Tazy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Origin | Kazakhstan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Breed status | Not recognised as a breed by any major kennel club. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dog ( domestic dog) |
Tazy is a breed of sighthound hunting dog originating from Kazakhstan. [1] [2] [3] Though it looks similar to the Saluki sighthound, it is a related but different dog breed. [4]
Tazys are used in Kazakhstan primarily for hunting and are considered one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. [5] Tazys are not recognized by any major kennel clubs, including the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club, or the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. [6] Presently, there are barely 300 purebred dogs and the Kazakhstan government is trying to prevent the dog from becoming extinct. [5] [6]
The ancestry of this breed is unclear. [1] The Tazy shares DNA with many similar-looking dog breeds in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. [1] The breed has a high level of genetic diversity. [4] [7]
In nomadic times, Tazies were prized for their skill at running down and killing wolves. [1] They were also used to hunt hares, wild boars, foxes, badgers, deer, and saigas. [4] They had a special status in Kazakh culture, with it being considered taboo to refer to this breed merely as a dog. [1] It was said that a Kazakh would trade 47 horses for a single Tazy. [1]
In 2014, the national hunting group Kanzonar organized a Tazy dog show in Astana. [1] [8] This was done to spread awareness of the breed. [1]
Tazys are medium-sized, deep-chested, and long-legged dogs, with short length hair on the body and longer hair on the tail and ears.
Tazys tend to be independent and aloof to strangers. [6] The Tazy is known for their playfulness, endurance, and vigilance. Tazys can run long distances at speeds of 12-15 kilometers (7–9 miles) per hour. [5]