Akbash is one of the largest dog breeds which can be reared at home with proper care and the right diet. This is a breed that has come from the native Turkey region. Their name means white head and they are named so adequately after their appearance. In old times, rearing this dog was necessary for handling the herd of cattle. They have the features of Sighthound along with Molossus.
This particular breed came after much research on the Turkish dogs that have migrated to the US. They are much large in size and shape. The male dogs can weigh 120 pounds when the female ones can be 90 pounds. Their body fur is of light beige in shade in ears and white in their most part of the body. They have a curly feathery tail and a black-brown nose and lips.
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What does Akbash dog eat?
These are guard dogs and they are of a pretty large breed. So you need to provide them with quality and protein-rich dog food. These dogs are much hardy and can manage with any kind of food. But meat is the primary source of their energy and they get the most important source of protein from red meat.
Also, you should add some high-quality fiber as well as minerals and vitamins in their food to complete their nutrition. Vegetables and other kinds of fibers also should be part of their meal.
They are more of protecting kind of dog. That is why they are much strong and need a good diet to stay strong in all situations. As we have already mentioned that earlier they were used in rearing and protecting the herd of cattle, they are still used for protecting the house with senior or minor ones.
However, they are not much active in nature. So if you plan to adopt one, you must keep a separate time of the daily schedule for its exercise. You need to take it out for a long walk which they will enjoy if the weather is good.
They are good observers. So if you do not train them or take them for the regular sessions of exercise, they would stay calm and observe the life moving around them. They love to keep checking and concentrating on happenings in their surroundings and do not suddenly break into a phase of hyperactivity.
The 5 Best Dog Foods For Akbash
They are much flexible and smooth when it comes to attacking any enemy. Also, this high level of concentration and observation helped them to be a guard dog. Even if not much active in the daily schedule, they would jump or attack any predator animal to save the herd or its owner’s family.
As they were primarily used for maintaining the herd, they are more renowned for that. But the true fact is, they are much close to their family and will be successful as guard dogs. Also when they are left with calm and timid pets like goats, or lambs, which come in herds, they do not act like a predator. Rather they behave much softly to show their care and protective nature towards such creatures.
This high-quality dog lives for 10 -11 years healthily. But there are examples of this dog breed living longer than that. It is up to you to keep them in good condition, provide them with nutritious food and check them up once a month through the vet, to avoid any chance of sudden illness or early death.
Female Akbash gives birth to 7 to 9 litter of puppies and they show a good amount of emotions to their puppies. Also, they have a queer sense of sensitivity towards their owner and his or her family.
1. Hills science diet dry dog food:
The brand offers good quality food for large breed dogs. This dry food comes in a variety of sized packages so you can order the small package to get your dog like the particular food. Not only protein but also this food is rich in minerals and other nutrients. So you can be assured of getting the right quality of nutrition in this small kibble of food. This food improves joint health which is a problem for all the large breed dogs when they age. The balanced minerals present in this food will be sufficient to offer a strong bone structure in Akbash.
The pack is easy to carry when you will travel with your dog. Also, this is ready-made food that can be fed directly from the pack. The high-quality protein will help in building the lean muscle in the dog’s body so there will be no issue of obesity or weight gain. This food is sure to keep the energy level of your Akbash high and thus you will have a healthy and energetic dog by your side.
Pros:
- Easy to digest
- Naturally sourced glucosamine and chondroitin
- EPA from fish oil
- Better mobility
Cons:
- Some dogs eat it only when mixed with other food
2. Nutro natural choice large breed adult and senior dry dog food:
This chicken-flavored dry dog food will be surely loved by dogs of all owners, and their health will be visibly improved after consumption of this food for a month. The food contains chicken and brown rice recipes and thus it will contain not only the goodness of protein but all some fibers and minerals required for large breed dogs. The food is sourced from non-GMO products so no low standard by-product of chicken has been added to it. The brand assures you of getting only high-quality food for your dog.
It will not make your dog obese but keep it fit ad flexible. It also helps in lean muscle growth and thus you can expect this food to work magically for your lethargic or less active Akbash. Although this food contains much better still it tastes much yummy and dogs would love to gorge on it. If you are worried about maintaining the joint health of your dog, then surely you should choose this food. It will also boost the immunity of your dog and it will live a long life without many ailments. The essential antioxidants present in this food will be helpful in keeping the dog’s health in good condition.
