Mary Allen
An Afghan Hound, or Afghan for short, is one of the oldest sighthound breeds in the world. Thanks to its graceful appearance and long, silky coat, it enjoys great popularity. Here in the profile, you will learn everything about the history, nature, and the keeping of the original dogs.
History of the Afghan Hound
As early as 4000 BC, Afghan nomads in the Hindu Kush bred the ancestors of the Afghan greyhound. The nimble hounds were highly prized and regarded as valuables. With their excellent hunting skills, the greyhounds ensured the survival of the nomads in the mountains. They also served as guard dogs for the camps and villages. Three variants are known: the mountain, lowland, and short-haired Afghan. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the first representatives of the breed reach Europe, despite the export ban.
Captain John Barff brought the male Zardin to England. This acted as a model for the breed standard in the 1920s. The British Kennel Club recognized the “Mountain Afghan” as an official breed. Already at this point, a split between show Afghans and racing Afghans developed. The heavily overbred show animals often have a coat that reaches down to the ground, which makes normal walking impossible. In 1961, the FCI officially recognized the Afghan Hound. He belongs in the FCI Group 10 “Sighthounds” in Section 1 “Long-haired or feathered sighthounds”.
Essence and Character
The Afghan Hound is an independent and at the same time cuddly dog. He is extremely people-oriented and sensitive but keeps his own head. Submissiveness is alien to the proud dogs, but neither are they aggressive. A well-exercised Afghan Hound makes an excellent family dog that is careful with children. He has a strong hunting instinct that even professionals find difficult to control. In his four walls, however, he is cuddly, gentle, and inconspicuous. He rarely barks and has no protective or herding instincts. The social sighthound is also friendly to strangers and other dogs.
The Appearance of the Afghan Hound
With a height at the withers of up to 74 centimeters, an Afghan Hound is one of the larger dog breeds. Despite its size, it is not clumsy but moves elegantly and gracefully. His overall appearance exudes strength and dignity. The back is straight and falls slightly towards the base of the simply curled tail. According to the VDH standard, the hip bones should be clearly visible, but the dog should not be too skinny.
The muscular front legs end in large paws covered in long hair. The most distinctive feature of the sighthound is its strikingly long and silky coat. On the head, the hair forms a prominent tuft of hair (“top knot”) that is reminiscent of a women’s hairstyle. In the area of the saddle, however, the coat is short and dense. A specific color is not prescribed, with the colors cream, silver, and black-brown predominating.
Education of the Puppy
Due to its original use as a hunting dog in its own right, the Afghan Hound is not easy to train. In no way does he behave submissively, but always maintains his pride and a will of his own. With a lot of patience and consistency, you can teach the Afghan to obey. In general, however, he tries to do what he feels like doing. It is particularly difficult to get the dog’s hunting instinct under control since it was originally a huntsman on sight. As soon as he sees potential prey, he doesn’t hesitate and starts running. It is therefore important that the large dogs learn the basic commands at a young age. Sighthound friends will surely confirm that an Afghan hound is capable of training its owner and not the other way around.
Activities with the Afghan Hound
Because the greyhound is naturally a talented and fast runner, it requires a reasonable level of exercise. Unfortunately, in a densely populated country like Germany, it is difficult to meet the dog’s needs. The whole thing is also difficult due to the strong hunting instinct and the poor availability of the dogs. So that you can still employ the dogs in a species-appropriate manner, many sighthound clubs offer the opportunity to take part in coursings or races with your Afghan Hound. Here the sporty dogs can walk and run without a leash for pleasure. In everyday life, dogs are also great companions when cycling or jogging.