Turkey has provided us with some of the oldest dog breeds in the world. The Akbash Dog is at least 3,000 years old. Of all the livestock guardian breeds, the Akbash shows the greatest influence of a sighthound ancestry. A molosser heritage is evident in the breed, but keen eyesight, long legs, a tall, lean, “tucked up” and flexible build, along with speed and agility comes from the sighthound, possibly the Tazi (it’s said the breed can jump over an obstacle as high as a man).