<Alaturka Anatolian Kennel Origins>

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs - Origins of AlaTurkay Kennel

NOTE: DUE TO THE STRONG WORKING INSTINCT OF ANATOLIAN SHEPHERDS, WE PREFER TO PLACE PUPPIES IN WORKING HOMES, AS GENERAL FARM OR FAMILY GUARDIANS, OR WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH LARGE WORKING BREEDS. ANATOLIANS NEED ABUNDANT SPACE AND FREEDOM TO EXERCISE AND PERFORM THE JOB THEY WERE INTENDED TO DO. WHILE THEY ALSO EXCEL AS WONDERFUL GUARDIANS AND COMPANIONS TO FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, THEY ARE NOT MEANT FOR ALL ENVIRONMENTS. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM FOR URBAN AREAS WITH SMALL YARDS, APARTMENTS OR CONDOS.

THE ORIGIN OF ALATURKAY KENNEL

In Turkish, "Alaturka" means "in the Turkish style" & "Turkay" means "Turkish" ... when Alaturka & Turkay Kennels decided to join our resources under the "AlaTurkay" Kennel name, we determined to continue to dedicate ourselves to preserving this breed as it has been for thousands of years .. with instincts and structure intact. If we are to preserve the integrity of this unique and amazing breed, it behooves all serious breeders to stick to their goal of producing only the highest quality dogs possible.
The AlaTurkay Kennel has a very strict code of ethics ... while we enjoy showing and winning with our dogs, we do NOT use the show ring as the criteria for our breeding program. We do NOT breed any dog that does not pass all genetic testing done for our breed (OFA/Thyroid/CERF). All breeding dogs MUST be at least OFA Good or Excellent. We also do not breed any dog with incorrect structure or unstable temperament, or that does not show proper livestock guarding instinct. We strive to breed only the best to the best in order to produce quality dogs with sound structures and stable temperaments. AlaTurkay specializes in breeding for very laid back, intelligent, loyal, sweet tempered pups that can fit into a family and/or farm situation with minimal training. We provide lifetime support to anyone who has one of our pups, and will always do our best to ensure our puppy people are satisfied with their new additions.

ALATURKA BEGINNINGS .......
The Alaturka Kennel originated in Oct 1987 when Sandie got her first Anatolian ... Murgatroid was a big mushy male Anatolian that she simply adored from the first moment she saw him. She got her second Anatolian, Sagi, a beautiful apricot fawn in January 1990. Neither of her first two dogs were considered by her to be breeding quality, although they were wonderful companions. Then in 1993, she acquired the dog that was to become the foundation bitch of her kennel ... ASDCA, ASDI, ARBA, AFC, FIC, WWKC, UKC Grand CH Tilki Bayan of Alaturka, CGC, TT. Tilki, who lived on a working goat farm, came to Sandie all the way from Oregon and was my first "real" showdog. Tilki was that "once in a lifetime" dog that every breeder should have. She set so many records and "firsts", that Sandie still cannot believe it. She finished six championships in less than two years of showing, and was a #1 Anatolian in almost every kennel club she exhibited for. She was the first UKC Grand Champion Anatolian for the breed ... and, although retired from the show ring in 1998, she still holds the record for the most Best In Show awards of any Anatolian.

The two litters produced by Tilki and Butch in April 1997 and October 1998, and their progeny, have produced multiple Champions, Best in Show winners, ASDCA National Specialty winners, Eukanuba winners, Westminster winners, AKC Top Anatolians, working dogs, therapy & service dogs, and some wonderful best friends ... and, thus began a trend towards excellence that has continued through to the present.

TURKAY BEGINNINGS .....
Linda started with Anatolian Shepherd Dogs in 1997 when she acquired her first dog as a guardian to Nigerian Dwarf Goats and Miniature "Babydoll" Sheep. Since then she has dedicated herself to producing outstanding working livestock guardians. Her breeding program has been based on selecting breeding stock with correct structure and conformation to perform their job, strong natural working ability, and excellent temperaments. She strongly believes that preservation of this magnificent working instinct is of the utmost importance and, therefore, do not breed any dogs that do not display proper working ability and temperament. She has pups in working homes across the USA, guarding a variety of livestock and doing the job they have been bred to do for thousands of years.

AlaTURKAY BEGINNINGS ......
The joining of Alaturka & Turkay Kennels is the merge of the century for the preservation of this amazing breed of dog. We have in the past and will continue in the future to try to produce only the best dogs. And, while we don't always attain our goal with every litter, we try not to repeat any mistakes we might make, while continuing to try to improve the line with each breeding that is planned. Every breeding is researched as much as possible to make sure that the lines are not too close or, if we do plan a line breeding, that it will be a positive step in our breeding program.