Appearance
The Pastor da Mantiqueira has standardized appearance, it is officially recognized breed and you can find their breed standard on the website of SOBRACI. According to the standard, this is well proportioned and well balanced breed with rustic appearance, showing great athleticism and agility.
The size of this breed is up to 53 cm and 25 kg, which is 21 inch and 55 lbs. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.
The Pastor da Mantiqueira can have either short, medium or long coat, but it is always pretty dense coat and it can be either smooth or curly. The most common color is azulêgo, which is a coat with golden base, overlayed with black and gray hair. But the breed comes in variety of colors, some of them are for example black, white or yellow.
The breed has a deep chest, long and muscular back, muscular loins, moderately long tail and broad hindquaters. When it comes to the face, it has oval shaped eyes in black or brown color and with cheerful and alert expression, triangular and erect ears, moderately short and robust muzzle and strong jaws with perfect scissor bite.
​
Temperament
The Pastor da Mantiqueira temperament is formed by its utilization, which is cattle herding. It is a hard working, tireless, agile, hardy, resistant, very intelligent dog with all the needed instincts for handling the cattle. For a long long time, the Mantiqueira Shepherd is indispensable for shepherds of Mantiqueira mountains.
This breed is not primarily bred for companionship, but just like all the dog breeds, they will create very strong bond with its owner and family. They are very loyal, they love good playtime, they show affection and they love recieving affection from its owners.
If the breed is not used for herding, than it must be properly exercised. These dogs are active and endurant and they need daily long walks, jogs, hikes, playtime, training sessions, just anything that will occupy their mind and body. They can also live with other kids, dogs or even with other pets in the family, especially if socialized from the puppyhood. They should not have high prey drive.
Some Mantiqueira Shepherds can also make good guardians and watchdogs, which is mostly thanks to their alert nature.

History
The Pastor da Mantiqueira is a Brazilian breed, which originated in the mountanious Southeast Brazil, in Serra da Mantiqueira, or in English, Mantiqueira mountains. The breed was developed from dogs of European immigrants. These dogs were known as Policialzinho, or little Policmen and even today, the Pastor da Mantiqueira is known under this nickname, the Policialzinho.
But what exact breed are the ancestors of the Mantiqueira Shepherd? Well, we do not know it for sure. Some theories say, that one of the ancestors are Belgian and Dutch Shepherds. But it is more likely that native Spanish and Portuguese breeds played bigger role in the breeds development. This would include dog breeds like Pastor Garafiano, Basque Sheepherd, Can de Palleiro or Estrela Mountain dog.
The breed evolved into the dog we know today by adapting to local mountanious environement and by breeding for utilization. Over the time, the Pastor da Mantiqueira becomes slightly smaller, but much more agile, resilient and adaptable, which was extremely important to become excellent herding dog in the mountains of Mantiqueira.
The breed was mostly used for herding cattle and it was very popular for this purpose in Southeast Brazil. But over the time, the numbers of cattle declined, so as the numbers of dogs used for herding. That is why, today, the Mantiqueira Shepherd is endangered dog specie. It is very rare breed and it is almost impossible to find this breed outside Brazil.

Health and grooming
The grooming and overall maintenance depends on the coat length. All coat types shed some deal of fur and you can minimize it by regular brushing, which will remove the dead and loose hair and it will also redistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.
There are no scientific studies about the breeds health and according to the owners, this is usually very healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years.  

​1) Great Dane
The definition of gentle giant, the Great Dane just must be included in this video. Great Danes are easy going dogs that love their family and need a lot of interaction with its owners. These dogs are super friendly, loyal and gentle, and they make perfect dog friends for kids. Of course, you should never leave them alone with very young child, but that is true for all the breeds in the world.
​
2) Leonberger
The Leonberger is typically very calm and quiet dog, but definitely not lethargic. They are pretty active outdoors and they need a lot of interaction with its family. They will love longer hikes and walks, but they are typically calm indoors where they are generally good with kids or other pets. The Leonberger is also very emphatetic breed and they seem to have great intuition when it comes to human emotions.

