A relative has an Anatolian shepherd. He's bigger than George. He's very gentle, unless you're a coyote, or if you're a creature trying to eat his food. #DogsOfCoSo
@poemblaze He's beautiful!
@dauphin87 Yes. I wish there was something else in the picture that would give a size reference.
@nonayadambidnes @dauphin87 Thank you. Guarding is exactly why they got him. He defends the livestock.
@poemblaze @dauphin87 They'll take on wolves and coyotes and even bears! Absolutely fearless. π
@nonayadambidnes @dauphin87 I don't doubt it.
@nonayadambidnes @poemblaze I'm guessing a breed that large has a shorter life span like a Great Dane?
@dauphin87 @nonayadambidnes I haven't Googled, but will check. Not my dog, so I hadn't researched that.
@dauphin87 @nonayadambidnes Not as bad as I would have thought. 11-13 years
@dauphin87 @nonayadambidnes Irish wolfhounds only live ~5 years.
@dauphin87 @nonayadambidnes I couldn't bear having a dog with that short a lifespan.
@poemblaze @dauphin87 I know right? They already don't get enough time with us.
@dauphin87 @poemblaze Surprisingly not, I read they average about 12-15 years, for a big dog that's pretty good!
One of our customers breeds Danes, he said usually they only live 8-10 years, but one of his pups is 13 and going strong.
@nonayadambidnes @dauphin87 I don't think this one is quite that big, but he's definitely large. They may have got him at a discount because of the size. That wouldn't surprise me.
@poemblaze @dauphin87 They're a guardian breed, also known as Kangal Shepherd. Sadly, in Turkey they're sometimes used as fighting dogs.
I found a couple pics with people.