Kangal Dogs of Cappadocia

The famous Turkish Sivas Kangal. You wouldn't believe it looking at this little puppy, but it's going to grow into  an 80 kilo monster in a couple of years. They are very common here in Cappadocia. The pure-bred ones and the mongrels alike. Mongrels are simply all over the place, you can see half a dozen of them just walking for half an hour on the street. They tend to stick to butcher's shops, as the butchers throw huge bones to them at the end of every day.
Today we saw one of them being led on a leash by a lad barely able to keep up with the monster! It really was HUGE, with brindled coat and cropped ears. They crop their ears, as the wolves tend to attack this part of them first - it's especially vulnerable for some reason. Unfortunately, there's no picture of that monster, as it really was a brief encounter.

Fun fact: Kangal dogs are six-toed. It is thought that this particular feature allows them to be steadier in a fight.