The Anatolian Times

ANATOLIAN TIMES

Official Publication Of The Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America

2022 Volume 1

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2022 Volume 1 37

CONTENTS AN INTERVIEW OF
A WORKING DOG &
11 RANCHER/FARMER
AND MEMBER OF
WINTER CARE TIPS FOR THE ASDCA
WORKING ANATOLIANS
50 THE POX OF POPULAR SIRES

15 4 ABOUT THE COVER

TALKING ABOUT 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
HEALTH TESTING
TERMINOLOGY AND 34 ARE ANATOLIAN SHEPHERDS

RESPONSIBLE CORRECTLY DESIGNATED A BREED?
ADVERTISING “ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD BREED
DESIGNATON”
29 OUR FIRST ANATOLIAN (PART4)
36 DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA
PennHIP
40 ANATOLIAN WORKING DOGS
32 DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST.

MEET THE 44 AROUND THE SHOWS
BREED
45 CELEBRATING NEW TITLES

53 ANNUAL COMMITTEE REPORTS

60 NATIONAL SPECIALTY SHOW 2022

66 OFA RESULTS

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 3

ABOUT THE COVER ASDCA CODE OF ETHICS

Edgebrook Anatolians is pleased to ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD DOG CLUB OF AMERICA
introduce
Approved 8-11-2021 by BOD
Cedar Rise Aiyla Manyetizma
of Timaru The Anatolian Shepherd is a very special breed of dog, developed
over many centuries under rigorous working conditions to per-
“YETI” form a specific job – protect livestock. As owners and breeders of
these dogs, we are dedicated to maintaining the working ability,
Pictured on the cover, Yeti is clearly temperament, soundness, and overall conformation these dogs
exhibiting correct working posture have exhibited for millennia in their native lands.
while navigating through his herd.
This Code of Ethics is established in accordance with the objec-
Generations of careful selective tives of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of America (ASDCA)
breeding have produced a dog as set forth in the By-Laws. It is established to set a standard of
possessing an incredible working ability conduct by all members of the ASDCA. It is presented as a guide-
with exceptional conformation. line for the use of ASDCA members and the general public when
buying breeding, selling and exhibiting Anatolian Shepherd Dogs.
Bred by Leslie Ayers The Code of Ethics outlines the essentials of responsible behaviors
Yeti’s Dam: CH Cedar Rise Aiyla of for Anatolian Shepherd owners, breeders, and potential breeders
Lucky Hit. Aiyla is an exceptional whose foremost aim should be the health and welfare of their dogs
working guardian and AKC champion. and the breed.
Bred by Leslie Ayers and Erick Conard.
As a member, breeder, or potential breeder, in good standing of
Yeti’s SIRE: GCHB Timaru Bekci Ayisi, the ASDCA, I hereby agree:
“BEAR” Bred by Lesley and John
Braybn. Bear is the number one 1. To abide by the ASDCA By-laws and the Rules and Regulations of
Anatolian for two years running. the American Kennel Club.
2. To maintain the highest standard of canine health, cleanliness,
Yeti is a full-time livestock guardian and care.
charged with the protection of 100+ 3. That all advertising and social media shall be honest and not in
Spanish Goats on a 160 acre farm in any way fraudulent or misleading. Members should be responsi-
ble, respectful and professional on social media.
Texas. 4. That no ASD will be knowingly sold to franchised commercial
facilities, puppy brokers, puppy mills or agents. No stud dog will
Rarely does a dog of 12 months inspire knowingly be bred to any bitch whose owner is directly or indi-
such hope and impatience for what the rectly involved with any puppy broker, puppy mill or any other
commercial enterprise whose business is involved in like activi-
future might bring. ties. No ASD will be sold or donated to a research laboratory. No
dog will be offered as a prize or sold at auction.
5. All breeding will be done with the intention of preserving the
breed and not for purely commercial purposes. No registered Ana-
tolian will be intentionally bred other than to a registered ASD.
6. All breeding Bitches and Dogs must be certified radiographic
free of hip dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or
comparable agency. Preliminary results are not accepted. Copy of
this certification to be provided to puppy buyers upon request.
7. All breeding Bitches and Dogs should be physically mature and
at least two years of age with no disqualifying faults per the AKC
standard. It is recommended that Bitches be limited to 3 litters in
their lifetime and should not be bred after the age of 8 without
Veterinary approval.
8. Puppies should not be removed from their mother and siblings
before they are at least eight weeks old.
9. To realistically evaluate all puppies and to sell or place non-
breeding ASDs on contracts with limited registration papers (off-
spring cannot be registered with the AKC).
10. All breeders will take responsibility for all offspring produced
and will assist in their lifetime placements and re-homing if neces-
sary.

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

Dear Anatolian Lovers, Bonnie Hill
ANATOLIAN TIMES
I hope your New Year has gotten off to an excellent start. PO Box 2084 | Tarpon Springs, FL 34688
I have been relying on the rhythm of the farm to get me Mobile: 215.378.0203 | [email protected]
through the dark days of winter. With less social contact,
my dogs have been such a tonic during this pandemic. Leslie Ayers as Assistant Editor
I am looking forward to hearing and seeing the first (540) 463-9435
signs of spring. Baby lambs and spring peepers are right [email protected]
around the corner!
Advertisement Deadlines
I am happy to present the Anatolian Times edited for the & Publishing Schedule
first time by Bonnie Hill. We are very fortunate to have Ad Deadline Publication Issue
her guiding us through this change to a digital Anatolian Jan. 15 // Stud Dog Issue
Times. All Working dog judges will now receive the May 15 // Breeders Showcase
Anatolian Times straight to their inboxes. An E-Times September 15 // National Specialty
allows us to expand our content, produce in full color,
and reach a much larger reader base without incurring Advertisement Rates
additional costs. Thanks to all the members that
advertised in this issue! Your support made it possible Front Cover $450.00* Color
to not only produce the E-edition but to have a printed Back Cover $350.00* Color
copy as well. We know that some of you like to hold your inside Covers $250.00* (Front or Back Color)
Times in your hands, so we were thrilled to be able to Center Spread $500.00* Color (2 pages)
produce this edition within our budget. Moving forward, Half Page $125.00* Color
we will be asking members that would like a printed copy Quarter Page $75.00* Black/White
in addition to their E-Times to pay an additional fee. Black & White ads 25% discount

You might also notice a new logo. In producing the Ad payments are due with ad submission. All
times, we could not find a high-resolution ASDCA logo. advertisement art, photos, text must be submitted
Additionally, AKC had asked parent clubs to change using by the deadline. Payment can be made by check or
the AKC logo. So Bonnie offered to adjust the beautiful money order.If dogs listed in advertisements are
National Specialty logo for our 50th, and Voila! We co-owned, all owners must be eligible for ASDCA
thought we would take this out for a test drive. If anyone membership and in good standing with the AKC. To
would like to submit one for consideration, by all means, advertise, non-members must be eligible for ASDCA
we would love to have your input. membership and in good standing with the AKC. All
ads must be accompanied by full payment (made out
Our website is also undergoing lots of change! Thanks to to the ASDCA) and sent to the Editor. Please contact
the hard work of the tech team, you can now renew and editor via phone or email if you want to reserve as
make payments online. Our goal is to make things easier payment must be received upon reservation of ad
and more accessible for you and streamline the work for space.
our volunteer board. It is a steep learning curve with a Commercial Ad rates are available for members and
few things to work out but we know it will be worth it! non-members.

Plans are starting to firm up for our National Specialty! POSTMASTER
I sincerely hope that you will join us in Nashville for the
gathering of the clan. Send address changes to:
ASDCA Secretary, Leslie Sharp
Please feel free to reach out to me with your questions or [email protected]
concerns.

All the best to you and your family,

Leslie Ayers

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 5

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Litter Registration Procedure: The breeder shall obtain a litter registration packet from the ASDCA Reg-
istrar or on the ASDCA website. The breeder fills out the litter record with the full name, color, sex, and
owner’s name, address and phone number for each puppy to be registered. The breeder then forwards
the litter registration packet with the proper fees to the ASDCA. The ASDCA has adopted a 90-day pe-
riod for processing a litter registration. Incomplete information will cause a delay. The litter will not be
registered until all required information (including required signatures of owners of the sire and dam)
has been completed on the litter record form. Sire and dam must be ASDCA or AKC registered. Complete
registration and fee schedule can be found on the ASDCA web site www.asdca.club under “ASDCA Reg-
istration Info and Fee Schedules.”

ASDCA Registrar, [email protected]

AKC Registration: To register a litter with the American Kennel Club (AKC), contact the AKC at: Ameri-
can Kennel Club,
8051 Arco Corpo-rate Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27617-3390; or call: (919) 233-9767; or check the AKC
web site at: http://www.akc.org
ASDCA Kennel Name Registration: The breeder shall forward the request for a kennel name to the ASD-
CA Secretary with the proper fee (see below). The Secretary shall then inform the breeder if the kennel
name desired is available and acceptable. Accepted kennel names shall be published in the ANATOLIAN
TIMES.

