For over 200 centuries, dogs have been domesticated to act as companions and guardians of human.
Despite centuries of dog domestication, it can be quite tricky (even for veteran dog parents) to easily choose a dog that will make a good family dog.
However, certain dog breeds like the Anatolian Shepherds stand out when it comes to making excellent family dogs.
So, if you are thinking of adopting an Anatolian Shepherd, and you can’t help but ask,’ Are Anatolian Shepherds good family dogs?
Then worry not as I got you covered!
I will be providing you with an accurate answer as to whether this dog can make a good family dog.
I will also walk you through 8 qualities that are a must-have in any good family dog.
Also, ensure that you read the full text to avoid missing out on the easy-to-follow guide on how to introduce your new Anatolian Shepherd to your family.
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Are Anatolian Shepherds Good Family Dogs?
Yes, Anatolian Shepherds make good family dogs. They are nonaggressive, protective, calm, affectionate, extremely outgoing, and patient.
All these temperaments make them be excellent family dogs.
This dog breed can grow to a height of 27-33 inches and weigh around 41-78 kgs, making them belong to the large-sized dog breed.
Due to their large size, these dogs are recommended to be adopted in a home with older kids aged 6 years and above.
This is so as these dogs can accidentally and easily knock out or play rough with a young child.
All this may put your kid’s general health at risk.
However, if you feel like the Anatolian Shepherd is the ideal companion for your family (which has toddlers or small kids), you can adopt it.
But first, be sure to put all the safety measures in place before bringing your new family dog home.
You can do this by; having a pro make an outside kennel for your dog. Just be sure to bring it in during cold seasons or adequately insulate its kennel.
You can also install strong baby gates, which your dog cannot easily jump over or knock over while you are away.
And don’t forget always to have your dog on a leash every time it’s in the house. A leash will help you control its movement when it’s around your kids.
This ingenious dog device will also help you quickly pull your Anatolian Shepherd away from your kids or other guests just in case it decides to become aggressive.
PS: Something that rarely happens unless your hound is inadequately socialized.
What Makes A Good Family Dog?
Below are some of the temperaments that you should look out for in a dog before adopting it as your family dog
A dog should be;
Affectionate
For a hound to make a good family dog, it should be affectionate. Having an affectionate dog is important as it helps build trust.
This, in turn, helps foster strong and long-lasting relationships between your dog and your household members.
Loyal
Like humans, dogs also have preferences and choices to make when it comes to who to be loyal to.
Their loyalty is substantially determined by how well you treat them.
So, if you treat a dog right, it will reward you by being unquestionably loyal to you even in your absence.
It will also manifest its loyalty to you by being empathetic to you and those around you as it knows you need it.
Pet And Kid-Friendly
Good family dogs should be pet and kid-friendly.
They should be friendly when around your kids or household pets and not display any form of physical aggression even when provoked to do so.
However, it’s important that you train your kid(s) to respect your dog.
Protective And Decisive
Just because it’s a family dog doesn’t mean that its duties are only limited to cuddling or playing with you and your loved one(s).
A good family dog should be ready to protect you and your family members.
It should also be able to recognize a threat and act decisively without having its owner instruct it to do so.
Moderately Energetic
For a dog to make an excellent family dog, it should be moderately energetic.
That is not too active and not too inactive.
Remember that it can get quite busy, especially if you have a large household, so you don’t want a dog who will keep bugging you to play with it even after spending an hour or more doing so.
You also don’t want an inactive dog who cannot play around or match your kid(s) energy.
So, ensure that you adopt a balanced energetic hound as your family dog.
Independent
A good family dog should be independent. It should know how to stay on its own even when its owner is around.
Note! Independent dogs can be quite bossy or try to dominate you and everyone around them.
So be sure to let it know who is in charge by; training it to obedience commands.
Also, make sure that you let the dog know that it’s loved by; protecting it, spending time with it, and providing it with enough food and water and a clean place to live in.
Failure to do all of these risks having a defiant family dog whose chances of escaping or developing aggressive behaviors are high.
Intelligent
It’s essential that a dog be intelligent to make a good family dog.
