Akbash

The word akbaş means 'white head', and thus distinguishes this dog from the Karabaş, or 'black head'.^: 33 It was recognised by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2006; it is under the tutelage of the Köpek Irkları ve Kinoloji Federasyonu, the Turkish dog breed society, but is not recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.

Akbash
Other names	Akbaş Çoban Köpeği
Origin	Turkey
Traits Height Males 60–85 cm (24–33 in): 7  Females 50–75 cm (20–30 in): 7  Weight Males 45–65 kg (99–143 lb): 7  Females 35–55 kg (77–121 lb): 7  Coat double coat: 90  Colour white: 90  Life span 10–12 years: 90
Notes	recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Turkey
Dog (domestic dog)

The Akbash is a traditional breed of livestock guardian dog, used to protect flocks from predators in the rugged terrain of western Anatolia.^: 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.^{: 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.^{: 5 : 8}

The Akbash is a flock guardian dog, providing protection from predators to shepherds and to their sheep; it does not have any herding ability.^: 7 It is a large and powerful dog:^: 406 mean body weight is approximately 45 kg, and mean height at the withers just over 75 cm.^: 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.^{: 70 : 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.^: 406 There is considerable feathering behind the legs, and the tail is heavily feathered.^: 70