Anatolian dog to protect museums

AKSARAY - Anatolia News Agency

The Aksaray Malaklısı has characteristics of both sheep dogs and guard dogs.

Museums and ancient sites in Turkey will soon be guarded by the largest canine breed from Anatolia, the Aksaray Malaklısı, as two puppies were sent to a museum in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman, the first city to implement the project.

The project was put into motion after an official order was sent to the provincial directors of culture and tourism. The idea had first come up after Aksaray’s culture and tourism department brought the malaklı breed of dog to a fair. Aksaray Provincial Culture and Tourism Deputy Director Mustafa Doğan said the malaklı breed is unique to Karaman.

Four puppies were integrated into the Karman stand at the Eastern Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT) this year, Doğan said. “They have characteristics of both sheep dogs and guard dogs.”

Doğan said they had also made a documentary film featuring the malaklı dogs and the Culture and Tourism Ministry officials had come to Aksaray to visit the farms where the dogs are bred.

It was here that the idea to use malaklı dogs as part of the security measures at museums and ancient sites around Turkey sprang up. “In this way the idea to use this dog as a guard dog in all museums and historic sites in the country originated. This application will begin in Karaman,” he said.