Whether or not humans did indeed tame wolves or they allowed themselves to be tamed because of the benefits of living around humans is uncertain, but the fact that since then dogs have truly been man’s best friends is unquestionable. Throughout millennia, dogs have accompanied and aided humans and played important roles in every day lives in cultures the world over, most nations having at least one national dog breed.
In Kazakhstan, that breed is the Tazy, a hunting dog that has been neglected for the past few decades, leading to its near extinction. However, dedicated breeders’ efforts, with the help of a presidential decree, have seen the breed regain its place as a part of the cultural heritage of the country, which is now seeking international recognition for Tazies.
1. The Tazy
Tazy dogs played a fundamental role in the nomad life of the Kazakhs’ ancestors. Used for guarding as well as hunting anything from rabbits and foxes to gazellas and small antelopes and even wolves, in folklore, Tazies are attributed to saving entire villages from hunger thanks to their extraordinary skills.
Their loyalty and service brought them a place among the “Jety Kazyna” – the 7 treasures of a nomad (man), considered essential for a happy life. A man cannot have a fulfilled life without strength, knowledge, a smart and beautiful wife, a fast-footed horse, a loyal Tazy, a hunting golden eagle and good weapons.
Tazy is an ancient Kazakh dog breed, pride, one of the nation’s seven treasures. Its origin is directly related to our history.
Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources
They were deemed as part of the family, they were allowed to enter and sleep inside yurts with the people and the Zheti Zhargy, the set of laws introduced in the Kazakh Khanate by Tauke Khan in the 17th century, established a good Tazy is worth 47 horses. Moreover, they were held in such high regard that calling a Tazy a dog instead of specifically the breed’s name was considered an insult. Still today people rarely refer to them as dogs, but rather Tazies, showing their importance and distinction from other animals.
2. Brink of extinction
In the post-war 20th century, hunting became less popular and, with it, the need for Tazies slowly faded away. Whereas in 1938 4,200 purebred Tazies were officially registered in the country, by 2022, less than 2,000 Tazies were thought to live in Kazakhstan. But with registration no longer mandatory, even that number was uncertain and the purity of the breed unknown.
With the need for its ‘services’ dwindling, so did the care and esteem they once enjoyed. Instead of being welcomed to sleep inside the house, they were forgotten out on hunts and never brought back home. “We also know that some owners did not feed their Tazy sometimes as they think hunting dogs can get food themselves”, Inna Nazarenko, the chief cynologist of the national association of public organizations of hunters, “Kansonar”, told the Astana Times in 2022.
“In the 20th century, for various reasons, the number of dogs of this breed decreased and almost disappeared. Also, due to the lack of attention to preserving the breed, its original qualities began to disappear”, said Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Yerlan Nyssanbayev, at an international dog show held in Astana this May.
3. Preserving a national treasure
Thankfully, dedicated people like Nazarenko worked towards and advocated for the restoration and preservation of the breed and, in September 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the Presidential Affairs Department to coordinate work on the preservation of the national heritage – the Kazakh breeds of Tazy and Tobet.
Since then, clubs and associations have been created not only to preserve the breed, but to educate those interested in getting a Tazy on the needs of the animal and how to take care of it. Private kennels have been working on preserving the purity of the breed, while ensuring sufficient genetic diversity to keep the new generations strong and healthy. Lectures, exhibitions and workshops have been organized across the country and internationally to raise awareness of the importance and needs of Tazies.
Similarly to other inherently active breeds, Tazies do not do well in apartments or small yards, they belong in the fields, running freely and fulfilling their duty of protecting herds and their owners. And it seems like a few dedicated people, with the right support from the state, are succeeding in returning the Tazy to its rightful place of national treasure.
