President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has told eight national banks that they must assist in his project to improve the pedigree of the Alabay dog breed, recognised as part of the national heritage of Turkmenistan, the BBC reports.

The president is a noted dog-lover who declared 2018 the Year of the Dog and recently published a book about the Alabay dog.

The Turkmen Alabay book has received praise from the country’s sycophantic restricted press.