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GENERAL APPEARANCE |
The all white Akbash Dog
is a large and ancient guard dog breed from Turkey. The
body is muscular, long-legged and slightly longer than tall.
They are capable of running at great speed, have stamina,
and a gazelle-like grace. In addition, Akbash Dogs have
acute senses of sight and hearing. Males and females can
look strikingly different; males grow faster and larger
and take longer to mature, whereas females are more refined
in appearance. |
TEMPERAMENT |
The
Akbash Dog is completely dedicated and devoted to its owners
and any animals in its charge. These dogs possess intelligence
and courage, making them natural guardians. Their independent
nature allows them to respond swiftly and without guidance
in an emergency. Their loyalty and protective instinct make
them ideal home and estate guardians in addition to their
more traditional role of guarding livestock. There is no difference
in guarding ability between the male and female.
Due to their strong maternal instinct, Akbash Dogs begin
to bond to other living creatures at a very early age. They
have been known to form strong attachments to sheep, goats,
cattle, horses and other livestock; to poultry or exotic
birds; to deer, alpacas, llamas and other animals; to people.
Once bonded, even without specialized training, the dogs
will not hesitate to come to the rescue of their charges
if they think they are in danger, even at the risk of their
own lives. Protected animals often show great trust and
loyalty to their canine guardians - sheep allow the dogs
to sniff and clean their newborn lambs; often they will
flock behind their guardian when threatened. This symbiotic
relationship, practised for centuries in the Old World,
is just recently being demonstrated and understood in the
New World.
Temperaments to be avoided include cowardliness and inappropriate
aggression. A timid or cowardly dog tucks its tail, cringes,
shrinks away or trembles when approached by a stranger or
startled. Dogs should be able to discern between neutral
and unfriendly strangers; they should never attack non-threatening
people away from their territory. On their own turf, territorial
aggression against intruders is normal, especially when
their owners are not present. They may also be belligerent
toward strange dogs on or off their home property. Handlers
are always responsible for controlling the ir Akbash Dogs
in public. The typical Akbash Dog does not have a high activity
level and is not overly playful as an adult. Such individuals
exist, but they should not be used as breeding stock, since
the development of such traits would be contradictory to
the breed's attributes as a livestock guardian
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HEAD |
Males have more massive heads than females.
The head seen from above forms a blunt wedge, broad across
the skull. It is slightly rounded as seen from the front
and in profile. A narrow skull, or a round, domed skull
are considered faults. The muzzle has great strength at
the base, is barely chiselled under the eyes and should
be slightly less than half the total length of the head.
The top of the muzzle should have some breadth with a
slight to moderately defined stop. No discernible stop
or an extreme stop are considered faults. The muzzle tapers
to a broad nose with wide-open nostrils. Tight flews barely
cover the lower teeth. Powerful jaws, without fleshy cheeks,
end in strong underjaws. A snipy muzzle with shallow underjaw
is a fault. A scissor bite is preferred, but a level bite
is acceptable. A distinct over or under bite is a disqualification.
Dark pigmentation should be present on the eyelids, nose
and mouth. Black is preferred but dark brown is acceptable.
Complete dark pigmentation is preferred to any missing
color on eyelids, nose and mouth. Absence of pigmentation
to a sizable degree on any of these areas is considered
a fault. Complete absence is a disqualification. During
cold weather the nose and lips may lighten; this is considered
normal.
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| Ears:Set
high, V-shaped, tips slightly rounded, flat to the skull,
carried pendant. When pulled forward, the tips of the ears
should cover the eyes. When the dog is alert, the ears are
raised and brought forward. Imported Turkish dogs may have
cropped ears. |
| Eyes:
Almond shaped eyes are set well apart and distinctly oblique.
Eye color varies from light golden brown to very dark brown.
Yellow eyes are considered a fault, blue eyes a disqualification.
Eye lids should be tight enough to prevent sagging. |
| NECK |
A
strong muscular neck, medium in length, arches at the crest.
Most dogs have at least a slight ruff of longer hair, beginning
under the ears on the back of the jaws and extending along
the neck and chest to the front of the shoulders. There
may be a slight to moderate dewlap, although minimal dewlap
is preferred. |
FOREQUARTERS |
Shoulders
are muscular and well angulated. The upper arm and shoulder
are approximately equal in length and form a distinct angle.