Pros:
- Tasty and healthy
- Boosts immunity
- Good for bone health
- High-quality protein
Cons:
- Some dogs throw up after eating
3. Lams adult dry dog food for a healthy weight:
This food is available in chicken flavor which is a favorite for almost all dogs. This food is particularly useful for those Akbash that does not gain weight easily. This food is nutritious and will surely become helpful if you feed it in the proper amount to your dog. This is veterinarian-recommended dog food and most of the owners have found it much useful when it comes to giving their dog proper nutritious meal. This food contains much less amount of fat thus you will not have to worry about the obesity problem.
Strong muscle and good bone structure are some of the benefits that this food claims to provide. There are natural probiotics present in this food that takes care of the gut health of your dog. The mini chunks of this food make it easily consumable and thus you can carry it anywhere when you travel with your dog. The L-carnitine present in this farm-sourced chicken-based food makes it an obvious necessity for a healthy metabolism. This food is also easy on digestion so you can offer this food when your dog gets senior.
Pros:
- Farm sourced chicken-based
- Good for gut health
- Easy digestion
- Contains natural fiber
Cons:
- Some dogs can have stomach problem after consumption
4. Open farm grain-free dry dog food:
This food contains non-GMO superfoods and there is no artificial flavor or preservatives found in this food. Thus you can safely offer this food to your Akbash as it is full of the natural goodness of meat recipes. This food comes in a variety of flavors and you can choose from pork, turkey, beef, white fish, or salmon flavor. The flavor is obtained from the real items thus your dog will not refuse to eat this food any time.
The fiber sources of this food are all farm fresh and free from any chemicals. You will provide the goodness of lentil, chickpea, apple, and many other fruits and vegetables which provide the dog with all the natural goodness of high-quality fibers. But you should not worry about getting the dog some grains, as this food is free from corn, wheat, soy, or any other grain-sourced nutrients. The meat protein is good for muscle and the probiotic fiber will control obesity as well as look after immunity. So this food can be considered as one of the best complete nutrition options for your Akbash.
Pros:
- Real sourced meat
- No preservative
- Non-GMO source of nutrients
- Probiotics for immunity
Cons:
- Caused indigestion in some dogs
5. Nature’s advantage dinner dog food:
This food is offered from a comparatively new brand but the flavors they offer are pretty alluring. They have beef, chicken, turkey, and burger recipe available for their dry dog food category. You must try one of their popular flavors to keep your Akbash healthy and well-fed. This food is not designed particularly for large breed dogs or matured ones. Rather it can be consumed and fed to dogs of any stages and any breed. This one is sourced from raw dog food and thus you can be sure of getting only high-quality protein and other nutrients from this brand.
They cleverly pack this food in the re-sealable package so you can keep using it for weeks without hampering its quality. This is freeze-dried raw food and if you are concerned about the quality of this food, then you can make sure by checking the manufacturing and expiring date of this food from the packaging. This is a grain-free food so your dog will have only the goodness of protein. The real meat and beef used in this food will offer the nutrition of high-quality protein without tampering it with preservatives or any synthetic ingredient. You can add water to make it moist dog food and feed your Akbash.
Pros:
- Highly nutritional
- Naturally sourced food
- Can be turned into wet dog food
- No grain
- Meets the nutritional need of Akbash
Cons:
- Some dogs threw up
- Some did not like the taste
The metabolism of your dog is something that you should keep in check. If you find the dog is not eating properly, then get it checked by a vet, who should analyze the decreased metabolism level of the dog. Otherwise, it will get weaker or gain weight as a result of disturbed metabolism.
The quality of food is something crucial to maintain the dog’s health. You should get high-quality food, raw or packaged, whatever is available, to provide the dog with proper nutrition.
Regular exercise is another serious factor to keep the dog healthy. You should not be negligent in this aspect. Either you or some professional trainer should make the Akbash exercise regularly to increase longevity.
The weight of the dog should be measured regularly. This is a sure-shot way to understand if the dog is suffering from any illness or is getting obese. In either case, you need to check with the vet and get some solution.
The purity of the breed is also something you must check before you buy or adopt a dog. This way you can be sure that there is some degraded gene in the bloodline of your pet, or has it descended from healthy and high-quality ancestors.
Now we can suggest you some foods which are packaged and yet full of nutritious ingredients. Let’s check if these ones are loved by your Akbash.
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