Group: Flock Guard

Weight: Male: 120, Female: 90 lbs

Height: Male: 28-31, Female: 27-29 inches

Life expectancy: 10-13years

Size of litters: 7-9 puppies



History

The Akbash (meaning 'white head' in Turkish), developed 3000 years ago in Turkey as a sheepdog. They're believed to be a prehistoric pure breed that possesses Sighthound and Molosser traits. The shepherds supposedly bred the Akbash in a white colour on purpose to tell them apart from predators. A lot of this breeds history and origin stills remains very much a mystery.

Characteristics

They have a very distinctive double white coat, that's weather resistant and stiff. They can either be long or short haired. Their head is large and their jaws powerful. The ears are triangular shaped but with slightly rounded tips. Their eyes are brown and almond shaped and their tail is long.

Temperament

They're intelligent, loyal, confident and not hostile in their nature. They can be quite dominant and think they know better than their master. The Akbash will do well as both a working dog or as a companion. They have natural guardian and maternal instincts so they'll be fine around children. Their independence could create a problem but is also an advantage in an emergency as it will respond without direction. They're not very energetic but will still have energetic outbursts from time to time.

Care

Even though the coat is relatively clean and doesn't matt or smell, it still needs brushing on a regular basis as they're quite heavy shedders. The Akbash should only be bathed when really necessary and not on a regular basis as it will damage their coat. As they're not active, walks are not needed as much as some other breeds but still should happen on a regular basis. A big garden is a must as that's where the Akbash will get most of their exercise. About half an acre of open space is needed. They are generally a healthy breed but can develop hip dysplasia and OCD. For more detailed info, take a look at the Akbash Grooming page.

Training

The Akbash can be very dominating and will want to take over, so you need to be firm and take control straight away. Their very intelligent and will learn quickly but because of their independence they may think twice on taking commands. You can use some light negative techniques, such as keeping their food until they listen to the command but make sure your Akbash takes the dominant personality rather than the submissive (the breed usually splits between either being submissive or dominate). The submissive type of Akbash will just need normal training, positive rewards and consistency.

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