3) Newfoundland
The Newfie is a giant gentle fluffball. Their temperament could not be better for family life. They are absolutely loving, gentle and unflappable. They are also outstanding workers and they are good for active families as well. They will like longer hikes and they absolutely love swimming.

4) Mastiff
Most of the Mastiffs are good family companions. This include English Mastiff, Bullmastiff or for example Neapolitan Mastiff. It is true, that they are protective and natural guard dogs, but around its own family, they are loving and affectionate dogs with calm demeanor, which makes them excellent family dogs, even for kids.

5) Kuvasz
The Kuvasz is a giant livestock guardian dog and they do have strong guarding instincts. They will do anything in their power to protect its family. It is not the typical family companion and they are not the best choice for novice dog owners, because of their alertness, but in the right hands, this is assertive, calm and patient family dog, that will do anything he can for its family.
​
6) Irish Wolfhound
The tallest of all dog breeds is also one of the sweetest. It is not uncommon for these dogs to be 35 inches tall, which is 90 cm and they are known for their unkept appearance, which can be intimidating for some people. But the Irish Wolfhound is very loyal dog with mild and calm nature and they want to be around its family all the time.

7) Dogue de Bordeaux
This massive mastiff dog with large head look fierce, but under their tough appearance, this is extremely loyal, loving and gentle breed. It is very relaxed and patient breed, but they are also very protective when they sense any danger. Overall, very good family dog.

8) Great Pyrenees
One of the more active breeds in this video, the Great Pyrenees is a dog with massive power but with sweet dispositions. It is a working breed with protective instincts, which is typical for livestock guardians, but when they are at home, with its family, this is calm, well mannered, trustworthy and gentle dog.

9) Bernese Mountain dog
All the four Swiss mountain dogs are good with kids. Next to Bernese Mountain dog it is also the Greater Swiss Mountain dog, Entlebucher Mountain dog and Apenzeller Mountain dog, but the Bernese is definitely the most popular one. All four are farm dogs and livestock guardians and they are very intelligent, pretty kind and gentle, easy to train, affectionate and openhearted dogs.

10) Saint Bernard
The last dog in this video is another gentle giant, this time, the famous St. Bernard. This breed is known as a skilled search and rescue dog from Swiss Alps, but it is also loving family companion that gets along well with children. It is very tolerant and playful breed.

1) Grey Norwegian Elkhound
The Black Norwegian Elkhound is related to the ancient Grey Norwegian Elkhound, which is present in Norway since the ancient times. At some point in 1800s, a black line of Norwegian Elkhound emerged, but the breed standard was only recognizing the grey variety. Both breeds are bred for the same purpose, they have almost identical temperament and appearance. The major differences between them are, of course, the color and the fact, that the Black Norwegian Elkhound is slightly smaller than the Grey Norwegian Elkhound. Some people also say, that the Black Elkhounds are little bit more stubborn and independent than the Grey Elkhounds.
​
2) Almost extinct
The Black Norwegian Elkhounds were pretty popular in 1800s, but in 1900s, they were neglected, as the Scandinavian hunters preffered the bigger Grey Elkhound. This brought the Black Norwegian Elkhound on the verge of extinction in the first half of the 20th century. Luckily, since the 1950s, several dedicated breeders began their efforts to preserve the breed and a stable population has now been established in Norway, and the Norwegian kennel club registers around 150 new puppies each year.

3) Utilization
The one and only purpose and utilization of the Black Norwegian Elkhound always was hunting. Even though they are relatively smaller dogs, or better to say medium sized dog, they are used in hunting even large game, such as moose, deer or bear. Thanks to their amazing sense of smell, they are just amazing at tracking the game. Because of their strong prey drive, they are absolutely passionate about the hunt. Next to hunting, they can also make good companions for active people and thanks to their alert personality, they are also okay watchdogs.

