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Turkish Kangal Dog breeders

The Turkish Kangal Dog is a large, powerful livestock guardian from central Turkey, placed by The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the Pastoral group.

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Advertise your Turkish Kangal Dog puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed Turkish Kangal Dogs? List your kennel on caninebreeder.co.uk so buyers looking for a flock guardian can find you. Set out your licence details, club membership and the coefficient of inbreeding for your planned matings. You can then advertise Turkish Kangal Dog puppies for sale when a litter is due or ready. If you keep a Turkish Kangal Dog stud dog, list him too, so owners of bitches can compare pedigrees and health information before they get in touch.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

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Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Turkish Kangal Dog

The Turkish Kangal Dog is a large, powerful livestock guardian from central Turkey, placed by The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the Pastoral group. The Turkish Kangal Dog Club (UK) says the breed is regarded as a national treasure in Turkey and is best known around Kangal and Sivas. Its job is to protect sheep and goats from predators such as wolves rather than to herd them, and it typically works alongside at least two other dogs. The RKC describes it as a flock guard that lives outside whatever the weather.

According to the breed club, the first Kangals came to the UK in 1965. They were registered as Anatolian Shepherd Dogs until the Kennel Club recognised the Turkish Kangal Dog as a separate breed from 1 April 2013, and owners of suitable dogs could apply to have them recorded as Kangals. The UK club, formerly the Anatolian Karabash Dog Club, now carries the Kangal name.

The breed standard gives a shoulder height of 74 to 81 cm (29 to 32 in) for males and 71 to 79 cm (28 to 31 in) for females. The short, dense, weatherproof coat has a thick undercoat and lies flat rather than fluffy or wavy. The dog is a single solid colour, from cream through fawn to dun or steel grey, always with a dark or black mask and dark ears. A little white on the chest, chin or toes is tolerated. When alert, the dog carries its tail high in an open curl over the back.

The RKC suggests more than two hours of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week, notes that the coat sheds and rates the breed best suited to a large house with a large garden in the country. Its expected lifespan is over 10 years.

The standard describes a steady, bold, independent and very intelligent dog, loyal to its owner and sometimes aloof with strangers. It is not aggressive by nature but can be dominant and territorial. The breed club adds that Kangals bark to announce visitors, tend to question commands and are never fully reliable on recall. They are sensitive to harsh handling, and the club says a disapproving tone of voice is often enough. They thrive on human company and need something to occupy them, and their barking can draw noise complaints in residential areas.

Turkish Kangal Dog health tests

The RKC Health Standard currently lists no breed-specific DNA tests or veterinary screening schemes for the Turkish Kangal Dog. Its Good Practice advice for the breed is to prioritise genetic diversity. The RKC offers no breed-specific DNA testing package, although individual DNA tests can be ordered, and no additional breed-specific breeding restrictions apply.

A practical way to support genetic diversity is to check the coefficient of inbreeding (COI) of a planned mating before it goes ahead. The RKC's online calculator does this for registered dogs.

The RKC does not list hip scoring for this breed, but the BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme is not limited to particular breeds, so you can ask whether the parents have been screened voluntarily. Dogs must be at least a year old, each hip is scored from 0 to 53 with lower scores better, and the BVA recommends breeding only from dogs scoring below or close to the breed median.

The Turkish Kangal Dog Club's code of ethics commits members not to perpetuate hereditary defects, not to breed from a bitch before 18 months, and normally not more than once in any 12 months.

The breed is in Breed Watch Category 1, meaning the RKC has identified no visible concerns linked to conformation. No test or breeding plan can guarantee a puppy's future health.

Good Practice (RKC Health Standard)

  • Prioritising genetic diversity (check the coefficient of inbreeding for each planned mating)

Best Practice (RKC Health Standard)

  • No breed-specific DNA tests or screening schemes currently listed

Choosing a Turkish Kangal Dog breeder

The RKC lists no breed-specific health tests for the Turkish Kangal Dog, so choosing a breeder depends more on openness and experience than on a checklist. A careful breeder should be able to tell you the coefficient of inbreeding for the litter and why they chose the pairing, and share any voluntary screening results for the parents, such as hip scores. Expect to meet the puppies with their mother and, where possible, to see the adult dogs at home. A breeder who knows this breed will ask detailed questions about your land, fencing, neighbours and experience with guarding breeds, and should be willing to say if a home is not right. The Turkish Kangal Dog Club's code of ethics asks members to give buyers written feeding details, guidance on responsible ownership and the relevant Kennel Club documents. It also bars selling to commercial dealers or pet shops and asks members to help rehome dogs they have bred. In England, a council licence is needed by anyone who runs a business breeding and advertising dogs for sale, or who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells any of the puppies.

  • What is the coefficient of inbreeding for this litter?
  • Have the parents had any health screening, such as hip scoring, and can I see the results?
  • How have the puppies been socialised with people, other dogs and livestock?
  • What space and fencing do you expect a new home to have?
  • Will you take the dog back or help to rehome it if my circumstances change?

Turkish Kangal Dog questions

Is the Turkish Kangal Dog the same as the Anatolian Shepherd Dog?

In the UK they are registered as separate breeds. Kangals here were previously registered as Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, but the Kennel Club recognised the Turkish Kangal Dog as a breed in its own right from April 2013, and it now has its own RKC breed standard in the Pastoral group.

How big is a Turkish Kangal Dog?

It is a large breed. The standard gives a shoulder height of 74 to 81 cm (29 to 32 in) for males and 71 to 79 cm (28 to 31 in) for females. The RKC gives a lifespan of over 10 years.

Is a Turkish Kangal Dog suitable as a family pet?

It was bred to guard livestock. The standard describes a loyal but independent dog that can be dominant, territorial and aloof with strangers. The RKC suggests more than two hours of exercise a day and country living with a large garden, and the breed club warns that Kangals bark to announce visitors and are never fully reliable on recall. It needs an owner who can meet those demands.

What health tests should a Turkish Kangal Dog's parents have?

The RKC Health Standard currently lists no breed-specific DNA tests or screening schemes for the breed. Its Good Practice advice is to prioritise genetic diversity, so ask for the coefficient of inbreeding of the mating. The BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme is not limited to particular breeds, so you can also ask whether the parents have been hip scored.

More for Turkish Kangal Dog owners and breeders

Official sources