Paco is living up to his peaceful name. He responds submissively to the alpacas he protects, and he gently accepts pats and snacks from the children.

Paco is an Akbash livestock guard dog. His breed originally came from Turkey. The Akbash is thought to be a combination of a Mastiff (for strength) and a Greyhound (for sight and speed). Turkish sheep farmers depended on their Akbash guard dogs to use independent judgment in keeping the sheep safe from predators. The Akbash tended to be white, so they could blend with the sheep and surprise any animal who would hurt the sheep.

AYA IS THE NEWEST AKBASH GUARD DOG.

Akbash guard dogs live and bond with the animals they protect. The animals they protect could be anything from fuzzy baby chicks to alpacas. Paco is gentle and nurturing with the alpacas and the people at Paca Peace Ranch. But woe to any coyote, mountain lion, or bear that would try to hurt his"family." Baby alpacas, called crias (cree-ahs), even need to be protected from large birds of prey, such as eagles.

All the Paca Peace dogs.

For more information on Akbash dogs, go to:
The Akbash Dog Homepage
Sheepfields Akbash Dogs