On September 3, Kazakhstan for the first time celebrates the Day of the Kazakh Tazy. The date carries particular significance: it was on September 3, 2024, that the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) decided to grant preliminary recognition to the national breed.
The decision was made in Amsterdam, where the Kazakh Tazy was assigned international standard No. 372 and Kazakhstan was officially recognized as the breed's country of origin.
For centuries, the Kazakh Tazy has lived alongside the people of the Great Steppe, serving in traditional hunting and becoming an integral part of Kazakh culture and everyday life. Its distinct place in national tradition is also reflected in the FCI's international standard, which recognizes the Tazy as one of the “Zheti Qazyna” — the seven treasures of the Kazakh people.
Efforts to preserve the breed and secure its international recognition have intensified significantly in recent years. In 2022, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the relevant authorities to take measures to preserve the national breed and promote it internationally.
In 2023, the necessary legislative framework was established, defining matters relating to the breed standard, certificate of origin, state support, scientific research, and breeding work.
An important milestone was the accession of the Union of Kennel Clubs of Kazakhstan to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. On August 22, 2023, at the FCI General Assembly in Geneva, the Kazakhstani organization was granted full membership. Its accession was supported by 72 of the 77 countries taking part in the vote.
This enabled Kazakhstan to officially submit the national breed for international recognition. In March 2024, a package of documents on the Kazakh Tazy was sent to the FCI and reviewed by the federation's Standards Commission and Scientific Commission.
In May of that year, a special single-breed exhibition was held in Astana, where international experts were presented with 100 Kazakh Tazy of different ages, colors, origins and types. FCI specialists assessed the dogs' conformation, movement and conformity to the breed type.
Following this work, on September 3, 2024, the FCI decided to grant preliminary recognition to the Kazakh Tazy.
“The Kazakh Tazy has lived alongside our people for centuries. The breed has survived to this day thanks to the hunters, breeders, cynologists, dog owners and everyone who has worked with the Tazy from generation to generation. International recognition is an important result of this work. But the work does not end here. Our task now is to preserve the Tazy's breed characteristics, its gene pool, and its natural and working qualities,” — said Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Today, about four thousand Tazy are registered in the Unified Stud Book of the Union of Kennel Clubs of Kazakhstan. The actual number of dogs is higher: some of them, in villages and remote areas, are not yet covered by centralized kennel-club registration.
Specialists continue to work in the regions, holding breeding inspections, gathering information on the dogs' origin and keeping records. This work is necessary to trace the dogs' origin and offspring, and to preserve the Tazy's breed traits and genetic diversity.
The Kazakh Tazy is increasingly being presented on international platforms. In 2025, the breed's official presentation took place at the World Dog Show in Helsinki.
In June 2026, Kazakhstan presented 12 Tazy at the World Dog Show in Bologna. As part of the FCI World Congress of Judges, a separate professional presentation of the breed was also held for international judges. Kazakhstan's national stand was open at the show, where visitors could get to know the Tazy as well as the country's traditions and culture.
Work is also continuing within Kazakhstan. In the Zhetysu region, a building for the National Center for Kazakh Dog Breeds is under construction, organized by the regional administration (akimat) and carried out with the support of sponsors.
The center will keep and breed purebred dogs, maintain the Unified Pedigree Book and issue certificates of origin. It is also planned to train experts and specialists in cynology there, and to hold trials, exhibitions, shows and competitions of various levels.
On February 20, 2026, a government resolution approved the Comprehensive Plan for the Preservation and Reproduction of Kazakh Dog Breeds for 2026–2036. State and non-governmental organizations will take part in its implementation. The plan provides for work on breed preservation and reproduction, breeding records, training of specialists, and continued scientific and cynological work.
On April 30, 2026, the Head of State received Tamás Jakkel, President of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The meeting addressed the preservation of the national breed, the building of a sustainable gene pool, and further cooperation with the FCI. The President thanked Tamás Jakkel for his support regarding the preliminary recognition of the Kazakh Tazy.
On May 2, a single-breed exhibition, “Kazakh Tazy,” was held in Astana as part of the international kennel exhibition “Astana Winner – 2026” It was attended by FCI representatives as well as Kazakhstani and foreign cynologists.
FCI's preliminary recognition is only one stage of the work. Full recognition requires a lengthy observation period to confirm the breed's stability over several generations. During this period, breeding records, health monitoring, and the preservation of breed type, genetic diversity, and the Kazakh Tazy's natural and working qualities will continue.
September 3 is not only the date of the Kazakh Tazy's international recognition, but also a reminder of the need to preserve the national breed and pass it on to future generations.
