ACraftIndependent states
Turkmen Alabai
A large flock-guarding dog, the Turkmen strain of the Central Asian Shepherd; its breeding has been UNESCO heritage since 2025.
Alabai ("pied dog") is the Turkmen name for the Central Asian Shepherd Dog, bred for centuries to guard sheep and goats from wolves and to watch over yurts and yards.
These dogs are big, strong, calm and loyal, tolerant of desert heat and winter cold; in 1990 Turkmenistan approved the standard of the "Turkmen wolfhound" breed.
The Alabai is regarded as a national treasure, with a monument to it in Ashgabat, and in 2025 UNESCO inscribed "The art of breeding Turkmen alabay".
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Updated: October 3, 2026