ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s national dog breed, the tazy, drew international attention at the World Dog Show 2026 in Bologna, Italy, where a young Kazakh tazy named Chelsea placed fourth among junior sighthounds in one of the world’s most prestigious canine competitions, according to Kazinform.
Photo credit: Arnur Rahimbekov/ Kazinform
The annual World Dog Show, held between June 3-7, organized under the auspices of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), is among the largest events in the international dog-breeding community, bringing together thousands of dogs, breeders and judges from around the world.
This year’s event carried special significance for Kazakhstan, which showcased the tazy through a dedicated national exhibition stand highlighting the breed’s history and its connection to Kazakh nomadic culture.
The tazy’s participation comes two years after the breed received preliminary recognition from the FCI in 2024, a milestone that formally acknowledged Kazakhstan as the breed’s country of origin and marked an important step toward full international recognition.
Kazakh dogs also posted strong results in breed competitions throughout the event. Chelsea and Tabigat were named Junior World Champions, while Lashyn and Reya earned World Champion titles. Several Kazakh tazy dogs additionally received Italian championship honors.
Beyond the competition ring, Kazakhstan used the event to strengthen international awareness of the breed among experts and judges. Representatives of the Union of Cynologists of Kazakhstan participated in the Fourth FCI World Judges Congress on June 2, where they presented the history, characteristics and judging standards of the tazy to canine specialists from around the world.
The organization also held a special educational lecture explaining the breed’s origins, traditional role as a hunting sighthound, temperament, movement and physical characteristics. According to organizers, educating international judges is particularly important during the breed’s preliminary recognition period, as future evaluations will help shape perceptions of the tazy worldwide.
Interest in the breed continues to grow among international experts.
Peter Friedrich, president of Germany’s Association for the German Dog Industry (VDH) and one of Europe’s leading canine judges, described the tazy as a breed that combines beauty, athleticism and functionality.
“For me, the tazy is an incredibly beautiful dog, but its value goes beyond appearance. It is capable of hunting, demonstrates remarkable movement and biomechanics, and has an excellent temperament,” Friedrich said.
He highlighted what he described as the breed’s unique ability to switch rapidly between calm behavior and intense hunting activity before quickly returning to a relaxed and sociable state.
Barbara Müller, an all-breed international judge from Switzerland and member of the FCI board, said professional interest in the tazy is increasing globally. Müller recently evaluated more than 40 Tazy dogs during a visit to Kazakhstan and noted the breed’s diversity across different regions of the country.
“I am very pleased that the breed received preliminary recognition. I believe international interest in the tazy will continue to grow,” she said.
Kazakhstan’s efforts to preserve and promote indigenous dog breeds have received state support in recent years. In January 2023, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed legislation aimed at preserving and reproducing the Kazakh tazy and tobet breeds.
Under FCI procedures, Kazakhstan must continue collecting breeding and population data for at least 10 years before the tazy can be considered for full international recognition. Participation in major international events such as the World Dog Show is viewed as an important part of that process.
