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!