Dikkulak
Also called Turkish Dikkulak, Dikkulak Köpeği, Çivikulak, Zagar
From Eastern Turkey, in the provinces of Ağrı, Ardahan, Erzurum, Iğdır and Kars.1
At a glance the quick version
Average weights reported on Wikipedia from Turkish morphological studies; individual dogs vary.
Coat and looks how to spot one
short
A small, short-legged dog with pricked ears and a short, easy coat, built along the lines of a spitz-type herder.1
Personality what they are like
A watchful little guardian that is quick to raise the alarm with a loud bark. It is reserved with people it does not know and is kept mainly as a working dog rather than a house pet.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Bred to work outdoors on farms as a watch dog, so it is used to spending the day active around the property.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
The short coat needs little more than an occasional brush.1
Home where they are happiest
Traditionally kept outdoors on rural holdings, either on a tether or free within a fenced yard.1
Company who they like around
Bonds with its own household and keeps a distance from outsiders, so early and steady socialisation helps.1
The story where it all began
The Dikkulak is a native dog of north-eastern Turkey, sharing its home region with the much larger Kangal. Farmers there have long kept it as a small guard that warns of visitors. Turkish researchers have recorded it in surveys of the country's native dogs and note that numbers are going down.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its short legs and upright ears give it a look reminiscent of the Swedish Vallhund or Pembroke Welsh Corgi.1
- 2
It comes from the same part of Turkey as the Kangal Shepherd Dog, yet is only a fraction of its size.1
- 3
One of its local names, Zagar, is also used for erect-eared dogs in Turkish studies of native breeds.1
Recognised by the official bits
- None (native landrace)
- A local Turkish working dog described in Turkish native-breed surveys; no international kennel club recognition was found.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Dikkulak. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery 3 weeks
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery day
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 10every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Wikipedia: Dikkulak en.wikipedia.orgused for names, origin, size, coat, colours, temperament, uses, status (secondary)
- Yilmaz, Ertuğrul & Wilson: The domestic livestock resources of Turkey: guard and hunting dogs researchgate.netused for background survey cited by Wikipedia
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.