Mighty Pine Maizie - Bryngyld To Pack "Kovu" x Mighty Pine Alanis Litter
Fawn Female, Black Mask - DOB: 6/2/2018 - Photos courtesy of Kathryn Henderson
We became acquainted with the livestock guardian breeds a little over seven years ago out of necessity. Since that time, we have gradually added three more members to our group of guardians, the last one being a pup that we purchased from Mighty Pine Anatolians (MPA). I have certain criteria for purchasing a pup from a breeder: the dog must be a purebred and have documentation of this; health testing of parents is a must; a reasonable health guarantee needs to be in place;and working lines are a must. With these criteria in mind, I began looking for another member to add to our team. In this search, we found Mighty Pine Anatolians and purchased a pup from them in August 2018. Over the years, we have had many dogs live out their lifetime with us, and though we aren't professional trainers, we do spend a good deal of time training our farm dogs. During this exposure to the wonderful world of dogs, we have seen a spectrum of intelligence/behavior that has ranged from lovable but lacking ability to a few dogs whose inherent intelligence is almost immediately apparent. Our puppy from MPA is one of those in the latter group. She is such a nice dog. It only takes one time to show her something or tell her not to do something and she's got it. Her recall is phenomenal especially for being a member of a livestock guardian breed. We call her the blonde bullet because of how fast she comes when called. She is a happy, super nice, teachable, eager to please dog. At the same time, she has a fierce, protective side to her that we see developing. We just couldn't be happier with her. - Kathryn Henderson (Hayden Lake, Idaho)
Mighty Pine Kadir - Mighty Pine Bronn x Mighty Pine Ava Litter
Dark Brindle Male, Black Mask - DOB: 6/10/2018 - Photos courtesy of Christal Nelson
I purchased Kadir from Mighty Pine Anatolians and he has been the best right from the start. He seemed to have been born to be a guardian right from the first. He is protective of my farm animals and my children, but not aggressive. He has a big booming bark that he uses for only a short period of time to let predators know that this is his land. He fit right in with my pack and took over without being mean about it. They all just knew he was the one to follow with his air of confidence and courage that he displays even as a very young dog. I highly recommend a Mighty Pine pup to anyone in the market for a wonderful farm and family guardian. - Christal Nelson, FreedomRidge Nubians (Gales Creek, Oregon)
Mighty Pine Kato - Bryngyld To Pack "Kovu" x Mighty Pine Alanis Litter
Dark Brindle Male, Black Mask - DOB: 6/2/2018 - Photos courtesy of Andy & Becky MacArthur
We purchased an Anatolian Shepherd puppy in August as a livestock guardian dog for the purpose of guarding our pack goats. He has done that and more! He is the best investment we have ever done for a dog. We brought him home and immediately put him in with the goats and sheep. He was not intimidated by the new environment and as he has grown we have watched that he is not intimidated by anything. He spends his nights in with the goats and spends his days out in our yard with our two Jack Russells. He is good with our grandchildren. He knows he is here both to protect the goats, house, shop and anything in the yard. He has grown into a very confident dog and is a very quick learner. He is such a joy to have. Thank you to the Kueck family. - Andy & Becky MacArthur (Oldtown, Idaho)
Mighty Pine Red - Mighty pine Rooster x Mighty Pine Alanis Litter
Fawn Female - DOB: 3/11/2017 - Photos courtesy of Kevin Stafford
Having had the opportunity to spend some time with Mighty Pine Acres breeding pair of Anatolians, and some long discussions about the breed with the owners, I decided an Anatolian Shepherd would be a good match for my lifestyle here in Alaska. I am a fisherman and hunter. I travel throughout Alaska in my pursuits, and "Red" my female Anatolian Shepherd has become a great companion. Whether I am up on the tundra, or in the backyard with the kids, Red is always on duty, and has been since I received her at three months old. She never lets anyone or anything sneak up on me. Bears are an ever present consideration, and while I thankfully have not had experience getting charged by one since Red has come into my life, I have no doubt that she will do everything in her power to protect me and mine. I have witnessed her response to nearly every animal in the alaskan bush, and every time we encounter a critter, red postures between me and said critter, and lets out the most intimidating bark I have ever heard, and each and every time, the critter, upon seeing and hearing Red, does an about face, and leaves us to chores.
