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SAFIR

Native to Turkey, the true Anatolian-(called Çoban Köpegi in Turkey) (pronounced "Cho BAWN Ko PAY") owns an aethereal spirit which cannot be measured cosmetically. They appear as an Molosser/Sighthound cross, with velvety eyes which peer to the depths of one's being. There is no assessment or testing for such a dog. However, spirit is heritable. The soul of an archaic dog defies capture within the confines of our relatively new breed standards, assessments, titles & societal mores. A pageant dog he is not. The astute intelligence & managerial skills of an Anatolian are pearls beyond price. I have never lost a sheep with an Anatolian in the mix. I have even seen the Anatolian gaze skyward for birds of prey (who wanted a taste of my heirloom lambs) & follow the entire flight of the bird as it traversed the sky. Being unflappable with their human-children, meticulous in-home & completely "on" as a guardian whilst living amongst their humans, they command equality. They are not in any manner, an underling. Anatolians require a life with purpose & they respond with panache. They adapt beautifully to life in-home if they're given their own soundly fenced yard to gallop in. They can never be an inmate! They require the same amount of fresh air, sunshine & nature that we do! This opinion of mine is an opinion acquired from observation. But, I employ my theories as the criteria when placing puppies in their new homes.
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SAFIR & HIS DAM, KONA

Often misconstrued as a herding dog (perhaps from the erroneous breed title " Anatolian Shepherd"). Anatolians are not a herding dog. Rather, they are a livestock guardian dog (referred to far & wide as an "LGD") . Their archaic character is in-tact & borne from thousands of years of thoughtful stewardship garnered from the daily realities derived from broad-ranging livestock flocks in Turkey. The Anatolian is not a breed that will live in a kennel & be happy with a tennis ball thrown for 15 minutes after the owner gets home from work. Neither are they a replacement for a human being. They are themselves & we must strive to maintain their right to remain archaic. When one steps into the realm of an Anatolian, one traverses the fragile membrane between two species who have lived side-by-side for thousands of years & becomes something other, wonderfully so! This is a marked privilege which I honor.