Lucky Hit Ranch's Anatolian Page - Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case)

Erick Conard's Lucky Hit Ranch: Anatolian Page

LUCKY HIT'S Shadow Kasif (CASE)
Pictures Taken when THIRTEEN YEARS OLD
A Forth Generation Anatolian

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

PICTURES OF A
WORKING LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN
Taken when THIRTEEN YEARS OLD at Lucky Hit Ranch...
Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture

Link to LUCKY HIT'S Shadow Kasif (CASE) Page

Link to Pictures of Case
from One through Eleven (1-11)Years
Always working the Big Pasture

Link to Pictures of Case as a puppy (0-1)
Growing up with Goats

Link to Pictures of Case
at twelve (12) Years
Always working the Big Pasture

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Each morning Case likes to follow the goats into the big pasture to insure it is safe for his goats.
The pictures shown here were taken when Case was thirteen making his early morning pasture check as he accompanied his goats.

LUCKY HIT'S SHADOW KASIF (CASE) IS A
TOP PRODUCER OF AKC CHAMPIONS
(DESIGNATED the AKC TOP PRODUCING MALE
in both 2009 and 2011)
And a Producer of Multiple Group Placing Anatolians

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Erick Conard's Address Email and Phone Number Information
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Erick's Address Email and Phone Numbers Link

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Following the goats across the valley, Case carefully sniffs out what animals have been there the night before.

In addition to protecting the goats, Case has proven he can get along with with the horses in the pasture.
A good working Anatolian must have special skills in order to peacefully co-exist with horses in the pasture with his sheep and/or goats!!!

Watching Case and other Lucky Hit WORKING Anatolians
shaped my understanding of AKC's Standard for correct Anatolian conformation.

Responsible Breeders know that the PRIMARY selection criteria in breeding Anatolians is correct working behavior and demeanor.

Irresponsible Anatolian breeders fail to test their breeding stock over time with either sheep and/or goats.

The ONLY way an Anatolian's actual working ability can be determine is observation over time with sheep and/or goats!
While someone with a good eye needs only a minute to fully evaluate a dog's physical conformation,
it can take years of observation with sheep and/or goats to fully understand a dogs true working ability.
Irresponsible breeders are full of excuses for failing to do the hard work of
raising their breeding stock with sheep and/or goats to insure only those with superior working ability are bred.
Don't fall for those excuses.

Obtain your Anatolian only from a breeder who is willing
to do the very hard work of selecting for good working ability with sheep and/or goats.

Show only Breeders without the ability to raise their Anatolians with sheep and/or goats
and who do not incorporate Anatolians with superior proven working ability
into their show only lines will eventually breed out the superior working ability which drew me to the breed!

Who cares if an Anatolian has superior conformation and movement if that Anatolian can't protect livestock!!!

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case moves ahead of the goats checking for any problems his herd might face.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case continues moving ahead of the goats watching for potential predators.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case scouts ahead for potential predators.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case continues moving ahead of the goats watching for potential predators.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case takes a break after meeting the llamas in the pasture.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case loves and enjoys all the charges in his pasture and so spends a few more minutes with his llamas before going after his goats.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case catches up with his goats at Far Hill to continue checking for potential goat predators.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case carefully checks out all interesing smells.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case tends to stay closer to his charges in dense underbrush than he does in open pastures.

Special Note to Breeders:

See how Case tends to keep his head low? That's a signal to his goats that all is well!

The head-held-high position, as preferred by ill-informed judges and exhibitors in the show ring,
means an Anatolian is signaling to those around that danger is near.

The head-held-high position alarms flock animals, as it should.

Selecting dogs for breeding who hold their heads high when no danger is perceived
(which is currently being done in many show dogs) removes good working head position from those lines.

Improper head placement reduces a dog's ability to comunicate properly with its flock animals
because flock animals instinctively know that the head-held-high position indicates danger!

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case watches over his goats as he checks for any predators' scents.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case continues moving with his goats as they move among the brush.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Spotting something suspicious, Case stops, raises his head, and carefully examines the object before lowering his head and moving on.

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Case moves on, his head lowered to signal that there is no danger.
The head lowered position Anatolians assume to signal the flock that there is no danger
is a conerstone working position.
Dogs that have been bred to hold their heads high no matter what situation they are in
have lost their ability to effectively signal their flock that danger is nearby!

I see this incorrect head-held-high head position most often in dogs selected for the show ring. Judges and breeders who select for
head-held-high head position in the ring, where the dog is both off territory and in no immediate danger, are clearly ignorant of the needs
of the working Anatolian. Both judges and these breeders must learn to select dogs with correctly lowered heads to preserve good working ability.
Or maybe they just don't care about preserving good working ability no matter what they say!

Thirteen year old Lucky Hit's Shadow Kasif (Case) - Still Guarding Full Time in the Big Pasture at Lucky Hit Ranch

Lying down, Case takes a short break as his goats graze.

Link to LUCKY HIT'S Shadow Kasif (CASE) Page

Link to Pictures of Case
at twelve (12)Years
Always working the Big Pasture

Link to Pictures of Case
from One through Eleven (1-11)Years
Always working the Big Pasture

Link to Pictures of Case as a puppy (0-1)
Growing up with Goats

Link to Lucky Hit Ranch Main Home Page
Link to Lucky Hit Ranch Anatolian Page
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