The Afghan Hound is a noble dog, giving people the impression of being noble and aloof, with no sign of ordinariness or coarseness. Its forequarters are straight, the head proudly raised, eyes gazing into the distance as if recalling bygone years.

English Name

Afghan Hound

History

The Afghan Hound, also known as the Kabul dog, belongs to an ancient breed. Images of this dog appeared in Afghan paintings 4000 years ago. This dog originally came from the Middle East, later spreading to Afghanistan along trade routes. It was used to hunt gazelles, wolves, snow leopards, and other animals. The Afghan breed first landed in the UK in 1886, becoming a hunting dog for the British royal family. After the UK introduced it to the USA in 1926, the US spent half a century improving it to have an elegant and powerful appearance, forming a unique style with its beautiful look. It can endure any harsh environment with remarkable agility and strong physique, and it also has very high ornamental value. Subsequently, this breed was again introduced to Europe and became popular worldwide.

Afghan Hound (Detailed Introduction)

Temperament

The Afghan has an elegant, powerful appearance, forming a unique style with its beautiful posture. It can strongly endure any harsh environment, showing incredible agility and a strong physique. It has a strong body, is independent, gentle towards people, but sometimes shows a nervous side. Despite the strong physique, if life circumstances change, the dog may gradually become thin. People once commented this dog has an untrustworthy temperament. Now the breed has been improved to retain its original liveliness while becoming more obedient in training and raising than before.

Suitable Owners

Although the Afghan Hound is large, it can adapt to apartment living, but the owner must provide ample space and opportunities for exercise. Proper exercise is necessary to keep it in the best physical and mental condition over the long term. The Afghan has abundant and dense coat, requiring a large amount of daily grooming time and regular beauty care. Owners need sufficient financial capability and plenty of time.

Breed Standard

Height

Males, 27 inches, plus or minus 1 inch; females, 25 inches, plus or minus 1 inch.

Weight

Males approximately 60 pounds; females approximately 50 pounds.

Head

The head length is appropriate, appearing very delicate, with a harmonious and balanced skull and foreface. A slightly raised nasal bridge forms a Roman nose, its centerline rising on the foreface to a slight (or no) stop that disappears before the eyes, so vision is clear without obstruction. The lower jaw appears very strong, long, and powerful; the mouth is a pincer bite with evenly matched teeth fully aligned, no overbite or underbite. This type of mouth is very rare for this breed. The scissors bite is more intense and easier to breed than the pincer bite; scissors bite (lower teeth closely touching the inner side of upper teeth) is not a defect. The occiput is very prominent, and the "hair" on the top of the head is silky, long hair. Ears: long, positioned roughly at the same horizontal level as the outer corners of the eyes; the length of the ear flap can extend to the nose tip, covered with long and silky hair. Eyes: almond-shaped (almost triangular), not too protruding, dark in color. Nose leather: appropriately sized, black. Defects: rough, truncated appearance; overbite or underbite; round, protruding, or light-colored eyes; exaggerated Roman nose; lack of "hair" on the head.

Neck

The neck has sufficient length, firm and rounded arch, connecting to the shoulder in a curved manner; the scapula is long and slanted backwards. Defects: neck too short or too thick, sheep neck, goose neck, neck lacking muscles or bone structure.

Body

From the withers to the loin, the topline appears nearly perfectly horizontal. The loin is strong and solid, slightly arched, fading into the rump. The hip bones are very prominent, ribs well expanded, with the flank slightly tucked up. Shoulder height and body length (distance from chest to rump) are approximately equal, chest deep and moderately wide. Defects: arched back, hollow back, goose rump, slack loin, hips not prominent, chest too wide causing conflict with elbows.

Tail

The tail root position is not excessively high, ring-shaped or curved at the tip; it must not be over curled, carried behind the back, or swung to one side of the body; and must never be too thick.

Legs

Forelegs are straight and solid, with a long length from elbow to pastern, elbows close to the body. The front feet claws are large in length and width, toes arched, with thick long coat covering the feet, texture fine. Pasterns are long and straight; footpads are very large and support contact with the ground. Shoulder joint angle is appropriate, placing legs properly under the body. Too straight shoulder joints cause the pasterns to collapse, which is a serious defect. The Afghan Hound’s four feet all point forward, neither turning in nor out. The hind feet are wide and sufficiently long, toes arched, covered with thick long coat. The hindquarters are powerful and muscular, with sufficient length between hock and hip; hock placed low with very appropriate angles at both the hock and stifle joints; the section from hock to hip is slightly curved, bow-shaped. Defects: front or rear feet turning inward or outward; footpads lacking enough thickness; feet too small; other significant foot defects; weak or collapsed pasterns; stifle joint too straight; hock too long.

Coat

The hindquarters, flank, ribs, front quarters, and legs are covered with dense, silky hair of delicate texture; ears and all four feet have feathering. From the front shoulders extending backward forms a saddle-shaped area (including the flank and upper ribs) where the hair is shorter and tighter, creating the smooth back characteristic of mature dogs, a traditional feature of the Afghan Hound. The Afghan Hound appears in its natural form with no clipping or trimming needed; on the top of the head is long silky "hair," also a distinctive feature. Shorter hair on the forearm and pastern of both front and rear legs is allowed. Defects: mature dog lacking the short-haired saddle-shaped area.

Color

All colors are allowed, but colored or combined colors are preferred. White markings, especially on the head, are undesirable. Hair: ribs, front and hindquarters, and sides of the body have long coat with very fine texture. Adult hounds have short, tight hair from shoulders to the back of the hind leg. Hair on the forehead is long with tips clearly resembling silk. Foreface hair is short. Ears and legs have good coat. Pastern pads may be exposed. The coat must be naturally grown.

Gait

When running freely, the Afghan Hound flies at high speed, showing great elasticity and spring in strong, smooth strides. If unrestrained, the Afghan runs extremely fast; when running forward, the hind feet land directly on the footprints of the front feet (front and rear tracks) in a straight forward line. While running, the head and tail are held high; the overall look of the Afghan Hound is very stylish and beautiful.

Temperament

Aloof and dignified, yet happy. Defects: aggressive or shy.

Genetic Diseases

Inherited diseases: hip dysplasia

Common diseases: hypothyroidism, alopecia, gastric motility disorders