Livestock guarding behaviour of Kangal dogs in their native habitat

Abstract

Kangal Shepherd Dog is one of the endemic large dog breeds in Anatolia, Turkey. It is bred in different regions of Turkey as well as in different countries as a livestock guarding dog (LGD). Being one of the most popular and common LGD breeds, basic behavioural traits and the effectiveness of Kangals have been subjected to several studies. However, most of the behavioural data originate from surveys conducted with LGD users and there is a lack in the literature of studies which focus on direct observation and recording of guarding behaviours of Kangals. The present study investigated 10 sheep flocks guarded by Kangal dogs in their natural habitat, in Sivas, Turkey, by recording the movements of dogs, sheep and shepherd using GPS-receivers in the pasture. We collected instantaneous geographical position and speed data to assess to what extent the movement data overlaps with the behavioural data present in the literature about the livestock guarding behaviour of Kangals. The mean speeds of the sheep, the shepherd and dogs were lower in the night, compared to that in the daytime. The shepherd stayed, an average, closer to the herd in the night compared to the dogs. Both the shepherd and the dogs preferred to be closer to the herd at night, compared to the daytime. Dogs moved farther away from the herd than did the shepherd in the night. Our results indicating that Kangal dogs generally established a closer relationship with shepherd rather than the sheep may imply an anthropogenic disruption in one of the three behavioural components of LGDs, namely in the attentiveness of Kangals. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first one to collect geographical data regarding the livestock guarding behaviour of Kangal dogs in their native habitat. Hence, our results and any future studies on this matter will contribute to a better understanding of livestock guarding behaviour of Kangal dogs and lead to more efficient breeding practices and training programs in this respect.