Sivas Regal Kangal Dogs  Sue Kocher & Cuneyt Unutmaz P.O. Box 90402, Raleigh, NC 27675-0402 tel. (919) 870-0050 skocher@mindspring.com http://www.beautdogs.com

Placing dogs is a huge responsibility --and this is especially true in the case of large, strong, rare breeds such as the Kangal Dog. Our goal is to make sure that all of the puppies that are produced by our dogs will live happily to a ripe old age, in households that love and appreciate them. Please be patient with our attempts to understand you, and to help you understand us and our dogs, so that we can all feel assured that we are all making the right decision. After all, it is a decision that we will live with for the next 10-14 years!

We are committed to making careful placement of each puppy in the best interests of the owner, the individual dog, and the Kangal Dog breed. We realize that people, in their enthusiasm for a handsome, big rare breed, may seek a dog that is too much for them to handle, or that is not right for the stage of life the person is in at the time. The result is an unhappy owner, and an unhappy dog that needs a new home--a home which may be difficult or impossible to find. Each "misplaced", mishandled dog that winds up in Rescue or dead is a loss to the breed, and may jeopardize the reputation and future of the properly placed, well-trained Kangal Dogs as well.

The Kangal Dog is very rare in this country and we are still learning about them. Each puppy is a new opportunity for us to learn more about individual Kangal Dogs, and the Kangal Dog breed in general.

The Kangal Dog is a livestock guardian dog (LGD): large, instinctive, intelligent, independent, strong-willed. It is decidedly not the dog for everyone. If you are looking for an "easy" dog that lives to please you, the Kangal Dog is not the dog for you. If you have little or no experience with training dogs, the Kangal Dog is not the dog for you. If you are not prepared to ensure that your dog gets steady, regular exercise, the Kangal Dog is not for you. If you think that a Kangal puppy is expensive, then you probably can't afford the food and veterinary costs of keeping a healthy Kangal Dog.

Because of our concern for the dog and the breed, we wish to establish at the outset that every person who adopts one of our pups a) knows what he/she is getting into and b) knows what to do once he/she is into it!! While the relevance of some of the following questions will be obvious to you, some may appear to be overly personal or intrusive and for that we ask for your understanding.

Our reasons for asking these questions is so that

--we can make informed decisions about the placement of our pups, and
--you can think carefully about the responsibilities of owning a Kangal Dog.

Any time that your answers are too long for the lines or spaces provided, please use either another sheet of paper or the back of the page so that you can answer as completely as possible. For many of the questions, there may not be "good" or "bad" answers, but rather they are simply there to raise issues for you to consider, or for us to discuss together. So please answer honestly and thoughtfully.

Please fill out and send to skocher@mindspring.com, or by postal mail to:

Sivas Regal Kangal Dogs
P.O. Box 90402
Raleigh, NC 27675          Our tel. 919-870-0050--call eves or weekends

Today's Date:  _____________________
YOUR NAME  ____________________________________________________
ADDRESS  _________________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
PHONE NUMBERS --day_________________________   eves___________________________
Email address: __________________________________
Your Web site: ______________________________________________________________

Part I: Your Interest in the Kangal Dog Breed

1. How did you first find out about us?

• Referral from an acquaintance
• Found web site in a web search using key words: ______________________________
• Advertisement in this magazine: ___________________________________________
• Followed a link from this web site: _________________________________________
• Other: ________________________________________________________________

5. Have you been in contact with breeders of other LGD breeds (e.g. Akbash, Anatolians, Pyrs)? Please explain.

6.  Why are you interested in owning a Kangal Dog?

7. Do you prefer a male or female, and why? How important is gender to you?
 

Part II: Your Dog Owning History

1. Do you own a dog or dogs now?  Please describe.

2. Please fill in all the blanks below for all the other dogs you own/have ever owned (as fully as possible). We're mainly interested in  dogs you've had in adulthood or your teen years.
 

Dog's breed	Male/female?	Your age  when dog  obtained...	Was dog spayed,  neutered, intact?	If intact,  was dog  ever bred?	What happened to the dog? Give details.

3. Do you have any other pets now? (list)
 

4. What is the worst behavior problem any of your dogs has ever displayed?
     Were you able to correct that problem and if so, how?
 

5. Have you ever taken an obedience course or other kind of training with your dog? Describe.
 

 6. Which family member did your previous dog most prefer?___________________
 

Part III: General Environment for Your Kangal Dog

1. Please explain what role(s) you expect your Kangal Dog to fill, in order of importance (e.g. companion dog, livestock guardian, family/household protector, show dog, obedience or agility competition, etc.).

