Alabai is the oldest dog breed that has managed to preserve its distinctive characteristics and character traits.
These are proud, freedom-loving animals with excellent watchdog and security qualities.
But no matter how independent and independent these dogs are, as puppies they need care and attention no less than others.
We will talk about how to care for Alabai puppies in this article.
Photos and descriptions of newborn puppies
Newborn Central Asian Shepherd Dog (CAO) puppies have a round, dense body; they are born with short legs, a small tail and a large rounded head. Babies are born weighing 350-550 g, their eyes and ear canals are closed.
Of all the senses, only the sense of smell is developed, with the help of which they distinguish the smell of the mother from strangers and instinctively cling to her in search of not only food, but also warmth, since they do not yet have thermoregulation.
The eyes open approximately 10-14 days after birth, and the ear canals open a few days later. But puppies begin to see and hear well only at 3 weeks of life.
Signs of a bad breed
If the puppy is too thin or too fat, there is a danger that he is unhealthy. Attention needs to be paid to the “middle peasants”. Even if the breeder assures that “this is normal,” know that the puppy should not cough or sneeze. And your eyes should not water.
It should be immediately warned that if a dog has a gray-blue color at a young age, most likely it will change as the dog develops.
The baby's fur needs to be stroked. It should be smooth and thick to the touch, without bald spots. You should take a closer look at the skin - red spots are unacceptable. Having fleas is, of course, not desirable, but it is a fixable problem. The advantage is that against this background you can get a discount from an elite breeder.
According to the standard, a purebred puppy must have cropped ears. Turkmen Alabai undergo this operation on the 3-4th day of life. The hearing organs must be clean from the inside.
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The tail is also docked. And the dewclaw remains untouched - this is a sign of the purity of the breed.
Development 1 to 12 months
The table below shows how the size of the Alabai changes as it grows, as well as how the puppy develops.
| Age | Height at withers, cm | Weight, kg | Description |
| 1 month | 25-30 | 3-5 | If puppies are healthy and well-nourished, they will gain significant weight and height within 1 month of life. It is still impossible to distinguish males from females |
| 2 months | 30-35 | 9-10 | The beginning of a period of intensive growth of bones and muscles, the dog becomes taller and heavier, which is due to the deposition of calcium salts in the skeleton |
| 3 months | 40-45 | 15-20 | The musculoskeletal system continues to develop. It is necessary to exclude high physical activity and active training, since the dog’s bones are still too fragile |
| 4 months | 50-55 | 25-30 | At this age, the puppy’s limbs and body lengthen noticeably, as the skeleton grows rapidly, dense bone tissue is formed and the skeleton is strengthened, the body becomes elongated |
| 5 months | 55-58 | 35-37 | The growth of the skeleton and the formation of the chest continues, the intensity of growth in most representatives of the breed decreases |
| Six months | 65-70 | 40-50 | After 6 months, active muscle formation and breadth growth are observed. At 6-8 months, skeletal growth increases, the bones are finally formed and strengthened |
| Year | 80 | 70-80 | Around 9-10 months, bone growth and breast formation finish; weight gain is due to muscle building |
Alabai health
Representatives of the breed do not suffer from hereditary diseases and have excellent health. Such characteristics prove that with proper care, a purebred dog can live up to fifteen years of age. If the animal is not purebred, it dies at the age of ten. The peculiarity of the Alabai is that for the first 3 months of its life it is protected by its mother’s immune system, and then it can become ill with viral diseases.
Photo from Instagram account ermolenkoyulia
The pet is vaccinated according to the schedule, adding several additional ones to the mandatory vaccinations (against piroplasmosis, parainfluenza, infectious tracheobronchitis). Large dogs suffer from problems with the musculoskeletal system, congenital dysplasia of the pelvic joints or elbows.
If large dogs live in an apartment or confined space, they suffer from lack of physical activity and obesity, myositis and arthrosis. Rapid weight gain should not be allowed, as the load on the heart and joints increases, even leading to heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmias.
