Why do we vet puppy buyers?
With our litter of Anatolian Shepherd puppies due in less than a month, we’ve begun to advertise our puppies for sale. Like many other responsible breeders, we vet potential puppy buyers to ensure a prospective buyer is a good match and properly prepared for an Anatolian puppy. We’re not being nosy, rude, or gatekeeping by asking you to fill out a questionnaire - we’re making sure you and our Anatolian puppy are a good fit. We want to make sure our puppies go to good homes, and we especially don’t want them rehomed unless there are unforeseen circumstances, as LGDs often don’t rehome well. A buyer who is not prepared for the reality of an LGD is likely to rehome their Anatolian puppy, which may set the puppy up for a lifetime of failure. We love and respect our Anatolians, and we’re not here to sugarcoat this breed and minimize their more difficult traits in order to make a sale. We want buyers to be well prepared for what to really expect from their puppy, and we ask them to demonstrate this understanding for us to help ensure a good fit.
So what would we consider a good home? With LGDs, there are a few different considerations than there are for a family dog.
1) Acreage. Anatolians are roamers and protectors. They’re not going to be happy being kept in a small back yard, especially with no animals to protect. Some Anatolians may adapt well to being a house/family dog, but for puppies coming from working lines like ours, it’s not their nature. They need room to run - really run! - and an afternoon walk won’t satisfy their needs. If you expect your puppy to be a suburban pet, there is a good chance you will end up frustrated with your Anatolian and seek to rehome them.
2) A containment system. Notice that I didn’t say a fence. Our Anatolians are adept at going over, under, or straight through many fences. We have 130 acres to protect, and ours still think they need to patrol the neighbors’ properties as well as ours. We use GPS collars to train ours to their boundaries and keep them contained on our land. There are a few different companies that make reliable GPS collars. We use Dogtra and our neighbors use SpotOn. A potential owner must be willing to invest in either excellent fencing or a collar system if they have nearby busy roads or neighbors who will object to dogs visiting. Anatolians do prefer not to cross hot wire fencing, but like with any fence or collar system, they will if they feel it necessary. I know many owners will kennel their LGDs at night, which is another option to keep them from roaming. For us, however, kenneling our Anatolians overnight would defeat their purpose as most predators are active at night.
3) A job. Whether it’s protecting your land, your animals, or your kids, Anatolians need a job. Protective behavior is instinctive for them and it needs an outlet. Your Anatolian will naturally bond to you and guard you in place of livestock if you have none. While you may think this sounds ideal, you need to consider whether 100+ lbs of pure aggression is something you’re able to manage every single time a friend drops by to visit, or the neighborhood kids come calling to sell Girl Scout cookies. Anatolians are independent thinkers who take protection seriously, and these instincts strengthen with age. You may find that without intensive training, your dog is too protective and potentially a danger to others. This is another reason why Anatolians are better suited to farms than suburbia.
4) Careful consideration of other pets and additions to the household. For many LGDs, new pets introduced after the puppy has grown, or even new human additions, may be treated as a threat if not carefully introduced. The same is also potentially true for new livestock brought in, and sometimes even livestock born on the farm. Owners who are not prepared to deal with this aspect of LGDs often find themselves rehoming their Anatolians for what is perfectly natural behavior.
5) A plan to deal with Anatolian behavior. LGDs can be very difficult dogs to train and you must have determination, patience, a thorough understanding of what to expect from them and what motivates them, and a plan. You need to establish that you are the boss from the get go, and stay consistent. You need to be aware of their more difficult aspects, and be prepared ahead of time to curb undesirable behavior - and continue working to curb it. We’ve mentioned some of these behaviors already, such as roaming, independence, and overprotectiveness. Excessive barking, an unwillingness to follow commands, poultry chasing, and resource guarding are other common Anatolian behaviors that can be difficult to correct.
In short, if you’re never before owned Anatolians or another breed of livestock guardian dog, a responsible breeder will want to ensure that you have properly researched and planned for the unique and more difficult aspects of owning these beautiful dogs before considering whether one of their puppies is right for you.
This is the questionnaire we give to our prospective puppy buyers to ascertain if they are familiar with Anatolian needs and behavior, and the lifestyle they would provide for an Anatolian puppy. And, naturally, a good buyer will have plenty of questions of their own for a breeder!
Why do you want an Anatolian?
What attracted you to the idea of owning a Bear Mountain Anatolian?
Have you owned an LGD before?
Have you ever had to rehome a dog?
How do you anticipate addressing common behavioral problems?
What plans do you have for socializing your puppy to other animals and people?
Describe your property and fencing or alternate plans for containment.
What tasks will you expect your Anatolian to perform?
What livestock do you have?
What pets do you have? Do you frequently acquire new pets?
Do you free-range poultry?
Do you have small children or will you?
Do you have frequent visitors?
What type of shelter can you offer your Anatolian if they are in the field?
Do you have resources in place for veterinary care?
Do you intend to breed?
What type of diet do you intend to feed your Anatolian?
Are you committed to offering your Anatolian puppy a forever home?
If your current living situation changes, such as the need to move, how will you accommodate your Anatolian?
If you absolutely must rehome your Bear Mountain Anatolian, will you contact us first?