Shepherds Rest Farm

Breeding New Anatolian Shepherd Import Lines - Direct From Turkey

Name:  Shepherds Rest Farm

Location:  Newberg, Oregon, United States

Saturday, October 20, 2007

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.
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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Village Dog in Turkey

This was a curious sight in a village somewhere north of Kas. Apparently the gentleman in the background is unable to walk, as he was crawling across the village square. If this shepherd dog in the foreground once had a flock to guard, it would have been sheep. There are reportedly no goat herds in this area.
I don't know what you'd call these streets. Cobblestone? It was very quaint and picturesque.
The little town square area below in this same village looks like it functions partly as a playground. It is not part of the street. I don't know if you can see it well, but the girl on the right is jumping rope.
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Guardian of the Winery

This Anatolian Shepherd Dog is functioning as a winery guard in western Turkey. With the disappearance of the flocks (and shepherd dogs as a result), it is possible that this dog used to guard the flocks. However, ASDs have been used in Turkey for centuries to guard not only sheep flocks and goat herds, homes and villages, but also factories and places of business.
Although this dog is chained, he is very powerful, and I would not trust the chain to hold him if I were to go beyond the fence. I saw dogs double-chained by their owners, which attests to the fact that these dogs are not easily contained should they perceive a threat! There is no lack of attention or concentration on this dog's face!
This winery is located in the mountains outside a town with a population of just under 5000.
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Stray Dogs of Turkey

Some of the stray dogs we saw could easily be village dogs (owned by someone in the village or having adopted the village as theirs). Some of the strays could easily be Anatolian Shepherd Dogs who once had flocks to guard but now find themselves without a job due to dwindling flocks. Some could be Anatolian mixes, having bred with other breeds. Some strays become village dogs; some turn wild and can even join a pack of wild dogs. The dog seen in above and below pictures was hanging out along the Aegean Sea. Can you see the Anatolian influence in this series of stray dog pictures?

This stray dog at the Aegean Sea is in search of dumpster delights. It looks to be well fed. Notice the curled tail and the brindle coat coloring.
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Also in the same town along the Aegean Sea was this dog, in both above and below pictures. He seemed content and not hungry, so was probably owned by someone who was staying in town for the summer.

When we stopped along the side of a mountain road for a short break, up popped the heads of these three dogs. Look at their ribs. They are obviously stray dogs who look like they once had a flock to guard. Notice the cropped ears. They crossed the road and continued their journey along the other side.
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In the tourist town of Kas, along the Mediterranean Sea, these dogs were enjoying the morsels of food shared with them by tourists. Allowed to walk among the tables and lie at people's feet in the outside restaurants until a customer would complain, or in our case, a child cried out in fear of the dogs, these dogs seemed right at home! Shortly after being shooed just beyond the tables, the dogs would be back and the restaurant workers would just ignore them like they belonged there. These dogs may be strays, or may be owned by people who live in town. (There were also cats sitting under the tables nibbling on shared food. We fed two or three cats the fish heads from our meals.)

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Eating garbage along the road. Same dog in above and below pictures. Notice the cropped ears. This dog once belonged to a shepherd . . . or perhaps the dog has a flock somewhere just out of our sight.

Ambling along the road in a village, this dog has recently had a litter of puppies. She looks like she knows where she's going. Probably a villager owns her, or else she has just adopted this village as her own to guard.
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Turkish Toht (Spiked Collar) on Anatolian Shepherd Dog

Tarik here is modeling the Turkish toht we brought home from Turkey last month. In Turkey, this spiked collar is earned by the shepherd dogs when they kill a wolf during their flock guardian duties. Although the toht fits Tarik more like a necklace, in actuality, it should fit more snugly higher up on the neck.
Important warning: Tohts are dangerous to photographers! Luckily I'm up-to-date on my tetanus shot! I DO feel sorry for the predators who encounter any ASD wearing a spiked collar!
Tarik is a magnificent goat guardian, a good puppy trainer, and a very big boy who would still try to crawl in your lap if you happened to sit on the ground in his pasture! Tarik loves kids and hates other intact males! He will turn two years old in February. His sire is Ballester's Rahman "Red" from Florida, and his dam is Sirin from here at Shepherds Rest. Like Koda below, Tarik was rated as breeding quality in a Pat Hastings puppy evaluation at 8 weeks of age. We plan to use Tarik in our breeding program. We look forward to the results of his hip and elbow x-rays and his thyroid testing that will be completed when he turns two.
I guess the photo shoot and the novelty of having a heavy piece of equipment hanging from his neck was a bit too much for him. Time to take it off and let him restore his dignity. Although supposedly the dogs in Turkey all know what the toht is, I'd be interested in hearing more from the shepherds about what the dogs' reactions are when the toht is first fastened to the dogs, and whether the toht is removed for part of each day.
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Yoruk ASD in a Toht

Here is Koda sporting the toht. He is a Yoruk subtype of Anatolian Shepherd Dog. Koda will be two years old next May, born and raised with the goat herd, and is quite the excellent guardian with a gentle character. He is from a Gandolf X Akilli breeding here at Shepherds Rest. Rated as breeding quality in a Pat Hastings puppy evaluation at 8 weeks of age, we look forward to using him in our breeding program. The next step with Koda involves hip and elbow x-rays and thyroid testing when he turns two.

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Sunday, October 07, 2007

Something must be Fowl in Turkey!

Following are poultry pictures from the western third of Turkey. The blog entries this date are dedicated to my dear friend, also a chicken lover and Anatolian Shepherd Dog mentor, Janice. You are special! Enjoy! For all the rest of you readers, this "chicken stuff" all started when I learned Janice loved chickens AND I happened to run across a very unique item at Walgreens! To see the unique item, go to www.ilovechickenpoop.com. Janice's website and blog are much more interesting, though: http://cobankopegi.com and www.cobankopegi.com/blog/. But back to the pictures here, the first rooster featured is very unique in that it can crow nonstop for as long as two minutes. (I tried to get you one, Janice, but I couldn't afford the jail time!) Anyway, that's not repetitive crowing, it's one looooong crow, no breath taken (from what I can figure). All the photos through the one of the chicks were taken in the lowlands in the western third of Turkey last month.
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Yes, as you see below, there ARE turkeys in Turkey!


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