2. Will the dog live primarily in the house, or outside?

3. How will you confine your dog when it is outdoors?  Please describe details about yard/farm, type of fencing, height of fencing, and size of fenced area.
 
 

4. Do you foresee additional members joining your household (e.g., babies, adopted children, elderly parents) during the life span of a dog? ___________
5. Is anyone in your household allergic to animals? ___________
6. Does anyone in your household have asthma? ___________
7. For companion dogs, how many hours per workday/school day is your house empty of people?  ________
8. Do you currently own or rent your home? ________________________________
If you are renting:
Do you have permission to have a dog? Yes or No
Landlord's name and phone number: _______________________________________
9.  Are you likely to be moving in the next five years? ____________
 

Part III: General Training and Socialization

1. List names and ages of all household members that will have any interaction with the dog.
 

2. How much time each day will your dog generally be around people (not including sleeping)?
Weekdays, _____ hours/day
Weekends, _____ hours/day

3. How much time will you spend actively training/ relating to/involved with your dog ?
Weekdays, ____________ per day
Weekends, ____________ per day.

4. What would you do if your Kangal Dog did the following?

A. Barked a lot while out in the backyard.
  For a puppy, I would:
  For an adult dog, I would:

B. You are walking your dog on a leash and encounter another person walking a dog on a leash. Your dog acts aggressive toward the other dog.
  For a puppy, I would:
  For an adult dog, I would:

C. You are in a public place with your dog off lead, and he's running and playing. Your dog gets into a fight with another dog. (OK, this is a trick question!) <smile>
For a puppy, I would:
For an adult dog, I would:

D. Your dog growls at you when you attempt to take away a toy or food.

 For a puppy, I would:
For an adult dog, I would:

      E. Your dog pees or defecates in the house or car.
 For a puppy, I would:
For an adult dog, I would:

4. How much, how often, and what kind of exercise will your dog get?  Where?

5. Any other kind of activities do you plan to do with your dog?

6. On a scale of 1-5 (1 being "most important"), how likely is it that you will teach your Kangal Dog the following:
___ Come when called in the house with distractions (other people, doorbell)
___ Come when called outdoors, from 10 ft away, with distractions
___ Come when called outside, reliably, every time
___ Stop barking on command
___ Allow you to remove a bone or chew toy from its mouth
___ Walk on a leash without pulling
___ "Stay" on command without distractions
___ "Stay" on command with distractions
___ Greet other dogs without aggression
___ Fetch and return to you
___ Bond with and protect livestock
___ Other needs. _________________________________________________

 7. What do you plan to feed your Kangal Dog?

Part IV: Formal Training for Your Dog

1. We require a commitment to attend at least 2 group training classes with your dog ( private lessons an option only if you want to). What training facility do you plan to use? (Name and phone number.)
 

2. Summarize the training methods you would use to train your dog, and to correct behaviors that you don't like.

3. What sort of training (formal or informal) do you plan to do with your Kangal Dog?
 

4. Who would you contact if you needed help with a behavior problem with your dog?

5. Will you agree to return the dog to us (Sivas Regal Kangal Dogs) if you ever reach the decision that you cannot keep it yourself?  _____________

Part V: If you obtain a Kangal Dog from us . . .

1. We routinely spay or neuter puppies that are going to be used as companions or working dogs (i.e. not for breeding). This is for the best interests of you as the owner, and for the dog (who will lead a much less frustrating existence, and be less likely to escape, get injured, or become aggressive with other dogs).

Yes, that's fine.
No, I want an intact dog because: _____________________________

3. Are you interested in breeding Kangal Dogs? If yes, complete the following:

a. Explain your previous experience and your reasons for wanting to breed:

b. If we agree to sell you a breeding dog, will you agree not to breed your dog without approval from us?        Yes   or   No

c. If you breed your dog, how do you plan to obtain homes for the puppies?

4. Will you agree to keep in touch with us, the breeders, for the lifetime of your Kangal Dog, to consult us promptly about problems (even if embarrassing or difficult), to share pictures and stories, and be available to talk to other prospective Kangal Dog owners in your area?        OR is there some reason you would be uncomfortable with this?
 

Please list your veterinarian(s), primary vet first:

NAME	FULL ADDRESS & PHONE	How long you've  known this vet

 

Bonus question: Do you think this questionnaire is excessive, obsessive, and personal? <wink>