To what age do alabai grow?
The active growth of Alabai in height continues up to 8 months, then it becomes insignificant and finally stops at about 10 months. At the age of 1 year, a Central Asian Shepherd puppy looks like an adult dog; it has a narrow torso, but not yet very developed muscles.
After bone growth stops, the correct exterior characteristics inherent to this breed are formed, which is due to the build-up of muscle mass.
Males are formed up to 2.5-3 years, in some individuals this period lasts up to 5 years. The maximum development of bitches occurs before 1 heat, i.e. 9-18 months.
NOTE!
During the formation of muscles at 2.5-3 years, the dog’s height, due to an increase in mass and relaxation of ligaments, decreases by 2-3 cm.
Video
* We invite you to watch a video about the Alabai . In fact, in front of you is a playlist in which you can select and watch any of 20 videos about a given dog breed by simply clicking on the button in the upper right corner of the window. In addition, the material contains quite a lot of photos. By looking at them you can find out what Alabai looks like.
In this article:
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Basic care rules
The newborn puppies are cared for by the bitch, who warms them, feeds them, and licks them to stimulate defecation and urination. As puppies grow older, most of the care for them falls on the breeder, and later on the owner.
It is important to feed small Alabais correctly, ensure that their body receives a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements, promptly vaccinate and carry out deworming and treatment for external parasites.
Also, caring for a puppy includes a set of hygiene procedures, including bathing, combing, cleaning eyes, ears, and trimming nails, which must be taught to the puppy from an early age.
Grooming
Until the end of quarantine after the last vaccination, bathing the dog is prohibited. In the future, representatives of this breed also do not require frequent washing - it is enough to do this once a quarter when kept at home and once a month when kept outdoors, using shampoo that matches the type of coat.
IMPORTANT!
When bathing, you need to make sure that water does not get into your pet's ears.
The coat needs to be combed 1-2 times a week, during shedding - every 2 days.
Cleaning teeth, ears, trimming nails
Even though the ears of Central Asian Shepherds are well ventilated, the ears need to be monitored and cleaned every 7-10 days. To do this, you need to use cotton pads soaked in a special lotion or hydrogen peroxide.
If there are plans to crop the Alabai’s ears, then it is better to carry out this procedure in the first months of the puppy’s life.
To prevent the formation of plaque, you need to brush your pet’s teeth with a special brush and let him chew on toys and treats. If this does not help, you should contact your veterinarian, who will remove plaque and stones manually or using ultrasound.
For the first time, the puppy’s claws need to be shortened at the age of 3 weeks, then they need to be trimmed as they grow back with a guillotine nail clipper so as not to touch the living part.
Price
The cost varies depending on the type of dog and its color. If the alabai is white, then the price for it is much higher than for spotted individuals. The region in which the dog is sold plays a big role: if it is the center, then the price is the highest there. However, the build of an Alabai puppy does not affect its cost in any way, and its large size does not mean that the dog is expensive.
A puppy with a breeding match can be purchased for 10 thousand rubles - such a dog is perfect for a summer residence and guarding a home, but not for exhibitions. Alabai with a simple appearance without distinctive features cost around 15 thousand rubles. For 20-45 thousand you can buy a very high-quality and beautiful Alabai, which can also be taken to exhibitions and competitions.
How to choose?
To buy a good healthy Alabai puppy, follow these tips:
- Buy a dog not from an online store (such as Avito) or from a poultry market, but from a nursery. This way you can examine the puppy with your own eyes, assess its health and make sure it is purebred.
- Pay attention to the puppy's parents - they should look healthy and mentally stable.
- The puppy should be picked up at the age of 2 months. Before doing this, be sure to make sure that the breeder has given him his first vaccinations.
- Do not choose cowardly ones, especially if you are choosing a guard dog. You can drop the keys and see which puppies will get scared and run away, and which ones will run closer to examine the fallen object.
- Pay attention to the length of the puppies' coat - in a real Alabai it should not be too long, the dog's appearance should resemble a teddy bear.