ASDCA FEE SCHEDULE

Litter Registration: Fee includes one registration certificate per pup.
For Registration of a Litter - $10.00 per pup for members and $20.00 per pup for non-members
Individual Dog Registration: $20.00 for members and $25.00 for non-members
Ownership Transfer: $10.00 (must send original certificate to ASDCA Registrar)
Duplicate (Replacement) Registration Certificate: $10.00 Certified Pedigree: $25.00
Kennel Name Registration: $20.00
Annual Subscription to ANATOLIAN TIMES: $35.00 USA $45.00 for Canada $50.00 for overseas includ-
ing Mexico
Litter Box Listing in the ANATOLIAN TIMES: Free to members (non-members $30.00)

ASDCA Membership Dues: $30.00 (one member) for Regular and Associate Membership. $40.00 for
Family Membership (two individuals who reside in the same household). $15.00 for Junior Member-
ship (10-17 years of age). Annual membership includes one subscription to the ANATOLIAN TIMES. Add
$15.00 for membership in Canada. Add $20.00 for membership overseas including Mexico.

Membership Application Fee: $5.00 per new membership application (this is a non-refundable fee).
Breeder’s Rate New Owner Membership Dues: $20.00 per new membership applicant. Available to new
puppy owners from litters produced by ASDCA members. Payment must be made by the breeder. This
is a first year only discount. This is to be gifted to new owner within 6 months after the date of sale.

Breeder’s List: $50.00 per year. This fee includes listing published by the ASDCA and provided to all
inquiries that are received and the ASDCA Web Site – www.ASDCA.club Only REGULAR MEMBERS IN
GOOD STANDING can be listed on the Breeder’s List. All breeder’s listed on the Breeder’s List must sign
that they have read the ASDCA Code of Ethics and will abide by them.

ANATOLIAN TIMES COPIES: A limited number of extra copies of the Anatolian Times are available for
purchase through the Club Secretary. Contact the Club Secretary for current pricing schedule.

INSUFFICIENT FUND CHECKS: All checks returned to the ASDCA Treasurer due to insufficient funds
will be subject to a $40.00 ASDCA fee to cover the significant costs the ASDCA is charged by financial
institutions.

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

6

Editorial Correction (By Carol White) My apologies also go out to Sarah. I also inad-
vertently left out our Junior Showmanship at the
Hi Everyone, show. Sarah Grace Chaput (J-6), was in the ring
After reviewing the last issue of the Anatolian with GCH Alaturkay Demeter At Thunderpas. Pic-
Times, I realized two errors were made. tured is Sarah and her Anatolian. Sarah got a First
Place Ribbon! Congratulations Sarah!
The Award of Merit Photo that was published was
the wrong photo. My apologies to Regan and Tom Sarah Chaput
Leston. Below is the correct photo that was sup- and
posed to be published in the Anatolian Times. GCH

GCHB Full Circle’s Bruichladdich Black Art Alaturkay
FDC CGC TKN Demeter At
Thunderpas

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 7

Number OneBEST IN SHO#W1ANTAHTTEOOLFWIIARINSNTMBIASL!E
Anatolian
Shepherd

Ranking is as published through Nov 2021 CC

BIS MBISS OH-BIS GCHB TIMARU BEKCI AYISI

(OH-BIS GCHG Timaru Serag Mounir x BISS GCHB White Oak Wiesje)
Bred & Owned by John & Lesley Brabyn

Bear was Best in Show at the Sacramento DFA over 1,230 dogs. He is the first male ASD to win an AKC BIS
and follows in the pawprints of his litter sister Tallulah, who won an all-breed BIS in 2019.

Continuing his winning ways, Bear was Best of Breed at the AKC National Championship Show in Orlando for
the second year in a row and finishes 2021 as the #1 Anatolian in both the Breed and All-Breed ranking systems.

We are very proud of both Bear and Tallulah, who have major-pointed, full time guardian offspring to their
respective credits. Tallulah is expecting her second litter in early January 2022.

Timaru Anatolians & Salukis, reg.
John & Lesley Brabyn

www.salmoncreekranch.com

Timaru

some of our youngsters

TIMARU GUARDIAN OF THE NORTH

(CH Lucky Hit Sonra Gazi of Cedar Rise x
BIS RBIS OH-BIS CHS Timaru Tallulah)

Groot was WD from the Puppy Class every
day he was shown in Orlando, including at

the AKC National Championship Show.
A resident of Canada, he has won multiple
CKC Puppy Group I’s, a Best Puppy in Show

and a Group IV.
Groot is owned and handled by Ashley
Martins and bred and co-owned by Lesley

Brabyn

Groot is shown winning WD from the 9-12 Puppy Class at the 2021 AKC National
Championship Show under judge Abigail Patrizio, handled by owner Ashley Martins.

GERLACH AYIMIN KIZI AT TIMARU

(BIS MBISS OH-BIS GCHB Timaru Bekci Ayisi x
GCH Gerlach Kalit)

Kizi also went to Orlando and won Winners
Bitch all five days shown. She even got a
Best of Breed over Specials and a BOS over
Specials at the pre-shows. She was BOW
and First Award of Merit at the AKC National

Championship Show.
Kizi was bred by Kathy Gerlach and is

owned by Lesley Brabyn.

Kizi is shown winning Best of Breed over Specials at the Space Coast
KC under judge Doug Johnson. Handled by Stuart McGraw.

Timaru Anatolians & Salukis, reg.
John & Lesley Brabyn

www.salmoncreekranch.com

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

10

WINTER CARE TIPS FOR
WORKING ANATOLIANS

NATALIE THURMAN, APEX ANATOLIANS

Now that we are in full on winter here in Montana, I was asked to share
my winter care tips for puppies. I encourage to you always be mindful
of vast temperature swings and the toll they can take on our outdoor
working dogs- the odd July blizzard is more likely to cause issues for
my dogs than a sub-zero January night due to some of the factors I’ll be
going over here.

Step 1: Pre-qualify Your Dog
In order to be successful as a working livestock guardian dog where
winter weather exists, your dog needs the following:

1. Functional Double Coat. Any length is fine, and longer is of-
ten not better. This means that they grow in a thick, insulat-
ing undercoat that holds their body heat in the colder sea-
sons. Proper function means that they shed that undercoat
for the warmer months and don’t mat up or get impacted hair.
If your dog has a less-functional coat, they can still work- how-
ever, they will require extra grooming maintenance that most
farmers/ranchers are unable to budget time and funds for.

2. Temperament and drive to live outdoors with livestock. It’s not
fair to take a dog who longs for human companionship and force them to live with goats. Even when
a puppy comes from two working parents and raised with stock,­ not every puppy wants to be
with livestock. It’s our duty as the human in the equation to properly evaluate the working aptitude
of our puppies/dogs and respect their individual drives and needs.

3. Gradual climate acclimation. The temperature dips of fall nights cue our outdoor animals (stock and
LGD alike) to prepare for winter. Any animal who moves from one climate to a significantly differ-
ent climate will need time to adjust. Whether that is from a warmer area to Montana in the winter,
or from a deep Nor’easter storm to Florida- adjustment will take TIME. We must allow for this transi-
tion and support our dogs through seasonal and location shifts as they arise.

Step 2: The Big Four Requirements

1. Acclimation. As in point 3 above, an outdoor dog MUST be acclimated to the climate they are living

in. Puppies do not have the same coat as adults, and must be checked frequently in winter months.

2. Shelter. 3+ wall construction, opening facing away from typi-

cal wind direction. Dry, straw bedding at all times (check regularly

and replace when it gets icy or wet. If you have a single LGD, a well

fitted dog house is appropriate. If you have multiple LGDs, you can

deep bed the barn and they can seek shelter with the herd.

3. Nutrition. Increase calories fed in colder months to support

higher demands on their bodies. Quality food is a must, and supple-

ments should ONLY be fed under Veterinarian direction, especially

any supplement with Calcium in puppies.

4. Water. Liquid, not solid form! Every animal you have outside

in winter requires water to survive. This is one of the most labor-
4D Say It Like You Mean It (Ahsoka) redistrib- intense chores of winter in most frozen areas. You can use a tank
uting her fresh straw bedding in her fiberglassheater,
shelter. bubbler, pump or heated bowls to help keep water in its liq-

uid state. Remember- cages around tank heaters are a must, and con-

sider a tank that is shorter than your puppy just in case they find a way in, they can find a way OUT.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 11

Step 3: Know the Signs- Hypothermia

If you notice the following signs, call your vet and get your dog loaded to go if
they meet all three signs:
1. Intermittent Shivering. Not a steady shiver, this is a sign their nervous system isn’t able to
keep up with the demands of maintaining body temp.
2. Body Temp below 95 Fahrenheit. This is too cold! Get them warming up (preferably in your
vehicle as you drive to the Vet), and call your Veterinarian immediately.
3. Trouble with basic motor skills. Walking, standing, breathing, lowered heart rate. Barring
acute injury, this is a big sign that something major is wrong with your LGD.

