Anatolian Puppies 9 Weeks Old

The Nazli X Capar puppies are now 9 weeks old. They are still swimming in the creek, gulping raw chicken necks whole, and bravely challenging the adult dogs to mock fights as if the pups could actually win!

The female brindle pup above weighs 28 lbs 3 oz at 9 weeks old. The male fawn pup below weighs 30 lbs 14 oz.

8 Week Old Female Anatolian Shepherd

Brindle girl weighs 24 lbs 12 oz at 8 weeks old.

8 Week Old Male Anatolian Shepherd

This boy weighs 26 lbs 12 oz at 8 weeks old.

Anatolian Puppies Playing With Mother

So much fun with a dried sunflower stalk!

Settled! Each have a sunflower head!

Anatolian Shepherd Puppies 7 Weeks Old

Gunner and his sister are growing like weeds. Gunner weighs 21 lbs 9 oz. Brindle sister weighs 19 lbs 15 oz.

Gunner is a bit more keyed into his mom, howls when he wants out into the pasture, likes to be on his feet, and is a sweetheart.

Brindle girl is more roly poly, independent, liking to explore without concern, likes to play/wrestle older dogs, and go tummy-up.

Both pups are keenly interested in the goats and both are already demonstrating good guardian abilities. Evaluations will begin in a week, at 8 weeks old, and continue for a week. Final decisions on which, if any, pup is kept as breeding stock by Shepherds Rest will be when puppies are 9 weeks old. Evaluations consist of a 4-part process: 1) continued observations of all facets of general behavior, working behavior, movement, conformation, personality, and more; 2) temperament testing; 3) a litter evaluation by show judge, Pat Hastings, to determine conformation strengths and weaknesses; and 4) a comprehensive vet exam to determine overall health and rule out any potential problems.

Anatolian Female Pup 6 Weeks Old

The brindle female, wet here from a few dips in the creek, is 15 lbs 13 oz at 6 weeks old. She gained 3 lbs 10 oz in the last week. She is most likely headed to another breeder in about 3 weeks, if all the 8 and 9 week old evaluations turn out as well as anticipated (and if I don't decide to keep her over the male pup!).

Looks like she is posing in a show ring! In this photo, she is looking down hill at the goats browsing along the creek and the other Anatolians doing their guardian duties.

Here is the female pup with her daddy, Turkish import Capar of Cardak. Daddy is dark brindle and his girl is a lighter brindle.

Three Shepherds Rest brindles! Capar with his female pup are in the foreground, and a new import adolescent named Kara Panter is in the background.

I would be remiss if I didn't show the female pup with the livestock. This is a working breed, after all! ;->

Anatolian Male Pup 6 Weeks Old

This sweet "mama's boy" has somehow gotten the nickname Gunner. Most likely a future stud for the Shepherds Rest Farm breeding program, this 6 week old pup weighs 17 lbs 8 oz. He gained 4 lbs 8 oz in the last week! Look at that nice chest width.


Excellent conformation is noticeable, even on uneven ground. Look at the thick bone structure he acquired from his import parents! You just don't find that bone structure in Anatolians often here in the U.S., which is one of the many reasons why Shepherds Rest Farm chooses to focus on imports!

At 6 weeks old, Gunner is jumping the creek (after falling in a time or two when he tried to follow me across the creek and was more concerned about staying with me than he was afraid of the water)! The pics of him sopping wet after his first accidental dunk and his subsequent howling were too pitiful to post! None the worse for wear, after the first couple immersions, he seemed comfortable jumping in to swim across the narrow creek on purpose! ;-> Note: it's about 95 degrees here today in the Portland, Oregon area.

Gunner is comfortable with the goats up close and personal, and is getting to know the other dogs on the farm. Kepi, in the background, is almost 2 weeks pregnant. She was bred to Capar, the brindle male import, who is the father here of Gunner. (Kepi is expecting her litter the end of October, so her puppies will be ready for new homes at Christmas time!)

Anatolian Shepherd Puppies at Play

Puppies are teething! Today was the first day they were given toys, to give Nazli (mother) a break. She is still very playful with them and very attentive to their needs. Notice how Nazli is shedding and has two coats lengths in different places.