Intelligent dogs are easy to train and tend to remember people, emotions, and things much faster.
An intelligent dog knows how to react or behave when spending time with a different member of the family.
Intelligence also makes it easy for dogs to live in different environments without straining.
Easy To Groom
The moment you bring your hound home, everyone will want to pet it or hang around with it.
This makes it paramount to observe your dog’s hygiene.
Failure to do this can lead to the spread of both infectious and noninfectious diseases between you or your family member and your dog.
This makes it vital that you adopt an easy-to-groom dog as your family dog.
Nonaggressive And Gentle
All good family dogs should exhibit the lowest potential of aggression even when provoked multiple times to act up.
They should also be gentle in their movements and how they carry out their activities either in or outside the house.
NEVER in any circumstance adopt an aggressive hound as you will not only be risking your own wellbeing but also those around you.
How Do I Introduce My New Anatolian Shepherd To The Family?
Knowing how to introduce your new Anatolian Shepherd to your family is of great importance as it will determine whether or not your new canine companion will be a permanent resident.
Ensure that you adopt your hound from a reputable breeder.
I also recommend that you get a pup at least 8 weeks to 6 months of age.
During this time, a pup is usually very receptive to training or commands, making it easy to introduce it to your family.
However, if you don’t feel comfortable adopting a pup or are unsure if you can meet a pup’s needs, you can adopt an adult Anatolian.
Just ensure that you get it from a reputable breeder.
Also, make sure that the breeder gives you its full past life history and temperament.
Pro-tip; Before bringing your fully grown Anatolian Shepherd home, ensure that you visit it at the breeder’s place at least 4-5 times.
Bring it some treats each time you visit it and spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour with your new potential canine pet.
This will help you determine whether what the breeder told you about its past history or temperament is true.
Extra tip; Ensure that you pay a deposit on your 3rd visit if you somewhat feel the hound will match your personality.
4 Tips On Successfully Introducing Your New Anatolian To Your Family
#Have Your Family Know That They Are About To Bring In A New Canine Family Member
Don’t ambush them, especially if you live in a big household.
You certainly don’t want your hound to be overwhelmed on its first day due to your overexcited family members.
So let them know the exact day and maybe time you will be bringing in your Anatolian Shepherd.
#Let Your Dog Get Used To The Different Scents In Your Family
Have your dog get used to the different scents in your family. Note dogs form bonds or friendships through scents or smells.
You can do this by placing an item that belongs to each of your family members into your new Anatolian Shepherd room.
Note a dog can pick up to a million different scents, so don’t worry even if you live in a large household.
Give it at least a minimum of 1 week before letting it move on to getting used to your other family member’s scent.
#Organize For A Nonphysical Interaction
Let your family members (may it be your cat or another dog) meet your Anatolian Shepherd without physically touching it. Do this in an open and neutral location.
I recommend doing it in your Backyard.
Pro-tip; You can have your friends or relatives bring in their well-socialized dogs and have them play together while your Anatolian is watching.
Repeat this step for not less than 1 week.
#Organize A Supervised Physical Interaction
This time let your dog sniff around your family members or the pets around. Also, allow your family to touch it or pet it and other pets to sniff it or play with it.
Do NOT forget to have your Anatolian Shepherd put on a leash during the physical interaction session. Do this for at least 1-2 weeks.
During this period, you can switch roles (feeding it, grooming it, walking it) with your family members.
This will help your hound understand that you all like it are you are willing to provide for it, and love it.
Conclusion
Are Anatolian Shepherds good family dogs? Yes, they are.
They are nonaggressive, protective, loyal, affectionate, intelligent, moderately energetic, and easy to groom.
All these features enable them to make excellent family dogs in a loving and caring home.
However, these hounds are an ideal fit for families with older kids due to their large size.
Let your dog get used to the different scents of your family members before letting it interact with your loved one(s) physically.
Ensure that you visit a pup/dog more than one time in the breeder’s place before adopting it.
To avoid being a dog parent to a defiant or aggressive Anatolian Shepherd, always ensure that you adopt it from a reputable breeder.
