German Anatolian Shepherd

Absolutely love my dog! She's great around kids and so friendly to everyone, once we show her that she doesn't need to protect us from them. We do have to watch her around little kids as she may accidentally knock them down due to her size. When it comes to toys, Cheyenne destroys almost all of them quickly simply because of her strength. We've found that Kong toys, tennis balls, and elk antlers(ethically and locally sourced) are the best fit for Cheyenne and the only things that hold up to the sheer strength of her breed. She is extremely intelligent, for example one Christmas we hung bells on the doorknob and she taught her self to ring the bells when she wanted to go on the porch. We left the bells up since then and it helps us know what she wants without tearing up the door. They shed A LOT. We have to brush her around every week to take off the loose chunks of fur and don't even think of cuddling her when wearing black if you want to keep it black. They aren't really lap dogs as they feel like their duty is to guard you. However because of this I feel extremely safe having her around. Cheyenne is not aggressive in the way that she has never bitten anyone, shows no food aggression, and even when she is guarding the house by barking at something on the street, I am able to be right beside her and pet her with no fear of being hurt by her. Additionally she does fine without a crate, after she outgrew her puppy chewing phase, which wasn't even that bad, she has done fine with being left to roam the house. I will say that as she has gotten older her vision has gotten a little worse, and she has some hip problems. Mostly just stiffness after laying down too long and some soreness after running around. Don't be afraid to allow your dog to be outside for a bit when it's cold! This breed is built for the cold. Cheyenne will lay outside on a pile of snow and get upset at us for making her come inside the house. This also means that summertime is not her friend, she wants to constantly be outside guarding but she dislikes the heat. In the summer, we have to put a fan out in the room she likes to rest in to keep her from getting too hot.

I love this mix. I actually got this mix by accident, I was told “German Shepherd mix”. The farmer who gave him to me said he might be an Anatolian mix. Everyone else seems to agree. We brought Se7en home after our GSD-Pittie mix passed away. We call him Sweetcakes because he’s so sweet. Stay on top of training with this mix. They will try to boss you around so quickly. Se7en was a pandemic puppy so a lot of training and socialisation opportunities were unavailable. Now he’s a poorly socialised and reactive puppy. But he’s so intelligent, he’s taking to his training and adjustments well. He’s very adaptable and eager to please. Se7en is also so silly! He’s goofy and playful! He’s wildly in love with the bunny and the cats. He tends to chase the cats but never with malice. He’s not allowed to do it and is working on leaving the girls alone. He just wants to be their friend so badly. Sometimes he’s friendly with his pack to a fault. This mix has a huge bark. When Se7en barks it makes me dizzy sometimes. Se7en is also very strong and rough. While playing, he gave me a mild concussion that I’m still recovering from. We collided heads. He is also very destructive when left loose and alone. He does best crated in his safe space with toys… for power chewers. Se7en came huge. At 3mos he was already 40 pounds and is growing at about 10 pounds per month. He’s 7 months and weighs about 80 pounds. This big guy does live in an suburban apartment but he spends a lot of time at play centres, doing sports, taking walks on hiking trails, and playing stimulation games. When we aren’t home, he’s crated. Keeping this breed in an urban apartment with no outlet is a terrible idea. Nothing under 900sq ft and green space for these babies. If you’re in an apartment please check weight limits. These dogs are HEAVY. Also, these dogs don’t bark, they BOOM. They’ll need desensitisation training if they’re living in apartments. These dogs are very adaptable. But you have to be willing to put in the extra work. My Se7en definitely needs the extra work but this dog is my heart. We struggle sometimes but Se7en is family and he’s my baby.

My husband and I live way out in the country on 25 acres, 1/2 mile from our closest neighbor. And we are retired. We got this German Anatolian Shepherd pup to replace our Rottweiler mix who died (and who protected our place from coyotes, rattlesnakes, etc.). We couldn’t be happier! Bear is like a “giant teddy bear” and loves everyone who comes to our house, yet is very protective of his territory. Because of his size (85+lbs. at 11 months) and sheer exuberance, we have to stay on top of his training. But that’s easy because he is so intelligent. I must say it is important to have a strong human alpha male living in the house, and even then he is occasionally challenged! We brought home a 6 week old Boykin Spaniel puppy when Bear was 8 months old and already huge. We were anxious that Bear would accidentally hurt him, but just the opposite happened. Before the puppy came home, Bear was “teething on” and constantly aggravating our two older dogs. But the puppy has given him a “run for his money” and they play/fight every waking moment! (Giving the old dogs a break) Despite the size difference, they are joined at the hip, which means for at least now, we can’t let them outside together because they run off…and become “partners in crime!” We have never had a dog like Bear and we absolutely love him. But we have an ideal place for him with plenty of running room, and more time (being retired) to work with him. I would not recommend getting one of these dogs in town (unless your yard is huge), certainly never in an apartment, and never if you don’t have the time to devote to training and providing the exercise/stimulation he will need. That being said, we can’t say enough good things about this dog!

