12.09.2024/ EN

FCI-Standard N° 372

KAZAKH TAZY

TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH: N. Drovossekova.
ORIGIN: Kazakhstan.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 03.09.2024.
UTILIZATION: Hunting: searching, chasing and catching game. Coursing.
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 10. Sighthounds.
Section 1. Long-haired or fringed sighthounds.
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: Initially, the historical area of the breed’s occurrence was all of Central Asia. On the territory of Kazakhstan, the hunting sighthound has been known since ancient times and its evolution is inextricably linked with the life of the nomadic peoples of the region. Images of tazy-shaped dogs are found in rock carvings from the end of the Iron Age (2nd century BC – 5th century AD) to the New Age (17th-19th centuries AD).

The Tazy is mentioned in the oral folk art of the Kazakhs “Zheti Kazyna” (“Seven Treasures”) and is considered to be one of the seven treasures of the Kazakh people, being a helper in hunting and personifying loyalty and friendship. Since ancient times to the present day, Tazy is used for hunting for different game, such as: hare, fox, hoofed animals and others. Tazy is able to hunt alone, in groups and with hunting birds, the latter is especially appreciated.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Dog of good proportions, from medium to above medium size. Muscles lean and very well developed. Of harmonic, elegant and graceful appearance. Sexual differences should be visually present.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

· The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers.
· The height at elbow is slightly superior to half of the height at the withers.
· The height at the withers is about equal the height at the sacrum.
· The length of the muzzle is slightly shorter or equal to the length of the skull.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Temperament balanced, agile. Has a high speed of assessing the situation and making decisions. Can be a bit reserve to strangers. In everyday life – calm and unobtrusive, with a great sense of self-confidence, intolerant of maltreatment. When hunting, he is passionate, manoeuvrable, and has high speed with great endurance over long distances. Universal – combines sharpsightedness and scent search, some can also retrieve.

HEAD: In proportion to general appearance, lean, quite long. Viewed from above as well as from the side has the outlines of a pointed wedge.

CRANIAL REGION: Superior axes of the skull and muzzle parallel, or muzzle is very slightly downfaced.
Scull: Moderately wide, length slightly greater than, or equal to, width, tapering towards the eyes, forehead flat, slightly prominent median furrow, being formed by developed muscles. The occiput is moderately pronounced. Superciliary arches are slightly prominent.
Stop: Smooth, slightly defined.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Black, solid coloured. May be a little lighter in light dogs.
Muzzle: A little shorter or equal to the length of the skull, lean, pointed to nose.
Lips: Thin, fitting jaws closely, completely pigmented.
Jaws/Teeth: Scissor bite. Strong jaws. Teeth are large, white.
Complete dentition. Incisors stand in line at roots.
Cheeks: Developed but not prominent.

EYES: Obliquely placed, large, full, dark in colour, almond-shaped. The eyelids are thin, dry, completely pigmented. The look is lively and expressive.

EARS: Hanging, long, fine in texture, wide at base, with a rounded tip. Placed at eye level or slightly higher. Drawn forward, the tips can easily reach the mouth corner. Carried close to the cheeks when dog is relaxed, raised and turned forward when dog is alert.

NECK: Approximately equal to the length of the head, laterally slightly flattened, strong, muscular. Set obliquely (at an angle of about 45° to the horizontal).

BODY

Top line: Relaxed in the free stance, with a smooth, slight sag between withers and the point of the hips. In movement and standing it is straight, strong and springy.
Withers: Well defined, long, broad, muscular.
Back: Strong, broad, with well-developed muscles.
Loin: Almost straight, strong, wide, with well-developed muscles.
Croup: Quite long, wide, flat, sloping. Upper curve of the hip bones (iliac crests) should stand out, the distance between them is at least 8 cm for males, and at least 7 cm for females.
Chest: Deep, long. Viewed from the side, the lowest point is located just behind the elbows and on the same level. Thoracic cage is slightly flattened in area of first ribs and gradually expands towards the floating ribs. The cross-section is wide at the top, tapering to the bottom. Ribs well sprung. Because of the short floating ribs, the underline is well tucked up. The foremost point of the sternum must not protrude.
Underline and belly: Belly is well tucked up. Flanks not too broad.

TAIL: Set quite low, thin, reaching to the hock when manually extended, sabre shaped, with a half-curl (steep hook) or a small ringed curl at the end, which is formed by not fused vertebrae. When the dog is standing calm, the tail is kept low, in action it may be raised just above the level of the back.

