Breed Name:
Afghan Hound

Dog Group:
Hound (AKC)
Coursing Hounds (FCI)

Registration Organizations: AKC National Club Name:Afghan Hound Club of America
  • National Club Corres. Secretary Address:
    • Afghan Hound Club of America:
      Norma Cozzoni, 43 W. 612 Tall Oaks Trail, Elburn, IL 60119, USA
  • Breeder Contact:
    • Norma Cozzoni, 43 W. 612 Tall Oaks Trail, Elburn, IL 60119, USA (708)365-3647
  • Afghan Hound Club of America Rescue:
    • Judy Fellton, (770)971-1533, Georgia, USA

Breed Description:
  • Original Purpose: A coursing hound
  • Breed History:
    • Earliest record: According to Constance Miller, in Gazehounds, the Search for Truth, first seen in the Western World in England in the 1890's and presented as a coated variety of the "Persian Greyhound" called a Barukhzy Hound. In 1907 the western ideal of the breed was created with the importation of a coated male dog of the "Persian Greyhound" type named Zardin who became the breed prototype.
    • Country of Origin: Afghanistan (the "official" origin), Persia, Eastern India
    • Year of Registry with AKC:1926
    • Afgahn Hound Club of America Admitted to Membership with AKC in 1940:1926
  • Size:
    • Height (inches): 27 (plus or minus an inch) (dogs): 25 (plus or minus an inch)(bitches)
    • Weight (pounds): 60 (dogs); 50(bitches)

  • Eye color: Dark brown to black is highly desired.
  • Lips: As with other windhounds, tight mouthed
  • Ear type: Hanging. medium to large in size.
  • Cosmetic Surgeries (to establish 'breed look')? None
  • Color: Afghans are bred in solid colors. The only dog coat colors not seen in Afghans are merle and some of the obscure varients on albino.

    Although piebald or spotted dog appear rarely (the spotting genes are recessive) but this is considered highly indesireable by fanciers and such dogs are generally culled at birth. Besides spotting, extensive white marks on the head and legs and even modest white marks on the head, such as a blaze or white snip on the nose are considered serious faults from the show ring perspective. Although present in the breed they are strongly selected against by most breeders.

    Thus a person seeking a pet quality Afghan Hound should never be lured into paying a premium price for a 'rare' spotted Afghan Hound.

  • Coat Type: The Afghan hound has a unique coat. The typical coat appears to be produced by having a non shedding undercoat that becomes quite long on the back of the head, ears, sides of the body and legs. The hair on the face, neck, top of the back (the saddle) and tail is short and hard, rather like a greyhound. The pattern described is the adult pattern. Puppies from 2 months on are large fluffballs. Both bitches and dogs that are neutered (spayed or castrated) revert to varied extents to the puppy coat pattern.

    There is a range of coat textures and coat expression in the breed. Some individuals have much more extensive development of the short haired regions with a saddle so that it extends more than 1/2 way down the side of the body as well as short hair on the feet and pasterns. The dog with extensive short coated regions is called a patterned Afghan hound. Others may be so full coated that the saddle scarcely appears. The absence of a saddle in a mature, sexually intact Afghan Hound is considered a breed fault.

    Texture of the long hair has a major influence on how easy it is to maintain the dog. A fully coated Afghan Hound with a curley or wooley coat is capable of matting very quickly and is best maintained as a clipped down pet. The coats that are easy to maintain are silky in texture and somewhat resistant to matting.

    However, no matter are silky the coat on the Afghan the is a breed that needs frequent grooming (at least a simple brushing every 2nd or 3rd day) They should not be owned by someone who lacks the time for the regular brushing that the hounds need.

  • Temperament: These are typical oriental sighthounds in temperament. A bit aloof to strangers and independent. They will alarm bark at people or dogs. If they are to be with small children they need to be exposed to children while growing up. As with any dog they can be trained in obedience but in common with most sighthound breeds they are difficult to motivate with food and they become withdrawn and passively antagonistic to the trainer if handled roughly.

    Many of these dogs have the sort of personality that causes them to be 'one person' or 'one family' dogs. Some can be quite shy. Others, while friendly to non-family members just do not take people other than their owners seriously in terms of obedience, etc.

