She trains and cares for Kyrgyz Taigans—a breed of dog traditionally raised in villages—right at her home in the capital, participating with them in various hunting competitions and festivals.
Turmush spoke with her. Together with her husband, Zhyldyz is raising four children: two of them are already adults, and two are younger. "Now they help me—the younger daughters go with me to training, and when I leave, they take care of the dogs. The older ones also try to support us financially. Since childhood, I loved animals, adored horseback riding, and dreamed of training shepherd dogs. I didn't take Taigans seriously before, seeing them only as ordinary dogs. But one day I saw a Taigan puppy at a friend's son's place and was enchanted. A year later, the thought came to me: we have dogs from different countries—why not get our unique national animals? Taigans are indeed beautiful and outstanding hunting dogs," she shared.
This breed is considered endangered, and Zhyldyz, intrigued, began to inquire with her son's friend about where that puppy came from. As a result, she spent three months looking for an opportunity to acquire a Taigan. Through social media, she managed to contact the owner of that puppy, who, despite initial silence, eventually agreed to sell. Zhyldyz chose a gray Taigan ("boz"), to which the owner noted that such are rare. Later, she reached out to a well-known breeder, Mayrambek Asaniev, who showed her his best dogs, which further ignited her interest. In the end, her son gifted her a puppy, which she named Barbayan.
For three years now, Zhyldyz has been breeding Taigans. "No one in my family was connected with hunting or dogs. We are all medical professionals, but I decided to change the direction of my life. At first, I only had Barbayan, and then I realized that Taigans need company. I got a second Taigan, and soon I already had seven dogs: five Taigans, one Laika, and a Belgian Shepherd. We registered a kennel with an international organization, and our dogs received high ratings from experts. Over the past few years, the number of awarded Taigans in the country has significantly increased," the breeder shared.
Zhyldyz noted the differences between urban and rural Taigans. "My Taigans live in the city, and it's hard for me to take them out for training every day. In the village, dogs run freely, while in the city, they can be harmed by cars or stolen. But urban Taigans get used to the noise and are not afraid of crowds. We take them to the outskirts for walks, and many city dwellers don’t even know that this is a Kyrgyz breed, confusing them with Russian Borzois," she added.
Tynalieva also talked about her observations of the unique qualities of Kyrgyz Taigans. "I have kept different breeds, but Taigans are unmatched in endurance. Puppies can run for days without getting tired by the age of 4-5 months. They are also very smart and resilient, able to sleep even in harsh conditions. Taigans do not get fat and do not bother people, which is why they are even kept in apartments," she noted.
Zhyldyz shared an interesting case with Barbayan. "He knows how to open and close doors. Once, when I was walking with another dog, he locked the gate, and I had to ask him to open it so I could enter. He did it with such skill that I was amazed," she shared.
Tynalieva talked about her first competitions, to which she was invited by Almaz Akun. "I didn't even know about the existence of the 'Salburun' organization, but he inspired me. My Taigans participated in competitions for the first time, and one of them was the first to grab the skin of a saiga. I was thrilled by the atmosphere and what I saw," she said.
In the Chuy region, the "Mergen Fest" festival takes place, where her Taigans take prize places. They also participated in competitions in Kazakhstan. "Recently at the 'Mergen Fest,' my Taigan took first place in a fight with a wolf. I continue to work to raise his level," concluded Zhyldyz Tynalieva.
