Central Anatolian Shepherd vs Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Breed Comparison

The Central Anatolian Shepherd’s lineage is ancient, with the large dog originating from the Anatolia region of central Turkey. He has been used for guarding flocks against predatory wolves and has adapted to living in extreme weather conditions.

The Turkish shepherds would put a spiked collar on the dog to protect him against predators going for the neck of the dog. Today the dog is still being used as a sheep dog and it is closely related to the Kangal Dog.

In 1965 the first pair of Anatolian Shepherds arrived in the UK. A pair were also provided by the Turkish prime minister to the United States government. Today he is a majestic dog still serving man. He is an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, a working dog breed, recognized by the American Kennel Club.

The origin of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel goes back many centuries. It was in 1928 that this spaniel breed was separated from the smaller King Charles and these were particularly popular with royalty in England.

In fact, Mary, Queen of Scots had one of these spaniels who accompanied her to her beheading. It was her grandsons who gave their name to the breed, and King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 to 1685 kept these dogs. After Charles II's death, the dog’s popularity waned somewhat. The dog was later bred with pugs giving them the familiar features they have today, such as the domed head and the shorter nose.

Interest in the breed revived, and a breed -club was established, drawing up a breed standard. Finally, in 1945, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was recognized as a separate breed.

The Central Anatolian Shepherd is a large,impressive looking dog that possesses great strength, endurance and agility. He is beautiful to look at and is well muscled and strong.

He stands at roughly 66-76 cm and weighs 40 to 70kg. The head is large and strong, but in good proportion with the rest of the dog’s body. He has brown eyes and his ears are floppy. The tail is long and set high and when the dog is alert, the tail is carried high, making a wheel shape, otherwise the tail is held low, curling up at the tip.

The short to medium length coarse coat is essentially fawn colored and the dog has a black mask. With the dog, early training and socialization will be needed as he is a strong, stubborn, dominant breed who will require firm leadership from his human owners.

Temperament:

The Central Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a loyal guard dog that becomes possessive over his flock, his human family and anything that he regards as his property. He is aloof around strangers, being suspicious of them.

He will require a firm, positive owner who provides training and socialization. He is an affectionate family pet and gets on well with children who have been taught how to treat dogs and other animals with care and respect. This is a bold, confident dog without aggression who is intelligent, proud and independent.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small to medium sized dog wih its height being 31 – 33cm and its weight being 5 – 8 or 9 kg. He is known for his long, silky coat which is fairly straight and feathery.

He has floppy ears, and with this Spaniel breed the tail is generally left long and feathery. The coat comes in many different colors so you will find the popular rich red shade with white, he can be black and tan or even tri-color.

Temperament:

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is affectionate, playful and eager to please. He makes an excellent pet for children as well and gets on well with other pets in the home too.

They adapt quickly to different environments and will be happy in the city or in the country, so long as his owner is with him and meters out lots of love and attention. He is intelligent and responds well to training and socialization, turning him from a playful puppy into a relaxed, obedient adult dog.

The Cavalier loves to be active but he also loves to be quietly lying next to his owner. It is also why these dogs make such splendid companions for the elderly as well as being a good choice for therapy dogs.

The large, rugged Anatolian Shepherd is a dog that has been developed essentially to work as a guardian of livestock. He is a dignified, calm kind of dog who is fiercely possessive of those he guards. He is independent and will require a firm, assertive owner.

He won’t enjoy lying around the home with nothing to do. These are dogs who like to be busy, and therefore he is more a country-life dog than being found in the city on a small property. Make sure that if your pet hasn’t got a working role, that he is provided with exercise, although as a large dog, he isn’t particularly playful and doesn’t require loads of exercise.

Provide him with a caring, loving home and this large, beautiful dog will become your loyal and devoted friend who will guard you with his life.

The Cavlier King Charles Spaniel is an affectionate, playful and eager-to-please dog breed that is good with children and other dogs. They will be happy to join you in any games you have in mind but will easily lie quietly beside you for companionship too.

This spaniel breed is exceptionally intelligent and can be easily trained and socialized, making them even better behaved dogs.

For their gentle, sweet nature, it is no wonder that they make such excellent therapy dogs for children and adults, and he is willing to be a wonderful friend to you too.

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a hardy, healthy dog who isn’t likely to get sick easily. The dog can live to be 11, 12, 13 years of age when he receives excellent care. Like any pure breed though, he is susceptible to hereditary disorders and some of the other common health issues.

Hip Dysplasia:

This condition is always a problem with a big dog. It’s an abnormal development of the hip joint and it can cause lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is brought about by a combination of environmental- as well as genetic factors.

Lymphosarcoma:

This is a common type of blood cell cancer diagnosed in dogs. Lymphoid tissue is present in quite a few places in the body including lymph nodes, liver and spleen, and dogs of any age can be affected.

Cavaliers are generally fairly healthy dogs but they are prone to mitral valve disease which can lead to heart failure. The heart as 4 chambers and each chamber has a one-way valve to keep blood from flowing backward. One of these is the mitral valve and it can leak over time resulting in a heart murmur. Dogs as young as 4 years of age can develop a murmur from a leaking mitral valve.

Congestive heart failure develops, your dog has a chronic cough and lacks stamina. A veterinary cardiologist may need to be called in to recommend some kind of medical intervention. The vet will evaluate your pet's condition and lifestyle before making a recommendation.

Other health problems which the Cavalier might have to contend with will be luxating patella as well as eye issues.

Patellar Luxation:

This condition affects toy breeds, occuring when the kneecaps slip out of place. It can be severe enough to cause lameness in the dogs leg, but fortunately it can be managed with an anti-inflammatory or even surgery.

The Central Anatolian Shepherd sheds fairly heavily so he will require brushing at least twice a week. Grooming is important and won’t only include brushing, but ear cleaning and nail trimming too as well as proper dental hygiene.

A dog such as the Anatolian Shepherd, with his floppy ears, will also need to have his ears checked and cleaned to avoid ear infections. There are some of these dogs where the hair needs to be plucked from the ear canal to ensure proper air circulation.

It is important that you are skilled to clean the ears properly, and if in any doubt, to avoid damage to the ear, consult your vet for sound advice.

Brushing:

The Cavalier Spaniel’s long silky coat will require brushing at least twice a week to remove loose hairs and to keep it healthy and shiny. This is one spaniel however, that won’t require trimming. However, because he loves to be playing outdoors, some owners do trim the dog’s feathers around the legs and paws.

Ear Checks:

As a dog with floppy ears, it will become essential to check his ears for wax build-up and moisture within the ears combined with dirt. This can lead to ear infections. Also the silky ears can be prone to matting. You can wash them gently with dog shampoo.

Dental Disease:

Smaller dogs like the Cavalier Spaniel are more likely to develop dental problems because of the structure of their skulls and jaws which are more compressed. Brush your dogs teeth 2 or 3 times a week with special canine tooth-paste and toothbrush.