ORMANÜSTÜ DUMAN, Anatolian Shepherd Import

Meet our newest import, ORMANÜSTÜ DUMAN, a working dog from the east Black Sea mountains of Turkey. His name means Duman from the Upper Forest. The upper forest is the area just below the bare highlands, and it is also the name of the village that Duman is from.

Duman is 2 years old, 121 lbs (just prior to leaving Turkey), 30 to 31" in height (he doesn't like being measured!) but if you count the thick rough coat, he measures more like 34" (yeah, okay, I know that doesn't count, lol). His hips got Nornberg scores of 105 and 107 in Turkey, which is very good, and we plan to get OFA and Pennhip done soon in comparison.

Duman is very calm, adjusts easily to new situations, has a very sweet and loving disposition, and is very easy-going around people and animals. He worked with a sheep flock in Turkey, and is now doing well with his meat goats. However, in the photo above, he is agitated because the donkey on the neighbor's property was screaming, and Duman could not get to the source of the noise to make sure all animals were okay! He is learning what belongs to him to protect, and what to ignore at the neighbor's farm. He is also learning what fences are!

We are so proud of the new addition to Shepherds Rest Farm! We are looking forward to seeing some little Ormanüstü Dumans running around some time this spring or summer!

Turkish shepherd dogs are always alert. Duman, in above photo, is paying close attention to a nearby female who was in heat.

Livestock guardian dog and happy about it! Duman is gentle with the new goat kids, but mostly watches over them from an adjacent barn stall until they are 3 days old and released into the pasture.

This last photo was taken in Turkey prior to Duman's long trip across Turkey, Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, and then across the U.S. from NY to Newberg, Oregon! I love this photo because of his curly tail. He is such a relaxed dog, that we don't get to see that very often!

Huge thanks to my wonderful friends, Ali, Alp, Ayhan, Zafer, Irfan, and your families, for all your help and support in getting Duman to America!

Camel Wrestling in Turkey

We know about dog fighting, but camel wrestling?! It's a sport in Turkey! The camels wear muzzles, so it really is wrestling, not fighting. Today, a Turkish news article came out about a camel that, when wrestling, bit his owner's arm and head and sat on him, killing him (broke his bones). This camel was then sold to another breeder for over $10,000. The new owner's brother, after not hearing from the new owner, went to check on him. The camel had killed the new owner in the same way. The camel will now be put down. For the news article in Turkish, Go here! For a youtube link to a camel wrestling video, Go here!

Anatolian Shepherds & Life on the Farm

Our weather here in Newberg, Oregon, is a bit unusual. The snow and icy conditions have been going on for a week now. Clearing ice off the eight water troughs three times a day and carrying bucketfuls of water from the house once a day to refill them is becoming a routine. The hotwire has disappeared in most places under the snow piled on the top fence railings (far right in picture above). The Anatolians and goats seem to enjoy the weather, although the very pregnant, fat does are quite a sight trying to get uphill, and they do skate a bit on the ice around the water troughs!

It is a very quiet, still world here at Shepherds Rest Farm. But don't be fooled. The Anatolian Shepherds are all still very much on guard!

Yes, there are raised beds, hidden now, in my garden! The grape arbor is a perch for many small birds that flit in and out of the branches piled with snow.

Kara, Durbun, and Cazip are saying hello this morning at the gate. When they go out into the deeper snow, their legs completely disappear! They have all the snow trampled down where they are now. Last night, they all chose to sleep out in the snow rather than go into the shelter and sleep in the straw. They just curl up with their noses under their tails.

The goat tent structure collapsed in the night. The metal frame actually snapped under the weight of the snow and ice. Koda here is telling me all about it this morning!

We have lots of broken branches in the old cherry orchard pastures to clean up too, after the snow melts.

Can you recognize the large dog igloo under all the snow?! Civril is exploring the new snow world.

The kids surprised me with a small snowman that they put on the roof just outside my upstairs bedroom window. He almost disappeared in the new snow!

DURBUN, Anatolian Shepherd import

Durbun, almost one year old in these photos, came to Shepherds Rest Anatolians in May with his sister, Cazip (seen in blog below). Durbun and his Cazip joined import Kara in a pasture with about a dozen Oberhasli dairy goats, most due to kid here in about 2 months.

Durbun is very laid back and a bit aloof with strangers. He was very shy and hesitant to approach us when he first arrived. Now he is a very happy, confident boy who loves to approach and see if you have treats. If so, he quietly sits and waits patiently for them. He prefers to stay back from any hubbub with other dogs, and lets the other dogs do the greeting first.

Durbun is the perfect shepherd dog with the herd. Never have I seen inappropriate play behavior with the goats. He always chooses to play with other dogs, not the herd. He corrects others who even THINK about playing with his goats!

This guy has a very deep bark and lots of potential as a breeding male. We look forward to him (Cazip and Kara too) turning two years old so we can get OFA hip ratings on them!

Not much gets Durbun riled up, so he is usually in his relaxed mode in photos. Above photo shows him for a brief moment with his ears perked up.

Here is Durbun hanging out with his Oberhasli dairy goats, where he spends his time 24/7, along with his import sister Cazip and another older import male Kara. When he feels like lying down, he typically chooses to go lie near one of the goats.

CAZIP, Anatolian Shepherd import

Cazip accompanied me and her brother, Durbun, from Turkey to the U.S. in May. She will be a year old next month. She is alpha (or tries to be, for the time being) over her brother and the older import, Kara, in her goat pasture. She is 24/7 with her Oberhasli dairy goats.

