Anatolians or Kangals are very "pack-oriented" dogs, and because they are raised to eat and sleep with the livestock they protect, those animals become their "pack" or family. They will protect them at all costs, even to the death! So how do these dogs help cheetahs?
Cheetahs, although predators, have a very dog-like perception of the world. If a predator is bigger than them, they are often intimidated and will retreat rather than fight (their bodies are built for speed, not strength!). Therefore, when a cheetah goes up to a farm and thinks about snatching a meal from the livestock pen, if the farmer has one of these guard dogs protecting his livestock, the dog will bark loudly and alert the cheetah of his presence. The cheetah will then decide that the snack isn't worth the risk of getting near that large dog, and retreat. This means that the farmer doesn't lose any livestock, and the cheetah doesn't get shot or trapped in retaliation! A win-win for both parties!
Another way that dogs can help cheetahs in the wild is through using them as research tools! One of the best tools of research is through surveys, or the examination of an area to gain more information. When we want to know more about the animals that live in a particular area, we can use several tools. One of those tools is a camera trap, or a camera that takes a picture whenever something or someone walks past it. Yet one of the most accurate and informative pieces of information we can use is animal scat (poop)!
This may sound funny, but animal poop tells you a lot about an animal!