4) Companions
I mentioned that Black Norwegian Elkhounds can make good companions for active people, an of course they can! They are very energetic, playful, fun to be around dogs with affectionate and loyal personality. They will enjoy long walks or hikes outdoors, especially in colder environments. The Black Elkhound creates very strong bond with its family, even with the kids, and they can make good playful partners for the kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with very young child unsupervised. These dogs are alert and can be territorial, which is why they are quite suspicious with strangers and you must socialize the dog properly during the puppyhood. The Black Elkhound can live with other dogs in the household, but other pets might be problematic due to their high prey drive.

5) Coat and color
The Black Norwegian Elkhound has, well obviously, black coat. It is a slightly longer shiny coat and they can have white markings on chest and toes. It is a dense doublecoat which is protecting the dog from harsh cold climate.

6) Size
You already know, that the Black Elkhound is slightly smaller than the Grey Elkhound, but what is the actual size of this breed? According to the official breed standard, the height is between 43-49 cm, which is 17-19 inch and weight between 16-20 kg, which is 35-44 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.

7) Maintenance
Even though the coat is slightly longer and very dense, it is quite easy to take care of. These dogs do shed some deal of fur all year long, so you should be prepared for that. You can minimize it a little bit by regular frequent brushing, which will remove all the dead and loose hair. No other grooming is required, that is all you should do with the coat. Of course, just like with any other dog breed, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

8) Exercise
This is a very active breed that demands a lot of exercise and they demand some kind of a job in their life. They are very agile, endurant and they will love to do any physical and mental exercise you will provide them with. It can be long walks, hikes, jogs, vigorous playtime, fun training sessions, puzzle toys.. They can be even train for sledding or any kind of a dog sport, that will keep them occupied, like tracking trials, agility or rally. Without enough exercise, they might develop problematic behaviour, like excessive barking.

9) Recognition
The breed is officially recognized by number of smaller kennel clubs. Of course it is recognized in Scandinavia, where its population is highest, but it is also recognized by the FCI for example. It is still considered as a rare breed, which can be mainly found in Norway and its neighboring Scandinavian countries. You would be very very lucky to find them outside Scandinavia.

10) Health
The Black Norwegian Elkhound is pretty healthy and hardy dog breed with average lifespan between 12-15 years. Of course, just like any other breed, they can suffer from some health issues, such as some eye problems like glaucoma, joint problems like hip dysplasia, urogenital conditions, different allergies and infections.  

1) Origin
The Kunming Wolfdog is relatively young dog breed, developed only in 1950s in China, to meet the needs of military and police in the Chinese province Kunming. The breed was developed from several dogs. The main ancestor is German Shepherd, which was crossed with wolfdogs that were already used in military and with some local dogs as well. The Kunming Wolfdog was not created by directly breeding wolves with dogs, but already existing wolfdogs were used in the breeding process.
​
2) Utilization
As i already mentioned, the Kunming Wolfdog is mainly used by Chinese military and police. It is used for various purposes, either as guard dogs, patrol dogs, but also for maintaining the peace and order. This dog is extremely good for search and rescue jobs, which is mostly thanks to their extremely good sense of smell. The breed was also used to locating bombs and narcotics and they were also used to locate and detect landmines. It is truly extremely good working breed, they love to work and they should have some kind of a job in their life.

3) Companions
Even though these dogs were bred to be workers, just like all the dog breeds around the world, they can make good companion dogs as well. The breed is also slowly gaining reputation as a good family protection dog. But it is definitely not a companion for everyone! These dogs are very intelligent, but in order to be good companions, early proper socialization and training is a must. The breed is little bit more demanding than your average dog. These dogs are energetic, powerful, focused and alert. If the Kunming Wolfdog is raised with kids, other dogs or even other pets, they can typically live with them without any problems. And most of the time, they will be protective over them. But of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised.