When I first got Orion at two and a half months it became apparent that he had a terrible large breed disease calledH.O.D.where the bones grow too fast and they are in hideous pain. Most people put them down as it is unbearable to watch and the outcome is questionable. We hung in there and he soldiered through, but it was unbelievably stressful. I don't know if it was due to these difficulties he was so unmanageable, or now that I read about this breed, very headstrong, but he was a handful. Also very strong so that he caused some serious injuries to me. He couldn't be trusted around small children either. When he wasn't worrying me to death about one thing, he was busy getting bit by a rattlesnake or mysteriously getting a fish hook through the lip, costing me a small fortune in vet bills. I wondered if I had made a big mistake rescuing him but didn't feel I could give such an unruly dog away. He is so smart, learns things very quickly and is extremely handsome. Although I worked hard at training, he just had a mind of his own, and I constantly worried about his life and my own. Then he turned three and magically transformed into this complete sweetheart! It was very strange. I could finally just relax and begin to enjoy our time together! Most people think he's just this angel and can't imagine what he was like. He's still a wild thing, but seems to be pretty good with most people and kids, though I am always wary about that. I love him so much and he has rescued me, but we have both been through the ringer. Now that I have learned about this breed , thanks to you, it sure fits the bill. Tough love builds a strong one🐕🐾❤️

Winnie is super sweet but full of energy.

It’s been a very positive experience. He’s a good, loyal, dog who gets along great with others...although he’s been less than thrilled with new canine additions to the house. He’d rather be the sole dog.

My German Anatolian Shepherd is 50# at 5 months old. He is super super sweet and wants to play with everyone we pass on our daily walks or runs. He is extremely smart and has been a very pleasant dog to train. I take him to weekly training sessions and the trainer absolutely loves him and how quickly he gets it. He loves to curl up on the couch and watch a movie with me, as well as run around the yard like a wired energy bunny! He is excitable, but can be just as calm. Him and my cat love each other; they play and cuddle together. The only issue I have with Tank is he does NOT like car rides; gets very anxious and will drool like a water fountain. Although he is calm on the ride and I can tell he does not want to, but he will climb in when asked to. He loves children and is absolutely smitten with my niece. I am so very dearly in love with my dog.

Our puppy is beyond precious. Very, very sweet & affectionate. A little timid of our oldest son who is 6'2" and a defensive lineman for college football, but follows our 12 year old everywhere he goes. Has taken to potty training and learning to sit/like down very very quickly.

I rescued my German Anatolian Shepherd at about a year old. She is highly intelligent and trains quickly. We've only had her a week and she has already learned "sit", "leave it", "down", gives both paws, "bang", and sits at street corners. She is very stubborn though, so once she's done working on training, she's done. She is only sometimes treat motivated. She has some weird quirks, such as not coming in through the back door (will exit the back, but only come in through the front) and refusing to go in the car. Once she is in the car she drools a lot, but seems to enjoy looking out the windows. She also will not leave the first floor of our house. She stays only on the main level. I'm thinking maybe a fear of stairs. She was crate trained with the foster, but does not like being left in the crate while we work. I think she has caught on that when she goes in the crate it means we're leaving for a bit, so she whines (sounds like a child crying) and barks some. She is great with my kids and does not chase our cat. She wants to be friends with the cat, but the cat has her doubts. She LOVES her long walks (2.5-5 miles/day) and loves to be outside in general. She eats 4 cups of food per day, but gets plenty of treats while working on training. I recommend professional training for this breed. While the German Shepherd is smart and eager to please, the Anatolian Shepherd likes to do their own thing. We are currently working on willingly getting into the car. Each day I take the car out of the garage and walk her as far as she will go towards it, which is not often very far. I reward with a treat for every little bit. I will sit in the car with her on the leash. She will be as far away as the leash will allow and lay down. But we will stay that way for at least 5 minutes, while I talk to her excitedly. I don't want to be too forceful, as I don't know much about her background and don't want to make any of her issues worse. Even with her flaws, she is the sweetest thing. Don't dare stop petting her, or you will be getting a head nudge or a paw on your arm. We can't wait to see how much further she will come once she fully trusts us.

Very sweet, loving dog. Not open to change. The hair amount is unbearable. There is dog hair in everything, and vacuum daily is a must, even brushing daily will not help. Learns very quickly and is super smart. Good with older children, but showed teeth and intolerant of babies / toddlers even when separated with a gate. Would not recommend with small children based on attitude and hair (crawling babies). Had elbow displasia since 1 1/2 years old and hip displasia since 7 1/2. Ear problems as well since he can dig in his giant open ears with dirty claws. He is a lovely dog who likes to please but has definite limits.

He is a rescue! He is nothing short of a GINORMUS teddy bear. All he wants to do is play and give kisses and dies to have behind his ears scratched and LOTS of belly rubs. He is SUPER protective and let's my 2 year old son ride him like his own pony lol. He loves it! He is currently a 110lbs and is MASSIVE. When he jumps up on you, just know that when he goes down-so are you. Honestly one of the best cuddle bugs and loyal dog ive ever owned.

Only been about a week and a half but so far I am smitten. She's sweet, playful (sometimes too much but to be expected with a puppy) a bit mouthy but she stops after I ignore her. She is protective of my grandmother and I, as well as my sisters dog and my cat. She chases the cat sometimes but never with malice or any intent to cause harm. When I instruct her to stop she is learning to obey. Super fun on walks but she is protective/timid of joggers other dog walkers and loud noises, however she is slowly getting over this day by day. All in all she is amazing and I am going to enjoy our many years of adventures to come!

I love my German Anatolian Shepherd as much as my family. We've had him since he was three months old. It was love at first sight, he is affectionate, playful and has a beautiful white coat. He is what my dream dog looked like.

She is very comical and vocal and sweet if she wants to be she is jealous of our other dog but not aggressive to her but can be aggressive to us hard to train will not get in the car

He loves humans and dogs, licks everything, only bit as a little puppy now he just always loves and licks. He is adorable and easily trained, but stubborn and gets anxiety when i leave.

i got him as a baby. he is a good guard dog one moment he is playful someone passes by he barks. he is the best.

He is a great, obedient dog. He smiles and cuddles. He loves any exercise and playing outside. He is great around other dogs and humans. He’s the sweetest dog.