- Assess the condition of the animal by its external signs: a wet nose, clean eyes and straight paws - all this indicates a healthy puppy. It is also advisable that the dog's tail and ears be cropped.
Girl
Girls are smaller in size, they are calmer and more pliable. They are characterized by curiosity and mobility, but they are less strong than boys. They also get along well with children due to their gentle nature.
Boy
More powerful than girls due to their confidence in strength, large size and desire for leadership. Due to these qualities, it is necessary to correctly and promptly win over the male dog so that in the future there will be no difficulties with his behavior.
With documents
If your goal is to purchase a purebred Alabai, then the presence of documents at the time of purchase is a significant guarantee of the quality of the individual. Moreover, the presence of documents indicates that the animal is free of inherited diseases.
The set of documents includes:
- a card containing information about the name of the dog, his mother and father;
- stamp number;
- Date of Birth;
- name of the breeder or organization that issued the documents.
Also included is a veterinary passport, which records all vaccinations given and the pet’s health status.
How to toilet train?
To train an Alabai to use the toilet, you need to allocate a place in the house for this, fence it off so that the puppy cannot get out, put bowls of food and water, several toys and a place to sleep there. Cover all available space with newspapers or absorbent diapers.
The puppy should be placed in such an improvised enclosure while the owner is away, after sleeping and feeding. This will help the little Alabai learn to go to the toilet only on newspapers or diapers. Every time the dog relieves itself in the designated area, it must be praised and treated with a treat.
Gradually, the number of diapers needs to be reduced, and a tray should be placed in the free space. After the Alabai gets used to going to the tray, the fence can be removed.
If the puppy wanders past the litter box, you need to scold him, but you cannot hit him or poke him with his nose.
Training
Training a Central Asian Shepherd can be downright unpleasant. This pet's high IQ is accompanied by stubbornness that is difficult to break. The key to the solution is your establishment of a leadership role and early socialization of the animal.
This is a smart, brave, independent dog that is used to dominating. Therefore, owners must be stronger and more consistent in training. If you do not have training experience, you should not take such a large and stubborn pet. When you clearly decide with the Alabai that you are a leader, training and socialization will go better. Be firm, patient and don't be harsh. On the contrary, praise and reward your shepherd when he obeys.
The ability to think for themselves was important when dogs had to survive in the cold mountains of Central Asia. Therefore, dogs are undoubtedly smart and resourceful. A talented trainer will be able to use this trait to their advantage rather than allowing the animal to manipulate the situation and get its way.
Early socialization and training are important for this breed. This is due to the fact that aggression and physical strength are easier to overcome at a young age. Start training your puppy as soon as you take the puppy into your home.
Exposing your baby to different situations, people, places, sounds and animals is important.
What to feed for the first 3 months?
The best option for feeding puppies is breastfeeding for up to 2 months and adding complementary foods starting from 2 weeks of age. As complementary foods, 50 g of calcined cottage cheese and 100 ml of goat milk should be given; after 3 weeks, raw scraped meat, previously scalded with boiling water, can be introduced into the diet.
At the age of 1 month, a Central Asian Shepherd puppy should eat 150 g of raw minced meat, 100 g of calcined cottage cheese, 100 g of cereals, 200 ml of milk and fermented milk products, 100 g of vegetables, 1 tsp. vegetable oil, nuts.
At 2 months, the puppy's menu does not change, but it is necessary to reduce the number of feedings, increase the size of portions, and continue to gradually introduce new foods into the diet.
At 3 months, puppies need to be given boiled low-fat sea fish, offal, vegetables, fruits and herbs 2-3 times a week. A puppy at this age should eat 300 g of raw meat or fish or 450 g of offal, 150 g of porridge, 450 ml of dairy products, 150 g of vegetables per day.
NOTE!
It is better not to feed puppies under 3 months of age with industrial food; if necessary, you should buy Starter food.
How to feed a grown pet correctly?
Feeding is the basis for the proper development of a dog, especially during the period of active growth and skeletal formation.
