The Barking Anatolian Army
(Page 2 of 4)
I don't intend to wage war against the mountain lion. In
their natural habitat, they are magnificent creatures. And
their reasons for a newly expressed aggression against
humans and cattle are clear; loss of natural territory to
man, combined with protection from hunting, have made the
once dwindling lion and cougar a more pronounced presence
both in the wild as well as the `burbs. But we had
to find a way to protect our property and children.
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An answer finally came from a fellow rancher who had some
luck with guard dogs. "Our dogs have never been able to do
a thing," I replied. "One was even killed when it gave a
lion some trouble:" He assured me that the dogs he was
referring to, Anatolian shepherds, were not run-of-the-mill
housepets, but some very serious animals. He further said
that since buying his first pair of Shepherds, he hadn't
had a single loss. I was sold.
I was surprised to find that when Boaz and Tess arrived at
my house, they weren't the snarling, drooling hounds of
hell that I had anticipated, but simply large, handsome,
and surprisingly friendly dogs. Specifically bred in their
native Turkey for the purpose of defending property and
cattle against intruders only, these 150-1b. dogs identify
with owners remarkably well and are particularly gentle
around children. Furthermore, they are bred to intimidate
first and foremost, and to attack only if necessary. So
they pose little threat to those people who wander
mistakenly onto the property. Backing off will solve the
problem immediately. There were several occasions when we
know the dogs and lions faced off, because we could hear
the lion's snarls over the dogs' growling, but we never
found any dead or injured lions, a testament to how
intimidating they are.
Not only have we not suffered another lion kill, the dogs
have also been effective as protection against coyotes,
stray dogs, skunks, hawks, eagles ...even rattlesnakes. I
heartily recommend them to any home that is forced to share
space with predators as an alternative to the gun. Though
not exactly cheap at anywhere from $500 to $1,000 each,
they will pay for themselves, by saving the life of just
one head of cattle. Contact the Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club
for more information on Anatolian shepherd availability in
your area.
