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It seems that the question of whether the dog belongs to the Tazy breed has long been settled. But formal international recognition of its status, origin and history remains of fundamental importance.
The cynics of Kazakhstan have been working on this incident for at least two decades. After all, if the Kazakh Greyhound really has a place in the Kazakh treasury “Zheti Kazyna”, then the whole world must recognize this reality.
“There is a lot of evidence that the Taz is a native Kazakh breed,” said Natalya Drovosekova, head of the working group for the international recognition of national breeds at the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan – starting with folklore and ending with the works of scientists and travelers, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
According to researchers from the Kazakh National University al-Farabi, the oldest evidence of the presence of this dog in the territory of modern Kazakhstan was found in rock art. The first images of it date back to the Early Bronze Age; they were found in Semirechi in the south and in eastern Kazakhstan. By the end of the Iron Age – the fifth to second centuries BC – clear images of greyhounds were formed in rock paintings, whose size and proportions were close to the taz dogs familiar to contemporaries.
It is known that the last two centuries have been a period of great research on the steppes. The Russian Geographical Society sent expeditions to the outskirts of the empire; many enthusiastic travelers came here and, while exploring the Kingdom of Khiva and the surrounding lands, described the life and lifestyle of the local people. Few overlooked the fact that the steppe peoples had a kind of dog that hunted with falcons and was highly valued by their owners.
To support these observations, many written sources have been preserved, including Yakov Gaverdovsky’s 1803-1804 “Overview of the Kirghiz-Kaisak Steppes”, Alexei Levshin’s “Description of the Kirghiz-Cossack or Kirghiz-Kaisak Tribes and Steppes”, Pyotr Machevarianov’s 1832 work “Notes of a Dog Hunter”, Modest Bogdanov’s 1878 article “Tazi and the Kirghiz Greyhound”.
In all these works, the territory from Orsk to the Caspian Sea is explored – within the borders of modern Kazakhstan, and the hounds of these places are described to varying degrees.
– In this sense, Bogdanov’s work is interesting, because he describes the type of the Kazakh Greyhound in great detail: what color it has, what it looks like, how it differs from the more elegant Shiva Greyhound. Thanks to this work, we can say that the cynologists of that time saw and clearly defined the differences between the Central Asian hunting greyhound breeds,” Natalya Drovosekova continues.
Kazakh zoologist Arkady Sludsky conducted an extensive study in the late 1930s. His monograph “Asian Taz Hound and Its Hunting” contains important scientific data on the dog population of that time. The author not only provided a map of the breed distribution, the approximate number of animals and their measurements through the article, but also concluded that a considerable number of the population (more than 70%) met the criteria, i.e., in general, it was presented as a breed.
These documentary evidences alone are enough to confirm that the Taz is a primitive indigenous dog that has lived on the territory of modern Kazakhstan for thousands of years. However, another important fact remains equally important – it has always been an integral part of the culture and life of nomadic peoples.
Greyhounds have indeed been with humans for centuries. Evidence of this is still preserved in rock paintings. Engravings from the Mangisto Mountains from the 17th to 19th centuries, belonging to the Adai tribe, depict the same form of basins – followed by a hunter on horseback.
– The Kazakh Taz is different from other greyhounds in that it has always been and remains a hunting dog. She was bred primarily as a worker, the criteria for selection remain her prey and hunting success,” the expert concluded.
The work of Kazakh cynologists in collecting evidence about the original belonging of the Taz dog to the territory and history of modern Kazakhstan has added new valuable information to the “archive” of this breed. At the Faculty of History of Kazakh National University, by studying rock paintings, they were able to trace and record the fact that dogs with pelvic shapes were assistants to Kazakh ancestors since the time when the nation was not yet formed.
The genotyping of the Kazakh Taz was carried out at the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of the Institute of Genetics and Physiology, and interesting conclusions were drawn. For example, it was determined that Taz belongs to the Oriental Greyhound family, whose closest relatives are the Afghan Hound and the Persian Hound.
But at the same time, original sequences were found on some chromosomes, which indicate the uniqueness of Taz compared to closely related breeds. The scientists’ results confirm high genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding, i.e. hybridization between blood relatives. This guarantees a high survival rate of the species: the pelvis is not threatened by severe genetic diseases and degeneration.
The Kazakh Greyhounds also passed a comprehensive health examination. More than fifty dogs tested showed no problems with the cardiovascular system, vision or joint structure.
The Taz International Recognition Working Group was therefore able to gather a convincing evidence base that the indigenous and Kazakh Taz breeds are stable, have a high proportion of high-quality animals and are promising from the point of view of their factory farming.
By the way, the rumors that sometimes appear about the plight of the Taz (it is said that the breed is disappearing and needs to be saved immediately) have nothing to do with reality. The Kazakh Greyhound is distributed throughout the country, its number reaches several thousand, which is enough to maintain the genetic diversity, health and protection of the population, and the breed is represented in several varieties. This is the result of its adaptation and modification of its habitat.
Like any native breed, Tazy lives close to natural conditions and has adapted to different climates and natural conditions. So in the north, her fur may be richer and not as brittle as her southern relatives.
The greyhound, which originated and developed on the Kazakh steppes, has long been recognized at the national level. More than 30 years ago, the Union of Cynologists of the Republic of Kazakhstan registered the breed in the year of its establishment, marking the beginning of private dog breeding.
A national standard has been developed for the Tazy, a breed club has been created, and exhibitions and shows are held regularly. But because it has not yet been officially recognized, it does not appear in the international canine system.
“We have been actively working in this direction for the last year,” continued Natalya Drovosekova, head of the Working Group on International Recognition of National Dog Breeds of the Union of Cynomologists of the Republic of Kazakhstan – collecting materials, submitting an application to the International Canine Federation and successfully holding a breed show at the International Committee. We received positive feedback from her and expect a positive decision by the end of the year.
For Natalia Anatolyevna, the answer to the question of what is the purpose of all the work is obvious. A place among the international canine elite is a new level of cultural cynology for Taza. Dogs of this breed will have the opportunity to participate in the largest canine competitions and enter the world stage.
Ultimately, global recognition is always an element of national prestige. It is no coincidence that the international recognition of the Taz as an original national breed was initiated by the presidential decree “On the preservation and breeding of the Kazakh breed”.
There is no doubt that Taz will be included in the world ranking as a unique and well-preserved hound breed. After thousands of years of evolution and survival in the natural environment, it has created the best breed qualities of dogs, capable of independent thinking, independence, intolerance to roughness, and a smart and intelligent physique and character. A noble animal.
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