Anatolian Shepherd Vs. Rottweiler

While both the Anatolian shepherd and the Rottweiler were developed to serve as guardian dogs of a farmer's herd or flock, the Anatolian shepherd was developed in Turkey and the Rottweiler in Germany. The main differences involve coat color and length, but both breeds are American Kennel Club-recognized and are classified in the Working Group of dog breeds.

  1. Behavior

    • Both the Rottweiler and the Anatolian shepherd are more open toward family members than toward strangers, and can be very protective. If handled well, though, the dogs can be introduced to strangers. The two breeds can both be potentially good family dogs, though the Anatolian may need some supervision around children. Both breeds need to be exercised daily. For either breed, you would do well to spend plenty of time training the dogs.

    Size

    • The Rottweiler is described as a "medium large" dog in the breed standard recognized by the AKC, while the Anatolian shepherd's breed standard describes a "large, rugged and powerful" dog. Male Rottweilers should fall between 24 and 27 inches in height at the top of the shoulders, while females stand between 22 and 25 inches. Anatolian shepherd males, however, are generally about 29 inches at the top of the shoulder while females are 27 inches.

    Coat

    • The Anatolian shepherd requires more grooming than the Rottweiler, but how much depends on the coat texture of the Anatolian shepherd you own. Rottweilers are always short-coated with a coarse outer coat and undercoat. Anatolian shepherds can come in a short-coated texture or in a rough coat that is longer. Either texture has an undercoat, and some dogs have a ruff around the neck and shoulders and feathering around the legs and underbelly.

    Colors

    • Anatolian shepherds were often bred to have similar coat colors to the animals they protect so they come in a wide variety of colors. To be shown in the ring, there are no restrictions on coat colors and markings within the Anatolian shepherd breed, though dogs cannot be blue-eyed or have eyes with two different colors. The Rottweiler should have a black base coat to be shown in the ring. They also need rust-colored or dark brown markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, on the sides of the muzzle, on the chest, on the insides of the hind legs, under the tail and around the toes.

    Temperament

    • In general, both the Rottweiler and the Anatolian shepherd should be calm, confident and hardy dogs. Shy Rottweilers are unacceptable for showing, but a dog that holds back in unfamiliar territory is acceptable in both breeds and seen as a normal trait of the breeds.