Sunny Lee’s Kestrel Dawn at Apex (Jyn) and 4D Say It
Like You Mean it (Ahsoka) perched up on a hill under
some trees. The snow is more shallow under the trees.

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

12

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 13

Please join us for the Woofstock Cluster at the
Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, CA.

Thursday, June 9—Sunday, June 12, 2022.

Woofstock is a 4-day show of peace, love, music
and dogs!

Supported Entries:
Saturday, June 11, 2022 & Sunday, June 12, 2022.

Some very cool prizes are in the works!

For more information contact Carol White

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

14

HEALTH TESTING TERMINOLOGY AND
RESPONSIBLE ADVERTISING

NATALIE THURMAN, ASDCA HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBER

Navigating the wonderful world of health test- Hip Laxity: the looseness of the hip joint. Two
ing is important, but it can also be confounding types- Passive, under sedation, dog not able to
when you are researching different breeders for compensate with muscle for looseness), and Func-
your next Anatolian Shepherd pup, and you read tional, the pathologic form during normal weight
that one breeder’s dog has an “Excellent PennHIP bearing in dogs with dysplastic hips.
score” while another’s dog has a “.11, .18 PennHIP Functional laxity is not measurable with current
rating” listed. methods.
What do these two statements actually mean? Are Elbow Dysplasia: disease of the elbow affecting
they the same or different? And are both accurate joint function.
representations of PennHIP results? DNA Screening: buccal (cheek) swab submitted
Before we get into more complex questions like to one of many laboratories to evaluate the pres-
these, let’s start with the basic terms you will like- ence/absence of identified genetic markers. This
ly encounter on your research journey into canine can be done for color, coat type, disease risk, and
health testing. Please note the hotlines will take more. Programs like UCDavis’ Veterinary Genetics
you to reference websites with more information. Lab working with BetterBred are working to sup-
Terms and Definitions port responsible preservation breeding through
OFA: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals certifies genetic diversity. Currently there are no DNA dis-
official health testing and rating of X-ray, lab, and ease tests recommended for the Anatolian Shep-
other clinical evaluation in animals. OFA hosts a herd breed.
public database of health testing scores. (OFA.org) OFA Passing Scores
Passing results are automatically posted to the EXCELLENT:
OFA database. Owners have the choice of with- Superior conformation; there is a deep-seated
holding failing tests to the OFA database or mak- ball (femoral head) that fits tightly into a well-
ing them public. If a dog is missing one or more formed socket good hips in dogs (acetabulum)
of the recommended OFA breed tests, they either with minimal joint space.
withheld them or did not take them. GOOD:
CHIC: Canine Health Information Center, a joint Slightly less than superior but a well-formed
effort between OFA and breed clubs across the congruent hip joint is visualized. The ball fits well
US to research and maintain information on the into the socket and good coverage is present.
health concerns of each participating breed. (OFA. FAIR:
org/abouUchjc-program) Minor irregularities; the hip joint is wider than a
good hip. The ball slips slightly out of the socket.
CHIC Certification: CHIC certification is obtained The socket may also appear slightly shallow.
when a dog has publicly posted results for each OFA Non-Passing Scores
health test recommended by the parent club. In BORDERLINE:
addition to the breed specific requirements, a Not clear. Usually more in-congruency present
CHIC requirement across all participating breeds than what occurs in a fair but there are no ar-
is that the dog must be permanently identified via thritic changes present that definitively diagnose
microchip or tattoo in order to qualify for a CHIC the hip joint being dysplastic.
number.
Antech Diagnostics: Diagnostic lab that pur- PAGE
chased the exclusive rights to the PennHIP test
through Antech Imaging Services (AIS). ANATOLIAN TIMES 15
PennHIP: A health test measuring the laxity of the
hip joint in dogs over three views. Proprietary and
only available through certified Veterinarians and
AIS.
Hip Dysplasia (HD): abnormal or faulty develop-
ment in the hip.

OFA Hips OFA Elbows

One extended view of pelvis submitted to the rating opinion of three boarded One view of each (R/L) elbow submitted to the rating opinion of three boarded
Veterinarians.
MILD: Veterinarians.
PGasRsinAgDScEorIeII ELBOW DYSPLASIA:
Significant subluxation fair hips in dogs present NNNWbooOnRao-bPeMnnalAosleLrsm:dinpagelrfSvioncedoliirlnefogsesprineaedtitihoderneeglbaeolwnosenurbgamaitttinevdc.eojnoeinatl disease with
where the ball is partially out of the socket caus- GpRArDoEcIeEsLsBObWeDinYSgPgLArSeIAa:ter than 5 mm.
ing an increased joint space. The socket is usually
Minimal bone change along anconeal process of ulna (less than 2mm).
GRADE II ELBOW DYSPLASIA:
Additional bone proliferation along anconeal process (2-5 mm) and subchondral
bone changes (trochlear notch sclerosis).
GRADE III ELBOW DYSPLASIA:
Well developed degenerative joint disease with bone proliferation along anconeal
process being greater than 5 mm.

shallow only partially covering the ball.

MODERATE:
The ball is barely seated into a shallow socket.
There are secondary arthritic bone changes usu-
ally along the femoral neck and head (remod-
eling), acetabular rim changes (osteophytes or
bone spurs) and various degrees of trabecular
bone pattern changes (sclerosis).

SEVERE: PennHIP
Marked evidence that hip dysplasia exists. The
ball is partly or completely out of a shallow Three views of pelvis submitted to AIS for evaluation of joint laxity. Each hip is rated
socket. Significant arthritic bone changes along
the femoral neck and head and acetabular rim FwinoidthivrinidPuthaeEllyb,NrheiegNdh.eHr (lIoPos,ert)hscroreeeis tvakieen was tsheodofgt'shofeficiapl eratlinvgifsor acormeparsisuonb-
changes mild hip dysplasia in dogs. mitted to AIS for evaluation individually, higher
(PleononHsIPenre)vesr cgivoers aewiosrdtraatinkgelikne OaFsA’st“hExeceldlenot”gor’s“Gooofdf.”iTchieaPlenrnaHItPing
OFA Elbow Passing Score froatirngscaorema ppaiar orf idsecoimnals assigned to each hip. See the example report below.
wReiptohrt Einxamtphlee- Kbarrabeoeuddjan.'s Skyfall at Northwest Guardians, Severine
NORMAL:
No abnormal findings in either elbow submitted. PennHIP never gives a word rating like OFA’s
“Excellent” or “Good.” The PennHIP
OFA Elbows Non-Passing Scores ratings are a pair of decimals assigned to each
hip. See the example report in the following
GRADE I ELBOW DYSPLASIA: page.
Minimal bone change along anconeal process of
ulna (less than 2mm).

GRADE II ELBOW DYSPLASIA:
Additional bone proliferation along anconeal
process (2-5 mm) and subchondral
bone changes (trochlear notch sclerosis).

PAGE

16 ANATOLIAN TIMES

Report Example -
Karaboudjan’s Skyfall at
Northwest Guardians, Sever-
ine

On the Distraction Index
scale, the Gray rectangular
box represents the central
90% of distraction index
scores within the Anatolian
Shepherd breed.

That black square at .38 DI
on the scale is the Anatolian
Shepherd breed’s mean score
across all samples.

The green line and black cir-
cle mark are Severine’s .18 DI.
Outside and to the left (better)
than the 90% central range.

Passing Scores
This is relative, but anything
tighter (lower #) than the
mean score for the breed is
preferable.

