Breed: Kangal Dog *
Name: Sivas Regal's Pasha
Pet-name: Pasha
Sex: Male
Age: 7 years
Born: in Kangal District, Sivas province, May 1996
Registeration: United Kennel Club, UKC. # P245-285
Title: UKC Champion
2X Best of Breed, including Best of Breed at the UKC Kangal Dog Specialty in 2001
Owners: Sue Kocher and Cuneyt Unutmaz

A short "praise" from an admirer:
Very few times in a lifetime does a dog lover come across a dog that makes you go aweeeeee. So needless to say when I met UKC Champion Pasha a Import Kangal Owned by the Kocher/Unutmaz family, I was amazed. This dog has presence , bone , head & strong working character. When you look at him you can see the unique history of the Turkish people. I had the greatest pleasure of handling this BIG boy to a Reserve in a Large Champion class.
Even thou my first love are Central Asian Shepherds dogs. Which go back in time & history that the Kangals do. I am still fascinated by the Turkish culture and the breeds of dogs that have involved threw time. In the never ending pursuit of gathering information about my breed you must look past your front doors and at other breeds similar to yours. Thus my research in Central Asian must include the history of how the Kangal came to be. And what a fascinating journey this is and will be for some time. I wish the Kocher/Unutmaz family and Pasha the best success.
Jeannine DePalma

Our buddy, Pasha at age 3
Pasha is over 31 inches tall at the shoulder, and a lean, strong 130 lbs.
He is the "classic Kangal" with his heavy bone structure, noble head, and great temperament.

We found Pasha in a village deep in the district of Kangal, in Sivas province, Turkey, as a young puppy. We were so very lucky to have found him, and so thrilled when the Sonmez family finally agreed to let him come to the U.S. with us. Pasha and his mate Chilek changed our lives, well and truly--because they are so special, we found ourselves becoming increasingly involved with the Kangal Dog breed. We now devote much of our spare time to Kangal club activities and educational work aimed at the preservation of the breed in the US and in Turkey. We show our dogs now and then, and attend the Kangal Festival in Turkey every other year. They keep us very busy!
 
 

Pasha as a pup, with friend

Pasha and Chilek, our beloved foundation dogs,  both imported from Turkey.

 

We don't show very often, but when we do, Pasha inevitably turns heads, wins ribbons, and makes friends. Here he is at age 7, with friend Jeannine DePalma, who kindly handled him for us to win Champion of Champions at our most recent UKC show.

 
 

Unique among the various livestock guardian breeds, Kangal Dogs are famed for their "people orientation" and affectionate personality. Pasha is the epitome of the Kangal Dog in type and temperament, and is a wonderful Turkish ambassador. Pasha's protective bark sounds more like the roar of a lion, and yet he is wonderfully sweet with most other animals, and he adores children. He will put on quite a display when  strangers enter our property, but is friendly and easy-going once he's introduced.     Here he is with a Turkish dancer at the North Carolina Museum of Art, where he was on display to open an Ottoman art exhibit there.

 

Pasha is a certified Canine Good Citizen, and has worked at the local Target store helping teach kids (their parents, actually) how to approach and ask permission to pet a dog. He is trained for therapy work through the Delta Society program, and passed their Pet Partners evaluation with flying colors!  <----Now, one of his sons is working as a Therapy Dog with elderly patients in Winnepeg, Canada. Here is Bishop Takes Knight of Sivas Regal, with his human, Brian, and some friends at the hospital.

 

This is Pasha's dad, Alabash, at age 12 in his home village in Turkey, gray and a little slowed down, but still going strong. I hope he is still alive, but in any case 12 is an incredible age for a hard-working village dog with no vaccinations and no vet care available. We hope for the same longevity in Pasha and his progeny. It is already clear that they've inherited the same sweet but protective personality that makes their owners fall in love, just as we fell for our Pasha. Hook, line, and sinker!

Do YOU want to nominate a Molosser for Molosser of the Month? It does not have to be a dog who have achieved alot at shows, other reasons count as much to be Molosser of the Month at Molosserworld.
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