17/04/2025
Many Livestock Guardian Dog breeds are white, large, and powerful, but the Akbash (bred for centuries to protect sheep in Turkey) is somewhat unique from other LGDs in that they are docile to the point of being submissive to livestock under their charge, but heaven help the predator on two or four legs. This is a breed accustomed to working with people as partners, not as subordinates, and not at all with four legged creatures that aren’t stock.
The breed has a huge white head (in fact, “Akbash” is the Turkish word that means white head) that houses strong jaws and well developed teeth. Akbash Dogs are special in other ways, as well: They have bursts of amazing speed; They’ve also developed the sense of knowing when they are overpowered and outmatched, and this means they’re less likely to become a meal for a wolf pack than some of the other LGDs. Put another way: They live to protect their flock another day.
The Akbash Dog was introduced by the US Department of Agriculture to the country’s Predator Control Program in 1980. The 40 Akbash Dogs imported to the United States became the foundation stock of the dogs now found in Canada and in United States. In 1998, the Akbash was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.
What we find particularly interesting is that of all the livestock guardian breeds, the Akbash shows the greatest influence of a sighthound ancestry. Yes, a molosser heritage is evident in the breed, but keen eyesight, long legs, a tall, lean, “tucked up” and flexible build, along with speed and agility comes from the sighthound, possibly the Tazi (it’s said the breed can jump over an obstacle as high as a man). In fact, the Akbash even shares a similar genetic intolerance to barbiturate-based anesthesia as do modern day sighthounds.
Image: An Akbash dog guarding a flock of sheep in California by Jerry Kirkhart is shared from WikiMedia under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license
