Dog Breed:
AFGHAN HOUND
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The Afghan hound which has been known as the
Persian Greyhound for many years, is a curious mixture of elegance, strength and
untidiness of appearance. The last mentioned feature is due to the fact that although
practically a smooth coated variety, the Afghan Hound usually carries a good deal of hair
of a silken texture upon his ears, tail and legs, whilst the longer growth occasionally
appears upon the belly as well. This give him a very unkempt appearance and suggests the
idea that the long coat upon his head, neck and body has come off - but this is not the
case; and it may be added that occasionally perfectly smooth coated specimens are met
with, but these are not valued as much as the others. The general shape of the breed
resembles that of a large but delicately formed greyhound, to which family it undoubtedly
belongs, but the long coat above referred to makes the parts on which it grows appear
somewhat clumsy. Usual colors are fawn, black , and white; the height varying from 24 to
29 inches and the weight from 60 to 70 lbs.
The Afghan Hound's history travels back thousands of years as a member of the greyhound
family. More specifically, the sight-hound group which is a very fast coursing dog group.
After arriving in Afghanistan from Arabia and Persia, this distinctive dog's coat is
thought to have developed in response to the harsh climate. The breed became the Afghani
nobility's hunting dog of choice because of its ability to cover rocky terrain with
agility, speed and ease. The first Afghans were brought to England in 1894 by soldiers
returning from the Afghan and India border. Breeding of the Afghan began in earnest in the
early 1920's when two Englishmen imported seventeen more of these dogs. A breed standard
was adopted in England in 1926, in the States in 1931, and in Canada in 1937. This popular
breed requires lots of exercise and is a good running companion.
Height: 26 - 28" (66 -
66cm) for dogs, 24 - 26" (61 - 61cm) for bitches
Weight: 60 lbs (26.8 kg) for
dogs, 50 lbs (22.3 kg) for bitches
Coat Type: The distinctive coat
of the Afghan consists of profuse, long, silky hair covering most of the body while short
hair covers the shoulders and the length of the back. The hair on the face is very short
and glossy. All colors are acceptable, as are different color combinations. White markings
on the head are not considered pleasing. Grooming for this breed is a time consuming and
daily requirement to keep healthy and shiny.
Temperament:
In general, Afghans are a quirky and unusual breed, but there
is one part of the Afghan's nature that is often overlooked. Afghan Hounds are thieves at
heart and will filch anything that takes their fancy. They can be quite innovative at
getting into areas their owners want to keep them out of, and their ability to whisk food
or articles away from right under the owner's nose is almost magical. The intelligent
owner must child-proof his home thoroughly and keep one step ahead of
this furry Houdini.
When an Afghan finds himself in a stressful situation, quite
often he will simply go to sleep until the whole business is over. Another sure sign of an
excited or worried dog is a drippy nose.
It is almost impossible to keep an Afghan off the upholstered
furniture. They seem to think that this is their rightful place. They have been known to
push their owners out of bed. To the true Afghan fancier there is no substitute for this
gentle, entertaining, frustrating and most kingly of dogs.
Special Interest: Although no
one, except Noah himself, was actually there to witness it, some accounts state that a
pair of these "monkey-faced hounds" were privileged enough to book a spot on
Noah's Ark.
Classifications:
AKC: Group 2 - Hounds
CKC: Group 2 - Hounds
KC: Sporting - Hound Group
FCI: Group 10
ANKC: Group 4 - Hounds
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More information about the Afghan Hound
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