The Kengal Shepherd

There have been stories and movies of dogs going up against predators such as lions, wolves, coyotes and so on….we have seen movies where the brave dogs have gone up against bad guys and robbers and they have saved children from various perils…well the Kengal shepherd is all that you have heard and seen wrapped into one dog, one breed……the Kengal.

There are several stories on how the Kengal shepherd came to be, some of these stories say that the Kengal comes from the cross of a lion and a tiger from the Assyrian and Babylonian periods; another states that the Kengal shepherd was given as a gift to the Ottoman Sultan and when the dog was taken into the castle, the "gift" attacked and killed the Sultan’s lion.

With the Sultan’s curiosity and respect won he kept this ferocious dog and took him on an attack against Turkey, upon reaching Kengal Deliktas near Sivas the dog wandered off and was not found ever, ever again. This is the dog (as the story goes) that became the father of the Kengal breed in Turkey.

Many people say that the Kengal shepherd and the Anatolian shepherd are one and the same breed, however, that is not true.

Upon looking at the history and development of the two breeds we see that they are in fact different. The Kengal shepherd is a breed of dog that can be found basically only in the Kengal area, this is where this particular breed can be found, on the other hand the Anatolian shepherd can be found all over the place (in Turkey that is). Both breeds have their own distinct way of going about their business and getting the job done.

The Kengal shepherd is a breed of dog that the people of Turkey bred and developed into a guard dog; the Kengal shepherd had one purpose, to keep the flocks of sheep and goats safe. Just imagine that you are a farmer living in the Kengal area in Turkey, you have a flock of two hundred goats and a flock of one hundred sheep…..when you or your children take these animals out to pasture wolves, bear and other wild creatures attack the flock (for an easy meal), now your whole livelihood depends on those sheep and goats, you and your family would lose everything.

Trying to use the normal domestic dogs to keep yourself and the animals safe you realize that it is no use as they are just going to keep getting killed; that is when you decide to get the Kengal shepherd….after placing these dogs with your sheep and goats, you realize that finally, you have found the animal that will keep everything safe. The dog that you have found will not back down to any predator, but at the same time he will use intimidation tactics to try and avoid injury, the dog attacks only as a last resort, using extreme intelligence he protects his family and his flocks always on the lookout, never backing down. Now that is the Kengal shepherd.

The modern Kengal shepherd is just like his ancestors; his bloodlines are pure because of the fact that the Kengal region is so isolated; he has very few health problems, if any.

The Turkish government has knuckled down on the exportation of these dogs and because of that new blood (its all in the genes) is very welcome in the United States and England. The dogs that have been brought out of Turkey follow strict breeding in an effort to keep the blood lines as pure as the original Lion Killer’s.
When looking for a Kengal shepherd to buy always keep in mind that you will want to buy from a breeder with a good reputation, these people can offer you proof of vaccines and vet checks done not only on the puppy but also on the puppy’s parents.

These are not apartment dogs, they need a nice big area in which to run and exercise, they need something to guard and protect… careful consideration is needed before getting one of these animals because they need an owner that will be a true "Pack leader". These dogs are not for the novice dog owner, they need somebody that is just as brave and true of heart as they themselves are.

Above anything else these dogs, these Lion Killers, are worth it!