Overview
The Tazy has coursed game across the Kazakh steppe for as long as anyone has kept records there. It looks much like a Saluki, with a lean frame, silky feathering on the ears and tail, and a long, loping stride. It was traditionally valued as highly as a good horse, and it carries itself as if it knows.
Like most sighthounds it is a dog of two halves. In the house it is quiet, clean and undemanding. Outside, with something small moving in the distance, it becomes an athlete that will not hear you. A walker has to manage the second half without ever quite seeing it coming.
Exercise and walking needs
A daily hour at a walk, plus free running somewhere fully fenced two or three times a week, keeps a Tazy fit and content. The running matters: a sighthound that never sprints builds frustration it cannot shed.
Avoid hard surfaces for long distances. These dogs have fine bones and thin pads, and tarmac is not where they were designed to work.
On the walk
- Prey drive: Hare, rabbit, cat or small dog: if it is small and moving, it is quarry. Lead on unless the field is fenced to a height the dog cannot clear.
- Recall: Good in the garden, meaningless at speed. Train it anyway and use it for check-ins, but never rely on it in open country.
- Lead gear: A martingale or a fitted sighthound harness. A standard collar slides over the narrow head in one shake.
- Cold: Little fat and a thin coat. A fleece from autumn to spring, and dry the dog off properly after rain.
Tips for professional walkers
- Book a secure field for a sprint at least weekly; it does more for this dog than three ordinary walks.
- Keep introductions to other dogs calm and short. Tazys dislike wrestling and may snap at a bouncy Labrador.
- Check pads for cuts after running on anything rough.
- Take a coat in the van even when the morning looks mild.
What to ask the owner
- How high a fence does the dog respect, and has it ever cleared one?
- What is its reaction to cats and small dogs when it is at a distance and when they are close?
- Does it have any history of sore pads, toe injuries or sensitivity to the cold?