LIMBS: Shoulder blade, upper arm, forearm, thigh and lower thigh are approximately the same length.

FOREQUARTERS:

General appearance: Viewed from front, forelegs are straight and parallel, long, lean, muscular.
Shoulder: Shoulder blade is long and oblique. The shoulder angulation is reasonably pronounced.
Upper arm: With well-developed muscles.
Elbow: Turned neither in, nor out.
Forearm: Lean, of oval cross-section.
Carpus (Wrist joint): Not protruding.
Metacarpus (pastern): Slightly sprung.
Forefeet: Lean, oval shape, toes tight, arched. Nails are well pointed towards the ground.

HINDQUARTERS

General appearance: Viewed from the rear, hind legs are straight and parallel, set slightly wider than forelegs, with well-developed lean muscles.
Thigh: Long, broad, with well-developed prominent muscles.
Stifle (Knee): Pronounced angulation.
Lower thigh: The tendons are well developed
Hock joint: Pronounced angulation.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Almost vertical.
Hind feet: Lean, oval shape, toes tight, arched. A little longer than the fore feet. Nails are well pointed towards the ground.

GAIT/ MOVEMENT: Easy, effortless, free trot. In search of the game – short gallop, in chase of the game – full rushing gallop.

SKIN: Thin, supple, fitting closely to the body, without any folds.

COAT

Hair: Soft, smooth, closely set, short on body, about 3 cm (in loin region). Almost without undercoat in summer. In winter, undercoat can be well-developed.

Soft, wavy hair on ears forms fringes, the so called “burka”, covering all of the ear leather and extending 5-6 cm below it. Feathering on the hind of the legs. Forelegs are feathered with sparse, quite short hair up to wrist. Hind legs feathered with longer hair up to the middle of lower thigh. The tail is covered with longish (about 10 cm) thin feathering from approximately the middle to the tip. Soft hair between the toes on feet.
Dogs younger 1.5 years old can be covered with fluff on forelegs up to the middle of forearms, on hind legs up to hocks, as well as on ribs and brisket. Puppies may have slight fluff on the top of the head.

Colour: Yellow, with all shades (ranging from pale fawn to red); all shades of grey; white, black.
Allowed: black overlay of different intensity, symmetrical lightening of the main colour on the limbs, belly, brisket, neck and muzzle; light tan markings in the usual locations; small white markings on muzzle, forehead, throat, chest, feet and tip of the tail; freckles on white markings; mask on muzzle (either light or dark).

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

Desirable height at the withers: males 63-70 cm, females 58-65 cm. A deviation of ±2 cm is acceptable if the proportionality and harmony of sighthounds’ build characteristic is maintained.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and its ability to perform its traditional work.

SEVERE FAULTS:

• General appearance: Coarse or fine construction, low-legged.
• Lack of sexual dimorphism.
• Head: Muzzle longer than the skull, blunt, wide at the nose; domed skull, drooping lips.
• Pigmentation: Depigmented eyelids or the nose.
• Eyes: Deep-set, small, looking straight ahead, yellow or grey coloured.
• Ears: Thick, pointed at the ends, short (not reaching the corner of the mouth by more than 2 cm), pulled back, immobile.
• Teeth: Level bite before 6 years old, absence of one or more premolars from among P2, P3, P4 in the lower jaw, unless the absence is the result of trauma.
• Neck: Too short, set low.
• Topline: In the form of a convex arc formed by the back and loin; not pronounced withers.
• Chest: Shallow (not reaching the level of the elbows by more than 2 cm), short, flat. The foremost point of the sternum protrudes and forechest is developed. Belly not well tucked up.
• Croup: Short.
• Tail: Straight, spirally twisted, curled over the back. Kink tail. Fused vertebrae at the end.
• Limbs: Steep pasterns. Rounded feet.
• Coat: Curly, rough, wavy on the body. Long hair on the back, chest, belly. Complete absence of fridges on ear leathers (“burka)”. A fluff on the head of an adult dog.
• Colour: Rich red-tan markings.
• Size: Height at the withers for males is above 72 cm, for females above 67 cm.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy dogs. Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
• Undershot, overshot, absence of even one canine, incisor, P4 in the upper jaw, molar (except M3), unless the absence is the result of trauma.
• Eyes of different colour. Blue eyes.
• Rear dewclaws.
• Colour: Brindle, merle, parti-colour, liver and other colours not described in the standard.

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.