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| Anatolian Shepherd - Zena |
We first learned about Anatolian Shepherds in an article in Countryside magazine years ago. After moving to Colorado, we tragically lost two dogs within the span of a month and I was determined not to have any more dogs - the heartbreak was too much to bear. However, at the time, I would be home alone with William, who was a baby, while Gary was away for his 24 hour shift. Every noise put me on edge and I wanted a dog who could alert and protect us. That Countryside article had pricked our interest in the breed. So, typical of how we do things, we researched the breed extensively. No easy task, as Anatolians were not very well known at the time. Gary found a sheep ranch outside of Denver that had full and half bred Anatolian puppies for sale. We took a trip and came home with Scout, a half Anatolian. Scout was a great family dog and protector. One of my favorite memories is William as a toddler sitting on Scout's back while he was laying nearby - Scout never flinched or grumbled and you could tell he adored William. That same year we added our first Saanen dairy goats. Fast forward a couple of years. We bought 40 acres up in the mountains which backed up to the BLM land and acres and acres of wilderness. When it came time to move, we added Indy, a full blood Anatolian, who was two years old and had been raised with goats. Many people told us we would be feeding our dairy goats to the mountain lions, black bears and coyotes that inhabited the nearby wilderness. Between Indy and Scout we did not lose a single goat to predators!
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| Anatolian Shepherd - Sheba |
Anatolians are incredible and we will never be without one! But they are not house dogs! Please if you decide to get one research the breed and talk to as many Anatolian owners you can before adding one to your family.
