Indian Bull Terrier vs Central Anatolian Shepherd - Breed Comparison

The Central Anatolian Shepherd’s lineage is ancient, with the large dog originating from the Anatolia region of central Turkey. He has been used for guarding flocks against predatory wolves and has adapted to living in extreme weather conditions.

The Turkish shepherds would put a spiked collar on the dog to protect him against predators going for the neck of the dog. Today the dog is still being used as a sheep dog and it is closely related to the Kangal Dog.

In 1965 the first pair of Anatolian Shepherds arrived in the UK. A pair were also provided by the Turkish prime minister to the United States government. Today he is a majestic dog still serving man. He is an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, a working dog breed, recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Not much is known of the dog breed crossings that James Hinks carried out to get the Indian Bull Terrier. It is believed that he used the old English Bulldog, the English White Terrier and even the Dalmatian and Greyhound.

The dog comes from the UK but was later introduced to India. The Indian Bull Terrier, known as the Indian gladiator was introduced to India by the British Colonial Forces. The dog was developed from British dogs, namely Irish and English strains of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the original English White Terrier and the Hinks Bullterrier breed. The legacy of Hinks is known worldwide – he is known as the one who mixed white terriers to bull dogs to make bull terriers. He made a breed that was the base breed of the egg shaped head bull terriers we see today.

The dog is similar in looks to the old type English Bullterrier. The dog has always been valued as a fighter and as a watchdog.

The Central Anatolian Shepherd is a large,impressive looking dog that possesses great strength, endurance and agility. He is beautiful to look at and is well muscled and strong.

He stands at roughly 66-76 cm and weighs 40 to 70kg. The head is large and strong, but in good proportion with the rest of the dog’s body. He has brown eyes and his ears are floppy. The tail is long and set high and when the dog is alert, the tail is carried high, making a wheel shape, otherwise the tail is held low, curling up at the tip.

The short to medium length coarse coat is essentially fawn colored and the dog has a black mask. With the dog, early training and socialization will be needed as he is a strong, stubborn, dominant breed who will require firm leadership from his human owners.

Temperament:

The Central Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a loyal guard dog that becomes possessive over his flock, his human family and anything that he regards as his property. He is aloof around strangers, being suspicious of them.

He will require a firm, positive owner who provides training and socialization. He is an affectionate family pet and gets on well with children who have been taught how to treat dogs and other animals with care and respect. This is a bold, confident dog without aggression who is intelligent, proud and independent.

The Indian Bully is a powerful, muscular, athletic and aggressive breed. He is a medium sized dog standing at roughly 46 cm to 56cm and weighs in the region of 20 – 30kg, both male and female.

As a Molosser, he has a strong, lean body with fairly long legs. Because of the white coat, quite a lot of them are born deaf and they also have skin allergies. The coat of the Indian Bull Terrier is short and smooth and nearly always white although you may well find some small dark markings on the coat. While solid white is the more common color, tan, red-brown and brindle can also be seen. He has the traditional egg-shaped head, erect ears, slanted eyes and long tail.

Temperament:

Your robust Indian Bull Terrier is a fearless dog, and where he has always been used for fighting in India and Pakistan, they are seeing the value of owning him as a pet too.

He is a loving, devoted pet, regarded as a bit of a clown. He is active and intelligent and apart from him wanting a lot of exercise, he just loves being with his human family, being involved with their hike, walks, ball games and swimming.

Being such a robust, active breed, he isn't suited to life in the city where the home is tiny and with little space to run. He is also strong-willed and maybe this characteristic of his might prove to be a bit of a handful for the first time dog owner.

He will need to receive early training and socialization, more so when there are children in the home. He can be inclined towards aggressiveness. They are capable of bonding with kids in the home but they can lean towards aggressiveness with other children.

The large, rugged Anatolian Shepherd is a dog that has been developed essentially to work as a guardian of livestock. He is a dignified, calm kind of dog who is fiercely possessive of those he guards. He is independent and will require a firm, assertive owner.

He won’t enjoy lying around the home with nothing to do. These are dogs who like to be busy, and therefore he is more a country-life dog than being found in the city on a small property. Make sure that if your pet hasn’t got a working role, that he is provided with exercise, although as a large dog, he isn’t particularly playful and doesn’t require loads of exercise.

Provide him with a caring, loving home and this large, beautiful dog will become your loyal and devoted friend who will guard you with his life.

Indian Bull Terriers are affectionate, playful 4-legged family members. They are loyal, protective and social and will get on well with their own human family members but not necessarily with strangers.

Precautions need to be taken around visitors who aren't familiar with the dog. He is powerful and energetic and must be trained and socialized to become the obedient, loving, loyal pet he is known to be.

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a hardy, healthy dog who isn’t likely to get sick easily. The dog can live to be 11, 12, 13 years of age when he receives excellent care. Like any pure breed though, he is susceptible to hereditary disorders and some of the other common health issues.

Hip Dysplasia:

This condition is always a problem with a big dog. It’s an abnormal development of the hip joint and it can cause lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is brought about by a combination of environmental- as well as genetic factors.

Lymphosarcoma:

This is a common type of blood cell cancer diagnosed in dogs. Lymphoid tissue is present in quite a few places in the body including lymph nodes, liver and spleen, and dogs of any age can be affected.

With love and good care, your Indian Bull Terrier can reach up to 14 years of age and even more.

If you own the white Indian Bull Terrier, you need to keep in mind that deafness is found in many white dogs. Another concern for your white dog is sun protection. Whether white or one of the other shades, your dog has short, sparse hair and spending hours in the sun can be hazardous to him and he can suffer with serious sunburn. Serious sunburn can lead to other complications such as cancer.

The Central Anatolian Shepherd sheds fairly heavily so he will require brushing at least twice a week. Grooming is important and won’t only include brushing, but ear cleaning and nail trimming too as well as proper dental hygiene.

A dog such as the Anatolian Shepherd, with his floppy ears, will also need to have his ears checked and cleaned to avoid ear infections. There are some of these dogs where the hair needs to be plucked from the ear canal to ensure proper air circulation.

It is important that you are skilled to clean the ears properly, and if in any doubt, to avoid damage to the ear, consult your vet for sound advice.

General Care:

Your Indian Bull Terrier has a short coat and he doesn't thrive in cold, damp weather. When its really cold, keep him indoors or put a sweater on when he needs to go outdoors.

Give him a nice, warm, dry place to sleep and ensure that if he goes outside, there is both sun and shady spots for him to lie.

Grooming:

This is a low maintenance dog, so a twice-weekly brush will do him the world of good. It will get rid of loose hair, he will love the closeness the brushing provides and the brushing will keep his coat shiny and healthy.

If you have a white Indian Bull Terrier, if he has dirty marks on his coat, you can just wipe him down with a damp cloth.

Remember to do regular checks on his ears and teeth too. Tooth decay can bring on a host of illnesses for your pet.

Diet:

If you are going to be giving your pet commercially manufactured dog food, make sure its the best there is.

Your Indian Bull Terrier is an active dog and you want to make sure that he remains healthy and active for the 10 to 14 years that he is with you. If you're unsure as to how to feed your pet, speak to your vet.

It will always be to your pets benefit to feed him some homemade food too and cooked chicken, brown rice and pasta and vegetables will keep his eyes bright and alert. If you can, try to add in some raw meat into his kibble too as this helps to keep his skin healthy. Never ever leave him without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.