Kangal 1 to 10

General Temperament:

Low prey drive, but highly protective, their job is to let you know if anything is out there. The Kangal is an independent, regal, self contained sort. Possessed of an almost lupine sort of grace and a primal intelligence I find lacking in less independent bully breeds. They offer a gentle stability around young kids, of two or four legs. Nothing neurotic in these dogs, no false moves, no week nerves; nothing of the jumpy slobbering bully yes man dog. But exceedingly territorial, suspicious of all things that don’t belong, and extremely protective of those that do. Wicked smart but equally willful. The most pronounced downside would be a tendency to “ expand their territory” in effect roam.

Energy level: 3

Laid back, scanning pasture with their minds on their stock and their stock on their minds. Little energy wasted here.

Intelligence: 8-9

The only reason I don’t say 10 is to allow for breeds I’ve not owned.

Biddability: 2-8

Excuse the range, but my male for example is as biddable as any dog I’ve owned….. so long as there is nothing he wants to do more at the time of my request :) This is the paradox, he’s as smart as any dog I’ve had, knows what I want, knows what the consequences of disobeying will be and will even voluntarily head for his own punishment place. In general though the breed should not be considered biddable, they think for themselves.

Independence: 8-9

That’s what they are, independent; I personally enjoy some of that in a dog, but if you want a dog that lives for you, can’t be happy without you, a candidate for mindless obedience, it’s not a kangal you want.

Gravity: 3-5

If you raise a kangal such that you are its stock, it will never be gone long ( unless it get’s shot roaming ) They will stay with you for walks through the woods for example. But left alone, without stock to protect, they may explore, they may “expand” their territory..

Roam: 8-9

They just do, this is a reality, all over turkey you find them on chains or perhaps with stock, very little else. This is also true of many breeds of livestock guardians even if the peddlers thereof are less honest than I. Or call it different things, if they catch a bullet does it matter if they were expanding territory or roaming ?

Prey drive: 3

minimal, although they will get all over anything that comes around, mine even caught an owl, don’t ask me how, but it was still warm when I took it from him

Dog aggression: 6-8

Pretty significant, which makes sense for a stock guardian, don’t expect your kangal to welcome strange dogs in its territory.

Human aggression: 4-8

There again, it’s a matter of territory and doing their job. Mine don’t like anyone new outside the gate, but once a new person has been welcomed in, they will understand that they are welcome and behave accordingly. Naturally suspicious of strangers I would say more than innately aggressive.