Kurdish Mastiff


The Kurdish Mastiff, Assyrian Shepherd, or Pişder dog is a dog landrace native to the mountainous Kurdistan Region in Iraq, especially the Pişder region in Sulaymaniyah Governorate. This dog is often used as a livestock guardian against predators and number around a few thousand heads. They have been compared to the Kangal Dog and the Akbash.

Description

The weight of the adult dogs increases with age and can reach 80 kg. The average is at 73.50 kg reaching from 67 kg in Sangasar to 80 kg in Qira Diza. The average body length is about 75 cm with the back length of aged dogs reaching over 88 cm.

History

In 1892, John Paul Dudley published a medical treatise on dogs and mentioned the Kurdish Mastiff:

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