    As with other sighthound breeds, if one gets away from the owner it can be very hard to recapture. As with all sighthound breeds socialization of puppies and adolescents is very important.

  • Special Requirements: An owner who enjoys brushing the dog. A fenced yard with a 6 foot fence if the owner plans to let the dog out in the yard to exercise. Small numbers of sighthounds can be successfully owned by people in apartments provided the owners are willing to exercise the dogs on leash or find suitable fenced areas for free running play. However these are not dogs that one can turn loose to self exercise in the suburbs or rural areas.

  • Typical Competitive Activities for this Breed: Lure coursing - NOTRA and LGRA racing - Obedience for the persistant and imaginative trainer who likes a challenge - Being brushed - Being admired and petted in a quiet environment (Well socialized Afghans make excellent Nursing Home visiting dogs) - Dog shows.
  • Breed Pluses: Gorgeous coat, physically healthy animals. Strains selected for lure coursing can have a long, sucessful coursing career. In my observation the breed is fairly long lived. I know many that have made it past 12 years of age. Although they will bark an alert, they like other sighthounds, are fairly quiet compared to guard and protection breeds. As mature animals they sleep most of the day, requiring brief periods of intense exercise rather than long endurance marches.

  • Breed Minuses: Need brushing. Let me repeat that - Need brushing. Typical oriental sighthound personality - can be aloof. If improperly socialized can be snappy to strangers, other dogs and children. Can run away and be hard to recover.

  • Genetic problems commonly encountered in this breed:
    • Hip dysplasia occasionally appears.

  • Who should own this breed? A person who seriously wishes to have an exotic appearing dog and is prepared for the coat care. Many of these dogs have the sort of personality that causes them to be 'one person' or 'one family' dogs.

  • Who should NOT own this breed?.
    • An Afghan puppy is a poor choice as a first dog. These dogs require real dedication as a groomer on the part of the owner. This is not a breed that can be maintained by sending it out for professional grooming once a month (unless you just have the groomer clip it down every 3 months).
    • A person who is unwilling to keep the dog leashed in most public situations. To enjoy a free running Afghan Hound one must be willing to seek out coursing events and safe areas for the dog to run.

    • Breed disqualifications There are no breed specific disqualifications in the AKC Afghan Hound standard.
      • Breed faults mentioned in the standard
        • Sharpness
        • Shyness
        • White markings, especially on the head, are undesirable.
        • Failure to produce the typical mid back saddle pattern of short fur.

      • Esthetic Defiencies These are legitimate reasons for a dog to be sold at a pet price on a 'neuter contract'. These should not detract from the health of the dog or its suitability as a pet.
        • Color White markings
        • Coat Heavily patterned coat, excessive saddle, no topknot, lack of long fur on the legs above the pasterns and hocks. Many breeders of show dogs consider any patterning on the feet undesirable.
        • Lack of natural saddle.
        • Tail Low set, sweeping down.
        • Eyes Blue eyes
        • Ears Very high carried, shorter, semi-rose in form.
        • Dentition Missing teeth, malocclusion of incisor bite (overshot or undershot).
      • Do not buy a puppy that is 'sold as a pet because it' is/has:
        • It is excessively fearful or excessively aggressive.
        • It has an exaggerated posture - front feet flat on the ground to the stop pad, hind feet flat on the ground to the hock.
        • Chronic lameness is a 2 to 5 month old puppy.
        • The unhealthy scrawny pup in the litter. This pup may have any one of a number of life treatening congenital illnesses such as a major heart anomaly, pancreatitus, severe food sensitivities.
        • An extremely large puppy for its age with very large, tender or hot to the touch "growth knobs" at the wrists and ankles. Very rapidly growing puppies are much more likely to have joint problems later in life. This is in part a management problem. These dogs can be feed too rich a diet as pups and pushed to grow too rapidly. Too rapid growth is generally an error made by novice owners and breeders.
      • Author (ie person to flame if you take exception to this breed description) - Bonnie Dalzell who has among other things, done some Afghan rescue.
      • An article of related interest is:About windhounds
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