Alabai breed: care of an adult dog, puppies, photos

The Central Asian Shepherd Dog (Alabai) is a cross between Tibetan Mastiffs, Central Asian herding dogs, and Mongolian Shepherd Dogs. Alabai were bred through natural selection to guard caravans and homes. The breed was officially classified in 1993, and a new standard was introduced in 2010.

As a result of thousands of years of selective breeding, dogs with certain characteristics were selected - thick fur that could protect from sudden changes in high and low temperatures, with thick, tough skin to resist the bites of predators. The dog had to possess great strength and endurance to guard its owners' property.

The main character traits of the Alabai breed are calmness and self-confidence, lack of excessive aggression, despite a wary attitude toward strangers. Alabai dog breed photo.

How to choose an Alabai puppy

It is best to purchase puppies from professional breeders or kennels, otherwise you may end up with a mixed breed or a sick puppy. First you need to find out how many puppies were in the litter.If it's older than five, there's a risk of developing various diseases later in life. It's best if the mother is no older than eight.

They take a German Shepherd puppy between 1.5 and 2 months of age, making sure to check the dog's documents and vaccinations. A purebred dog has a shiny, thick, plush-looking coatA long tail may indicate a Caucasian Shepherd mix. The dog should be playful, active, have a good appetite, and have a healthy appearance. Central Asian Shepherd Dog Alabai photo.

When choosing a puppy, you should pay attention to the following signs, photos:

• puppies that are too thin or too fat may be sick;
• watery eyes, coughing and sneezing are signs of illness;
• the ears should be clean inside;
• A healthy dog ​​has a wet nose.

Alabai breed standards, photo:

• the puppy should have a scissor bite;
• have a broad, powerful head and a sloping forehead;
• thick and fleshy lips;
• a high ponytail that widens at the base;
• oval-shaped paws, compressed into a ball;
• Ears and tails are docked 3–4 days after birth.

The characteristic features of the Alabai dog breed are visible in the photo.

The dog has a wide variety of colors, ranging from black and white, black, tan, brindle, to white and red. In the case of white and gray colors, the Alabai's nose is allowed to be light in color, which with other colors of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog it is non-standard.

The photo shows a black and white Central Asian Shepherd Dog.

Maintenance and care of the Alabai, photos

The dog is unpretentious in maintenance, feels well with sudden changes in temperature.The optimal habitat for an Alabai would be a large enclosure with a doghouse.The Central Asian Shepherd requires a lot of exercise, so long daily walks are essential.

Care is not particularly difficult, since its wool, due to its properties, practically does not get dirty. However In the spring, during the shedding season, the dog needs to be brushed regularlyIt is also necessary to regularly inspect and clean the ears, and trim the claws twice a month.

Nutrition

An Alabai's diet should be balanced, as this breed is prone to joint problems. Therefore, the diet should contain plenty of calcium.

The puppy has a strict feeding regimen, 2-3 meals a day. The diet should include the following foods: cottage cheese, eggs, kefir, rice, buckwheat. Meat options include liver, stomach, heart, kidneys, and lean beef trimmings. Vegetables can be a wide variety, with the exception of potatoes.

An adult Alabai is fed twice a day at the same time. The diet includes veal, beef, lean seafood, buckwheat, rice, and raw and cooked vegetables. Poultry and pork are not recommended.

The dog must have constant access to water, for which it is necessary to have a separate bowl. Food containers are placed on a special standTo encourage your pet to stretch upwards rather than lower its head. The height of the stand can be gradually adjusted to suit the dog's height. Giving tubular bones and sweets is not recommended.

Training

It is believed that Alabai dogs are difficult to train, so from 3 months of age, puppies begin to be taught the commands “no”, “lie down”, and “sit”. The process of education is formed with the help of positive emotions, the need for play, and interaction with other dogs and family members. This is done through imitation and motivation.

During training, it is necessary to achieve obedience and compliance with commands. However, harsh measures should not be used, since Alabai is a vindictive dog It's easy to lose contact with her. You also need to train her to be unresponsive to external stimuli and control aggressive behavior toward other dogs. This is accomplished by walking the puppy along various routes and encouraging interaction.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Alabai breed

• The dog has a balanced character, gets along well with children and loves to play with them.
• If there are small children in the house, it is best to get a female Alabai, which has a calmer character.
• It possesses courage, endurance, and can engage in combat with a predator significantly larger than the Alabai itself, which is why this breed is valued as a guard dog.
• Despite the fact that they are good watchdogs, they never attack strangers.
• The independence and willfulness of the Central Asian Shepherd breed is a drawback of the breed, since due to such character traits it is difficult to train.
• They show increased aggression towards other dogs, so they must be walked with a collar.

The photo demonstrates the various characteristics of the Alabai dog breed.