Gill is our amazing Livestock Guardian Dog. He is a Kangal, born on the streets of Istanbul, and rescued through an international group out of London, who exports the dogs to breed specific agencies like Anatolian Shepherd Rescue. In North America, Kangals have been anglicized into a shepherding breed, but they are Turkish in origin, and are called Kangal Çoban Köpeği. These are serious working dogs that need a real job, not a home pet lifestyle. Our 5 year old male, Gill, came as a rescue with no prior sheep experience, but his instincts kicked in immediately. These instincts can be traced back over 5,000 years to The Bronze Age, when herders needed dogs big and brave enough to scare off bears and wolves. The large carnivores predating livestock were driven off by the huge, ferocious K9 guardians, beloved by their humans. The relief pictured below comes from Mesopotamia, and shows one of the earliest renditions of a massive livestock guardian dog with his handler.
Though Kangals are fierce and brave, they are also extremely gentle and intelligent. This breed of LGD does not bark aimlessly in the night, but alerts with a variety of different pitches and intensities, depending on what he’s encountering. After two years of working at EEC full time, Gill is well settled and very selective about barking. He knows the deer that move through, and rarely alerts at them. He knows all the neighbor dogs and does not react to them, even the ones right on the other side of our fence. The other day, I watched him laying and looking on as a neighbor rode her horse right along the fence line. He observed, but had no reaction. Gill knows what is a threat, and what is a normal passing activity. Not all LGD are so aware. If you are in the market for a working dog for your farm security, there’s a lot of research to be done.
EEC Forest Stewardship is fenced with 6′ high woven wire stock fence. We have sheep, chickens, cats, clients- with children, who visit us regularly. Gill is a saint, vetted for all this activity and work. We had to slowly introduce him to other animals, including Valley, our true shepherding dog. To be clear, Kangals do not and should not drive or chase the sheep. When Gill puts out a true bark warming of eminent danger, the sheep flock to him for protection. He stands in the middle of them watching to make sure no danger is dumb enough to approach. Our fencing is mostly there to keep him in and at a safe distance from passing predators. Gill is not allowed to free roam, he would roam far and wide if let loose. He is also never taken on a recreational walk off site. Kangals can be socialized to other dogs, but they are very territorial. and might react to a badly behaved dog in public. Kangals demand respect and authority, and will make decisions on their own if they perceive a threat. Where they are allowed is there territory, and they will control it. Safe, well fenced, spaces give Gill free reign without the stress of new and untested spaces with too much unpredictability, which would cultivate insecurity in the long run.
I can’t say enough about how crucial stability and leadership is with this breed. Gill has absolute trust in me, which I earned, and maintain in a close working relationship with him. If I asked too much of Gill, like going to an off leash dog park where he might encounter unbalanced dogs in an unsafe place, he might react badly and lose my trust. It is imperative to give Kangal dogs a safe place with good work, that feeds their instinct to guard and chill. The picture above is our flock and LGD situation most of the time. Everyone is resting and relaxed. Gill chills by his chalet, listening, but not anxious at all. He’s such a good boy, and his state of mind reflects the well balanced life he lives. When he came to us, there were subtle insecurities, and he barked a lot more the first year as he adapted to his new surroundings and settled in. We had to teach Valley protocols in his space too. One major rule is no toys in the work space. Stick fetching is allowed, but if Gill takes the stick, it’s his, and Valley knows to relent. If she didn’t submit, and we didn’t back him, Gill would be confused by the pecking order, and that could cause mistrust between the dogs.
Valley agrees to respect Gill’s space, not just because he is bigger, but also because he respects her work too. Gill knows when Val is herding, and does not disrupt her seeking control. How amazing is that? This huge protector knows the difference between another dog moving the sheep, and a coyote chasing them down. This might seem obvious, but a lot of LGD breed would kill another dog messing with their sheep. Our other boundary with Gill, which is very important, involves keeping him out of the main human territory here at EEC. We do not allow Gill in the zone one (daily human action) area of the property, where the cars, living spaces, and gardens are. Our Aussie Valley, is allowed in the human spaces, so she gets a Gill free territory of her own too. Gill understands that he’s not in charge in that space, and though he will bark at someone driving in to let us know, he accepts that it’s not his space to control- but only because he is not allowed there. These kind of subtle but crucial divides in work space keep both our dogs in harmony, and capable of playing nice on the job.
Training is constantly happening within our pack; it’s just as important for the people involved to behave well too. Most basic behavior training works well with both dogs, but there are some major differences which become very apparent when misused between the breeds. Valentine is a physical dog who does not shy away from collar grabbing in the heat of the moment, but if you grabbed at Gill without thought, he would slink away and avoid. This is a simple difference in instinct and drive- Val is a doer, Gill is a watcher. Knowing these breed personality differences helps so much with successful training. Characteristics can be discovered and worked within mutts too- but it’s sometimes harder to find all the traits in a mixed pup. Breed character is also some guess work, but Gill’s 5,000 years of developed guardianship and alertness as an independent flock friend is silent stealth with ambush ferocity. Valley’s recent 200 year development as a sheep driver, for Basque herders in California, counts on people signaling her to work.
Trying to reprogram Kangal instincts seems somewhat cruel. Gill loves sleeping out- feeling the air on his muzzle, being able to stretch and roll in the earth. Replacing such deep nature connection with four walls and carpeting, with background city noise, would drive his sensitive alertness crazy. Urban Kangals are often known as barkers, and I know why. Gill will go off if there is disturbance, like a bear rolling up to the fence line once or twice a year. When he hears them in the creek area, he’s less aggressive, and only gives a short warning bark to alert them of his presence. Gill does not free roam the wildlife habitat area of the creek, but passes through on a leash when we move the sheep to the back pasture. He’s much more vocal back there because it’s the least human engaged space on the land. Near the barn and human habitation, he’s got our scent keeping most predators and wildlife away. Deer still brows through- Gill only alert barks at them if they are crashing through the undergrowth, which is rare. He knows the local fauna well. Kangal bark tones are diverse, and clearly tell you what kind of a disturbance is going on. If a Kangal was in an urban place hearing so much action, it might struggle to sort danger from passing disruption and remain on high alert, bringing on anxious barking, which creates a nuisance.
When I take Gill to the vet, he is often much more anxious because he is exposed to a lot of change and strange all at once. He’s an angel with our vet and any techs who handle him, and he tries to be quiet, but still gives little alert yips in the parking lot while we wait as other pets come in and out of the vet’s office. The vet and I know he would not do well waiting in the building, but he’s a real champion in the checkup room with his health care friends, who know him and his breed and what to do. Gill is not people adverse- he’s very friendly and social with folks- which is also often misunderstood in LGDs. Some livestock guardian breeds are used to ward off people; and those are often the ones, I find, that do a lot of anxious barking at night. Kangals in Turkey work with the flocks till they are too old to keep up in the fields. Then. they retire to village life, and watch over the elders and the young. Kangals are not personal protection dogs and should not be trained to become aggressive with people.
In singing the praises of our dog, Gill, the Kangal, I hope to let other flock folks know how amazing this breed is with sheep, but to also let dog lovers know this is NOT a bring home to your backyard or family home pet, but a working animal with a close connection to being out with the sheep in a well fenced, extensive acreage- along with lots of training and socializing . Old dogs could acclimate to a large home with well fenced back yard. Do not buy an LGD breed without lots of prior dog training experience and a job for the pup- with livestock! Do look more closely at the Kangal for guardianship of flock and farmstead, which these amazing dogs preform when supported and respected by people they trust. Gratitude for the generations of shepherds and villages who worked to create this breed.
EEC Forest Stewardship 