Non-Passing Scores tehxaanmtpdOhilnseetrtmahocefteiDoaanisnttiirngasdchcetoitxoernsrecIonrdeesxwsicts“RhaGiieloneom,ntohtheeidesmA”GinnbsraahetroyoreliruaetgnhcladtaSarnthdcgeotsuphmlthaeoererobOduonbFxplrAyereientHpdir.meiapseehrne“etsEasltuxhtchletesctl-eelnenstntroaitntl”9ega0ld%bniodsowcf uss, -
Anything looser (higher #) That black square at .38 DnI oonttPheenscnaHle IisP.thAenAdnaatonliaynuSsheepohfeordffbirceieadl’stemremanssschoroeuld
for the breed is not a good
hip in that breed.

cvpWoarhnelucefoainsbreimltemcatoetoimaobsneruseirneetodaoePnfreysonowbnujhHercoIdtPiwo,vgtaeh’snweht ratiepoTa(ybschseirrue.motatlTsegttsprrhsh)earieetghlsolnriasvvclntaieaenhmtenhahypeanolibenp9used0.%balacceknctrbwbbiarcleeahlresabaoemnbaghoaclereerk.kaetwaoldrteihbtuShetpeePvvsbeeetryniraninpenf’iHrsdeo.Id1oaP8fdorDvoneIef.pOrOootFufirfAtstsiesc.ido.itearhgalen’rsiderpstoruuetlbhstelusi!lcletTfsdthasohtsaoe-uld
ttPWshoueehbnseejoneennHctetyIhiPovaeuebrirao(cOtdvoheoFme.Agres)t’.ahrcearpnoosOrstFasA.b,TarhesekeydteshhrTPperhomwaeiusfsehlsiwrsdoainrbhelolgoeylap.oStatikvscneolf,diobrkearuetssaknythinhAftilginhonontrgeigwgdhhOretaeeyeFlsraobAnu(luolotolhhwtwtaseiedptshretvao#rsaes)atvoirtt“nhetuiNainngsrng!o’etbtrPhtyprmeeloeeormaeuasmedtlsr”eaesehndortbesontmecaooPylcertOeoeohmnuFnfotAnrbser Hce/twsChirtIeeHiesPnnbbI-grtrCseTi.eioethoMsdueuraisiswlnsatalskshabscebyioagnoeunn-ut-
be misleading and confusing at best, and false
Responsible Advertising advertising at worst. Please protect your reputa-
Circling back to the original question of “Ex- tion and the Anatolian Shepherd breed by being
cellent PennHIP score” vs. a “.11, .18 PennHIP honest and accurate in your health testing re-
rating.” If you see someone using “Excellent porting and advertising.
PennHIP” or “Good PennHIP” in their advertis-
ing, know that these terms are not compatible in
an official capacity. Ask clarifying questions and
get to the real PennHIP score each dog received.
Remember to compare the highest PennHIP score
number to the breed average.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 17

Sakarya Anatolian Shepherds

Since 1974, Sakarya Anatolians has been recognized for its dedication to the breed and commitment to
maintaining a quality breeding program that has produced top-winning show dogs, successful livestock
guardians, and loving family protectors. Though retired in 2012 from actively breeding, we support owners
of our Sakarya-bred dogs, who, through their breeding programs, have been successful in keeping alive the

legacy established by our dogs over the last 48 years.
This page is dedicated to the loving memory of my husband, Quinn “Skip” Harned

ASDCA, MEX. CH SAKARYA’S SAHMERDAN II, CGC BISS CH CARPE DIEM’S PHOENIX
AT SAKARYA (“PHOENIX”)
ASDCA Sire of Distinction
·Best of Breed – ASDCA National Specialties (1990 & 1991) • Best of Breed – ASDCA National Specialty (2009)
• Awards of Excellence ( 2008 & 2009)
·First Place – Stud Dog Class ASDCA National Specialties (1992, 1993 & 1998) AKC-Eukanuba National Championships
·Sire of the 1st Anatolian Shepherd Dog • Sire of Multiple AKC Champions

AKC Champion of Record - Ch. Sakarya’s Altin Kilij
·Sire of 2 ASDCA National Specialty Winners
Ch. Sakarya’s Altin Kilij (1994, 1995, 1996)
ASDCA Ch. Aslan Kuzeyden (1997)

BISS, GCHS CARPE DIEM’S AMADEUS SHAHBAZIN ALP ARSLAN

• Best of Breed – 2014 ASDCA National Specialty ·Winners Dog – 1991 ASDCA National Specialty
• Best of Opposite Sex – 2013 ASDCA National Specialty ·Obedience titles in the USA and Mexico

• 2014 Gold Guardian Award ·Guardian of chickens, geese, and pheasant
• 2014 Gold Leash Award

For information on semen available, contact:
Marilyn Harned | (619) 445-3334 | e-mail: [email protected]





HFO Anatolians

Introduces these two boys for your consideration

AKC CH./IABCA Int’l CH. Tamoora’s Night
Prowler,CGC “Prowler”

Multiple BOB winner, AKC Top twenty

Working with goats & poultry/fowl

CHIC, OFA Hips Good, Elbows/Thyroid/Eyes/
Cardiac Advanced by cardiologist All Normal/
Full dentition

Frozen semen available: Domestic &

International use

AKC GCH.CH./UKC CH./IABCA Int’l CH.

Tamoora’s Samimi Ayi,Gypsy “Sahmi”

Multiple BOB winner & Group placements, AKC
Top twenty, NOHS Top twenty

CHIC, OFA Hips Fair, Elbows/Thyroid/Eyes/
Cardiac Advanced by cardiologist All Normal/
Full dentition

Frozen semen available: Domestic &

International use

This is a father (Prowler) & son (Sahmi) duo.

Both boys are proven sires; producing working, show champions, & companion dogs.

Owned & Loved by Teresa Rogowski

614-267-0632 Columbus, OH

[email protected] http://www.greenakersfarm.com

Yaman

#1 Anatolian for 2015
Full-time working dog
OFA Hips Good
Elbows Normal

GCH Lucky Hit
Bethany Yaman

| |Cedar Rise Farm Anatolians [email protected] 540-460-7469
Lexington, Virginia

Rondo

Producer of champions and
exceptional working dogs
Full -time working guardian

OFA Hips Good
OFA Elbows Normal

GCH Lucky Hit
Divakiz Rondo

Alla Turca

| |Cedar Rise Farm Anatolians [email protected] 540-460-7469
Lexington, Virginia









Gerlach Ranch and
Amerikan Anatolians

Correct Type & Temperament
from Ranch to Show Ring

ZEKIA ZAMAN BEAU

Gerlach Zekia Gerlach Zeki Gerlach Beau
AKC WS36418801 AKC WS46874104 AKC WP759032/12
OFA Good, Thyroid Normal OFA Good, Thyroid Normal OFA Good Thyroid Normal

SAMSON TURK BUCK

Gerlach Samson Gerlach Babacan Kodaman Turk Amerikan Batu
AKC WS498176018 AKC WP963443/13 AKC WS55733301
OFA Good, Thyroid Normal
OFA Good, Thyroid normal CHIC #136485

All of our dogs lived on working ranches.
Pedigrees are available on request.

Frozen semen available for select bitches
Live coverage and Fresh chilled available from Amerikan Batu

GERLACH RANCH AMERIKAN ANATOLIANS

Kathy Gerlach Diana Martinez
Napa, CA Sonoma, CA

707.294.7529 | [email protected] 707 481-5368 | [email protected]
angelfire.com/ca4/gerlach amerikan-anatolians.com

OUR FIRST ANATOLIAN (PART4)

BY: MARY ROBBINS

After several months we realized that Harika had not attacked Didi since Ricky left. In retro-
spect, since he was the dominant male, I think Harika saw poor timid Didi as competition for
the dominant female position. Now that Harika and Didi were getting along, things settled into
a calmer way of life. After the sheep were put up for the night, Harika was invited into the house for
family time. She would visit each family member then calmly lay down. After 2 hours, she would get
up and politely signal that she wanted to go outside for her night patrols. Harika had been with us
for 18 months, and we realized that she no longer barked at the neighbors as they passed. On the dirt
road behind our property, horseback riders and walkers only received warning barks if their dogs
wandered too close to our fence. Unlike our Pyrenees, she never tried to leave our fenced premises.
One week of training, and she did not approach the open gate when we opened it. She was always
with the sheep or patrolling inside the fences. Harika was exactly the livestock guardian dog we
wanted. Sweet with her family, calm around strangers unless they posed a threat, and guarding the
sheep carefully. The sheep went out in the morning accompanied by their devoted guardian. The
sheep came in at night under Harika’s watchful eyes. After they were safely in their stalls, she could
relax either on the patio or in the house. Her nighttime barking gradually faded as the surrounding
predators acknowledged her watching presence. At night we slept peacefully, lulled by the knowledge
that our guardian was on watch.

We bought another four more sheep. Eileen told me that
one ewe lamb had been with a ram lamb as we loaded
the sheep and might be bred. I checked for udder tissue
when we got home, but there was only a slight thicken-
ing. Barely bred, I figured, at least three more months to
go. We flew to Washington State for two weeks with my
aunt. The day before we were to return, our son called
with news that the ten-month-old ewe had just lambed!
The news was more distressing the next morning; the
lamb was not standing. Our sons had caught the ewe and
tried to hold the lamb to nurse. The attempt failed. Al-
though the lamb was eager for the teat, he couldn’t stand.
They tried to milk the ewe, but confused and frightened,
the new mother would not let her milk down. I arrived home the following day and gave the lamb
a bottle. He was large and vigorous, crying his distress at not being able to get up, but he hungrily
took the bottle. Harika stayed in the barn. Didi seemed nervous and kept away. The next day, on my
way to the barn with the lamb’s bottle, our little mini Dachshund bustled along beside me. Suddenly
there was a rush of cream fur and a hideous snarling. Rika drove Pretzel yelping back to the house.
Astonished at Harika’s attack, I ran to check on Pretzel. Although unhurt, she was shocked and shak-
ing. I opened the door, and she ran inside to Didi, who had refused to leave the house. 7 b. Pretzel
has always bossed our Anatolians around. Returning to the barn, Harika greeted me and ushered me
to the pen occupied by the new mother and baby. The lamb was unable to stand and was crying pa-
thetically. Harika’s concern was palpable. She came into the stall and licked the lamb, only retreating
when the new mother butted her.