While Red takes her duties very seriously, she also is the epitome of the phrase "mans best friend". She is extremely loving, always looking to please, get a scratch on the ear, or cuddle up on the floor. She has a great sense when it comes to small things, like kids, small dogs, puppies and the like. She instinctively knows to be gentle, and takes on a degree of seriousness which is hard to explain. I once watched her physically stop my children when the kiddos decided to get a closer look at a moose, and after stopping my kids, she turned and faced the moose, postured, produced her "leave now" bark, and didn't relax till the moose was long gone. She did all this on her own, without any instruction or specific training from me. When strangers approach her space, she stops them. Only by my voice command will she let a new person into her space, and then she doesn't take her eyes off them. She does this passively, as if she has no desire to fight, just to return to life as usual with as little fuss as possible. She rides shotgun in my truck, and I never lock the doors, I can now set down my rifle(though still never out of arms reach) when I am in the backcountry, I can let the kids play in the backyard woods, all because I have the utmost confidence, and knowledge that Red is on duty.
Did I mention she is tough as nails? On a particularly cold, rainy, and windy hunt, we spent many hours crawling through the bush, no trail, uphill, rarely being able to see more than a few feet in any direction, except of course when we stumbled on a bear trail. she held her own, followed or led, never getting out of sight, and when we finally made camp, I pitched a tarp to be sure she had a dry place to sleep, and she wouldn't have it. In the pouring down rain and wind, she curled up, took her nap and was ready to go in the morning. she of course got some fresh bones when we were successful, and she happily carried her own bones back to camp to chew on while we sat around the campfire in the rain. The animal traffic in the area was thick, and whether she was gnawing happily on her bones, or appeared to be sleeping, she never failed to notify us when an animal approached our camp. I have never slept so soundly in the bush, than I do when Red is on duty. Did I mention, that on this hunt she was only four months old?
In conclusion, I have to say that Red is the most loving, caring, and gentle dog I have ever seen, and the most loyal, serious, and independent guardian I have ever known. She takes her work seriously, and is proud of it. I couldn't ask for a better companion, even though on occasion she still like to chase her tail. - Kevin Stafford (Juneau, Alaska)
While Red takes her duties very seriously, she also is the epitome of the phrase "mans best friend". She is extremely loving, always looking to please, get a scratch on the ear, or cuddle up on the floor. She has a great sense when it comes to small things, like kids, small dogs, puppies and the like. She instinctively knows to be gentle, and takes on a degree of seriousness which is hard to explain. I once watched her physically stop my children when the kiddos decided to get a closer look at a moose, and after stopping my kids, she turned and faced the moose, postured, produced her "leave now" bark, and didn't relax till the moose was long gone. She did all this on her own, without any instruction or specific training from me. When strangers approach her space, she stops them. Only by my voice command will she let a new person into her space, and then she doesn't take her eyes off them. She does this passively, as if she has no desire to fight, just to return to life as usual with as little fuss as possible. She rides shotgun in my truck, and I never lock the doors, I can now set down my rifle(though still never out of arms reach) when I am in the backcountry, I can let the kids play in the backyard woods, all because I have the utmost confidence, and knowledge that Red is on duty.
Did I mention she is tough as nails? On a particularly cold, rainy, and windy hunt, we spent many hours crawling through the bush, no trail, uphill, rarely being able to see more than a few feet in any direction, except of course when we stumbled on a bear trail. she held her own, followed or led, never getting out of sight, and when we finally made camp, I pitched a tarp to be sure she had a dry place to sleep, and she wouldn't have it. In the pouring down rain and wind, she curled up, took her nap and was ready to go in the morning. she of course got some fresh bones when we were successful, and she happily carried her own bones back to camp to chew on while we sat around the campfire in the rain. The animal traffic in the area was thick, and whether she was gnawing happily on her bones, or appeared to be sleeping, she never failed to notify us when an animal approached our camp. I have never slept so soundly in the bush, than I do when Red is on duty. Did I mention, that on this hunt she was only four months old?
In conclusion, I have to say that Red is the most loving, caring, and gentle dog I have ever seen, and the most loyal, serious, and independent guardian I have ever known. She takes her work seriously, and is proud of it. I couldn't ask for a better companion, even though on occasion she still like to chase her tail. - Kevin Stafford (Juneau, Alaska)