4) Size
The breed is remarkably similar to the German Shepherd, which is not surpising, since the GSD is one of its main ancestors. They are slightly taller than the average German Shepherd and it is athleticly built breed. The average height is between 25-27 inch, which is 63-68 cm and weight between 66-84 lbs, which is 30-38 kg.

5) Appearance
Most of the Kunming Wolfdogs have skin that hangs loose, triangular ears that are always erect, round eyes with alert expression and black muzzle. They have relatively big head and thick neck and overall formidable appearance. The breed has well boned legs, with pretty small cat-like feet. The tail is very bushy and dense.

6) Coat and color
The Kunming Wolfdog has slightly shorter coat then the German Shepherd, but it is still very dense and thick doublecoat. The coat is much thicker and denser during winter months. The most typical color combination is the one, where the body has light to dark tan coloring and a black saddle. As i already mentioned earlier, the muzzle should also be in black color.

7) Exercise
As a working dog breed, the Kunming Wolfdog must have high endurance and energy level. And indeed, they do need quite a lot of exercise to stay healthy and happy. They will be always ready for any outdoor adventure, it can be walks, hikes, jogs, many of them enjoy water and swimming as well. They will love to live in a house with big yard, rather than in apartment. It is important to mentally stimulate these dogs as well, otherwise they might become bored and potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour. This is a dog for active owners, it is definitely not a coach potatoe.

8) Recognition
The Kunming Wolfdog was officially recognized in China in 1988 as a purebred dog and since then it is continuously gaining recognition all around the world. It is still not recognized by AKC or FCI, but it is recognized for example by Continental Kennel Club or by Dog Registry of America. The Kunming Wolfdog is still a rare breed, but its population is slowly raising.

9) Maintenance
The Kunming Wolfdog does shed, and they shed quite a lot, especially during the shedding seasons in spring and fall. You can minimize the shedding by regular brushing, which will remove all the loose and dead hair and it will keep the coat in best possible condition. No other grooming is required. Of course, just like with any other breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.

10) Health
There are no scientific studies about the breeds health, but it is believed, that the Kunming Wolfdog is usually very healthy dog breed, free from serious genetic health issues and with lifespan around 13 years, which is quite good for dog of this size. But of course, just like all dogs, even the Kunming Wolfdog can suffer from some health issues, similar to the ones of German Shepherd, which are joint problems like hip dysplasia, bloating or declining vision.

Turkey is a country with a long tradition of shepherding. Sheeps and other livestock are kept in large numbers and they are seasonally took on transhumance, when they are moving from one grazing ground to another, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer.

But it is also a home to many dangerous predators, which see sheeps as a delicious food, which is why the shepherds needed strong and brave dogs that would protect the sheep. And that is exactly, what Coban Kopegi is!

Coban Kopegi can be translated as a livestock guardian breed and it is reffering to dogs who have their roots in Turkey, or Anatolia. And there is not only one or two turkish livestock guardians, but as you will see in this video, most of them are very very similar to each other. 

They have the same ancestry, but since they all evolved in different parts of Turkey, they over the time evolved into slightly different dogs. Some are slightly more athletic than others, some are stronger and more muscular. Some have longer coat and some have shorter coat. But afterall, all of them are incredible livestock guardians with similar temperament and extreme strength.

Rather than a breed, it is better to say, that it is a landrace dog, which is a term that is describing those dogs and animals that evolved naturally over the time by naturalforce, surviving of the fittest and by adapting to local envirnonment, weather, terrain, etc.

In comparsion, traditional breeds are developed by deliberate breeding for certain aspects, such as size, color or temperament. As one of my favourite websites about Turkish livestock guardians – turkishboz.com – say, the landrace evolves with a man, whereas a breed is created by a man.

The Coban Kopegi landrace is one of the oldest of all dog types in the world with its history dating back thousands of years. There are 4 variants of the Coban Kopegi, the Anadolu, Kars, Yoruk and Kangal. Some of the variants were further bred by people for regionally specific needs. Every variant of the Coban Kopegi is slightly different and now i will show you some of the most popular Turkish LGDs and how they are specific.

