part 4 - Pure Kangal breeding?

Selecting for short coated solid fawn Kangals – does it work?

Simple practice for breeding (any breed) is that some breeders emphasize on working character (any type of working), selecting for that. Some breeders emphasize on pet character, selecting for that. Some breeders emphasize on appearance, selecting for that. Etc, etc, etc. Some breeders are more successful in combining several traits they prefer (including health), and some breeders fail. But, by selecting long and hard enough most breeders will produce what they selected for, consistency depending on dominant vs. recessive and how easily vs. hard the trait(s) in question can be expressed.

Kangal breeders have selected for a specific dominant colour (among other traits) for a few decades already. They have used close in- and linebreeding and ruled out every non-fawn & non-short coated dog from their programmes (breeding agreement). As a result, some of them have succeeded in establishing their 'own little genepool', i.e. a kennel type. They have succeeded in producing mostly short coated fawn dogs, i.e. managed to press down the occurrence of the recessive other colours or coat types in their own lines. But, when they need 'new blood' and take a step out by combining other lines - which in turn may also have succeeded in establishing their own kennel type of only fawn dogs - they may combine also the recessive (hidden) traits and produce puppies like the ones in Judy Chappel's (Afacan) Kangal-litter born 9th April 1994.

Picture of the litter

Afacan Izan, better known as Henry - is by now probably the most famous non-kangal-looking 'purebred' Kangal. He has excessive white markings (tricolour) and a massive rough coat. A handsome boy!

Pedigree of Henry (Afacan Izan):

Littermates:
Afacan Nisan
Afacan Koya
Afacan Intifa
Afacan Muhafiz
Afacan Tabu
Afacan Ilkabahar Hazine
Afacan Izan (Henry)
Afacan Ulumak
Afacan Komando

As shown: Henry's parents are Seacop Gaius X Anadol Gul Gibi of Afacan.

           Cengiz Kankardesh Of Masallah
     Masallah Ali Joins Seacop
           Chakal Of Deliktash At Masallah
Seacop Gaius
              Havali Oyna Bora
           Marchael Bahtiyar                       
              Kanjik Karpus Marchael 
     Seacop Pek
              Seacop Yolkuluk
           Dam:  Seacop Karaya
              Seacop Tela-Tumlu
   -----------------------------------------------------
     Karan Of Sogutuzu  ) Parents Not Recorded
Anadol Gul Gibi Of Afacan
        Mechul
     Gamze Evliya Of Bostonkaya (Imp)
        Canevi At Bostonkaya

Puppies were registered as 'fawn black mask' at the UK kennel club, although we know of at least one tri-colour rough coated dog in this litter. 75% of this litter is directly decended from Turkish imported dogs, and not connected in anyway to any other breeding stock in this country except Seacop.

This Afacan-kangal-litter is an excellent and well documented example of the inheritance of recessive traits. There were at least 4-5 puppies with white markings on their faces, white collars etc. And at least one with massive rough coat (Henry). One of the shortcoated solid fawn pups (Afacan Koya) was sold as a Kangal to Norway (registered as ASD, though), where she produced some pups with reddish tone and white markings. One of her daughters is in Germany, a widely advertised Kangal named Kahraman Alim Talihli ’Lilly’. Lilly is registered as an ASD and won Best of Breed Anatolian in FCI's World Winner Show -98 in Helsinki. Confusing? The other Kangal bitch (reg. as ASD) in the same kennel is sired by the same sire as Anne Nippers' bitch, and that sire has a RED sister, who produces RED pups.

Since the seemingly pure lines of short coated solid fawn Kangals - even after generations of culling i.e. selective breeding - still today keep producing rough coated & particoloured & reddish etc pups, these recessive traits definitely are a part of the breed.

Pedigree evidence shows that these breed variations are too consistent to be just a sign of 'accidental impurity'. They can’t be defined crossbreds either, they are just expressing the recessive but so typical traits of the Coban Köpegi/Anatolian Shepherd Dog.