Akbash

The Akbash is a traditional breed of livestock guardian dog, used to protect flocks from predators in the rugged terrain of western Anatolia.^[2]: 90 It is distributed mainly in the provinces of Afyon, Ankara, Eskişehir and Manisa; some are present in the provinces of Ağrı, Konya, Sivas and Tunceli.^{[1]: 7 [7]: 5}

A standard was published by the Turkish Standards Institution in 2002, and in 2006 the Akbash was recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; it was added to the list of recognised native breeds and types, and the breed standard was published in the Resmi Gazete, the official government gazette.^{[7]: 5 [8][9]: 8 [10]}

The Akbash is a flock guardian dog, providing protection from predators to shepherds and to their sheep; it does not have any herding ability.^[1]: 7 It is a large and powerful dog:^[11]: 406 mean body weight is approximately 45 kg, and mean height at the withers just over 75 cm.^[1]: 6

The coat may be either long or of medium length; it is always double, and is usually white, though there may be some shading towards a biscuit colour.^{[12]: 70 [11]: 406} As with other white-coated flock guardian dogs, the white coat makes it easy for the shepherd to distinguish between the dog and a predator, even in the dark.^[11]: 406 There is considerable feathering behind the legs, and the tail is heavily feathered.^[12]: 70