Harika remained next to the stall in the barn even though her other sheep were on the field. Dur-
ing the day, I saw her make occasional forays onto the field to check the flock. The lamb’s condition
worsened, and its cries agitated Harika. The dogs came outside with me during the afternoon. Again
Harika showed unusual aggression towards them. That afternoon I had the lamb euthanized. Didi
and Pretzel refused to approach the barn for the next three days.

The change in Harika’s attitude can only be attributed to the lamb’s condition. A difficult birth prob-
ably caused the paresis. According to my son, the lamb was covered in orange slime when he found
him, which signifies a problem birthing. The lamb was large, and the ewe lamb was small, contribut-
ing factors to a loss of oxygen and resulting neurological damage. The lamb survived the birth but
would have died in a pasture situation. Harika went into protect mode due to the lamb’s distress

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 29

cries. As soon as the lamb was gone, Harika left the barn and returned to her regular duties. Another
amazing instance of Anatolian protectiveness.

Things settled into a routine. The sheep went out in the morning accompanied by their devoted guard-
ian. The sheep came in at night under Harika’s watchful eyes. After they were safely in their stalls,
she was either on the patio or in the house. Her nighttime barking gradually faded as the surrounding
predators acknowledged her watching presence. At night we slept peacefully, lulled by the knowledge
that our guardian was on watch.

Over the years, we had noticed that while our LGDs were active at night, they tended to disappear
during the day. Sometimes we would find them sprawled on the patios sleeping so soundly that we
could move them out of the way by dragging them by their tails! Often we did not see them until
they became active before sunset. They had many hiding places where they would sleep during the
day while being close enough to the livestock for immediate action. One favorite spot was under a
plumbago bush on the front hillside. Our previous guardian dogs had enlarged this natural shelter
into a cave that could have housed a pride of lions. It stayed cool in the earth, and the shrubbery
kept it shady and hidden. We are on the ridge of a steep hill, with a deep gully in the back rising to a
road. Having marked out the boundaries of her territory and identified the danger spots, Harika es-
tablished other dens. One is under the porch of the workshop. It sits on a flat area cut out of the steep
rear slope. She has dug out a large den from which she can see across the gully, keeping an eye on
people walking their dogs, stray dogs, and coyotes. I could never figure out where she would suddenly
and silently appear from when I went into the barn adjacent to the workshop. There are several other
places she likes to lay to keep watch over her domain.

Our truck was in the shop one day, and we had to move our trailer. Our son, Andy, arrived with his
wife and boys. Katie was going to feed for us when we took a trip and had come to get instructions.
While Andy relocated the trailer, Marv showed her what to do in the sheep barn. Then we trekked
across the field to the hay barn to discuss feeding the horses. After they had noisily departed, I real-
ized that Rika had never shown up to greet them; this was odd. Andy’s truck should have brought her
bounding onto the driveway. The sound of the children’s voices should have brought her happily to
slobber kisses on them. We realized we had not seen Harika that morning. Over the next few hours,
we all called her from different locations with no results. Usually, she would arrive to greet us and
then return to her sheep. We were getting worried. Anatolians are large, capable dogs who feel they
can handle any problem independently. Our California coyotes would be no match for her. Harika
is three times the size and weight of a coyote. The previous night she had been active, working the
boundaries and barking to warn off predators. We didn’t think any cougars were in the area. The tim-
bre of a dog’s bark announcing a big cat makes the hair on the back of your neck rise. This cannot be
confused with a regular warning bark. However, it was always possible that a cougar had caught her

unawares from downwind. We were beginning to get concerned.
Maybe she was dead – horrible thought! Just as worrisome was that
Harika had been injured and was lying somewhere, unable to drag
herself to the house for help.

Still calling her name, I set out on a circuit of the fence line. This
was a difficult hike. I took my crook to help climb up and down the
steep hillsides. I couldn’t see the bottom of the slopes from the top;
I had to climb down and walk around from below. The front acres
were empty - no Harika, no sheep. I checked her bush cave and was
surprised to see how large it was now. It would have held all 5 of my
grandchildren and Rika too. I was glad she had such a comfortable
den but was sorry not to find her sleeping in it. I continued around
the side acres and hiked halfway down the steep hillside leading into
the gully. The sheep paths traversed the property from side to side, and I looked carefully in any hid-
ing place I could find. Still no Harika, and I was getting more worried. I could hear my husband and
son on the other side of the house calling her. As I approached the horses and the area where the
sheep had been feeding, I noticed that the flock had disappeared as well. There was no trace of them
as I peered over the edge of the ravine.

Returning to the house before braving the descent into the gully, I checked if Marv or Rick had seen
her. They had no good news for me. I got a bottle of water, figuring if she were injured, she would

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

30

be thirsty, and if she weren’t, then I would be by the time I climbed into the chasm below. With my
binoculars in my hand, I told my son that I would climb down and hike through the gully, looking for
her poor wounded body. He said he would go with me, and we would drive around to the lower road
where we could hack our way through the brush and get into the gully from the bottom. I was grateful
since this would save time if we had to carry her out and rush her to the vet.

Arriving at the back road, he drove up and down while I walked along the cliff, trying to see Harika.
We had no luck sighting her, although her flock was partially in view straggled along the far slope of
the hill. We drove back to the bottom of the road, parked, and began the scratchy hike through the
brush up to our lower gate into the gully. Rick wrenched it open, and we squeezed through the scrub-
choked entrance. As he struggled to pull the gate shut behind us, I scrutinized the high cliffs on the
one side and the steep banks on the other. The drought and sheep had cleared a lot of the brush out,
leaving better visibility than usual. This end of the gully was wider and flatter, but at the far end, it
was still choked with heavy brush which would have hidden a platoon of men, let alone a single in-
jured dog.

Together Rick and I hiked up the gully bottom, passing where sheep #4 had died. We could see a
few sheep clustered under an elderberry tree on the far side of the hill halfway up the slope. As we
approached the place we had found the first dead ewe two years before, I started calling Harika
again. Suddenly, there was an alarming bark, and seemingly out of a tree jutting from the cliff above
our heads, Harika appeared. Tail wagging happily as she recognized us, she pranced up to Rick and
danced around him. Then she bounded up the cliff and disappeared into the tree. Puzzled, we agreed
that she looked fine. Her actions seemed to say that she wanted us to follow her, so Rick, taking my
crook, told me to stay where I was. He began to climb the cliff to the tree. As his head came level with
the base of the tree trunk, he started to scold Harika laughingly. Sliding and scrambling back down
the cliff, he told me that Harika had another den on top of where the tree trunk jutted out of the cliff.
She had gone back to bed! The view from her aerie was perfect. She could see the entire gully from
side to side, close to the roadway above her head, and see the entire hillside of the property. She had
a view of 3 of the 5 acres. She had been able to watch the sheep leaving their barn pen and heading
out onto the field. After cleaning up the hay at the horse feeders, the sheep had come to the gully to
check in with her and begin grazing. In her cool den, she was able to keep an eye on them, catch some
shuteye, and ignore our calls.

Sweaty, scratched, and tired, we left our perfectly healthy dog in the tree and headed out of the gully
to the car and home. When we reached the car, I got out the bottle of water I had lovingly carried to
soothe the thirst of my supposedly injured dog. Rick and I shared it on the way home. Rika could get
her own.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 31

MEET THE BREED

BY: RACHEL AMOV & CAROL WHITE

Rachel and I completed our first Meet the Breed booth for 2021. This event was held at the San Diego
Convention Center on August 14th and 15th. This was an all-day affair from 9-5 pm, both days. We had
to be ready to go by 9am…as that is when the event opened to the “VIP’s”.

The event coordinators had everything organized to a tee. Unloading was a breeze. We were directed
to specific unloading area, an employee arrived with a forklift and a pallet. He helped us unload all our
crates and anything else that we needed for our booth. All we had to tell him is what breed we had, and
he delivered our gear to our booth. We just had to drive off and park.

They had the backdrops all set up for all the various breeds. Every booth had 3 tables for display, and all
were draped with black tablecloths. We brought with us the standard handouts as well as a traditional
spiked Turkish Collar and the fancy colorful Turkish Collars for display.

Our ambassadors for this two-day event were “Dusty”, “Jiro” and “Kevlar”. “Bailey” also helped us on
the first day. Club member Michelle Shiue also gave us a helping hand on Saturday. On Sunday, she had
to work the Skye Terrier Booth but entrusted us with “Jiro” for the day. Thank you, Michelle, for allow-
ing us to use “Jiro” for the day!

