How to Rehome Your Akbash Responsibly in the United States

Pet for Rehoming6 min read

An owner hugging an adult Akbash Dog at home

To rehome your Akbash responsibly in the United States, contact your breeder or rescue first, then write a listing that says how the dog has lived, how it reacts to strangers, other dogs and children, how much it barks, whether it has escaped, and every health problem, and screen each applicant for a solid fence, space and guardian-dog experience. Hand over in person with the records and a signed agreement, never by shipping the dog to someone you have not met.

The best new home for most Akbash dogs is a quiet property with acreage and, ideally, animals to guard. Taking the time to find one keeps your dog out of a shelter, where this breed often struggles. People taking in a dog can read how to take in a rehomed Akbash.

Key points

Barking, escaping and roaming can often be reduced with a better fence and indoor nights; try that first.
Your breeder contract may require you to offer the dog back before anyone else.
Disclose every bite, fight, escape and health problem in writing.
A modest fee, often around $50 to $150 according to Adopt a Pet, helps put off resellers.

Can you solve the problem instead of rehoming?

Some of the reasons Akbash owners give up have practical fixes worth trying first:

Escaping: Vetstreet recommends a solid fence at least five or six feet high and says an underground electric fence will not keep in an Akbash that wants to leave. Raise or reinforce the fence and lock the gates.
Night barking: alarm barking is normal for this guardian, Hill's notes. Bringing the dog inside after dark may quiet things for close neighbors.
Tension with another dog: Vetstreet says the breed can be aggressive toward dogs it does not know. Separate feeding and rest areas may help.
Training: Akbash Dog Rescue Inc. warns that dominance-based training makes behavior worse. A qualified trainer or veterinary behaviorist who uses calm, reward-based methods is a better start.

If the cause is a move, a landlord, money or health, rehoming may simply be the kindest choice.

Who should you contact first?

Your breeder. Many contracts ask you to offer the dog back first, and a good breeder may already know an experienced home.
Your rescue or shelter, if the dog came from one; many adoption contracts require the dog to be returned.
Akbash Dog Rescue Inc., a small nonprofit that places the breed; check whether it is taking dogs.
Great Pyrenees and livestock-guardian rescues, which sometimes list Akbash dogs. Many are full: National Great Pyrenees Rescue, for example, had its owner-surrender program closed to intake in November 2026.
Farmers, ranchers and guardian-dog owners you know, and your vet.

Keep the dog while you search. Akbash Dog Rescue has written that the breed often does badly in shelters and fails behavior tests there.

What should you disclose about your Akbash?

What to tell people about your Akbash
Topic	What to say
Background	Lived with stock, in a house, or both; which animals it has guarded
Strangers	How it reacts to visitors, the vet and people at the gate
Other animals	Dogs, cats and livestock it lives with, and any fights
Children	Ages it has lived with, and any nipping or guarding
Barking	When and how much, and any neighbor complaints
Escapes	Digging, climbing or slipping gates, and the fence it got over
Health	Hips, heart, thyroid, bloat, seizures, weight, medications
Papers	UKC registration, breeder contract, spay or neuter status

Honesty protects the dog. A farm that knows your dog chases poultry can plan for it; one that finds out later may pass the dog on again.

How do you write an Akbash rehoming listing?

A clear title, for example: 4-year-old neutered male Akbash, guards goats, needs rural home, central Texas.
Daylight photos and a short video of the dog with its stock or on a leash.
The disclosures above in plain words.
The home you want: acreage or a large property, a solid fence, someone home most days, guardian-dog experience.
Your fee and how far you will travel to meet.

You can post your Akbash for rehoming for free on PetzLover; keep your phone number out of the ad text so replies come through messages first. Looking at other Akbash dogs listed for rehoming shows how owners describe their dogs and fees, and a farm that has posted a wanted ad may be a good match: see how to respond to an Akbash wanted ad.

How do you screen applicants for an Akbash?

Ask every applicant the same questions: land, animals, household, work hours, other dogs and their vet.
Ask for photos or a video of their fence, gates and the place the dog will sleep.
Ask what predators they see and whether other guardian dogs already work there.
Ask how they will handle barking and visitors.
Call the vet reference, and for farms, another guardian-dog owner who knows them.
Meet in person, ideally at their place, and agree a short trial period.

What fee and handover are fair for an Akbash?

An owner handing an Akbash Dog's leash and things to its new owner

Adopt a Pet suggests a reasonable dog rehoming fee is often around $50 to $150 and notes that a fee well above about $300 is closer to a sale. If your dog came from a breeder, check whether the contract limits resale. Breeders who sell this way are described in how to sell Akbash puppies.

Sign a short agreement: both names and addresses, the date, the fee, the dog's microchip number, what you disclosed, and a request to contact you first if it does not work out.
Hand over vet records, a few days of food and any medication.
Transfer the microchip registration on the spot; the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup shows which registry holds the chip.
Never ship the dog to someone you have not met, and never refund an overpayment; the FTC warns about fake-check scams.
Ask for an update after a week and a month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I rehome my Akbash?

Start with your breeder or rescue, since many contracts require the dog to come back. Akbash Dog Rescue Inc. and some Great Pyrenees and livestock-guardian rescues place the breed, but many are full, so a careful private rehoming is often the practical route.

Should I tell people my Akbash barks or escapes?

Yes. Alarm barking is normal for the breed, and escapes tell a new owner what fence they need. Hiding either risks the dog being passed on again.

How much should I charge to rehome my Akbash?

Adopt a Pet suggests a reasonable dog rehoming fee is often around $50 to $150. Take it only at the handover, in person, and give a receipt.

Can I rehome my Akbash to a town home?

Only with great care. Akbash Dog Rescue Inc. has written that the breed belongs in quiet settings on acreage and that urban life makes these dogs anxious, so a rural home with a solid fence is usually the better match.

Should I surrender my Akbash to a shelter?

Treat it as a last resort. Akbash Dog Rescue has written that the breed often does badly in shelters, so keep the dog while you search and ask your breeder and breed-savvy rescues for help.