The taigan is a breed of hounds from the ancient group of Middle-Asian hounds. The breed was formed in peculiar mountain conditions of Kirgizia. It is propagated in the mountain republics, especially, in the area of Tien Shan. The dog is capable of work in the mountaineous broken broken land about 2-3 th. metres above the sea level. The taigan has the following working properties as a hunting dog: sufficiently fast, wild animals, good scent, tracks down well and capable of a long race.

The taigan is used for hunting fox, marmots, badgers, wild cats. The dog Is good for hunting hoofed animals. A good team of two large and strong talgans can catch a wolf. Sometimes talgans are used for hunting together with a golden eagle. Taigans are not used for hunting hares as a rule.

General Appearance. Type of Constitution and Behaviour. The dog is of average and above average height. The withers height is 65-70 cm for male dogs and 60-65 cm for female dogs; the withers height of male dogs as well as female dogs can be equal or exceed the sacrum height by 1-2 cm.

The extension index is about 105 for males and 107 for females.

The dog has a steady and active type of behaviour. It is calm and even phlegmatic at home. It gets excited quickly when it sees an animal. The pace before the animal gets up is an unhurried trot and step, when coursing it is full gallop.

Defects: slightly raw and rude constitution, snubbiness on legs, stocklness, extension, the height of the male below 65 cm and 60 cm for female dogs.

Flaws: raw, damp-type constitution, male's height below 62 cm, females height below 57 cm.

Colour. Black, black with white marks (these colour types occur most often), red, grey, grey-straw (possibly of different shades), white, flea-bitten. Dark colour can occur with white marks or shades. The nose tip is black for any colour.

Flaws: spotting out of colour.

Hair. Soft, elongated, thick, down hair in winter time; short on the muzzle and front side of the sculp, not long on the front sides of forelegs starting slightly above from wrists to paws and on the front sides of hindlegs from hocks to paws; the elongated hair is developed, wavy in ringlets and sometimes curly, developed on the back part of sculp, on kneck, shoulders reaches down around the forearm almost to metacarpals, well-developed on hips, around the gaskin, covers the shank and paws; well-developed "felts" on ears - soft wavy hair covers ears reaching below ears by 5-8 cm and something more. This distribution of elongated hair is rather typical for taigans, wiry hair is developed between paw's toes, there's a slight feather on the tail's bottom.

Defects: poorly developed hairy coat.

Flaws: poorly developed, short, lack of "felts" on ears.

Skin. Muscles. Frame. The skin is thick, elastic without folds, muscles are well developed, especially, in the area of loins and the back, the frame is strong and not heavy.

Defects: flabby skin with folds. Insufficiantly developed muscles.

Flaws: heavy crude frame, poorly developed muscles.

Head. Elongated, lean, a little massive, wedge-shaped when viewing from above with the sculp part wide a little; the parietal crest is poorly developed, the tubercle of the head back is not defined much; the stop is not defined; the muzzle is straight or with a slightly visible little hump, the lips fit jaws tightly without droopings.

Defects: raw, crude, wide forehead, sharply-defined stop, sharp muzzle, the muzzle length and skull are not proportionate, excessively developed tubercle of the back of the head.

Flaws: raw, crude high-cheekboned head; all the above-mentioned defects. If sharply defined, are considered to be flaws.

Ears. Drooping, thin, without folds, round on ends. fit well to the head, set on the eyes level, of 12-14 cm long with well-developed "felts".

Defects: positioned too low or-too high, not fitting the head.

Flaws: ears on gristle.

Eyes. Rather large, oval, squinting-set of eyelids, brown or dark-brown for any hair colour.

Defects: small, yellowish.

Flaws: small, sunk, round, protruding, directly set, raw.

Teeth. Strong, large, white, tightly fitting each other. Level bite.

Defects and flaws: common, for all breeds of hounds.

Neck. Sufficiently long, highly-set, slightly compressed on the sides, lean.

Defects: shortish, slightly low set, loaded a little.

Flaws: short, heavy, raw, round (in the cross-section), low set.

Chest. Broad, reaching elbows, the thorax in section is tapering oval, vertebral ribs are well-developed.

Defects or flaws (according to noticeability): narrow, Insufficiantly lowered, open.

Withers. Visibly defined.

Back. Slightly bent upwards or straight, broad, muscular: the back line starts slightly lower than the withers ("pereslezhina").

Defects: narrow. Insufficiently muscular, weak.

Flaws: sagged.

Loins. Developed, slightly convex.

Defects: poorly developed, flat.

Crupper. Broad, long, slightly sloping. The bone protrusions are visible, the width between them is 6-8 cm.

Defects: narrow, short.

Flaws: straight sacrum.

Belly. Well-bent upward, not sharply.

Defects: insufficiently or sharply bent.

Forelegs. Lean, bony and muscular; when viewing from the front - straight and parallel; the elbows are directed strictly backwards, the forearms in section are oval, the metacarpals are long enough, slightly sloping or vertical.

Defects: shortish legs, excessively sloping, a little soft metacarpals.

Flaws: the blade and elbows are facing inward or outward, paddling, winging.

Hind legs. When viewing from behind - srtalght and parallel, set a little wider than the forelegs and slightly pulled back, with long levers and well-developed angles of joints, lean with well-developed muscles, the hock is well developed and sharply defined, the metatarsi are long enough and slightly sloping or vertical.

Defects or flaws (according to noticeability): narrow carriage, straight backside, weakly-defined angles of joints, short or excessively sloping metatarsi. X-like carriage.

Paws. Oval, toes are tightly pressed in a lump, claws are directed in the ground; hair is developed between toes.

Defects: roundish, toes are insufficiently pressed.

Stern (tail). Not thick and not long, curled in a ring on the end; the ring doesn't fully uncurl, the vertebra of the last half of the ring have grown together; the ring shouldn't reach below the hock, usually a little above it; when calm the dog holds its tail low, when moving it raises it up to the level of the back or slightly higher; the feather is not developed much.

Defects: excessively long or short, slightly displaced, the ring uncurls or not full, poorly or excessively developed feather.

Flaws: heavy stern with thick feather, slightly displaced on the end; lack of a ring on the stern's end. the stern is steeply curled on the back.