Cazip is always the first in the pasture to greet human visitors and her family. She is very self-confident in the pasture. In her dog obedience class she scored best in the class during graduation exercises (over 4 German Shepherds and a rottweiler), and also received "most improved." She was absolutely awesome in her attitude that day, and totally pleased with herself for her performance!

Cazip is very opinionated about what belongs in her pasture and in the farmyard beyond the pasture. She barks but also does a bit of "talking" about it too. In the night, her vocalizations can always be distinguished from the other dogs because of her unique "talking" sounds.

In photo above, Cazip is deciding whether to go running across the pasture about something!

Cazip is seen here with her beloved goats. As an adolescent, occasionally she will exhibit behavior toward the goats that indicates an invitation to play. Her brother, Durbun, is the perfect trainer, because he will immediately cause an end to it. Either he will do a full body tackle of her, which stops everything, or else he will distract her and invite her to play with him. Together they make a great team in the pasture with the herd. Cazip is a wonderful guardian.

KARA, Anatolian Shepherd import

These pictures were just taken yesterday! Kara, imported last January, will be 2 years old in March. He is filling out so nicely. Seen above with Kara (standing) is one of two pups imported last May.

Kara is a sweet, gentle, donkey-sized dog! He is mellow with the goats and last spring let the young kid goats jump all over him. He accepted the new import pups graciously, and has been like a father to them in his pasture. They, the goats, and people all adore him.

Kara lives 24/7 with his herd. Every morning at feeding time, Kara can be seen standing with his goats as they eat their alfalfa. He doesn't just stand nearby, he is actually between goats, standing taller than his Oberhasli dairy goats, and scanning the valley for any threat of predators!

Kara is a very affectionate boy. You can see his reactions in his expressive eyes. When given attention, he gets a little silly, very much like an adolescent boy!

TURKISH IMPORT ARRIVES

This is Kara (Turkish for "dark" or "black"), because of the dark mask on his face. Kara, pronounced "CAR-uh," is a 10-month-old male from a village about an hour south of Ankara (capitol city of Turkey). Last month (early January), I made my second trip to Turkey. I was very impressed with this huge boy. He is playful and loving. Seen here in these four pictures from Turkey, he is used to chickens and to sheep flocks that passed by, and at times would mingle with the flocks. I am proud to introduce him as an anticipated breeding male at Shepherds Rest Farm! He will have his first preliminary hip x-rays on March 13 when he is one year old.

KARA'S FIRST DAY IN PASTURE

This was mid-January and Kara's first day in Oregon. He was very tentative and took in all the sights, sounds, and smells quite calmly and slowly. He is a very relaxed dog who loves people and seems very attached to the goats now, at 3 weeks later. He is slow-moving among the herd, holds very still around the goats, likes to stand in the midst of them, but will leave them and bark if he feels there is a threat. He makes it a habit to smell their behinds, and enjoys face-to-face also. He has the deepest bark of all our dogs. Just yesterday he began playing chase with another adult Anatolian female. Three weeks ago, when he arrived, he weighed in at 106 lbs, and measured just a hair under 32" at the shoulder.

KARA IS INTRODUCED TO NEW GOAT KIDS

When the first goat kids were born this year, Kara was taken into the barn to meet the newborns. He was very attentive.

At first, Kara did lots of watching.

Notice the tongue in picture above. Not only did Kara do lots of nose-to-nose (below), but he even licked them! What a good boy!

Since these pictures were taken, Kara has been out in the pasture with 10 Oberhasli dairy goat kids. He lets them climb all over him like a mountain when he is lying down. When he is standing, he is very patient with the kids jumping up on him and using him as a springboard in their play. When he's had enough, he will walk away and go lie down in another place.

ASD's in Boston

December 2007, I had the privilege of meeting Audrey and her Anatolian Shepherd Dogs in Boston, MA. Audrey's friends, who also own Anatolians and look up to Audrey as a respected mentor, joined us. Left to right above: Sheila, Audrey, Karen, and me. We had a good time and lots of laughs.

Hannah, Zoran, and Babe, the Anatolians owned by Audrey, also enjoyed the time. They love attention and good dog movies! Hannah is the beautiful, wise one. Zoran is quite a character, full of spunk. Babe is a gorgeous young thing!

Audrey is an incredible cook when it comes to Mexican food! She lives in a very peaceful and scenic place where the dogs love to play (see below).

TURKEY TRIP September 2007

A shepherd dog as large as a donkey!

Dog above is same dog as the one with the donkey. Below is a 5 month old puppy.

The shepherd of this farm above, including the tin house below, had some beautiful pigeons.

A dwelling made of tin! The housing entrepreneur below (middle of picture) is proud of his work!

The man in black is a true Yoruk shepherd. The flock seen above and below is the flock he is tending. The trees around us were pear trees. Must've been an old orchard.

We stayed two nights in the Oreo Hotel in Kas, a tourist town on the Mediterrean coast.

View from our hotel balcony.

On our way to the highlands.

We arrived in the highlands where 4 shepherd families have their flocks this year. Last year there were 12 families with flocks.

Above is a graveyard garden gone wild in the highlands. Below is some of the plant life in these highlands.

Yoruk Tents in Turkey

A Yoruk puppy that looks like a bear cub! Notice the recently cropped ears!

Turkish Fruit Stands

Can you guess which fruit is being dried in the photo above? Wouldn't see any food being preserved that way here in the States any more, I don't think. The food safety people would have a fit! It's raisins, drying on mats!

I think the fellow relaxing in the shade (photo above) should get an award for his most unique fruitstand.

The most beautiful displays of fruits and vegetables should go to the owners of these stands (photos above and below). These pictures were taken from a moving vehicle or they would be much crisper and clearer.