The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is now requiring that its celebrated Alabay dog breed receive a passport before it can leave the country.

A law that took effect on Tuesday requires that all puppies of the breed, which is also known as the Central Asian shepherd dog, be marked in the government’s pedigree book and register of pedigree dogs.

Passports will be issued including data on the dog’s sex, date of birth and colour, as well as details about the owner.

Special government export permission will be required.

Turkmenistan, an isolated desert country of six million people, prides itself on its horses and dogs, honouring centuries-old herding traditions.

Alabays, traditionally used for guarding livestock herds, are among the world’s largest dogs, weighing as much as 80 kilograms (175lbs).

In 2020, then-president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov established a holiday honouring the dogs, and last year unveiled a 15-metre (50ft) tall golden statue of them in the nation’s capital, Ashgabat.

The Turkmen leader extolled the Alabay for years.

He published a book and wrote a song about the breed and presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with an Alabay puppy in 2017.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov’s son Serdar, who was elected president this year, heads the international association of Alabays.