The straight forearm is longer than the combined length of
the shoulder and upper arm. This makes the front pasterns
appear short. The strong front pasterns slope slightly when
viewed from the side. Front legs are set moderately well apart,
elbows close to the sides, allowing for a moderately wide
chest. The front legs and feet stand parallel with each other
and perpendicular to the ground. Overly long front pasterns,
collapsed or weak pasterns, pasterns and feet that turn in
or out noticeably when standing and moving, are all considered
serious faults. |
| BODY |
A long chest extends in depth to the elbows. Ribs are well-sprung
but not rounded. The back appears long, is straight up to
the loin where it arches slightly. The croup is well- muscled
and slopes down to a low set tail. The loin and croup appear
narrow relative to the size of the dog. The long brisket
forms an underline parallel with the ground. The underline
rises to a belly with long flanks and a slight to moderate
tuck up. When the dog stands relaxed or in an awkward position
the back may sag between the shoulders and the croup. This
should not be confused with a swayed back which is a serious
fault, as is a roached back. |
HINDQUARTERS |
Hindquarters
are long and powerful, with the musculature and angulation
to balance that of the forequarters. The long hind legs contribute
to the graceful arch of the loins and to the speed and agility
of the breed. Stifles are moderately bent, hocks well defined,
and rear pasterns are vertical, and parallel to each other
when standing. Cowhocks, under and over angulation are all
faults. Hind legs may have single or double dewclaws. Front
and rear dewclaws may be removed. |
FEET |
Strong,
large, well arched toes. Nails blunt and either gray, brown
or white. Pads thick, hard, elastic and normally dark. |
TAIL |
Long,
reaching to the hocks. Carried low with slight curl when relaxed,
never tucked between the legs. While moving, the tail is usually
carried up over the back, the height depends on the degree
of excitement and confidence. Tails may have a hook at the
end, a moderate to tight curl, or a double curl. The tail
may be slightly to heavily feathered in proportion to the
coat length of the dog. Imported Turkish dogs may have docked
tails. |
MOVEMENT |
The
Akbash Dog moves with boldness and confidence, taking long
strides. There is an elastic, springy nature to the gait.
Feet and legs move along a line central to the body, single
tracking at higher speeds. Fluid movement contributes to stamina
during sustained exercise. The dogs are also capable of great
speed. Sound feet, legs and joints are essential to good movement.
Restricted, choppy, or other poor movement such as paddling
or crabbing is a fault. |
| COAT |
A double coat is formed by coarse guard hairs and a fine
undercoat. Thickness of the undercoat will vary with the
climate and exposure of the dog to the weather. Coats
are shed seasonally. There are two varieties of coat length;
both are equally acceptable.
LONG COAT - The outer coat grows quite
long and may vary from straight to slightly wavy. The
hair should never be curled or matted. Short smooth hair
covers the head, ears, paws, front of the forearms up
to the elbow, and on the lower hind legs. Most long haired
dogs have a moderate to fairly prominent ruff. The back
of the forelegs, thighs, and the entire tail are feathered.
Most of the long coat is lost during hot weather.
MEDIUM COAT - The outer coat is medium
in length and usually lies flat, giving the dog a sleek,
racy appearance. In some specimens the coat is bushier,
but still shorter than the long coat. Actual length of
guard hair varies between individuals. There may be a
light to moderate ruff which is generally larger on males.
They may have little to moderate feathering on the legs,
thighs and tail.
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COLOR |
Coat color is all over white. Light biscuit on the ears
or on the ridge line, or coloration in the undercoat is
acceptable. Defined spotting or a large amount of coloration
is considered a fault when the color is biscuit. Any other
color in the outer coat is a disqualification. The skin
is usually pigmented in a piebald pattern. A large degree
of pigmentation is considered desirable.
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| HEIGHT
AND WEIGHT |
Mature
dogs generally measure 28 to 31 inches (71 to 79 cm) at
the withers; females 27 to 29 inches (69 to 74 cm). Weight
should be in proportion to size and bone structure, and
results in proper symmetry and balance. Mature dogs in trim
condition weigh 90 to 130 pounds (41 to 59 Kg); females
weigh from 75 to 100 pounds (34 to 45 Kg). Any significant
deviation from the above measurements is considered a fault. |
DISQUALIFICATIONS |
-
Lack of any pigmentation on the nose, eyes and lips.
- Defined spotting or marked coloration of outer coat.
- Blue eyes.
- Severe cowhocks, turned out feet and pasterns or other serious
structural defects.
- Pronounced overshot or undershot bite.
- Swayed or roached back.
- Cowardliness.
- Inappropriate aggression.
- Restricted movement. |
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