ERICK CONARD OF LUCKY HIT ANATOLIANS IS AN AKC BREEDER OF MERIT.
My first priority in breeding Anatolians is to breed for pups with Superior
Working Ability with True Flock Guardian Temperament, Character, and
Demeanor. Because I place WORKING ABILITY as my FIRST PRIORITY, my
pups are best suited for individuals seeking an Anatolian who want
their dog's primary duty to be a flock guardian. As a bonus (and because
I also select for superior conformation) I expect my pups to have
excellent conformation in addition to superior working ability! I have
found that CORRECT WORKING TEMPERMENT can result in Anatolians who also do well
as EXCELLENT SHOW DOGS and/or OUTSTANDING COMPANION GUARDIANS!
ALL RESPONSIBLE ANATOLIAN BREEDERS UNDERSTAND THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE BREED
IS WORKING ABILITY! BREEDING ANATOLIANS MUST BE PROVEN WORKING ANATOLIANS (PWA).
I HAVE MANY SHOW WINS AND WINNING IS FUN. HOWEVER, I NEVER FORGET THAT
SHOW WINS TELL ME VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CORE ASPECT OF THE BREED! ONLY
BY TESTING ANATOLIANS 24/7 WITH SHEEP AND/OR GOATS IN A PREDATOR RICH
ENVIRONMENT CAN I UNDERSTAND THE TRUE ESSENCE OF EACH OF MY ANATOLIANS!
RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS ALWAYS BREED FOR PROVEN ANATOLIAN WORKING ABILITY AS THEIR
PRIMARY BREEDING SELECTION CRITERIA.
LUCKY HIT RANCH WORKING ANATOLIANS
The male pictured here by the hay is CHAMPION LUCKY HIT Shadow ZIRVA.
ZIRVA was ranked #3 two years in a row, was the #1 AKC ALL BREED ANATOLIAN after taking a GROUP II on
February 17, 2008, and is a multiple Group Placing Anatolian!
The female Anatolian pictured here on the rock wall is LUCKY HIT Shadow BENEK, a truly tuff and protective Anatolian who only loves me and her charges!
Working Anatolians live 24/7 with flock animals. It takes YEARS of evaluation to fully understand an Anatolian's true working ability.
All Responsible Anatolian Breeders fully evaluate all their breeding prospects for superior working ability.
If an Anatolian's working ability has not been properly evaluated but the "breeder" intends to breed it anyway,
the unproven Anatolian should be bred ONLY to a FULLY EVALUATED AND SUPERIOR WORKING ANATOLIAN!
If working ability is not a breeder's primary selection criteria,
over time the superior working ability derived from the Turkish
genetics will be lost in that breeder's lines!
Anatolian Shepherd Guardian Dogs are unlike any other breed of dog I've
known. Anatolians are an unusual and wonderful breed with over 2,000 years of
selective breeding behind their unique genetic makeup. This page provides links
to and overviews of articles (SEE ARTICLES FURTHER BELOW) I've written about Working Anatolian Shepherd
Guardian Dogs. In addition, this page provides links to specific information
about the Anatolian Shepherds protecting my animals and property, both past and
present.
LUCKY HIT FOUNDATION ANATOLIANS
Two Superior LUCKY HIT Working Females
LUCKY HIT WORKING MALE
ASDCA'S 2009 AKC TOP PRODUCING SIRE
ASDCA'S 2011 AKC TOP PRODUCING SIRE
SIRE OF ASDCA'S 2012 AKC TOP PRODUCING SIRE PRODUCED 11 CHAMPIONS FROM ONLY TWO LITTERS
GrandMother
Mother
Son
TAWNY
Conard's TAWNY Kat in 1995 warning the intruder
(a photographer using a telephoto lens),
to stop approaching the goats.
CABUK'S page has pictoral displays of correct working ability, why the behavior
is correct, and what to do as it is happening.
