Digging in the yard isn’t an issue when the “yard” is twenty acres of pasture land, so the moonscape left behind by Kangal dogs often goes unnoticed. It surprises some people, then, to learn that Kangals can be compulsive diggers, this according to several sources including the Kangal Club of America. Digging a tunnel to the other side of the world may be an exaggeration of their excavational skills, but they are very capable of boring out deep tunnel dens. If you doubt this, take a look at the photo posted on their Facebook page by Kangal Hungary DABAS:

The breeder ultimately had to level the dogs’ “tidying tunnel system” by heavy machinery as it was a safety hazard, but impressive, no?

Curiously, when it comes to shelter from inclement weather while “on duty,” Kangals will dig a shallow trench, tuck in and curl up to keep their underbelly protected and their internal organs warm. This behavior is probably not unique to the Kangal, but it is common among LGDs (livestock guardian dogs) who live and work outdoors.

In a situation where there is no surplus land, it’s recommended to define a place on the property where one’s Kangal is allowed to dig and train the dog to understand that s/he has the right to dig there, but only there. Whether this works or not, we don’t know.  What we do know from our cursory research is that the Kangal is a champion digger!

Image is from the blog, Our Kangal Dogs, a wonderful perspective of owning the breed