Is an Anatolian Shepherd the same as a Kangal?

They come from the same Turkish livestock guardian dogs. Whether they count as one breed or two depends on which kennel club you ask.

The American Kennel Club registers them all as Anatolian Shepherd Dogs. The United Kennel Club and the international FCI treat the Kangal as its own breed with a narrower standard. In the United States, a dog can move from one name to the other on paperwork. We cover the standards, the registration rules and the genetic studies in full on our Anatolian Shepherd vs Kangal page.

The information on this page is general information about the breed, drawn from the sources listed and from our own experience. Individual dogs vary. Nothing here is a guarantee about the health, size, temperament or working ability of any particular puppy. The terms of any sale are those in our written contract.

Sources

• AKC Anatolian Shepherd Dog
• UKC Kangal Dog breed standard
• FCI Kangal Shepherd Dog, standard number 331
• ASDCA registration information
• ASDCA by-laws
• Kangal Dog Club of America, importation and registration
• Altunok et al. 2005, “Genetic evidence for the distinctness of Kangal dogs,” Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy 49
• Erdogan et al. 2013, “Genetic variability among native dog breeds in Turkey,” Turkish Journal of Biology 37
• ASDCA registration policy document
• Turkish kennel club (KIF) letter published by the FCI, July 2018
• Dogs Australia, “The future of the Anatolian Shepherd Dog in Australia”
• Altunok et al. 2005, study abstract
• UK Kennel Club, Turkish Kangal Dog standard
• UKC Anatolian Shepherd standard