Afghan Hound

This elegant-looking dog has a fine noble head complemented by a luxuriant flowing coat and a majestic gait. The extremely fast Afghan Hound is ideally suited for racing across the open plains or quickly changing direction in the rough terrain of mountainous regions.

History:

As its name suggests, the Afghan Hound originated from Afghanistan, where it was bred as a sight hound. It was trained to chase and knock down its quarry, and then to keep it there until the handler could catch up. Originally, the short-haired variety were bred for the plains region and the long-haired dogs were restricted to the mountains.

Nomads found the Afghan Hound invaluable as a guard for their herds and as a watch-dog for their camps. Historical evidence of cave drawings suggests a similar dog existed as far back as 4000 years ago. In 1907 the Afghan Hound was shown in London under the name of Oriental Greyhound, and in 1926 was granted official recognition as the Afghan Hound.

Physical characteristics:

A tall, refined-looking dog with a springy gait. Height: for the adult dog 27 - 29 in (69 - 74 cm) Weight: 55 66 lb (25 - 30 kg). The skull and muzzle should be long, with preferably dark eyes slanting slightly upward. The long ears should be well-covered with silky hair.

Behavior:

Despite their elegant and aloof appearance, Afghan Hounds are often very demanding of their owner's attention. Generally, this dog has a gentle nature and is very sociable with other dogs and people. Their height gives them an air of superiority and confidence when meeting most other dogs, yet their playful manner soon puts other dogs and people at ease.

As Afghan Hounds are intelligent animals, they require lots of mental as well as physical stimulation. Considerate owners should provide these noble animals with plenty of exercise and attention. It is a sheer delight to watch an Afghan Hound race across an open space and playfully gambol around. Although Afghan Hounds are easy to train, a wise owner should be aware that they are sight hounds and so have a strong chase-reflex. They can simply take off, or at least be very distracted by moving animals or objects such as cats or a windblown paper bag.

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