It is necessary to create a diet so that it is based (30-50%) on protein products - meat, fish, offal, milk and fermented milk products. Little Alabai also require carbohydrates and fiber, which they can get from cereals, vegetables and fruits.
The number of feedings per day depends on the age of the dog:
- up to 1 month – 9;
- 1 month – 6;
- 2-3 months – 5;
- 4-6 months – 4;
- 6-10 months – 3;
- after 10 months and older – 2.
IMPORTANT!
Errors in nutrition made during development can cause the development of pathologies.
Weekly diet for a puppy at 4-5 months
| Day of the week | Menu |
| Monday | 500 g beef, 200-250 g rice porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 700 g calcined cottage cheese, 200 g stewed carrots and zucchini, 1 egg, 200 g rye bread, bran and herbs |
| Tuesday | 500 g veal, 200-250 g buckwheat porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 400 g calcined cottage cheese, 300 ml kefir, 200 g boiled pumpkin, 200 g rye bread and herbs |
| Wednesday | 500 g beef, 250 g rice porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 300 g calcined cottage cheese, 150 ml kefir, 150 ml yogurt, 200 g pumpkin and zucchini, 200 g bran and herbs |
| Thursday | 500 g veal, 200 g rice porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 400 g calcined cottage cheese, 300 ml kefir, 200 g carrots, tomatoes and apples, 200 g rye bread and herbs |
| Friday | 500 g fish, 250 g buckwheat porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 700 g calcined cottage cheese, 200 g cucumbers and tomatoes, 200 g rye bread, bran and herbs |
| Saturday | 600 g offal, 200-250 g rice porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 500 g calcined cottage cheese, 200 ml kefir, 200 g bell pepper and carrots, 1 egg, 200 g bran and herbs |
| Sunday | 500 g fish, 200-250 g buckwheat porridge, 20 g vegetable or butter, 400 g calcined cottage cheese, 300 ml yogurt, 200 g beets and tomatoes, 200 g rye bread, bran and herbs |
Which dry food to choose?
Feeding representatives of this breed with cheap economy-class food (Pedigree, Chappi, Darling, ARO) is not recommended due to the content of artificial colors, flavors, flavor enhancers and other harmful additives.
In addition, the composition of such foods is based on low-quality by-products, contains grains and is not enriched with vitamins and minerals necessary for the healthy growth and development of the dog.
Premium, super-premium and holistic foods are suitable for feeding Alabais. Products from the brands ProBalance, ProPlan, Arden Grange, 1st Choice, Josera, NOW, GO!, Acana, Orijen, Hills, Eukanuba, Royal Canin, Bozita are popular.
Girl
The girl's height is 60-69 centimeters, her weight is 40-65 kilograms
Sexual dimorphism in this breed is clearly visible. Alabai girls are usually smaller in size and not as strong.
There are also differences in temperament. Bitches are more resourceful and cunning. They also absorb material worse during training, unlike the opposite sex.
Vaccination schedule
| Age | The drug and its purpose |
| 3-4 weeks (optional vaccination) | Nobivac Puppy DP – vaccine against canine distemper and parvovirus enteritis |
| 8-10 weeks | Nobivac DHPPi + Lepto – against canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus enteritis, parainfluenza and leptospirosis |
| 10-13 weeks | Nobivac DHPPi + Lepto + Rabies – against canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus enteritis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, rabies |
| 6-8 months (after teeth change) | Nobivac DHPPi + Lepto + Rabies – against canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus enteritis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, rabies |
In the future, vaccinations must be carried out annually at the same time.
In addition to the Nobivac drug, Eurican, Primodog, and Duramune vaccines are popular.
NOTE!
Only a healthy dog can be vaccinated; deworming must be done 10-14 days before vaccination.
How to train correctly and what commands to teach?
The first “command” to which a puppy should be taught is his name.