I HAVE PROVIDED THESE PICTURES TO HELP DEMONSTRATE VARIOUS ANATOLIAN TRAINING TECHNIQUES!
AWARDS for CEDAR RISE ANATOLIANS and LUCKY HIT ANATOLIANS during the SPECIALTY WEEK
These four Anatolians had lived their lives on the ranch guarding goats, geese, and ducks. They were given no
special training, socialization, or exposure to people off-territory prior to me loading them up in the pick-up
and driving to the show. (As a matter of fact, other than a few trips to the vet, they had not ever left my
ranch and their animals.) They adapted beautifully to living in the hotel, being around tons of dogs and
people, and being shown and handled, including standing for examination. I use the show setting to determine
the level of mental stability and judgement my dogs have. It is just one more tool I use to select my
very best working Anatolians... not because they win (which they do) but because I am looking for those
Anatolians with the greatest ability to react well to a drastic change in environment - ie. stability of
temperament and superior judgement! This behavior is a combination of both genetics and constant work-oriented
training provided to all my dogs to encourage them to look to me for guidance. But every Anatolian is an individual
and has its own responses to new and different situations, some of which can surprise me greatly!
That being said, never forget that a guardian Anatolian must be internally powerful and willing to express
aggression toward canines who challenge their dominance. This is why selecting for off-territory shut-down
is so vital! It makes for a less showy Anatolian, but it is a necessary trait to counter-balance the
violent and explosive aggression required when an Anatolians is on-territory and must stand firm against
wolf packs, pig packs, bears, cougars, and other serious, powerful, and determined predators!
CHAMPION STONECOAT Wicked GAMORA
GAMORA'S Dam's Dam: LUCKY HIT DivaKiz KAYA - DAM OF MERIT
KAYA'S Sire: CHAMPION LUCKY HIT Bethany NAZIK (NAZIK)
KAYA'S Dam: CHAMPION Ashley Manor DIVAKIZ LUCKY HIT (KIZZIE)
NATIONAL SPECIALTY RESULTS - July 2, 2021 - BEST WORKING DOG and BEST OF WINNERS (5 POINT MAJOR)
Friday, July 2, 2021 - SUPPORTED ENTRY - WINNER'S BITCH and BEST OF WINNERS (5 POINT MAJOR)
Saturday, July 3, 2021 - WINNER'S BITCH (5 POINT MAJOR)
OWNER/BREEDER: Heidi Krol
ALL OF THE ABOVE DOGS are either OFFSPRING or GREAT-OFFSPRING OF
LUCKY HIT DivaKiz SONRA
or LUCKY HIT DivaKiz KAYA.
SONRA AND KAYA are litter sisters whose sire and dam are
DAM: CHAMPION ASHLEY MANOR DIVAKIZ LUCKY HIT and
SIRE: CHAMPION LUCKY HIT Bethany NAZIK
Both SONRA and KAYA are PROVEN SUPERIOR WORKING ANATOLIANS out of PROVEN SUPERIOR WORKING
ANATOLIANS. With these results, it is clear they also produce SUPERIOR CONFORMATION, now
clearly seen both up and down their pedigrees!
ALL OF THE ABOVE WINNING ANATOLIANS ARE ACTUAL WORKING ANATOLIANS WHO GUARD SHEEP AND/OR GOATS 24/7
IN A PREDATOR RICH ENVIRONMENT!
CLEARLY, SUPERIOR WORKING ANATOLIANS CAN BE SUPERIOR SHOW ANATOLIANS AS WELL!!!
ALL BREEDING ANATOLIANS MUST HAVE PROVEN WORKING ABILITY SINCE WORKING
ABILITY IS THE ESSENCE OF THIS BREED.
ALL RESPONSIBLE ANATOLIAN BREEDERS USE SUPERIOR WORKING ABILITY AS THEIR PRIMARY SELECTION
CRITERIA WHEN SELECTING ANATOLIANS FOR BREEDING!!!! CONFORMATION IS IMPORTANT BUT
SECONDARY TO SUPERIOR WORKING ABILITY IN ANATOLIANS!