Overall, the event was a success. This event was not as huge as it could have been. The turnout from
the public was low. This could have been due to a combination of Covid-19 and the expensive entrance
fee being charged. Parking wasn’t cheap either. The event staff came around periodically to check on
us and to pet the dogs.

Hats off to “Dusty” as she did a superb job at being our ambassador over the two-day event. She was
eager to greet the public and truly enjoyed the attention. “Dusty” had to be forced to take her “union
break” while we had a quick lunch break. “Kevlar” on the other hand, was not as eager to meet the
public as I thought he would be. He was reserved and showed very little interest in the public. After a
while, this made sense. Due to Covid-19, he hasn’t been off the ranch in over a year and a half and spent
the entire time working.

This situation worked out in the long run. The public got to see the difference between a puppy in the
growing stage – wanting to see and explore everything and an adult working dog. One was eager to
meet people and dogs and the other was not. Obviously, everyone gravitated towards “Dusty” and they
were able to admire “Kevlar” with a few pets here and there.

Throughout the day, we answered various questions about the breed and discussed the decorative col-
lars on the table.

Looking forward to other Meet the Breed events down the road. Hoping to do this event again next year
– but next year we will be better prepared with way more props for our booth!

PAGE

32 AANNAATTOOLLIIAANNTTIIMMEESS

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 33

ARE ANATOLIAN SHEPHERDS CORRECTLY
DESIGNATED A BREED?
“ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD BREED DESIGNATON”

BY ERICK CONARD | LUCKY HIT RANCH

Someone asked me if Anatolian Shepherds were correctly designated a breed. They had been told
that there was a lot of physical variation in the foundation Anatolian Shepherds since they came
from all over Turkey and lived in a variety of environments. They wondered if all these variations
should each be designated a different breed. The key to understanding the answer to this question is
understanding the definitions of “breed” and landrace.

A breed is defined as “a stock of animals or plants within a species having a distinctive appearance and
typically having been developed by deliberate selection.” For example, I originally raised Doberman
Pinschers. Their exact ancestry is unknown, but they’re believed to be a mixture of many dog breeds,
including the Rottweiler, Black and Tan Terrier, and German Pinscher and perhaps the Greyhound and
Weimaraner. The Doberman was developed by Louis Dobermann of Germany in about 1890 and of-
ficially recognized as a breed in 1900. Although developed through crossbreeding of a variety of other
breeds, no one today doubts that the Doberman Pincher is a breed!

A landrace is “a domesticated, locally adapted, traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that
has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and
pastoralism, and due to isolation from other populations of the species.”

Since the term “landrace” is frequently misunderstood, the following are some general features that
characterize a landrace:

1. morphologically distinctive and identifiable (a landrace has particular and recognizable
characteristics or properties, yet remains “dynamic” in response to external factors.),

2. genetically adapted to and able to withstand local environmental conditions, including cli-
mate, disease, and pests, and even cultural practices,

3. not the product of formal breeding programs (tends to lack systematic selection, develop-
ment and improvement by breeders),

4. maintained and fostered less deliberately than standardized breeds, with genetic isolation
due to geography affecting animals that humans bring to a given area,

5. a historical origin in a specific geographic area (like Turkey) generally given a variety of lo-
cal names, which are often designated by identifying features,

6. where desired characteristics can be measured (like successful flock protection), a landrace
will show high levels of ability, even under adverse conditions, and

7. with genetic testing, its heredity shows a degree of integrity while maintaining some genetic
diversity.

The “Anatolian Shepherd” was the name designated to begin the process of converting the Turkish live-
stock guardian landrace into a European style “breed.” It was decided that this “breed” would consist
ONLY of working livestock guardians whose genetics originated from inside Turkey. As a landrace, live-
stock guardians extend throughout Turkey and continue north and east of Turkey as well. Greater vari-
ation in the landrace occurs with greater distance, different geographic conditions, and different peo-
ples. The identification of the Anatolian Shepherd “breed” as consisting only of Turkish origin helps in
their conversion from a “landrace” into a recognized “breed.” Additional physical requirements were
added that assisted breeders in the process of molding a landrace (selected specifically for guarding
sheep and/or goats in a predator rich environment) into the European concept of “breed.”

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

34

Those who object that the different regions of Turkey with different variations in regions, topography,
and climate have evolved these dogs into different variants or breeds have made a nonsensical objec-
tion. It is irrelevant that there are some differences in this newly developed breed. While a landrace
shows a degree of integrity, a landrace always maintains some genetic diversity and variability. Through
European style breed designation, over time one expects to see greater conformity of type develop.

In breed development there is frequently a great deal of initial genetic diversity, as shown in the devel-
opment of Doberman Pinschers, since the foundation stock for Dobermans, which contains other pure-
bred dogs, was dramatically different. Yet no one questions whether or not Dobermans are a breed!
The unifying factor for Anatolian breed definition is that they are a superior working livestock
guardian from Turkey. Genetic differences and variations in Anatolian Shepherds enhance greater
genetic strength, as long as the unifying factor (superior livestock guardian abilities) is maintained.
If a misguided concept of absolute purity and conformity for “breed” designation were carried to its
extreme, Turkey would have hundreds, maybe even thousands, of livestock guardian “breeds.” It is im-
portant to keep in mind that “superior livestock guardian ability” has always been the key component
and the guiding principle in Anatolian Shepherd breed development! All other aspects of the breed are
less important when selecting Anatolian Shepherds for breeding!

Some have asked how so many dogs from the same “breed” could look so different. That is easy... they
were not from the same “breed,” a recent European concept; they were from the same landrace - dogs
selected for thousands of years to guard sheep and/or goats in a predator rich environment! Once the
landrace was established as the “Anatolian Shepherd” breed, (and therefore viewed through the more
recent European concept of “breed”), breeders have been slowing turning the original Turkish landrace
of superior livestock guardians into the European framework of the Anatolian Shepherd breed.

Hopefully, all Anatolian Shepherd breeders understand that the single unifying factor for “Anatolian
Shepherds” was NEVER THEIR LOOKS! The unifying factor has always been (for thousands of years)
their ability as superior livestock guardians of sheep and/or goats in a predator rich environment!!!!
Therefore, proven superior working ability must ALWAYS BE THE UNIFYING FACTOR AND PRIMARY
CONSIDERATION when breeding well-bred Anatolian Shepherds, even under the European concept
of breed!

Erick Conard has been raising and loving working anatolians since 1985.
He is committed to testing for working ability as well as sound confirma-
tion and temperament in his breeding program. His Lucky Hit anatolians
have protected his goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, llamas, horses and
cattle from the many predators surrounding his 50 acre ranch in Leander
Texas. Erick has been a mentor to many owners and breeders alike in the
proper training of ASD’s.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 35

DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA

BY: CAROL WHITE

What is it? The diaphragm is a layer of muscle that almost thinking it must just be an upset stomach. I
extends across the base of the chest. Contraction was contemplating on taking him home, but then
of the diaphragm causes the lungs to expand and decided no, I wanted to be sure nothing else was
fill with air. A diaphragmatic hernia is a condition going on.
in which there is a break/hole in the diaphragm Blood work came back normal as did the x-ray of
which allows abdominal organs to move into the the stomach. However, in the corner of the x-ray –
chest. This is usually caused by a traumatic event, part of the chest cavity showed up. That appeared
like being hit by a car or falling off high places. It abnormal. Another x-ray of his chest was taken
can also be hereditary. and sure enough something was very wrong. It
What are some of the signs? Some of the signs looked like a part of his stomach was protruding
might be vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and through his esophagus.
labored breathing. He was admitted for the night, set up for a cat scan
Surgical repair is the only treatment. Approxi- in the morning and penciled in for surgery.
mately 15% of small animals with diaphragmatic The surgeon called me in the morning – Kevlar
hernia will die before surgery and animals with didn’t need the cat scan, he already knew what was
diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy performed within going on based on the x-rays and was scheduled
the first 24 hours after injury have the highest for surgery ear-
mortality rate of 33%. ly afternoon.
I want to bring this to the attention of the mem- The vet seemed
bership especially those with working dogs. concerned, as
Working dogs can be injured by being kicked and Anatolians are
or headbutted by certain livestock. This in turn not prone to
can create a traumatic event depending on how this type of an
hard the original impact was. We are not with our issue. He usu-
dogs 24/7 in the field…we don’t always know what ally only sees
is going on. So, just keep the following scenario this in bull-
in the back of your mind should something seem dogs. He want-
“off” with your dog. ed to know
I noticed that Kevlar had thrown up a couple if Kevlar had
of times. When I fed him breakfast, he only ate experienced
a small portion of it. Kevlar is the type to never a traumatic
leave food behind. I kept him separate from the event, like be-
rest to monitor him. Checked on him throughout ing hit by a car
the day and noticed he continued to throw up. – even if it was
Since he didn’t eat breakfast, I offered him his some time ago. I said no, I could not come up with
favorite treat. He refused it. Towards late after- a traumatic event.
noon, he had thrown up a total of 8 times. He just The surgery took 3 hours. Abnormally long for this
wasn’t his normal self, while on potty breaks, he type of a procedure. As it turned out, it wasn’t just
wasn’t his bouncy self. He just meandered around a small portion of his stomach that went through
and just wanted to lay in the garage and not do his diaphragm – but his entire stomach wound
anything. Obviously, something was wrong, so I up going through the diaphragm. Apparently, the
opted to take him to the vets and get him checked small tear turned into a bigger tear allowing for
out. How many of you would take your dog to the his entire stomach to go through it.
vets for throwing up and not eating? Most would The surgeon had to unravel the mess, straighten
probably think it was just an upset stomach and out his stomach and put everything back in its
leave it at that. place. He had to repair the diaphragm, make sure
Once at the vets (E/R) he was assessed. I had to the stomach was all in-tact and wound up stitch-
take him to an emergency vets, because my vet is ing the left side of his stomach to the lining of the
closed on Thursdays and other vets nearby were wall so that this could not happen again.
closing up shop for the night. The vet noticed he The morale of the story – if your dog is throwing
was a little lethargic and seemed disinterested up – please do not assume it’s just an upset tum-
in things. They ruled out bloat. They stated they my. Had my gut instincts not kicked in, I would
could run some blood work and take an x-ray of have lost him for sure.
his stomach. They left it up to me, it’s not like they
were really pushing the x-rays. At that point, I was

