Central Asian sheepdogs may be descendants of Asian mastiffs. This fearless sheepdog has been used as a guard dog for sheep for hundreds or thousands of years. It is a close relative of the popular large Caucasian sheepdog. Long hair and short hair, this independent and arrogant sheepdog has protected nomadic people and their flocks for two centuries, from Russia's Eastern Urals to Siberia and all Central Asian countries, such as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.