SADLY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF WORKING ABILITY YOU HAVE IF YOU DON'T PROVE IT
BY RAISING YOUR ANATOLIANS 24/7 WITH SHEEP AND/OR GOATS IN A PREDATOR RICH ENVIRONMENT!
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL AND TYPE OF WORKING ABILITY YOUR
ANATOLIAN POSSESSES!
How I Raise Strictly Working Anatolian Pups
(I no longer raise my pups as Strictly Working pups. Now I heavily
socialize them and find that while they are not as tightly bonded to the
flock, correctly bred Anatolians still maintain full guardian abilities
and behaviors.)
An article discussing some of the physical characteristics I believe are
necessary in working Anatolians!
This article is quoted
extensively in Judge Beauchamp's article (published in Dogs in Review
in 2005), "CAN JUDGING FOR TYPE SERVE PERFORMANCE?"
A short article discussing selecting the right male to breed to your female.
Lucky Hit pups are always raised with goats and llamas
and I begin the process of accepting ducks and geese.
These pups are from Sahara/Shadow 2006 litter
At Lucky Hit Ranch
Lucky Hit Ranch Anatolians Zirva and Benek
on May 12, 2011,
with Boer Goats, Indian Runner Ducks, and Pilgrim Geese.
Goat, Duck, and Goose safety at Lucky Hit Ranch requires 24/7 Anatolian protection.
AYLA WAS SHOWN AT MATCHES THREE TIMES BEFORE SIX MONTHS
ALYA TOOK
BEST OF BREED
and GROUP 1
in a match when 3 1/2 months,
WINNING THE WORKING GROUP
by defeating mature adults.
AYLA is pictured above at 3 1/2 months
at Lucky Hit Ranch in her pasture
with ducks, geese, goats and llamas.
(Picture by Heidi Dunlop)
AYLA took
BEST OF BREED
and GROUP 2
in a match at 4 1/2 months,
again beating mature adults.
AYLA was owner handled
by Erick Conard at 5 months.
AYLA again took
BEST OF BREED
and
WON THE WORKING GROUP,
taking GROUP 1
in a match against
mature adults.
Please contact me with any questions you may have about potential future litters!
Please feel free to contact me by phone or text for help
with any problems you may have with your working pup, for current information
about my dogs, or to reserve a Lucky Hit pup.
TOKAT eats supper while baby-sitting two week old kid.
and Phone Numbers Link
TOKAT eats supper while baby-sitting two week old kid.
ADDITIONAL RECENT ARTICLES WRITTEN BY ERICK CONARD OF LUCKY HIT ANATOLIANS 
Overview of my Working Anatolians, Past and Present 
How I Raise Strictly Working Anatolian Pups 
Correcting Rough Play in Anatolians
"Coat Color on the AKC Reg Form" page
Coat Color Genetics in Dogs 
2004 NATIONAL SPECIALTY CRITIQUE 
Mektup of Obruk Article by Mrs Caroline Southen 
"Back Off Command" page
"Same Sex Anatolians Together" page
"Emotional Control" page
Identifying Working Traits in Anatolian Puppies 
"Behavioral Patterns" page
"The Genetic Difference Between Anatolians and Kangals" page
"Maternal Instincts - Shadow and the Storm" page
"Casy - 2003 Recipient of the ASDCA Livestock Guardian Award" page
"Introducing Anatolians to Birthing and Young Kids" page
Links to AKC Anatolian Shepherd Breed Standard 
Links to Pictures with Insight about Anatolians Guarding Horses 
Links to "A First Time Owner's Experience Raising a Working Anatolian: 
Links to "A First Time Owner's Experience Raising a Working Anatolian: 
Click Picture to Return to Lucky Hit Main Home Page