Today Kazakhstan is marking a new commemorative date dedicated to the national dog breed, the Tazy. The Government amended the list of commemorative dates by a resolution dated April, 15 and Kazakhstanis are celebrating National Tazy Day for the first time.
Presidential Press Secretary Aibek Smadiyarov stated that the Tazy is one of the seven national treasures, known as Zheti Kazyna, and symbolizes loyalty, agility and strength. According to him, the Head of State attaches particular importance to the preservation and international promotion of the breed.
A Dog bred thousands of years old
Images of greyhound-like dogs resembling the modern Tazy have been found in petroglyphs in southern Kazakhstan. Some of these rock carvings date back as far as the 12th millennium BC, making the breed one of the oldest companions of humans in the region.
The word Tazy itself derives from Persian and is translated as “swift” or “agile.” For centuries, the dog accompanied the nomadic peoples of Central Asia, assisting them in horseback hunting across desert and steppe terrain.
A purebred puppy once measured in horses
Among nomadic peoples, the Tazy was valued on a par with livestock and, in some cases, even more highly. A purebred dog could be worth more than fifty horses or several camels - a substantial fortune by the standards of the steppe economy.
The breed was respected not only for its hunting abilities. The Tazy was allowed to enter the yurt freely and had a designated place inside, which was a rare privilege for an animal in nomadic life. Historical accounts contain instances in which game caught by a Tazy saved an entire family from starvation during difficult years.
International recognition
In 2024, the Tazy received preliminary international recognition, with Kazakhstan officially designated as the country of origin of the breed. Kazakhstan also became a full member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), opening the way for Tazy dogs to participate in major international dog shows.
Construction of the National Centre for Kazakh Dog Breeds is currently nearing completion in Kazakhstan. At the same time, legislation on the conservation and breeding of national dog breeds has been adopted, while the Tazy breeding base is expanding in line with growing interest among breeders across the country.
How the Kazakh Tazy received intl recognition
On September, 3 Kazakhstan is celebrating National Tazy Day for the first time. The date was chosen deliberately: on this day in 2024, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) adopted a decision granting preliminary recognition to the national breed.
The recognition was granted at a meeting of the Federation in Amsterdam. The Kazakh Tazy was assigned FCI Standard No. 372, and Kazakhstan was officially designated as the country of origin of the breed.
For centuries, the Tazy has lived alongside people in the Great Steppe, been used in traditional hunting, and become an integral part of Kazakh culture and everyday life. The breed’s special status is reflected even in the FCI international standard, which specifically refers to its place among Zheti Kazyna, the seven treasures of the Kazakh people.
Three Years of Systematic Work
The active phase of efforts to preserve and promote the breed began in 2022, when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the relevant authorities to take appropriate measures. A year later, the necessary legislative framework was established, covering such matters as the breed standard, certificates of origin, government support, scientific research and breeding activities.
A key step was the accession of the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. On 22 August 2023, at the FCI General Assembly in Geneva, the Kazakh organization was granted full membership, with 72 of the 77 member countries voting in favour of the decision.
From Documentation to an Exhibition in Astana
Following its accession to the Federation, Kazakhstan was able to officially submit the breed for international recognition. In March 2024, a documentation package on the Kazakh Tazy was submitted to the FCI, where it was reviewed by the organization’s Standards Commission and Scientific Commission.
In May of the same year, a special single-breed dog show was held in Astana, where international experts were presented with 100 Kazakh Tazy dogs of different ages, colours and origins. Federation experts assessed the dogs’ conformation, movement and compliance with the breed type. It was based on the results of this work that the decision on preliminary recognition was adopted on 3 September 2024.
The Minister’s Remarks
Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev noted that the Kazakh Tazy had lived alongside the people for centuries and that the preservation of the breed had been made possible through the efforts of hunters, breeders, cynologists and dog owners across generations.
According to the Minister, international recognition was an important outcome of this work, but not its final stage. The current priority is to preserve the Tazy’s distinctive breed characteristics, genetic pool, as well as its natural and working qualities.
