The Akbash dog breed is considered a mix of mastiff and gazehound. This dog breed is a large dog with a muscular physique and protective nature. You will find the Akbash has great eyesight and has worked as a watchdog over livestock in the past. You will find this dog breed tends to have a stable temperament, sensitivity, and fierce protective nature. Their typical appearance is all white, with that muscular body, long legs, and a long tail. The Akbash originated in Turkey and offers a gazelle like appearance and agility. The males are usually slightly bigger than the females. They are usually 28 to 31 inches in height, and 75 to 100 pounds.
The temperament of the Akbash is usually even tempered. They tend to be devoted to their owners and any other animals in the household. They tend to have maternal instincts for all animals even the small species. You will find they can be a little independent in their thinking, but that makes their reaction time in guardian situations one of the best. Typical attachments they have made with other animals include deer, alpacas, llamas, birds, horses, cattle, and other forms of livestock. This behavior typically means they will take risk to protect those around them. You will usually not find aggression or cowardice with these animals.
Training for the Akbash is important. They need to be able to distinguish between friend and foe as well as act appropriately around people. You will not see a lot of activity in these dogs. They tend to need daily walks, but often sit alone being the ever watchful dog. As puppies they tend to be more active, but as adults they grow out of wanting to play and romp around. For training you must establish that you are the master. They are a typical pack dog and since they are also guardians they tend to have an assertiveness that must be trained properly. It is important to use a lot of body language and commands in the training of the Akbash dog breed. You need to have direct contact and work out the submissive or dominant behaviors the dog can be born with. You will also find the training should be challenging due to their intelligence.
For care you will find the short haired dog needs grooming about once a week or more if you have been walking in the woods. Typical things to look out for include ticks, fleas, and other parasites that latch on to the skin. They also need to have dental checkups and vaccinations at the appropriate ages. The short hair makes brushing very easy, and you shouldnt give them baths very often if at all. In some cases you can have a little breed variation making the dogs hair a medium length. In this case you will need to pay more attention to the coat by brushing the dog at least twice a week. You will find they dont typically have any health issues outside of the common ailments of most dogs such as skin irritations, eye infections, and the occasional heart disease. Proper nutrition and care of your dogs will help them stay healthy.
They should be feed on a daily basis with an established routine. They require a high protein diet. You may find that it is best to feed them at intervals rather than just setting out a plate of food to help manage their weight. You will also find they live well on farms, or large acres, but do not do well in the city or apartments as they are a larger breed.