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36 AANNAATTOOLLIIAANNTTIIMMEESS

AN INTERVIEW OF A WORKING DOG & RANCHER/
FARMER AND MEMBER OF THE ASDCA

BY: DIANA MARTINEZ

1. Tell us a little for us to have minor injuries if there is contact,
about yourself. versus serious/deadly injuries to our dogs and
Where do you live? stock.
What are your hob-
bies? 6. What qualities of the Anatolian do you ap-
I live in Western preciate most?
Montana, and most I enjoy the spirit of the Anatolian. They are tough,
of my hobbies re- but fair. I appreciate how discerning my dogs are
volve around my and that they recognize when it’s important to do
stock animals and as they are told vs. their default setting of deter-
my dogs. I do enjoy mining their own path. The fact that they under-
picking huckleber- stand multi-sentence directions and actually fol-
ries up in the forest low them under pressure is something that has
behind our property always impressed me.
in the summer.
7. What do you think every working Anatolian
2. Why and when did you get your first should have or be taught?
Anatolian? Every working Anatolian should have at least
I got my first 3/4 Anatolian in 2010 when I first one reliable human who is a constant in their
moved to Montana. I needed an LGD for our high life. Reliability is necessary for trust and respect
predator score property, but I couldn’t find any to build and hold over a working career. I think
AKC breeders who wanted to sell a puppy to a 22 every Anatolian should have what I call an “off-
year old first generation farmer. My first regis- switch” meaning that they are working on-prop-
tered Anatolian came in 2019, and I have added erty, but off-duty when they are off-property. This
a few since. helps them behave appropriately at the emer-
gency veterinarian’s clinic, during natural disas-
3. How many working Anatolians do you ter evacuations, etc. Basic leash manners, “sit”
currently have and what are their ages? and “mine”/“leave it” are the bare minimum of
I have five working Anatolians, they are 6 years, 4 training a working dog needs- preferably while
years, 2.5 years, and two pups. you’re stronger than they are. I like a gate com-
mand, wait, down, recall and introduction cues, as
4. What kind of animals do your dog’s guard well- but many people find them unnecessary. My
and how many? position is that it is better for your dog to have a
I have 3 cows, 15+ Kunekune pigs, 6-12 Katahdin trained response available, in case you do need it.
sheep, 10+ meat rabbits, 15 ducks and 50 chickens Plan for all eventualities, not just the ideal.
who are able to free range thanks to the dogs.
8. What kind
5. What predatory problems do you have? of fencing,
Since we got over 5 dogs, not much. Previously, gates, or
we have had documented conflicts with black collars work
bear, Gray wolf, mountain lion, and some pres- best for you?
sure from lesser predators like bald eagles, ra- I use 47” steel
vens, skunks, raccoons, and the odd coyote run- woven wire
ning from the wolves. The mountain lions are the field fence from
biggest concern for me, as they don’t avoid hu- RedBrand.
man spaces and wait for patrolling dogs to move I have fence
on to make a move. Our pack has come up against fabric on my
a large Tom cougar more than once, but he hasn’t 14’ tube bull gates. I zip tie SportDog 100A coated
been back this year. 14 ha copper wire along my fence lines to rein-
force boundaries, and some of my dogs wear the
Coming into Fall, predator pressure increases this invisible fence collars. I only buy collars with met-
time each year. We see bear and lion activity in- al hardware, and I prefer martingale type collars
crease the most. Running enough dogs is the key for trips to the vet/town training.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 37

9. Do you have any Vet/ Health maintenance 12. What advice would you give a newbie look-
recommendations? ing for a guardian dog?
I keep our vaccines and deworming up to date. Step One, figure out if you actually need an LGD
Our vet looks over the dogs annually, and every on your property. Not everyone does, and a bored
dog on the property over two gets a full work up LGD can really tick off the neighbors in short or-
with PennHIP/OFA evaluations. It’s good to know der. Your Predator Score will give you an idea of
what you are working with- and unless you have whether you need an LGD and if you need to work
X-ray vision, you don’t know what your dog’s hips up to more than one. I have developed this quick
or elbows actually look like. Even if you don’t plan quiz to help: www.livestockguardians.net/Preda-
to breed, it’s good to know what your dog’s hips torScore
look like (and it’s nice to let your breeder know).
Step Two, ask a lot of questions of the breeders
Working female LGDs that won’t be bred should you consider. Remember that Facebook and other
be altered around two years old to avoid ongoing online content is heavily curated and edited to
draws of outside male canines twice a year when show dogs in their best light. This isn’t inherently
she comes into heat, plus taking her out of work- bad, but it also won’t set realistic expectations for
ing order for 30ish days each time. daily life with an LGD puppy. Do your research,
and be careful where you send your money.
Appropriate diet is important for working dogs.
Different dogs respond better to different foods 13. What have you learned from the breed?
and recipes, but there are a lot of quality kibbles I have learned that the Anatolian Shepherd is a lot
and balanced raw diets available. more biddable than their reputation would have
10. What does your feeding and/or us believe. The bond we build with our dogs is key
maintenance program include all year? to a functional partnership and helps them work
(example: More in winter/less in summer, fly in a way that makes more sense to us. I’ve also
stuff etc.) learned that they don’t back down from much
We have winter here, so the dogs eat more starting larger predators, and need us to check them over
when we frost over at night. Coming into Spring, to make sure they are okay. They are stoic and
we ease off the food, they will dump bowls and have high pain tolerances, so it’s up to us to catch
cover extra food if they get over fed as the weath- injuries when they are fresh and get them treated.
er warms up. We run fecals Spring and Fall, and
if we have pups. Daily checks on each dog for any
injuries since we have rough terrain and large
apex predators here. Our females are trained to
roll over for heat checks, and I will occasionally
take raw meaty bones and meat out for the dogs.
Bones get collected.

11. What have been your biggest challenges
and/or greatest rewards in using Anatolians
as guardians?
The biggest challenge has probably been to find
balance for the pack as a whole. It’s not just one
or two dogs out there. Running 5 Anatolians and
a couple other breed dogs together is a job. Hor-
mone cycling and personality conflicts have to be
monitored and managed. The greatest reward is
when the dogs greet me in the morning, clearly
having scuffled with something in the night, but
no one is badly injured because they all worked
together and all the stock are accounted for at
breakfast. It means the dogs are doing what they
were bred to do, and they are happy to have a pur-
pose here.

PAGE

38 AANNAATTOOLLIIAANNTTIIMMEESS



ANATOLIAN WORKING DOGS DOING WHAT
THEY DO BEST.

RBR Aslan Yurek “ Aslan” Timaru Tallulah “Tallulah”
11 years young, still one of our best quardians Home with her doelings

Owned by Lynn Kenny and Mark Griffith Owned by John and Lesley Brabyn

Cedar Rocks of Edgebrook “ Aslan” Alaturkay MP Zaruri “Rory”
Guarding his Spanish goats hanging out with her Kiko goats
Owned by Linda Quintero Curran
Owned by Sayer and Dustin Townsend

Gerlach’s Valoel “Val“ Timaru Dikkat of Lucky Hit “Dikkat”
Doing her job at 11 years old Snuggling with her goats

Owned by Kathy Gerlach Owned by Erick Conard and Leslie Ayers

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

40

GCH Lucky Hit Divakiz Rondo Alla Turca “Rondo” Tamoora’s Kander “Kander”
Guarding his flock Morning greeting on a winter day

Owned by Leslie Ayers Owned by Kathleen Mayer
Karaboudjans Thunderball “Sallah”
You might be wondering why your working dog pic- With his herd Queen at Las Sirenas
ture isn’t here. If you don’t send your photos to me, I Owned by Molly Akin and Allen Childers
can’t include them. Please send your pictures in with
the following information:
Dogs AKC registered name and call name, caption, and
owner(s)

Name, caption and owner/(s).