You need to raise an Alabai puppy from the first days of its arrival in a new home.
| Team | Education |
| To me | It is necessary to call the dog by name, loudly and clearly saying “Come to me!” After the puppy approaches, he needs to be praised and treated with a treat. |
| Near | Alabai should walk next to the owner’s left leg. You need to say the command and pull the leash, preventing the dog from moving to the side or forward |
| Sit | Show the puppy a treat and after he raises his head. sit down by pressing on the sacral area |
| Ugh | A command that should frighten the pet and force it to immediately stop some action. When a puppy does something forbidden, you need to grab him by the withers, shake him lightly and clearly say “Ugh” |
Who is the Central Asian Shepherd Dog suitable for?
Alabai is not a breed for everyone. It requires a steady hand and a special approach to training. A dog will not respect an owner who lets its upbringing take its course. It should be remembered that many of its qualities are innate, so it is extremely difficult to influence them. However, with a competent approach, internal energy and aggression towards others can be successfully managed. Then the alabai will become the most reliable defender of the house and all its inhabitants.
A firm but fair owner will raise the alabai to be a protector and a loyal friend
The ideal owner for a Central Asian Shepherd is a man who leads an active lifestyle, perhaps playing sports. It is much more difficult for women to cope with such a large and wayward dog. Those who have no experience in dog breeding should not own an Alabai.
Even with all the positive qualities, the young Alabai is not suitable for a beginner
When is weaning from the mother?
At about 2 weeks, complementary foods are already introduced into the puppy’s diet and every day he depends less and less on his mother. But he still needs her - the puppy adopts the basic norms of behavior from the bitch.
To make the puppy’s adaptation to new living conditions as easy and painless as possible, it is better to separate him from his mother at 8-12 weeks of life.
At this age, he has a positive attitude towards other animals getting closer to people, is ready to learn and has not yet had time to feel like a leader.
Character
The characteristics of Central Asian Shepherds are determined primarily by their developed protective instinct. These are watchdogs and consider their territory inviolable. Calm and self-possessed in the family circle, they react with lightning speed when danger arises, and become angry and aggressive defenders.
Smart, loyal, fearless and hardworking animals. Only the owner is recognized as the main one; other family members and pets are treated condescendingly. They do not tolerate strange dogs and are wary of strangers.
Reliable, faithful, have a strong psyche; very clean dogs.
Proud, stubborn and independent, Alabais tend to make independent decisions. This character trait helps them tend their flocks, but at home it creates difficulties.
They are not easy to train; like to think before executing a command. Suitable for experienced dog owners only.
How to choose your future pet?
Before buying a puppy, you need to check with the breeder about the number of dogs in the litter - if there are more than 5 puppies, there is a high probability that they will develop serious pathologies.
It is also important to carefully examine your future pet. He must be active, inquisitive and have a good appetite.
A healthy Alabai has shiny fur without dandruff, clean skin without rashes or scratch marks, a scissor bite, a wide head, a flat forehead, and oval paws.
Appearance
The head is massive and wide. The forehead is flat. The nose is large, black or brown. The pet's jaws are powerful. There are 42 white teeth in the mouth.
The ears are triangular in shape and medium in size. Sometimes they are pruned if this is not prohibited in the country.
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Eyes: wide-set, round, dark in color.
The pet's body is powerful. The neck is short and muscular. The chest is large, the ribs are rounded. The loin is short, wide, slightly convex. The abdomen is moderately tucked. The back is strong, straight, wide.
The tail is thick at the base and set high. In a calm state, the tail is ring-shaped. In some individuals it is docked, unless this is prohibited in the country.
The coat is hard, straight and rough. The length depends on the type. Long-haired: 7 to 8 cm in length, short-haired: 3 to 5 cm in length. Under the fur there is a thick undercoat.
Alabai colors include the following: white, black, black and white, gray, straw, reddish brown, red, brindle, motley, spotted.
Pictures of black and white alabai are presented below.
The size of the Alabai dog is impressive.
Height: male 65-78 centimeters, female 60-69 centimeters.
Weight: male 50-79 kilograms, female 40-65 kilograms.
