The Alabay was spread over a large territory reaching from the Caspian Sea over to China and from the Southern Ural to Afghanistan. Where did it originate though? The blood of the Tibetan wolf runs in his veins. Only a wolf can fight a wolf. And the Alabay is the only dog with fangs like a wolf, sharp on their backside, and the only dog who instinctively knows how to get the wolf. Passed on from one nomadic tribe to the next, he interbred and genetically is also close to the Mongolian sheep dog, Tibetan mastiff, the Afghan. In Western Europe the Spanish mastiff is a relative of his.

The Central Asian sheep dog, the Alabay, is among the oldest breeds, domesticated thousands of years back to help man defend himself and his herd. First written mention on the Alabay is found on tablets from Mesopotamia 4000 years B.C. The Alabay is high, muscular with a strong jaw, he is a fighter and guardian dog. The Romans added Alabays to their army as he distinguished himself in battle situations. Archaeological excavations in Herkulaeanum revealed images of the Alabay in full armor with spiked colar, defending the Roman empire. In China the Alabay took part in manhunts. A terracotta statue of an Alabay from the Bronze age, around 2000 B.C., was unearthed at Altyn-Tepa in Southern Turkmenistan.

The harsh climatic conditions of Central Asia, scalding heat alternating with piercing cold, shortage of water and the mountainous landscape made this dog strong, hardy and cautious. He is one from the steppes, where predators such as wolfs and tigers lurked, the greatest danger to man and his heard. To the nomadic herdsman, the Alabay's strength and endurance, fearlessness and determination, attention, intelligence, his ability to economize energy and his absolute reliability made him an indispensable guardian of sheep and cattle.

Whereas then breeding took place by natural selection, Central Asian breeders nowadays are careful to maintain the genetic stability of the Alabay's qualities. The best dogs from Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan are regularly brought together for that purpose, and as a result Uzbekistan often takes first and second place in international dog competitions and exhibitions, such as the Uzbek Alabay Nik-Khan becoming champion of the Millennium Cup "Asiatic-2000" in Moscow. Mr. Catsnelson, expert of national category, lauded Nik-Khan for his perfectly balanced move, that of a young lion, for his noiseless run and finely molded head.

It has been and still is customary to crop the 3 day old puppy's ears and tail. Originally this was to limit vulnerable areas. Usually the Alabay is shorthaired, however, there are longhaired dogs as well. The large "Asiatic" has such a strong and wide back that Turkmen used him to transport water, attaching huge buckets of water to his back, which this dog would carry without particular effort.

Being a domesticated animal, the Alabay quickly integrates, finds his place in the family hierarchy and adapts to the home, where he is calm and amiable.
The family head is his master and he is a devoted dog. He is easy to train, with a sharp memory.