The Afghan Hound – Show Dog

The Afghan Hound is a long-haired beauty whose dense and fine coat has over time made it rather unsuitable for dog racing. That’s why there are two different breeding camps today: Whether a show Afghan is more suitable for you or whether it should be a racing Afghan is shown in our detailed guide.

The Elegant Greyhound with a Middle Eastern Appearance – Individual Characteristics and Similarities to Other Breeds

Afghan hounds are impressive figures of considerable size: males reach a height of between 68 and 74 cm at the withers, and females measure 63 to 69 cm at the withers. With an average weight of 20 to 27 kilograms, they are very slim for their size, but the breed standard does not specify a specific weight. A distinctive feature of the breed is the often dark facial mask and the long parted hairstyle on the head.

Breed characteristics from smooth crown to hairy paws

• The head is long and narrow like other Russian and Persian Taxis, but with a broader skull than European greyhounds. The stop is only slightly pronounced. A long crest with a middle parting grows on the head and merges into the long hairy ears.
• The muzzle is long and strong, and a black nose is desirable. With light coat colors, the nose can also be liver-colored. The hair grows very short all over the face and is often additionally distinguished by a dark mask from the lighter fur.
• According to the breed standard, the eyes should be triangular in shape and resemble those of Asian primal dogs. Dark coloring around the eyes often makes them look rounder and framed by eyebrows. Dark colors are preferred.
• The lop ears are set low and far back on the head, which is hardly noticeable in very hairy show dogs, as they are covered by the long tuft and long hair.
• The proudly raised neck is long and strong, it merges into a medium-length, strong back with a straight profile line. The croup falls slightly towards the base of the tail and there are wide hip humps.
• The shoulders and upper arms are long and very well muscled. The rear legs are well angled and powerful. The paws are extremely long and wide, especially in front. They are covered with long hair on some types and short hair on others.
• Another special feature is the sparsely-haired tail, which is carried horizontally and curls up at the tip. It sets deep and is not too thick.

Different types of Afghan Hounds

Among Afghan Hounds, there are several breed lines created for show and racing. Afghans with shorter and finer coats are selected for racing dog lines. Long, silky coats are preferred in show dog lines. In Afghanistan, there are more than a dozen different regional strains of the breed, adapted to the respective terrain conditions (mountain, desert, steppe). In Europe, these blows are hardly known except for three varieties:

Bakhmull

The “Mountain Afghan” with long, silky, and very thick hair. He is smaller and more compactly built than the other types, with a stretched and well-angulated hindquarters.

Kaleigh

The steppe Afghan has long silky hair on the ears and legs, the rest of the body is smooth hairy. Its fur is less dense than that of the Bakhmull. The stop is hardly visible in the steppe type, overall it is more similar to the Saluki.

Luchak

The smooth-haired luck is practically non-existent outside of Afghanistan.

Coat characteristics and colors

As a pup, the Tāzī has short, fluffy fur that sheds during puberty and is replaced by long, straight hair. Even with solid coat variants, the shorter hair on the back and the short hair on the face and ankles are darker. All colors are allowed. There is hardly a breed with such a wide range of colors, some combinations of which only occur in this breed. However, some colors are particularly popular in shows and breeders:

• Black (often shimmers reddish or brownish in length)
• Black with silver markings
• Black and Tan
• Black and brindle (tan markings are black striped)
• Solid blue or blue with a black mask
• Blue tabby
• Blue domino (light mask, underside of body creamy-light)
• Blue with creamy or silvery markings
• Solid white (face often cream)
• White with piebald (in any color and distribution)
• Silver (also with a black mask)
• Cream (solid, brindle, domino, with black mask)
• Red (solid, brindle, domino, with black mask)
• Gold (solid, brindle, domino, with black mask)

The Tale of the Ancient Afghan Hound – The Mysterious Appearance of the Long-Haired Taxis

Besides the Afghan Hound, there are only three other sighthound breeds that have lop-eared ears. The close relationship between the four West Asian greyhound breeds is easy to recognize and has been proven. It remains unclear which of the races is the oldest. It is conceivable that all four breeds evolved more or less simultaneously after the Asiatic wolf was domesticated about 5000 years ago in African-Oriental climates.

Related greyhounds from the Middle East and West Asia

• Central Asian Tazi (Kazakh, Iranian)
• Saluki (Persian)
• Sloughi (Arabic)

Traditional tasks

• In the Hindu Kush, the Tāžī Spay is still used to this day for hunting ibex and hawking with birds of prey.
• The mountain dogs used to hunt snow leopards and wolves independently (free hunting in groups).
• In the steppe, it is used for independent gazelle and hare hunting.

From hunting dogs to show dog

• In the 19th century, the first Afghan hounds were smuggled from their homeland to Europe, since the sale to foreigners was forbidden.
• The first breed standard was written in 1912, but it was not until the 1920s that the breed was officially recognized.
• The beautiful dogs do very well in shows and have become popular pets. They are often portrayed in cartoons, advertisements, and the media and attract attention everywhere due to their special coat.