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The Afghan Hound gets it name from where the breed originated from, Afghanistan. This breed is actually the national breed of Afghanistan and was so special to the county that at first the Afghan people refused to sell the dog to anyone outside of the country! Historical records of this breed dates back to before the Christian era and is in fact one of the oldest dogs currently being bred today.
The Afghan is categorized as a Site Hound, and does exactly what its own name intends it to…it hounds wildlife such as foxes, wolves, goats and gazelles. Bred to endure the cold, this breed has very distinct features as its long hair and its ring tail separate it appearancewise from the other hounds . The Afghan Hound goes by many names, some of which are the Baluchi Hound, Tazi, Balkh Hound, and the Barutzy Hound.
The Afghan Hound is described by owners of the breed as being an aloof goof! They are a very affectionate and sweet breed that is a bit spoiled when it comes to deprivation of his owners attention. It is often described as having a low intelligence when it comes to obedience training but should be trained sensitively.
When house training your Afghan pup make sure to set the rules straight right away as they can be stubborn and untrustworthy if trained inconsistently. Young children are not recommended to mix with this breed as they can be a bit high strung. The Afghan is a free spirited dog that loves to run, so apartment life isn’t recommended. Regular long walks for at least 45 minutes a day are a must for this energetic breed and free roaming of a yard is a big plus!
Weighing in at between 40-64 pounds (18-29 kgs) and averaging 26-29 inches high, the Afghan Hound is a tall, slim dog that has a very narrow face and a “roman nose.” The coat is long and smooth. It should be a sandy colour with the face being a bit darker. The eyes are dark and ears are floppy and should lie against the head.
The AKC allows this breed to have any colour as long as its solid and has no white markings. Since the coat is long and thick, bathing regularly is a must as mats or knots can occur if left ungroomed!
The Afghan Hound is quite a healthy breed of dog with the main health conditions being cancer and allergies related to food. When being put under anesthetic, this breed needs extra supervision as it is sensitive to this due to the low body fat percentage of the dog.
Afghans are definitely not described as being “rough around the edges” as they have a very low pain tolerance making any bit of pain out to be a big deal. This overall hearty breed lives an average of 13-15 years.
This goofy dog isn’t to thrilled when it comes to training. They have very little interest in obedience and can be very hard to house train. When disciplining this dog, the owner should not be to hard on them, as they are more susceptible to listening and obeying if trained in a sensitive manner.
This breed is quite high maintenance when it comes to grooming. When being shown, they should be bathed about once a week. When bathing this dog, be sure to brush them only when wet and its best to use a pin brush, as if you brush them while their coat is dry it damages the fur. If your Afghan is a pet and not a show dog there is no need to bath them as often as once a week, but just be sure to not brush in between baths as it does promote mats! Afghans are considered medium shedders.
This breed is categorized in the Hound Group. They are ideal for people that have a large living area and back yard or acreage so they can run freely and feed their appetite for exercise as they are very high energy dogs. They average about 7 or 8 pups per litter but can have anywhere between 1-15! When attaining a baby Afghan, keep in mind that every puppy is different and to research your breed before bringing the baby home!
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