The most popular is definitely the Kangal variety. Very often you will hear, that the Kangal is the strongest dog in the world. And it definitely belongs to the group of strongest dogs, but there are even some stronger Turkish Livestock guardian dogs.

The Kangal is not only strong, but also very athletic, agile and very highly energetic. Kangals have elliptical bones and they have rectangular shape.

All the Coban Kopegi share similar temperament. All of them are extremely protective, very brave and courageous, independent, confident, poweful, aloof with strangers but friendly and absolutely loyal with its family and most of them are also very alert. And Kangal share all these characteristics as well.

The average height of Kangal is around 28-32 inch, which is 70-80 cm and weight between 90-145 lbs, which is 40-65 kg.

I told you, that the Kangal is not the biggest and strongest turkish livestock guardian. One of the larger Coban Kopegi is the Boz Shepherd.

For comparsion, the Boz Shepherds height should ideally be between 27-36 inch, which is 68-92 cm and weight between 100-190 lbs, which is 45-85 kg.

On average, the Boz is little bit taller, heavier and stockier than the Kangal. They are also more squared, than the rectangular Kangal and they have larger feet and blockier head. They are also not that high energy, as they are calmer and more tolerant.

The Boz is one of the dogs from Yoruk variant of Coban Kopegi. Another one is the Akbash. But again, there are some differences between them and Akbash is not identical with the Boz, or neither with the Kangal.

The Akbash has most likely more of the Tazi ancestry, which makes them look more agile, athletic and more slender. They are smaller sized. At least when comparsion with the Boz Shepherd. But it is still giant and strong dog in comparsion with most of other breeds. The Akbash should also be solid white dog, which is not true for majority of other turkish LGDs.

So the Boz Shepherd is larger than the Kangal, so is it the largest of all Coban Kopegi? Well, it is not. There is the Aksaray Malaklisi dog, which tends to be even larger than the Boz or Kangal. You might be wondering, that the Malakli was not on the Coban Kopegi chart. Well, it is true, as several genetic analysis have shown the Aksaray Malaklısı is a distinct breed from other Turkish livestock guardian dog breeds, including the Kangal, Anadolu, Akbash and Kars. But it is still livestock guardian dog from Turkey, so they have to be mentioned in this video.

While most of the Coban Kopegi are quite athletic and agile dogs, the Malakli structure is built for pure power. It seems that they do not have any of the sighthound genetics, that are often found in other Turkish LGDs. It is usually extremely heavy and stocky breed.

The size of Aksaray Malaklisi can be up to 100 cm and some of the dogs weigh even more than 100 kg, which is 40 inch and 220 lbs.

In contrary to the Aksaray Malaklisi, another Turkish Coban Kopegi, the Kars, is one of the smallest of all Turkish LGDs. On average they are 72 cm tall, which is 28,5 inch and weight is around 45 kg, which is 100 lbs.
The Kars Shepherd also has slightly longer and very dense coat, which is how you can easily distinguish them from majority of other Turkish LGDs. The Kars Shepherd is originally from the turkish Kars province in eastern Turkey.

There are some other, rarer turkish livestock LGDs, such as Anadolu, Karadeniz or Rize Koyun. Many of you probably also heard about the Anatolian Shepherd. But Anatolian Shepherd is actually not a turkish name for any of the local breeds. This breeds name is used in foreign countries, it is very popular in United States for example, and it is describing all the dogs descended from regional Turkish livestock guardian dogs. So Anatolian Shepherd can be any dog which descended from any of the dog breeds mentioned in this video. It can be an ancestor of Kangal, Akbash, Kars or Boz Shepherd.
​
As you can see, Turkish livestock guardian dogs come in great variation. There are different types of these dogs, but they share the same purpose and utilization – to protect the sheep and their loved ones. No matter which Coban Kopegi is your favourite, they all belongs into the group of best livestock protectors all around the world.