The Kangal has a rich history and is considered one of the oldest dog breeds
still in existence today.
This dog is massive with standout looks and a unique personality.
Its most distinctive feature is its size.
Adult male Kangals can weigh up to 145 pounds and 30 to
32 inches tall from their withers. When they stand on their hind legs though,
they easily stand taller than humans.
Kangals are very muscular and strong,
though not as bulky as some other dog breeds.
Their strongest asset though is in their powerful hind legs.
This is like their powerhouse where they get all the explosive strength they
need in running and taking down predators.
The Kangal is also called the Turkish shepherd dog,
but it's not to be confused with the Anatolian shepherd,
which is a different dog breed altogether. Bred to protect sheep from predators,
the Kangal was developed for centuries until it achieved the perfect mental and
physical traits needed for the job it was developed to carry out.
And by keeping to strict Turkish breeding standards,
the Kangal breed has remained relatively the same down through the centuries.
Right from puppyhood,
you'll notice that the Kangals are very independent with strong protective
instincts. They don't need to be trained to know what they were born to do,
which is to protect.
They know their purpose and they get to it very early in life.
Although Kangals were bred to protect sheep primarily,
they can also protect other kinds of livestock as well.
Defending them against any predator that crosses their path. Wolves,
jackals, and even bears, Kangals will stand fearless and brave.
With their impressive sense of smell and hearing,
they are able to locate predators from miles away.
You'll see them patrolling their territory or sometimes climbing to a vantage
point in order to get a better view of their herd.
When Kangals spot a predator like a wolf for example,
they execute their attack in three phases. Interestingly,
despite their inherent strength and intimidating appearance,
Kangals do not always attack immediately. First,
they try to intimidate the predator either by growling or barking.
If that does not work, the barking escalates into a roar.
And if the predator is still does not back off, the Kangal will then attack.
And even their attack is quite methodical.
This dog does not do anything by chance.
It is obviously a highly intelligent and calculating breed.
When a Kangal wants to attack the predator it first stands in front of its herd
before charging at the threat and knocking it down. After doing so,
the Kangal will then immobilize the predator by going for its hind limbs or
throat. Despite the breeds massive size,
it still runs an impressive 35 miles per hour with a bite force that's about
three times stronger than that of a pit bull.
It has also developed an elastic skin around vulnerable areas that reduce the
impact of bites from other animals when engaged in a fight,
making the Kangal an excellent attack and defense dog.
Kangals are natural born leaders. And so when they are in the rank of alpha,
it's not difficult for them to assert themselves as pack leader even if the
others are not of the same species as them.
For the most part of their history,
Kangals have lived in hostile environments filled with predators.
And so this breeds history is filled with constant fights and battles.
Because of this,
they can go has built exceptional combat qualities that have made it into a
super confident and fierce dog.
There have even been sightings of Kangals going against tigers and even lions.
There is this Turkish legend about the Kangal for instance,
in the myth the Kangal somehow encounters the fetish lion of the palace and gets
into a spectacular fight with it.
The fight is so epic it alerts the whole palace.
The Sultan of the palace is amazed by the fact that a dog is wrestling a lion
and insists on watching.
So he's taken to witness the fight and it's a really intense one at that.
After the fight the Kangal is completely beat up. His ears are torn,
he's suffered bites and scratches all over his body,
and he's standing on only three legs due to one being broken in the encounter.
The lion on the other hand is lying on the ground dead.
Now it's possible that this legend is a little far-fetched,
but it's a legend for a reason as it completely represents the brute strength
and tenacity that this dog wields.
This constant confrontation between Kangals and their long list of enemies has
lasted generations leaving only the strongest Kangals to survive and reproduce.
Still, their most famous and common foe,
the Wolf will always prove a fierce enemy of the Kangal.
So much so that many Kangals are killed by wolves out on the battlefront even to
this day. There you have it, a brief history of the Kangal.
Be sure to subscribe,
like this video and turn on notifications so you don't miss more videos about
dogs, wild animals, and much more.
Check out this playlist of our top 10 dog videos.
And I'll see you in the next one.