The Turkish Tiger tank – The Aksaray Malakli

Two large Turkish shepherd dogs, the Anatolian Shepherd and the Aksaray Malakli. Two legendary breeds that almost every dog lover is curious about.

What is a Malakli, where did it come from and what was it used for? And how does it differ from the more iconic shepherd dog, the Anatolian Shepherd?

Anatolian Shepherd

Of the two types, there is no doubt that Anatolian Shepherd is the better known. In the Turkish Shivas county is undoubtedly the most important breeding and utilisation centre in the region. According to recent DNA research, the ancestors of Anatolain Shepherd may be descendants of dogs that once lived in the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen and Uzbek deserts and may have reached present-day Turkey through the nomadic Turkic peoples or as guide dogs. This research has also refuted earlier theories that Anatolian Shepherds were descendants of ancient molossians, which still appear in materials produced by the Turkish marketing steamroller.

Over the centuries, this dogs have adapted perfectly to the vast spaces of the vast Anatolian plateau and the culture of animal husbandry there, performing their duties of protecting livestock alongside herders flawlessly. As the Asian wolves, the main predators in this region, are significantly smaller than the European grey wolf or the North American timber wolf, they are indeed they have been able to defend themselves effectively against them. Anatolian Shepherds have amazing physical abilities, and despite their large size, they are surprisingly agile and fast, and their bite strength is typically ranked in the top 5 in all the literature on the subject.

Aksaray Malakli

In contrast, the Aksaray Malakli, also known as Malakli Karabas, is a large or giant herding dog breed from Aksaray province. Although it is colloquially considered by many to be a larger and heavier version of the Anatolian Shepherd, it is the aforementioned DNA tests that have shown this not to be the case. Despite the black mask and similarity in colour, malacals have a different genetic heritage to Anatolian Shephersd.

This is partly evident in their appearance, as they are much larger, have a different head shape, with mastiff-like hanging lips, which is not at all characteristic of Anatolian Shepherds, a straight tail carriage, and a significantly more aggressive, dominant and aggressive character towards other dogs and strangers. Although Malakli were also traditionally used partly for herding – Turkish sources say that a pair of malakli guarded a flock of 7-800 sheep – they also played an equally important role in guarding property and territory, and in dogfighting, which was very popular in Anatolia.

A giant protector

The main requirement for the Malakli was not primarily speed and agility, but raw, overwhelming power and the ability to destroy the stranger, the attacking opponent. The role of the Malaklis, unlike the Anatolian Shepherds, was therefore not to repel, chase away and fend off predators around the herds, but to fight off and destroy any strangers that might come close. Considering their size and weight, which can exceed 100 cm in height and 80-90 kg in weight, these dogs were not and are not suitable for persistent pursuit. If an apt World War II analogy is to shed some light on the difference between the two, the Anatolian Shepherds’s role might be likened to that of a light, fast-moving but still very effective Panzer III tank, while the Malakli is a slow-moving, heavily armoured and heavy but deadly Tiger tank.

Who is it for?

For both varieties, it can be said that neither of them are suitable for beginners or mimosa-happy dog owners but also not for those who believe that these Turkish shepherds with their ancient origins and instincts can be turned into “puppies” well adapted to the world of dog walking, as it is only a matter of attitude and a few hours of daily running. In both breeds, the past and the expectations that have been placed on them for centuries in Anatolia are encoded in their genes.

There is a difference between a big dog and a big dog

On the subject of Anatolain Shepherds, a working herding dog expert gave an account of his experiences of introducing the breed into Europe, and described the problems and problems caused by the lack of space in Anatolia for these dogs used in more restricted regions. When we talk about the malaklik, we are not talking about the malaklik, which are otherwise similar in size, but nowadays are fully socialised and tamed Great Dane,English Mastiff or other modern mastiff breeds. Instead, we have a giant-sized dog that is hard as a rock, very distrustful of strangers, extremely aggressive and, in addition, has difficulty or no tolerance for other dogs. In this sense, it exceeds the expectations of the average modern dog owner for a guard dog.

The Malakli is a very serious weapon, which does not even need to be used, and will automatically put itself into service if it senses any threat to its owner or his family, whether from other animals or from people acting suspiciously.