the Kangal Dog Breed is the organized dog fighting.

Due to the dogs’ obvious strength and extra-large size, they are an easy target to those who see dog fighting as a “sport” and lucrative business. Cross breeding for size  became a real threat to the Kangal Dog breed,  an occurrence strictly tied to the dog fighting phenomenon in hopes to produce a bigger, heavier and more aggressive animal.  In their book: “The Kangal Dog of Turkey” Margaret Mellor and Lesley Tahtakilic write: ‘Kangal Dogs are by nature defensive rather than aggressive and it takes human intervention to turn them into the kind of animal that will perform on the fight circuit. Besides cross-breeding for size and temperament, body-building steroids and other drugs are used; dogs are confined, goaded and teased to make them react more fiercely when threatened. One ploy used to produce a fierce response in a Kangal forced to take part in an organized fight was to place a child from its family in the ring near the dogs as they squared up to each other; this of course brought out the Kangal’s strongest instinct, that of defending its own”.

Supporting Kangal Dog Rescue

These are just some of the reasons why we felt that our involvement was needed. Having said that, we realize that to be able to intervene in a meaningful way and succeed in our efforts, we need the support of others. Anyone can help rescue, rehome and ultimately preserve the Kangal Dog breed, so that these magnificent creatures may experience the life they so deserve: a life as exceptional livestock guardians to their flock and families, alert and protective, but also: gentle giants, sensitive, loyal, loving,  affectionate,  characterized by a steady temperament, predictable behavior, calm and controlled nature.

While considering providing your support, please remember that to keep the Kangal Dog Shelter running there are people in Germany whose lives revolve around helping these extraordinary dogs. These people are true ambassadors for the breed, protecting their well-being, safety and most of all keeping them alive at all cost in spite of some dogs’ medical conditions, old age, or being deemed not appropriate for adoption. What we most wish for, is that the Kangal dogs will continue to thrive in Turkey and around the world as devoted and natural guardians of sheep and goats, and of the families who care for them, just as they had been for centuries.