Send to: [email protected]

Also, please write an article about your farm or work-
ing ranch, include a story about your working Anato-
lian/(s), let me know if you’d like help, I will help you
write the article.

Send to me to be published in the Times if approved.
The working dog committee wants to represent you
and work towards what is most paramount for the
majority.

Timaru California Dreamin’ “Cali” Amerikan Dancer Blake “Blake”
Guarding the charges...reclined Guarding his free range chickens

Owned by Carol & Fernando White, Lesley Brabyn & Owned by Kim Demosthenes
Leslie Ayers
PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 41





AROUND THE SHOWS

CELEBRATING SUCCESSES & WINS!

CH. TIMARU CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’
“Cali”

Select 1/8/22 KC of Palm Springs
BOS 1/9/22 KC of Palm Springs
Owners: Carol & Fernando White, Lesley Brabyn & Les-
lie Ayers
Breeders: John & Lesley Brabyn

OUR FIRST GROUP WIN!!!

Judge Sherry C. Webster awarded us G4 at the Nashua, NH
show on 9/12/2021.

“Laddie”

GCHB FULL CIRCLE’S BRUICHLADDICH
BLACK ART FDC CGC TKN

Sire: CH Full Circle’s Arkadis
Dam: CH Full Circle’s Island Paradise.
Dog
Owners: Regan & Tom Leston, Norton, MA.
Breeders: Nancy Wargas & Roger P Travis.

CH. RBR KASIRGA AT WHITE STAR
CGC

“Kevlar”

OHG-3 10/10/21 Gavilan Kennel Club
OHG-4 10/31/21 KC of Riverside
Select 1/9/22 KC of Palm Springs
Owners: Carol & Fernando White
Breeders: Lynn Kenny, Mark Griffith & Laura
Estrom-Smith
Sire: GCHB RBR Kadir Comar
Dam: CH RBR Presnes

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

44

CELEBRATING NEW TITLES

CH. RBR KASIRGA AT WHITE STAR CGC (D)
Oct. 29, 2021 NEW CHAMPION
Oct. 30, 2021 CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
Owners: Carol & Fernando White
Breeders: Lynn Kenny, Mark Griffith & Laura
Estrom-Smith
Sire: GCHB RBR Kadir Comar
Dam: CH RBR Presnes

CH Karaboudjan’s Mr. Bali Hai (D)
October 29, 2021 NEW CHAMPION
Owners: Molly Akin & Allan Childers
Breeder: Janet Dotson
Dam: GCHG Karaboudjan’s Bonfire Of The Vanities
Sire: CH Kandira’s Encore

PAGE

45 AANNAATTOOLLIIAANNTTIIMMEESS

NEW AKC TITLE HOLDERS

Compiled by Carol White, [email protected]

The ASDCA Board of Directors and Members love, love, love to SHOWCASE new Title holders. The feats of our Anatolian Shepherds
are nothing short of AWESOME.
Any questions or comments - Send to: Carol White, [email protected]

CHAMPION
CH Rising Phoenix Ayni Cevher.........................................................................................................................................................Mary Remley
CH Karaboudjan’s Mr. Bali Hai......................................................................................................................................Molly Akin & Allan Childers
CH Rbr Kasirga At White Star.................................................................................................................................Carol White & Fernando White
CH Rising Moon’s Meteor Storm............................................................................................................Mr. Stanley Dalton & Mrs. Sharron Dalton
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
Shepherds Rest Xerxes Of Persis CGC......................................................................................................................... Mr. John Anthony Shahor
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN URBAN
Shepherds Rest Xerxes Of Persis CGCU........................................................................................................................Mr. John Anthony Shahor
Thakeb Anatolian Attilius CGCU......................................................................................................................................................... John Shahor
SCENT WORK INTERIOR ADVANCED
Diamond Acres Jaeger The Destroyer RN SWN SCA SIA SEA CGC TKA.................................................................................... Carrie VanDeHei

ELECTION CALENDAR

2022 IS AN ELECTION YEAR FOR THE ASDCA

February 1 is the deadline for the nominating committee to be selected. Approved in December,
Leslie Ayers is the chair of the committee. The board approved Lesley Brabyn and Dustin Townsend
at the January board meeting to be on the nominating committee and Carol White and Erick Conard
as the alternates.
April 1, 2022 - The Nominating Committee submits its slate of candidates to the Club Secretary. The
slate presented to the Secretary shall contain the individuals recommended by the committee and a
copy of their ASDCA Nominating Committee Questionnaire.
May 1, 2022 - The Secretary will mail the Nominating Committee’s slate to each regular member.
Additional nominations may be made during this time.
July 1, 2022 - The Secretary must receive additional nominations from the membership. If no valid
nominations are received on or before July 1, 2022, the Nominating Committee’s slate shall be
declared elected, and no balloting will be required.

PAGE

ANATOLIAN TIMES 46







THE POX OF POPULAR SIRES

BY CAROL BEUCHAT PHD | 12/5/2013

USED WITH PERMISSION

The most common admonition of the geneti- toxin. If the mutation is dominant and affects
cist to the dog breeder is to “avoid the Pop- some vital process, it is removed from the gene
ular Sire Syndrome”. At the same time, the pool by natural selection when that individual
most common advice from breeder to breeder fails to pass its genes on to the next generation
is “breed the best to best”. So the conundrum is successfully. But many mutations have no ill ef-
obvious and the consequence predictable - the fects because their paired, dominant allele func-
“best” dogs are the most sought after, so they sire tions normally. These “recessive” mutations are
the most offspring and become popular sires. silent in the genome and can be passed to the
The Popularity of Popular Sires next generation the same as any other gene, and
Even a century ago Williams Haynes (1915) was as long as the offspring has a copy of a normal
writing about the “Effect of the popular sire”, not- allele the mutation remains silent. The mutation
ing that in three terrier breeds that he examined becomes a problem when an individual inherits
- Irish Terriers, Scottish Terriers, and Fox Terriers two copies so is homozygous at that locus. With-
- about 40% of the puppies were sired by only 20% out at least one copy of the normal, unmutated
of the sires. Back then, “popularity” was quite dif- allele, the gene does not function properly, and
ferent than now - his “prolific” dogs sired 5-7 lit- the consequence can range from something rela-
ters, which would be completely unremarkable tively trivial (e.g., a different eye color, or slightly
today. And surprisingly, Haynes thought that pop- shorter legs) to the catastrophic (e.g, blindness,
ular sires actually benefitted the breed by contrib- disruption of a critical biochemical pathway, can-
uting to the preservation of variability in type. cer; http://bit.ly/18BIusW).
Superficially it might appear that if approximate- Mutations happen all the time. The ones with im-
ly 40% of the puppies each year are sired by but mediate ill effects are removed from the gene pool
20% of the stud dogs this would eventually result by natural selection, while the recessive, silent
in the greatest uniformity of type. The selected ones remain in the genome as the “genetic load”.
sires are all to a greater or lesser degree excep- Every dog - in fact, every organism - has its own
tional animals, but they are not selected by any unique collection of damaged alleles that causes
uniform system. Most of them excel in some par-
ticular physical point, but they do not excel in the
same points or in the same degree, nor even, in
some cases, in the same direction. Here the per-
sonal equation, the ideals of different breeders, is
at work, and the result is that since a few males
not themselves of uniform type sire a greater-
than-average number of offspring they disturb
the race average of the following generation and
introduce abnormal amounts of variation. The
fact therefore, that artificial selection gives to cer-
tain selected, but not uniform, males an undue
preponderance of influence must always keep the
type of domestic animals in an unstable state. This
seems to me an important factor in the great vari-
ability always noted among domesticated breeds.

Haynes thought popular sires were a good thing, no harm as long as there is also a copy of a normal
because he thought they were sufficiently differ- allele of each that can do the job it is supposed to.
ent from each other that they prevented the breed
from becoming too “uniform”. How then did the A Star is Born
popular sire go from contributing to the quality of Now consider what happens in a population of
the gene pool in 1915, to the source of a problem purebred dogs. Let’s pretend that this cute collec-
to be avoided by breeders 100 years later? What tion of dogs represents your breed, with the phe-
is this “syndrome” that today’s geneticists are so notypic variations among them representing the
concerned about? nuances of type that would be obvious to a serious
breeder. We’ve given each dog a (typographic) re-
Breaking Bad: DNA
To understand the problem, you must understand
a bit of genetics. You probably know about muta-
tions - bits of DNA that are not replicated perfectly
or are perhaps damaged by some environmental

PAGE ANATOLIAN TIMES

50