Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd

In this article I will compare to Shepherd dogs: Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd.

“Find similarities and differences between Anatolian Shepherd Dog vs German Shepherd” Compare Anatolian Shepherd Dog and German Shepherd. Which is better: Anatolian Shepherd Dog or German Shepherd?

Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd

Anatolian Shepherd is originated from Turkey but German Shepherd is originated from Germany. Anatolian Shepherd may grow 9 cm / 4 inches higher than German Shepherd. Anatolian Shepherd may weigh 24 kg / 53 pounds more than German Shepherd. Both Anatolian Shepherd and German Shepherd has almost same life span. Anatolian Shepherd may have less litter size than German Shepherd. Anatolian Shepherd requires Moderate maintenance. But German Shepherd requires Low maintenance

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Anatolian Shepherd History

Up in the mountains of central Turkey, in the region called Anatolia, a large, strong and rugged dog breed was born and is honored today on a postal stamp. This was the Anatolian Shepard – keeper of the flocks with strength, agility and speed. The Anatolian Shepard is able to pursue and catch any predator that threatens his livestock and they are his livestock. His keen sense of hearing and his excellent sight only add to his prowess as a protector.

The Anatolian is a giant dog, classified as a shepherd by the UKC – Kennel Club of the United Kingdom, while he is classified as a mountain dog or molossus by the Federation Cynologique International. When the breed was created, they were a gift to the farmers in the mountains to guard the livestock from cheetahs. This helped the cheetahs to stop attacking the livestock and prevented the farmers from wiping out the cheetah population by shooting them.

The Anatolian Shepard does have some controversy in his lineage as in some areas he is considered to be either the most closely related or the same breed as the Turkish Kangal Dog. The Anatolian is considered to have a blood line that goes back at least 6000 years.

They are direct descendants of mastiffs and mountain dogs. Yet they have the long legs, agility and aloofness of the sight hounds that are also in their bloodline. Originally called the “Coban Kopegi” or shepherd dog by their Turkish farmers, they were eventually separated into the breed called the Anatolian Shepard. When the breed was first brought into the United Kingdom the line of the Kangal dog was first. Then they were crossed with dogs called Anatolian Shepherds. Many breeders believe that the Anatolian Shepherd is a category that includes the Kangal, Coban Kopegi, Aksaray Malaklisi and the Akbash dog.

So as of January 2012, the Australian National Kennel Club no longer considers the Anatolian Shepard and the Kangal as separate breeds. The UK Kennel Club now recognizes the Kangal and the Anatolian as the same breed. For others they are still clearly separate and distinct breeds with the ASD being their own breed. In fact, the government of Turkey recognizes them as separate breeds and the Kangal Dog as the National Dog of Turkey.

The Anatolian Shepard was already in the United States in when the Anatolian Shepard Club of America came into being because of a young naval officer who had met the dogs in Turkey. They were allowed into the Miscellaneous Class of the American Kennel Club in 1996 after this naval officer had been breeding them in California for years. By 1998 they had moved to the Working Group where they reside today.

German Shepherd History

In 1882 german shepherd was introduced in a show at Hanover. They were created by the cross breeding of the rural sheep dogs by a man named Max. In 1906 they were first exported to America. After that the breed became very popular in UK.

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Comparison Tables For : Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd

	Anatolian Shepherd	German Shepherd
Breed Name	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	German Shepherd
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypo­allergenic	No	No
Lifespan	11-13 yrs.	10-14 yrs.
Height	26-30 in.	22-26 in.
Weight	80-150 lb	75-95 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History – Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd
Origin Country	Turkey	Germany
Origin Year	4000 BC	1899 AD
Temperament – Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd
Overall Friendliness	Below Average	Good
Family Friendly	Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Below Average	Good
Pet Friendly	Below Average	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Poor	Below Average
Personality – Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd
	Affectionate Stubborn Protective	Affectionate Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	No	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	No	Yes
Medium Yard	Yes	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	30°F to 70°F	40°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Below Average	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	Medium	High
Exercise Required	Medium	High
Top Running Speed	22 mph	30 mph
Strength	Very High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Main­tenance	Low	Medium-High
Shedding	High	High
Dander	Low	High
Drool Amount	Medium	Medium

Instincts & Behavior Comparison – Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd

 

Breed Name	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	German Shepherd
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	Yes	No
Family/Pack	No	Yes
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	Yes	No
Focused & Patient	No	Yes
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Average	Average
Burrow/Digging	Average	Below Average
Chasing	Average	Below Average
Follow Commands	Average	High
Fighting	Average	Below Average
Guarding	High	High
Herding	High	High
Hunting	Average	High
Protection	High	High
Remove Vermin	Average	Below Average
Sledding	Average	Below Average
Watch	High	High

Health Comparison – Anatolian Shepherd vs German Shepherd

Breed Name	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	German Shepherd
Lifespan
Lifespan	11-13 yrs.	10-14 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	No	Yes
Blindness	No	Yes
Bloat	No	Yes
Cancer	No	Yes
Cataracts	No	Yes
Cherry Eye	No	Yes
Chronic Diarrhea	No	Yes
Cruciate Ligament Rupture	No	Yes
Cushing’s Syndrome	No	Yes
Degenerative Myelopathy	No	Yes
Demodectic Mange	No	Yes
Diabetes	No	Yes
Digestive Problems	No	Yes
Elbow Dysplasia	No	Yes
Epilepsy	No	Yes
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency	No	Yes
Heart Disease	No	Yes
Hemophilia A	No	Yes
Hemophilia B	No	Yes
Hip Dysplasia	No	Yes
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy	No	Yes
Lens Luxation	No	Yes
Lupus	No	Yes
Megaesophagus	No	Yes
Myasthenia Gravis	No	Yes
Nail Bed Disease	No	Yes
Osteochondrosis	No	Yes
Pannus	No	Yes
Panosteitis	No	Yes
Paralysis	No	Yes
Perianal Fistula	No	Yes
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	No	Yes
Retinal Dysplasia	No	Yes
Seborrhea	No	Yes
Vitiligo	No	Yes
Von Willebrand’s Disease	No	Yes
Wobbler’s Syndrome	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison

Breed Name	Anatolian Shepherd Dog	German Shepherd
Coat
Hair	Yes	No
Fur	No	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Smooth Coat	Yes	No
Coat Texture
Rough	Yes	No
Straight	Yes	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	Yes
Medium	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	Yes
Blue Fawn	Yes	No
Brindle	Yes	No
Fawn	Yes	No
Fawn&white	Yes	No
Gray	Yes	Yes
Liver	Yes	Yes
Red Fawn	Yes	No
White	Yes	Yes
Bi-color	No	Yes
Black & Tan	No	Yes
Black & Cream	No	Yes
Black & Red	No	Yes
Black & Silver	No	Yes
Blue	No	Yes
Sable	No	Yes

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