Erick Conard's Lucky Hit Ranch
Anatolian Shepherd Guardian Dogs


A Brief Overview of our Dogs Both Past and Present

Lucky Hit's Breeding Philosophy

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At Lucky Hit, we believe in breeding only top quality working Anatolians (Anatolians with proven working ability) whose confirmation would allow that dog to be shown competitively at the national level. At Lucky Hit we also believe that Anatolian Shepherd Guardian Dogs without proven superior working (flock guardian) temperament are not truly Anatolian Shepherd Guardians but just another beautiful companion dog and should never be bred.

Because Lucky Hit Anatolians are raised with, live with, and protect goats and other animals, over the years we've learned some of the important behavioral traits necessary in superior working flock guardians. We believe some behavioral traits that are a necessity in superior flock guardians are currently negative factors for Anatolians being shown in conformation classes, (i.e. a suspicious, aloof nature, etc.).

In spite of that fact, we believe that, in all cases, traits required for superior working ability must be selected over traits helpful in the show ring but destructive in a working environment (i.e. happy-go-lucky attitudes, a trusting nature, etc.). Each Anatolian breeder is responsible for his/her selection of only Anatolians with superior working temperaments and demeanors.

At Lucky Hit we believe superior conclusions regarding an Anatolian's ability and temperament are best obtained by placing an Anatolian in a working environment that contains both flock animals in need of protection (young and old) and predators interested in killing and eating the Anatolian's flock. In that real world situation, over time a comprehensive understanding of the true nature and ability of that Anatolian is reached!

Other Notes of Interest

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I field questions for any individuals who may be having difficulty raising working Anatolian pups. I can be reached by my phone number or the e-mail listed on this web site.

A Brief Comment on Hip Dysplasia Pups have a better chance of developing a good hip joint when both parents have good or excellent hip joints. However, hip dysplasia is a polygenetic trait and the many different genes involved combine randomly. Therefore, two dogs with good hips are able to produce a pup with terrible hips. Even so, the odds are that most of their pups will have better-than-average hips. Knowing this, I believe it is vital that all Anatolian Shepherd breeders use at least one of the accepted radiographic hip formation evaluations for all their breeding animals. In addition, a breeder should obtain radiographic information on as many dogs in a potential breeding pair's pedigrees as possible. This information should include the pair's siblings and offspring, as well as their ancestors. The more dogs with good hip formation in the pedigrees the better the chances of producing pups with normal hips. A dog's hip formation can truly be evaluated only through x-rays. The following statistics reflect OFA outcomes using a mixture of breeds: Matings between two dogs with either Good or Excellent OFA ratings 12.5% of the litter develop dysplastic hips (canine hip dysplasia) 87.5% of the litter develop normal hips Matings between a dog with either a Good or an Excellent OFA rating and a dog with a Fair OFA rating 15% of the litter develop dysplastic hips (canine hip dysplasia) 85% of the litter develop normal hips Matings between a dog which is dysplastic and a dog with a Good or an Excellent OFA rating 25% of the litter develop dysplastic hips (canine hip dysplasia) 75% of the litter develop normal hips