Behavioural Characteristics

Character

The Kangal (Karabash) Dog is a flock guardian dog and possesses a temperament typical of such dogs, which are alert, territorial, and protective of sheep and goats and their human family. Possessing a natural protective instinct it is calm, noble, courageous, steady, intelligent, sensitive and affectionate with its own family and flock, loyal, proud, self-assured and independent. The Kangal (Karabash) Dog is alert to everything in its environment. It will sound an alarm at unusual noises and sights, following up with an investigation. The deep sound of its bark, reinforced by its powerful build and massive size, is usually enough to deter any type of predator.

Intelligence

According to literature and the testimony of breeders, the Kangal (Karabash) Dog has an excellent memory. It can recognise numerous words, and receive orders. It is frequently compared with the German Shepherd Dog. There is a prevailing idea that the Kangal (Karabash) is cleverer than the German Shepherd. However, no scientific study exists on the comparison of both breeds from the standpoint of intelligence.

 
One incident reported by villagers is that when wolves were being discussed, a Kangal (Karabash) Dog, which had previously killed a wolf and was sitting peacefully nearby, became alert and looked around on hearing the word kurt (wolf). It is also said that a Kangal (Karabash) Dog which guards the same flock for its entire life is acquainted with each of the 300 to 400 sheep or goats in the flock. And it is known that the Kangal Dog keeps the sheep in its own flock separate from the sheep of other flocks or foreign animals whenever the shepherd leaves the flock for a while.

Behaviour Maternity

The female Kangal (Karabash) is an excellent mother and very affectionate with her pups. She immediately stands back and leaves her meal when her puppies approach it. She protects them to the death in case of a threat.

Sensitivity: The Kangal (Karabash) Dog is sensitive to reprimands and eager to receive affection. It shows this by its manner, actions, facial expression, barks, and moans when it receives love and affection. On the other hand, if it is ill-treated by its master, it becomes offended and withdrawn.

Jealousy: The Kangal (Karabash) Dog becomes jealous if its master shows sympathy to, and affection towards another dog, and it may sometimes harm this dog.

Loyalty: A Kangal (Karabash) Dog loses its appetite, its eyes become dull, and its actions slow down if it loses or is separated from its master. It looks like a suffering human being. For days it howls, whimpers, becomes irritable, and seems tired of life. The Kangal (Karabash) is also faithful to its partner. A frequently seen event is a Kangal (Karabash) Dog sitting for days beside a dead partner, which has been run over by traffic.

Feeding Manners: The Kangal (Karabash) Dog does not eat food given by another person if has been accustomed to being fed only by its master since puppyhood. Apart from its master, it does not permit anybody to approach it while feeding. Only the real owners or masters of Kangal (Karabash) Dogs, or people who have established friendship with the dogs, can take back food from their mouth.

Defecation and Urination (Toilet) Manners: Kangal (Karabash) Dogs do not defecate or urinate in the the place where they sleep or lie down. They observe this habit from birth. Even newborn puppies crawl a short distance away from where they sleep in order to defecate or urinate.

Recognition of Well-intentioned and Malicious People: The Kangal (Karabash) dog can differentiate between people who have good or bad intentions. Athough rare, a dog may sometimes attack people for no reason. This may be due to training, or to the attacked person radiating negative electricity and a sense of bad intention. Kangal (Karabash) Dogs who have continuously been ill-treated, beaten, denied love, kept tied up or kept in a dark place may exhibit aggressive tendencies. The Kangal (Karabash) Dog recognises the close friends of its master and treats them with tolerance but keeps its distance. When its owner is present, it raises no objection to its master's friend visiting the home, but it will never permit that person to enter when its master is absent.

Compassion towards the Weak: The Kangal (Karabash) Dog is affectionate towards women, children, and smaller canids, and will not attack unless extremely provoked. It is patient particularly with children. Puppies, too, very quickly establish good relations with children.

Sense of Duty: The Kangal (Karabash) Dog never leaves alone a sheep or goat from the flock it is guarding if it has become separated from the flock. If the animal cannot move, the dog will not leave its side. A Kangal (Karabash) Dog has even been seen sitting nearby and watching over a worthless or broken plate which the shepherd has left or forgotten.

Adaptation Ability

The ability of adaptation means whether or not an animal is adversely affected when it is transferred to an environment different from its normal one. This is an important concept in animal breeding. Generally in genetics there is a contradictory relationship between high efficiency and adaptation. Namely, if an animal has high efficiency in a certain attribute, its ability of adaptation is low from the standpoint of that efficiency. The ideal is that both should be high.

The ability of adaptation of the Kangal (Karabash) Dog is excellent. Excluding hot and/or humid climates, it is extremely resistant to all negative conditions such as insufficient nutrition, harsh natural conditions and illness. Although, in fact, it is accustomed to living in cold, arid conditions with low humidity, it has adapted to humid environments such as in the United Kingdom, where a cool but damp climate is dominant.

Stages of Starting an Attack

In normal conditions the Kangal (Karabash) Dog is not aggressive, unless it is itself attacked or sees or hears something unusual in or near its territory. It acts successively as follows in case of such situations:
1. Should any foreigner enter its territory without permission, or if a danger should appear, it will first remain motionless, then sit up and take notice, keeping a close watch.
2. Should the foreigner ignore this warning, or the danger persist, it will immediately stand up and face them, leaning slightly back and holding its head down. It will stare from the upper parts of its eyes, and then start a low growling. The tail will curl forward in a loop, the ears lie back, the hairs on its back will bristle and its body will tense like a spring. The muzzle will also tense and it will show its teeth while growling.
3. Should the provocation continue, it will start barking on the spot, baring its teeth and salivating.
4. Should the trespassing still continue, or the danger still persist, it will bark louder in the direction of the provocation. Its aim is to stop, or drive the trespasser into a corner, or the danger away, thus rendering him or it ineffective.
5. Should a stranger or aggressor still insist on ignoring the warning or a danger still persist, then it has no other solution other than a direct attack.

Fighting Tactics

Kangal (Karabash) Dogs are very quiet, amenable dogs, protective but not aggressive without reason, unless they are provoked or their territories are trespassed. However, they are expert fighters if the situation requires. Kangal (Karabash) Dogs are usually bred in Turkey in pairs which can protect each other during a fight, and they do not allow their companion to be beaten by their adversary. Firstly one of them watches and follows the other excitedly, but only enters the fight if another dog interferes in the fight or if the enemy is bigger and stronger and has the advantage of its companion. Otherwise, both never get into the fight together with a weaker adversary. The Kangal (Karabash) Dog is an intelligent canid. It is careful to protect its back by keeping a wall, a tree or a rock behind it against possible attack from that direction if it is alone.